Matthew Gray Gubler Admits What He Really Thinks Of Criminal Minds' Ending
Matthew Gray Gubler plays the impeccable and quirky Spencer Reid on the immensely popular television series "Criminal Minds." Running for an impressive 15 seasons, the last "Criminal Minds" episode sees the co-workers of the BAU, who are essentially family at this point, gather and ruminate on their lives, jobs, and what the future may hold for each and every one of them. Reid appeared in the majority the show's episodes, and was credited for all 323 of them (via IMDb).
Joined by the equally, yet differently quirky Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), the athletic and intelligent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook), and the boisterous and exuberant David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), "Criminal Minds" runs the gamut of personality types and drives. Despite their differences, the Behavioral Analysis Unit was far more than just a job for their characters, and perhaps even for the actors that played them.
In an interview discussing his children's book "Rumple Buttercup," Gubler was asked his thoughts about the ending of "Criminal Minds" and the final episodes of the series, and his answer is just as endearing as the character he played.
Matthew Gray Gubler says the ending of Criminal Minds is bittersweet
The interview in question comes to us from Parade, and when asked what it is like to say goodbye to a show that he spent over a decade on, Matthew Gray Gubler responded, "I'm starting to realize like, 'Whoa, this might be the last time my character says four pages of factual information in a quick manner.' I'm like, 'Oh, my gosh. These are things that I've done for a decade and a half, and that might be the last time.' You know, its bittersweet."
Gubler continued, and said that the end of "Criminal Minds" is like going to a grandfather's funeral, and everybody is standing around talking about what a great life they had. He added, "We're sad, of course, to see it go, but at the same time, I feel like we all really gave it our best, and we, hopefully, told some stories that made the world a little happier."
The ending of "Criminal Minds," to use Gubler's words, is "bittersweet," if only because both the actors themselves and the fans that watched them grew ever-so-fond of show. Of course, anytime something beloved comes to an end, even if intentional, there's always a sense of longing. Still, with over 300 episodes of the show, if fans ever wanted to see the cardigan-wearing Spencer Reid and his compatriots again, it's always worth another binge watch.