Criminal Minds: Evolution season 18: Joe Mantegna on Linda Lavin
As many of you are more than likely aware at this point, this week’s installment of Criminal Minds: Evolution was big for many reasons.
So, where do we start? Well, of course you had that emotional tribute to Will, who passed away at the end of episode 2. Matthew Gray Gubler reprised his role as Spencer Reid to say goodbye, and characters like Hotch and Morgan were both referenced.
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One other aspect of the episode that should not be forgotten here is the presence of the late, great Linda Lavin in one of her final roles as Will’s mother-in-law. In a post on Instagram, director and star Joe Mantegna paid tribute to her, while discussing many other things:
Every episode I direct of Criminal Minds means something different to me, but this week’s is especially close to my heart. One reason: I had the deep honor of officiating the real-life wedding of @janellegaeta who you’ll see in a scene with myself and Voit.
Another: it features Linda Lavin, a beautiful soul and dear new-old friend. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was directing her final performance, one that is as profound as it is unforgettable. And the last reason this episode is so meaningful… well, you’ll have to watch to understand.
Fittingly, the episode is called ‘Time to Say Goodbye’. And though we never truly say goodbye to someone like Linda, whose light stays with us, this one is for her and all those we’ve loved and lost, yet stay with us in ways words can never fully capture. Enjoy.
The BAU is a family like no other, and we’re not surprised at all that Mantegna would be just as caring for the extended off-screen family as the people you see on-screen. We do believe personally that he directed an absolutely stellar our of TV in “Time to Say Goodbye” — it may be the best episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution following the Paramount+ move, and one that could stick with a lot of us for a rather long time.
Related – Be sure to see more on Spencer Reid’s Criminal Minds: Evolution return
What did you think about Linda Lavin appearing on Criminal Minds: Evolution this week?
Be sure to share right now in the comments, and then also come back to get some additional updates down the line.
This article was written by Jessica BunBun.