CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION: Erica Messer on Matthew Gray Gubler’s Brief Return, JJ’s Grief, and Why She Loves ‘Time to Say Goodbye’

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Thursday, May 22 episode of CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION.]

CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION said farewell to Will (Josh Stewart) with the beautifully bittersweet hour, “Time to Say Goodbye,” as JJ (A.J. Cook) prepared for her husband’s funeral—while trying to juggle her own buried emotions, taking care of her grief-stricken children, and managing Will’s mother, Connie (Linda Lavin), who hadn’t realized how much had been kept from her over the past few years. 

But JJ wasn’t handling it alone. In addition to her present-day BAU team members supporting her however possible, her dear friend/former teammate Spencer (Matthew Gray Gubler) made a surprise appearance at the church before Will’s service. (This marked Gubler’s first appearance on the franchise since the show’s 2020 CBS finale.)

“It’s a joy to get to tell stories with people you love so I will always cherish any moment, big or small, that I get to hug my CRIMINAL MINDS family or slip back into my dear friend Spencer’s oversized wingtips,” Gubler said in a statement.

Here, showrunner Erica Messer talks with Give Me My Remote (via email) about bringing back Spencer for Will’s funeral, showcasing JJ’s grief, working with Lavin (who died in late 2024), and why the hour was “one of my absolute favorite episodes.”

Spencer’s return was perfect. What can you share about the decision to bring him back for Will’s funeral and how it came together?
So glad you liked it! Joe [Mantegna, who plays Rossi and directed the hour], AJ and I all felt it would add such a layer to the episode if Matthew could show up for the funeral. Every funeral I’ve been to has had a friend arrive who is such a beautiful surprise in such an otherwise sad time. So… we followed that real life experience and made the call to Matthew. We were thrilled our schedules finally aligned. 

It’s not easy to navigate a beloved character returning when it’s tied to a life-changing event for someone else. What balance did you and the writers want to strike in having Spencer there, but also not having his appearance overshadow JJ’s grief/loss? (Was there a version of the hour where he was in more (or less) of the episode/his return was handled in a different way, more characters returned, etc.)
Because we knew this was the story we were telling, it had to work by itself whether we could have special guest stars or not. And so it was written as the flowers being the only mention of past friends and then the surprise that Reid actually made it was bittersweet. Having Henry (Mekhai [Andersen]) say, “I told you he’d come” was a nod to all of us hoping it would happen. It was important for all of us here and the fans who have loved these relationships since 2005! 

AJ was fantastic as JJ (understandably) struggled with her grief. What can you preview about how this changes JJ going forward, and how the team will be handling this new version of her?
JJ will keep getting tested and proving her strength. We constructed the season to give her chances to reflect and push herself through this difficult time. AJ is up for any and every challenge. 

Flashbacks were utilized really effectively in the hour. Will that be a tool you continue to play with as JJ grieves or was this a special occasion?
We wanted to explore the memories especially in the immediate aftermath of the loss. Joe (as the director) and I talked constantly about what we did when we lost important people in our lives. Grief looks different to everyone and we wanted to represent that. 

The hour is extra poignant given the real-life loss of Linda Lavin. What do you most remember about her guest spot/what meant the most to you about having her in this episode?
Linda was such a legend and we felt so honored to have her play Will’s mom. She brought everyone to tears in the read thru and by the time we got to set, she knew everyone’s lines. We could have her jump around a scene and she nailed it every time. And she was a joy to talk to. I’ve always admired her years in the industry and loved her in MID-CENTURY MODERN as well.

Anything else you can share about this episode?
This is one of my absolute favorite episodes. Our team helps others navigate loss but this time, it’s happening to them which feels unique. They support and hold up one another in such an extraordinary way which we don’t get to do very often.

CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION, Thursdays, Paramount+

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