Warning! Spoilers ahead for Criminal Minds: EvolutionCriminal Minds: Evolution has already revealed what happened to Dr. Spencer Reid. The boy genius of Criminal Minds' Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is not in the Paramount+ revival of the CBS police procedural. While Spencer Reid's continued absence would eventually become more prominent as the team tracks down a highly-cerebral UnSub, the first two episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution have managed to minimize the impact of his non-appearance. Despite that, Criminal Minds: Evolution has quickly revealed the reason for Reid not being with his old team.
In Paramount+'s Criminal Minds reboot, BAU Chief Emily Prentiss works with a new boss, Deputy Director Bailey, who is intentionally undermining the team for his personal gain. Between this and Bailey not wanting to inform Prentiss about what's keeping Reid from ing the BAU, it's likely that it was his plan to separate him from the pack as part of his bigger scheme. Bailey may have thought removing Reid would decrease the chances of the profilers solving their biggest case to date. This would prove his point against them and make it easier to convince the brass to break the BAU apart.
Why Matthew Gray Gubler Didn’t Return For The Criminal Minds Reboot
Actor Matthew Gray Gubler, who played Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds, hasn't commented on being missing from the reboot, but Paget Brewster has confirmed the reason why. Apparently, Reid is absent from the Criminal Minds reboot because Gubler wants to venture out in his career. She cites that playing the BAU's boy genius was Gubler's first job out of college, and for 15 years, he regularly appeared on the series. Although it was a blessing to have job stability for more than a decade, it had some trade-offs, including being unable to star in other projects and try his hand at directing. After the CBS show wrapped, Gubler wanted to do those, hence why he decided to skip Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Will Gubler’s Reid Ever Return To The BAU?
Showrunner Erica Messer has confirmed that, technically, Spencer Reid is still with the BAU — it just so happens that he's away because of Reilly. The good thing is, not totally writing the character out of the show keeps the door open for Matthew Gray Gubler's Reid return in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2. At this point, Paramount+ has only ordered a 10-episode season, with its future hinging on the public's reception of its initial run. In any case, the reviews have been mostly positive, increasing the chances of the BAU coming back beyond this new case and giving the show the opportunity to include Reid.
For what it's worth, the BAU has functioned without Reid before. Toward the end of the CBS show, Matthew Gray Gubler started missing several episodes as he started venturing out with his career. So while things would be far quicker and easier if the BAU had their boy genius for this new case on Criminal Minds: Evolution, it's likely that the remaining profilers can take down the network of UnSubs led by Elias Voit.
Criminal Minds: Evolution drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
