Major ‘Criminal Minds’ Character Just Returned

Spoilers ahead for Season 18, Episode 3 of Criminal Minds: Evolution (“Time to Say Goodbye”)

The latest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution finally brought back a major character that fans have been hoping and waiting for.

In Thursday’s episode, “Time to Say Goodbye,” Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid appeared when A.J. Cook’s JJ needed him most.

The episode saw the aftermath of the death of JJ’s husband, Will (Josh Stewart). He had an aneurysm in the previous episode, with JJ telling the team that he died in the final seconds of the episode. After dealing with her mother and mother-in-law, JJ was keeping it together for her sons – played by Cook’s real life sons – at the funeral. After oldest son Henry told his mom, “I told you he’d come,” Reid walks through the door, hugging his friend and godsons before reuniting with the rest of the BAU before the funeral starts.

Gubler’s appearance on the series is brief, and he only has one line, but it made a big impact, especially since fans have been wishing for his return since the Criminal Minds revival was first announced. It was previously announced that he would indeed be returning for this new season, but it was unknown in what capacity Reid would be reuniting with his BAU family. Will’s funeral and being there for JJ really just made sense, as there was no way that he’d miss it.

“It’s a joy to get to tell stories with people you love, so I will always cherish any moment, big or small, that I get to hug my Criminal Minds family or slip back into my dear friend Spencer’s oversized wingtips,” Gubler said in a statement via TV Insider.

Cook also told the outlet that the few lines between JJ and Reid “was by choice.” She continued, “They didn’t need a monologue. They didn’t need a bunch of dialogue. It’s all in looks. And when we were in the conception phase of this episode, Erica and I — it would feel like something major was missing if we didn’t have Spence, it just would. It would feel weird not having him there.”

It’s been a long time coming for Reid’s return. Showrunner Erica Messer previously shared that they tried to get Matthew Gray Gubler to appear on Season 16 and 17, but it never worked out due to schedules, and then the strikes happened. However, when it came time for Will’s funeral for Season 18, A.J. Cook explained she called her former co-star herself to talk him into doing it, and he was quick to jump on board.

“You show up in those moments. And we were so lucky to get him back,” Cook said. “And yes, it was a brief moment, but it was so impactful and it felt so great having him there, just kind of felt like a homecoming. And my kids love Matthew, and Matthew’s like my third kid. It was pretty cute. Seeing him back on set with everybody, it was pretty special.”

The newest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution is streaming now on Paramount+, with new episodes dropping on Thursdays.