It’s been over three years since Criminal Minds ended its initial run, and thanks to Criminal Minds: Evolution, the BAU is back and better than ever. However, with some of the stars not returning for the Paramount+ revival, it’s hard to not miss them. Original cast member Matthew Gray Gubler, along with Daniel Henney, were previously announced to not reprise their roles for Evolution. Ahead of the second season, Paget Brewster shared a sweet exchange with a fan over MGG.
A fan on Twitter shared a couple of photos of Paget Brewster and Matthew Gray Gubler, and another fan replied, saying that they missed them together. Brewster got in on the action and also replied, making sure that everyone knew how much she misses her friend and former co-star:
It’s definitely sweet to see Paget Brewster have this exchange with a fan, even despite not working with Matthew Gray Gubler in a while. While fans aren't in on all the behind-the-scenes details from the original series, Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid basically had a brother-sister relationship.
With Season 2 of Criminal Minds: Evolution likely still a ways away due to the writers strike, it’s never too early to still hope that Matthew Gray Gubler would return to the series, even if it is for just an episode or two. Since schedules didn’t line up with MGG and Evolution, Gubler couldn’t appear in the first season, but the series did update fans on what’s going on with Reid, who was away on an assignment with Daniel Henney’s Matt Simmons.
With another season in the works, depending on schedules and the storyline as well as Gubler’s interest in returning, it's possible Reid could make his way back into fans’ hearts. Paget Brewster previously hinted on Twitter that production would begin on Season 2 in April, but a more recent update from TVLine states that production was pushed back and planned for June, with the WGA writers strike now making the start date uncertain.
We can only speculate about when production can actually begin for the time being, but if Matthew Gray Gubler can’t come back for the revival of the long-running procedural, hopefully he and Paget Brewster will reunite in some other way. Fans were certainly missing the two of them together in the first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, so if there is an off-screen reunion, I'm crossing my fingers for one of them to post a pic on social media.
Luckily, all seasons of Criminal Minds are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, so while it may not be the same as new content, there is still a way to see Gubler and Brewster together. Reid and Emily’s relationship was arguably one of the best parts of the CBS procedural, and one can always hope that it will be seen again on Evolution.