We’re only three episodes into Season 18, but Criminal Minds: Evolution has had one heck of a return so far.
On top of the BAU working to solve high-stakes cases, Season 18’s premiere revealed that Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) is still alive. After Episode 2 established he was suffering from amnesia, the show said goodbye to JJ’s husband Will (Josh Stewart), who unexpectedly died from an aneurysm. And the eventful installments didn’t stop there…
Criminal Minds: Evolution Episode 1803 spoilers ahead.
In addition to showing the team try to restore Voit’s memory, Season 18, Episode 3, “Time to Say Goodbye,” featured Will’s funeral and welcomed back a fan-favorite Criminal Minds character: Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid.
Fans of the OG series know that Gubler’s character — a genius BAU agent introduced on Day 1 of the show — starred in 15 seasons and over 300 episodes. After his appearance in Season 15’s finale in 2020, Gubler was mentioned in Season 16 (Criminal Minds: Evolution‘s Paramount+ debut) when viewers were told he was away on a classified assignment.
Back in December 2024, Gubler told Italian publication Ansa, that he recently “shot a new episode of Criminal Minds.” And per TVLine, the actor was expected to appear in part of one Season 18 episode. Considering Gubler’s upcoming CBS series Einstein, set to premiere in the 2026-2027 series, it’s unlikely he’ll have time to return as a series regular any time soon. But, hey! We’ll take Spencer whenever we can get him! And though Gubler was only in a few minutes of Episode 1803, the series made the most of the touching guest appearance.
As far as funeral episodes go, “Time to Say Goodbye” did a refreshing job balancing characters’ grief, embracing nostalgia, and moving Voit’s development forward without letting professional storylines overshadow personal ones. The bulk of the episode shined a spotlight on JJ, her kids, her mother-in-law Connie, and the BAU grieving Will’s loss. The series honored JJ and Will’s 18-year relationship through flashbacks, shared anecdotes, photo albums, and tears. But Criminal Minds also emphasized the magnitude of the moment by referencing OG characters and welcoming Gubler back to screen.
Before the funeral began, Prentiss (Paget Brewster) told Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) that large flower arrangements at the front of the church were sent by former colleagues Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore). When she pointed out flowers from Spencer (Gubler), she told Garcia she wished she got to talk to him, but the two simply exchanged text messages.
Around 40 minutes into the episode, as JJ was getting ready to head into church with the kids, a door opened, Henry said “Told you he’d come,” and Spencer appeared before them — looking amazing and wearing a classic statement scarf, might I add.
“Spence? You came,” a stunned JJ said as he silently walked over and gave them all hugs.
Before the funeral began, Spencer walked into the church and sat down beside a similarly stunned Garcia, Prentiss, and Rossi. As Prentiss, Garcia, and JJ gave emotional speeches, he looked on with support and empathy, and after the church service concluded, he hung back for a moment alone with JJ. “I still can’t believe you made it,” she said. “I’m always here for you guys,” he replied before squeezing her hands and walking outside to reunite with his other beloved BAU agents.
Prentiss gave him a huge hug and cried. Garcia followed. Rossi grabbed him and passionately kissed both cheeks. And after greeting Luke (Adam Rodriguez), Tara (Aisha Tyler), Rebecca (Nicole Pacent), and Tyler (Ryan-James Hatanaka), the friends took a moment to catch up before facing their next emotional hurdle: the cemetery.
After another round of powerful performances, Criminal Minds: Evolution lowered Will’s casket into the ground, and the guests filed back into their cars to head to the wake. Everyone left except JJ and Spencer, who hung back to support her again. After putting his hand on her back in a show of support, JJ looped her arm around his and the two walked away from the gravesite together.
Before we knew it, Gubler was gone. At the wake, Prentiss told JJ — still shocked he came at all — that “Spence’s supervisor worked with you at the State Department so he gave him the morning off.” He didn’t speak much, but then again, he didn’t need to. His presence was more than enough in the moment. Showing up for JJ at a time like this, after all their history together, meant the world and reaffirmed what fans hoped to be true: despite the distance, he’s always with the BAU in heart.
We understand that Gubler’s a busy guy with prior commitments and scheduling conflicts, but we’re also hopeful we haven’t seen the last of Spencer on Criminal Minds: Evolution. As the great Paget Brewster told Good Housekeeping, “One hot second of Matthew Gray Gubler is worth a thousand years of someone else. It was as if no time has passed, and he’s a personal friend so we communicate with him all the time. So, it wasn’t a big deal, because it was like, ‘Oh, this is nice! Alright dude — think about doing this again!”
Criminal Minds: Evolution is now streaming on Paramount+.