The Criminal Minds reboot's reason for not featuring Spencer Reid is a lie. Played by Matthew Gray Gubler, Behavioral Analysis Unit's (BAU) boy genius will sadly not be part of Criminal Minds season 16. His absence would be greatly felt in the upcoming Paramount+ project considering how integral he has been to the team. Criminal Minds revival's attempt to justify Reid's non-involvement, however, isn't exactly true.
Just a year after it wrapped up its 15-year CBS run, the FBI procedrual was picked up for a streaming release. Following some hurdles during the early stages of its development, the project is finally pushing forward on Paramount+ with the majority of the core Criminal Minds cast returning. That excludes two actors. Firstly, Daniel Henney, who played SSA Matt Simmons won't be back as the actor is busy working on Amazon's Wheel of Time. Secondly, Gubler; but unlike his co-star, the reason for his absence is due to personal preference.
In a new interview, Emily Prentiss actress, Paget Brewster offers an explanation about Reid's absence in the Criminal Minds reboot. Brewster cites the fact that as an original cast member, Gubler has devoted 15 years of his life to the show, booking it right after he graduated from New York University where he studied to be a director. She also noted that "Matthew was the only person in the last two seasons that had been in every single episode." This is where the problem is because this isn't true. Most of the cast appeared in those final two years of the show, including A.J. Cook's Jennifer Jarreau, who is also an original Criminal Minds cast member like Gubler. Additionally, Gubler was actually absent in several season 14 episodes including "Broken Wing," "Flesh and Blood," and "Sick and Evil." In fact, his absence became so obvious that questions about his whereabouts started to pop up.
Why Gubler Missed So Many Criminal Minds Season 14 Episodes
The reason for Gubler’s absence in the Criminal Minds reboot is essentially the same reason why he missed several episodes in season 14. After years of being in the show, he wanted to venture out and do something else. Since the CBS procedural was his first job after graduating, he hasn't been able to really do much out of it given how grueling the work hours are for typical network shows. Naturally, he wanted to try his hand at directing after more than a decade of being in front of the camera. In terms of narrative, Gubler's frequent absences started in Criminal Minds season 13. After his traumatic experience in Mexico, he was put on probation and was asked to take mandatory leaves wherein he devoted his time teaching. This seemed like a justified reason for Gubler to miss several episodes of the show then as his absence was baked into the series' story.
Ultimately, the BAU can function without Reid. So, going after a network of UnSubs that popped out during the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t be a problem for them without the FBI unit’s golden boy. That being said, there's still hope that Gubler ultimately changes his mind and returns for the Criminal Minds reboot even at a limited capacity. The project has yet to officially begin filming, so they could still include a fun cameo from the character.