Book-smart Dr. Spencer Reid, played by actor Matthew Gray Gubler, in the American police procedural TV series “Criminal Minds” will fall in love in Season 11 when the show premieres on CBS on September 30.
Showrunner Erica Messer, in a recent interview, confirmed that with the momentary departure from the show of A.J. Cook and Jennifer Love Hewitt on account of their recent pregnancies and childbirth, Season 11 will delve deep into each character’s personal life, notes the International Business Times of India.
But much of the focus will be on Dr. Reid and his love life. In fact, the character will have a very dramatic and disturbing start in the premiere of Season 11, adds Messer.
According to the series creator, Reid will be apparently responsible for a crucial takedown of a hitman in the premiere episode and it will be a disturbing scene because he will be using his brain more than his brawn.
Messer added that it will not be a standoff with a gun, but it is going to be a Reid version of a takedown. As the show will start with Reid at the limelight, it is likely that his character will have most of the spotlight for Season 11 as per previous reports and that he will have his new forensic team partner in Dr. Tara Lewis, to be played by Aisha Tyler.
Tyler has been made as a series regular and her character Dr. Lewis shall be Dr. Reid’s love interest in Season 11 of “Criminal Minds.”
Another character departure
Meanwhile, Gubler hinted that another character from the TV series will momentarily depart following A.J. Cook and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Gubler did not disclose who the character or actor would be, but he said that the episode which he shall be helming will be the one the character will decide to take the time off from catching bad guys, notes Design & Trend. He confirmed that it is a special episode that he will be directing.
Rumors going around say that Gubler may be referring to the episode where J.J. formally bids her goodbye to the Behavioural Analysis Unit or BAU team, but other speculations suggest that it could be anyone from Reid, Morgan, Hotch, Garcia and Rossi. It is likely not to be Reid because much of the focus of Season 11 of “Criminal Minds” will be on his character.
But as expected, the departure of the character from the show will just be temporary as he or she might rejoin them in future episodes or perhaps the next season the way A.J. Cook and Jennifer Love Hewitt are planning to do.
Season premiere
The premiere episode of Season 11 of “Criminal Minds” on CBS will have the title “The Job” because it will begin with the BAU interviewing several candidates to fill in Kate Callahan’s post, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character in the TV series.
Eventually, Dr. Tara Lewis will emerge as the top choice and she will prove that she is the rightful pick after she helps the team capture its first killer for Season 11. The serial killer leaves distinctive marks on victims’ faces and is determined to take revenge as a reason for his actions.
After the momentary hiatus of A.J. Cook and Jennifer Love Hewitt for Season 11 of “Criminal Minds,”, show producers were looking at possible options on how to address the gaping holes momentarily left by the two actresses.
While A.J. Cook has just given birth to a baby boy, Jennifer Love Hewitt has yet to deliver her baby so the former has a better chance of returning towards the latter episodes of the show while the latter is close to nil.