The Return of Spencer Reid: Criminal Minds' Best Rivalry

Spencer Reid's Absence and Potential Return

Matthew Gray Gubler just showed exactly the best way to reunite Spencer Reid with the BAU in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2. The FBI's profilers successfully returned to the small screen via a grittier and darker procedural on Paramount+. While essentially a continuation of the CBS series, with the majority of the cast returning to reprise their roles, there are some differences between the old and new incarnations of the series. The biggest one is arguably the absence of the BAU's golden boy, Reid, played by Gubler and an original cast member of the popular crime show.

Matthew Gray Gubler as Reid and Aubrey Plaza as Cat Adams in Criminal Minds

There have been contradicting reasons for Gubler's Criminal Minds: Evolution's absence. Initially, it was thought that the actor passed up on the opportunity to return because he wanted to try other things in his career. After 15 years of playing the same character, it's difficult to blame him for this, and all of his former castmates seemed to support that. Subsequently, it was revealed that it was a scheduling conflict that prevented him from joining the spinoff sequel. Regardless of the real reason for him sitting out the show, Gubler may be poised for a Criminal Minds: Evolution return, and he may have shown the best way to do that.

Spencer Reid visiting Cat Adams in prison in Criminal Minds

Spencer Reid's Best Arch-Nemesis: Cat Adams

Spencer Reid's most formidable adversary in Criminal Minds was Cat Adams, portrayed by Aubrey Plaza. Their on-screen relationship in the police procedural was filled with tension and danger, with Adams causing significant turmoil in Reid's life. As a deadly assassin and master manipulator, she orchestrated events that led to Reid's dangerous stint in prison and endangered his loved ones. No Criminal Minds villain has given Reid as much grief as Cat Adams.

Gubler's on-screen reunion with Aubrey Plaza, who played Cat Adams in the original Criminal Minds, is an intriguing development. Despite their characters' tumultuous history, it's clear that their dynamic will play a pivotal role in the potential return of Spencer Reid to the BAU in Criminal Minds: Evolution. The presence of Cat Adams serves as a compelling reason for Reid's reappearance, as her ability to wreak havoc and target his fellow profilers presents an intriguing storyline for his return.

Bringing Back Cat Adams: A Compelling Storyline for Reid's Return

Criminal Minds: Evolution immediately addressed Reid's absence, hinting that he was assigned somewhere else but remained an official member of the BAU. This setup paves the way for an impactful reintroduction of Reid, particularly through the reemergence of his nemesis, Cat Adams. The potential storyline of Adams resurfacing after laying low for years and targeting Reid and his colleagues presents an intriguing and compelling narrative for his return to the series.

The execution of Cat Adams in the original show was believed to be the end of her reign of terror, but her character's cunning and resourcefulness leave open the possibility of her survival. The idea that she could have escaped and is now plotting her revenge against Reid in Criminal Minds: Evolution adds a layer of suspense and anticipation to the series, setting the stage for an electrifying reunion between Reid and his arch-nemesis.