Matthew Gray Gubler played Dr. Spencer Reid inCriminal Mindsfrom 2005 to 2020 (he appeared in 15 seasons and 324 episodes total), buthis next project will feature one element that separates the actor’s new character from Reid.The police procedural crime drama series followed the FBI’s BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) as they traveled around the country, solving crimes that required their expertise. Reid was notably the youngest member of the team, but he was also the smartest. As the show continued, Reid quickly became afan-favoriteCriminal Mindscharacter, making many excited to see who Gubler plays next.
Matthew Gray Gubler is one of the few originalCriminal Mindsactors who haven’t reprised their roles in Paramount+’s revival seriesCriminal Minds: Evolution.
In October 2024, CBS announced thatGubler would be the face of an upcoming crime procedural TV series —Einstein(which is a working title, perDeadline). The actor is set to star as Lew Einstein, the great-grandson of Albert Einstein. Like his ancestor, Lew is a brilliant professor who uses his genius to help the police solve crimes. Gubler will serve as a producer onEinstein, which CBS hasn’t officially ordered a full season of yet. But if it does get the green light,Criminal Mindsfans should prepare themselves to watch Gubler play a character quite different from Reid.
Einstein Can Give Matthew Gray Gubler A Regular Love Interest
Rosa Salazar Was Cast As Maddie Paris In Einstein
PerVariety,Rosa Salazar has joined the cast ofEinsteinasMaddie Paris, the detective Gubler’s character works within the police procedural series. She is only the second announced cast member, following in Gubler’s footsteps. Maddie’s character description reads:
“[Maddie is] a Detective Inspector for the New Jersey State Police, who went into law enforcement after the death of her husband. Sharp and disciplined, Maddie demands a lot from her colleagues and even more from herself and feels conflicted about working with Professor Einstein.”
SinceMaddie is the female lead ofEinsteinand Lew is the male lead,it stands to reason that sparks will fly between them in the show. Work partners' relationships in procedural series often turn romantic, leading one to believe thatEinsteinwill likely feature a romance between Gubler’s Lew and Salazar’s Maddie. Maddie’s character description also teases tension between her and Lew. The opposite of hate is love, which has proven to be true time and time again in procedural TV shows (e.g.Castle and Beckett inCastle, Brennan and Booth inBones, etc.).
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While the possibility ofEinsteinhaving a central romance is exciting, it’s all the more thrilling when thinking aboutGubler’sCriminal Mindscharacter. Reid rarely had any love interests throughout the show’s 15 seasons. So,seeing Gubler play a character who is part of a series' main love story is something newforCriminal Mindsfans.
Why Reid Never Got A Long-Term Love Interest In Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds Wasn’t Exactly A Romance-Heavy Show
While Reid had a handful of love interests over the course ofCriminal Minds' 15 seasons, he never had one who stuck around for very long. Gubler’s character had a crush on JJ for a short while before their relationship became more like that of a brother and sister. Then, Reid started dating Maeve in season 8, but she was murdered. Aside from those instances,Reid’s only other romance (not counting Cat Adams' obsession with him) was with Max in the final season,which ended without revealing Reid and Max’s relationship status.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
(500) Days of Summer
Einstein
Lew Einstein
Reid never got a long-term romance inCriminal Mindsfor a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the CBS police procedural series isn’t exactly a TV show that focuses much on its characters' love lives.Reid was also a character who was socially awkward,and it would have been unrealistic for him to have the time or energy to date. However, things will drastically change for Gubler after starring as Reid inCriminal Mindsfor 15 years, when he starts playing Lew inEinstein.
What Starring On Einstein Means For Reid In Criminal Minds: Evolution
Einstein Will Be On Traditional Network TV
Assuming that the development ofEinsteincontinues and CBS picks it up for a full-season order, there’s understandable curiosity about what it means forCriminal Minds: Evolution. When the Paramount+ revival of the long-running procedural was announced, much was discussed about how it would be similar or different from its parent series. Essentially, it was simply a continuation of the original series, with the majority ofCriminal Minds: Evolutioncasttransitioning from its prequel. Gubler has yet to appear in the show, Reid is supposedly still part of Emily Prentiss of BAU, but he’s just on sabbatical.
Considering that the new procedural would be on traditional network TV, it would be difficult to imagine Gubler coming back full-time as Reid onCriminal Minds: Evolution.
The idea for this is tokeep the door open for Gubler’s eventual appearance inCriminal Minds: Evolution. His character’s desk remains intact in the office to reiterate this. Both the actor and showrunner Erica Messer claim that it’s only a matter of time before Reid resurfaces, but that sentiment was made before news ofEinsteinbroke out. Considering that the new procedural would be on traditional network TV, it would be difficult to imagine Gubler coming back full-time as Reid onCriminal Minds: Evolution.
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That said, this doesn’t mean that the BAU’s golden boy will never make an appearance in the Paramount+ revival again. It’s worth noting that bothCriminal Minds: EvolutionandEinsteinare from the same production company, so it shouldn’t be difficult to organize Gubler’s schedule to ensure that he can make time to reprise Reid. This makes a cameo a big possibility, and considering the chances of Reid rejoining the BAU in a full-time capacity, seeing him work with the team, even with limited involvement, is better than nothing.
When Reid Might Appear In Criminal Minds: Evolution
If Gubler and Paramount+ Find A Way To Bring Back Reid
At this point, the best time to bring back Reid is inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, which is currently in production. Since Einstein is still in its early stages of development and casting, there is still a way to go before it goes into production. Granted that Gubler has a producer credit on the new show, which means that he is still involved in crafting the series, it’s safe to say that he still has time on his hands to join the filming of his old show. In any case, he is still in touch with his former co-workers.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is available to stream on Paramount+.
IfCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 ends up being about JJ, then it makes so much more sense for Reid to return. The pair has been best friends since the originalCriminal Mindsshow started, and while there was some romantic tension between them, especially towards the end of the CBS series' run, nothing came out of it. JJ may be looking at a particularly difficult year with BAU-gate and Will’s health scare. It’s difficult to believe that Reid won’t come back to help her during this time.
Criminal Minds
Cast
Criminal Minds follows an elite team of FBI profilers from the Behavioral Analysis Unit as they analyze the nation’s most complex criminal minds, led by experienced agent David Rossi. The team works to anticipate and prevent crimes by understanding the behavior of these dangerous individuals.
