One of the most exciting detective series on television is back with its 16th season (Criminal Minds: Evolution), but one very important character is clearly missing. It is surprising (and more than disappointing) that the real genius Dr. Spencer Reed (Matthew Gray Gubler) won’t be returning for Season 16, especially considering how prominent he was in criminal minds right. There’s a reason for this gap in Reed’s portrayal on the show (and it’s not just that he’s a fan favorite).
It’s not uncommon for shows with an ensemble cast to have characters with the same level of importance, but there’s usually one or two characters that have more developed stories, personalities, or just more screen time and attention. When criminal mindsthis character is Dr. Spencer Reid.
We are sure that there Is an main character?
The structure of the story is not rigid or universal. Theoretically, it is entirely possible that a story could have multiple main characters, or no main character at all. Especially in procedural dramas where the show focuses on a new criminal each week, the main draw of the story tends to be with the “monster of the week” rather than those who catch the criminals. There are stories that are mostly centered around certain themes rather than characters.
However, such stories tend to be the exception to the rule, and in some ways are examples of playing with form - at least when it comes to character-driven storytelling. criminal minds it’s an extremely story-heavy show, but its main cast is too charming and full of personality to say the main draw is the criminals or the plot. criminal minds can also be described as a character based show, especially in the long run (more on that later). As a rule, character-based stories have a main character, even if this fact is not always obvious.
Who could To be the main character?
Revolving door of actors’ seats criminal mindsThe ensemble is in a unique position, leaving the role of the central character largely undefined. Only two characters were introduced from the first episode of season 1 until the last episode of season 15 (which marks the end of criminal minds correct): Reed and local tech Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness). Apart from these two, prominent characters have come and gone, leaving the series seemingly without a main character following the departure of Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) at the start of Season 3.
For the first two seasons, Gideon was assigned as a main character as the show used his methods of hunting down criminals with occasional side storylines from Hotch (Thomas Gibson), Morgan (Shemar Moore), Learn (AJ Cook), Reid and Garcia, and short-term member Elle (Lola Glaudini). However, the show’s material soon became too dark for Mandy Patinkin, and the show suddenly lost its central character. With the addition of Prentiss (Paget Brewster) in the second season, questions about where to find the protagonist became more confusing than ever, as Prentiss came in with her own cryptic backstory and slow arc.
A case could be made for longtime founding members Hotch and Morgan as the main characters, but Morgan’s story ends in season 11, and Hotch’s story ends shortly thereafter in season 12—four and three more seasons before the end of the series. . New actors like Luke (Adam Rodriguez), Tara (Aisha Tyler), and even Rossi (Joe Mantegna) has its moments, but not necessarily the storylines that stand out prominently. Garcia is another good contender, but despite being present throughout the run, she doesn’t change much throughout the series.
criminal minds does go through character-focused arcs (one of the best when Prentiss settles with his past), but focusing on a particular character for a few episodes or even a season doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the central character of the entire show. On the other hand, Reid has been present for all 15 seasons, has had some standout storylines, and has gone through the biggest changes.
Long-term storylines and changes
Despite the existence of red herrings such as Gideon (who probably didn’t start out as a red herring but became one after leaving the show) and Prentiss (who, despite a few fascinating plot twists, only appeared during season 2 and was in and drops out of the series in the following seasons), Reid is the most obvious contender for the role of the main character criminal minds. However, in order to see this, it’s important to look at the story as a long-term, slow-moving character arc that slowly changes its main character over the course of 15 years.
Reed starts out as a brilliant but inexperienced FBI analyst who can barely hold on to his gun license (he loses it briefly at the start and only regains it by shooting an unidentified person in the head while aiming at his leg). He acts as the team’s little brother and is treated like a junior, partly due to being the youngest and most sensitive, in stark contrast to the hardened and experienced Gideon, his mentor. Gideon becomes an interesting storytelling vehicle as he foreshadows the type of confidence and experience that Reed will come to learn.
Through years and many strife, Reed slowly grows into the character he was meant to be (actually, this form of story feels like a very slow-burning coming-of-age story). It’s a common saying in the writing community that one way to identify the main character is to find the person who suffers the most. While there are many characters in the series that suffer a lot (Hotch is the main contender), Reid is the one with the most stable form for his trials.
Starting with the trauma inflicted on him as a result of his experience with Tobias Hankel (James Van Der Beek), Reed enters a path of addiction, self-examination, self-doubt, and, in the end, finds peace. Looking back at where Reid began his journey, it’s almost impossible to realize just how much he’s changed. He became an FBI agent with years of field experience combined with a genius intellect and still retaining a semblance of his sensibility.
His interactions, relationships, and experiences (and sometimes relationships) with the many unknowns he encountered towards the end of the series culminate in a completely changed person - a protagonist who is difficult to identify due to the thinness of the series. but no less undeniable because of its arc of consistent shape and conspicuous presence.
Which begs the question: now that Reid is out of Season 16, who is the main character? Criminal Minds: Evolution?
Source: Collider
