Who Is Harry Bring? ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season Finale Tribute Explained

Criminal Minds: Evolution capped its Season 1 finale Thursday with a special tribute to late producer Harry Bring. After seemingly closing the case of Sicarius/Elias Voit, the leader of a cult of serial killers haunting the BAU team throughout the season, and just before the end credits rolled on the debut season, Episode 10, “Dead End,” of the Paramount+ revival series aired a tribute card that read, “In Loving Memory Of Harry Bring.”

Bring, a television producer, left an important mark on Criminal Minds. He worked as an executive producer and co-executive producer on the CBS police procedural drama from 2011 to 2020. Bring worked on 139 episodes as a co-executive producer from 2011 to 2017 and later contributed to 47 episodes as an executive producer from 2017 to the show’s finale in 2020. Throughout his decades-long career, Bring also served as second assistant director on early ’80s films including Mr. Mom and Strange Brew before serving as a second assistant director on the series Max Headroom from 1987-1988. He also served as first assistant director on Northern Exposure, Melrose Place, and The X-Files, with his other credits including Army Wives, Chaos, Head Cases, and The Lyon’s Den. He died on February 18, 2021 at age 77 after he battled cancer for years.

“Today we lost a legend at 77 years young. Harry Bring succumbed to a life full of laughter and hard work, dedication to family and friends and the love he had for Rhonda Leeds-Bring,” Bring’s son, Bad Bring, shared on Facebook at the time. “He fought cancer for years and kicked its ass. That let him enjoy USC, the SF Giants, the Rams, hating on 45 and his grandkids a little longer. He embodied the Fight ON spirit of the Trojans.”

Bring’s death came just a year before Criminal Minds: Evolution premiered on Paramount+ as a revival to the CBS drama in November 2022. The first season of the series, which marked the 16th overall season of the crime drama, followed the BAU team as they investigated a serial killer network established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Criminal Minds: Evolution stars Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, and Adam Rodrigue. Erica Messer serves as showrunner and executive producer, with Breen Frazier, Chris Barbour, Glenn Kershaw and Mark Gordon also executive producing. The series has already been renewed for a second season.