David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) is getting a blast from the past in the new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution (premiering with two episodes on Thursday, June 6) with the introduction of Jason Gideon’s (played by Mandy Patinkin in the original run) ex-wife.
Felicity Huffman will be guest starring as Dr. Jill Gideon, beginning with the seventh episode. Jill is a brilliant biological psychiatrist, who agrees to help the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit investigate a murderous conspiracy theory. She is reluctant to return to the bureau’s elite team given her complicated history with Rossi and her dead ex-husband, but soon realizes her specific skill set could help them uncover another clue to the elusive Gold Star mystery.
“I always felt like that character, she was somebody that existed in a version of the pilot that never aired, we never saw her, but certainly talking about his ex-wife—I just thought, oh, that would be really incredible if we had a reason to bring that character in. And we did,” showrunner Erica Messer tells TV Insider. “And once we got Felicity Huffman, it was like, oh my God. So we made it a three-episode arc and it’s just really compelling. She is so good and definitely has an open-ended out for the season, so it feels like ideally we could bring her back some other time. But she’s incredible.”
As for what to expect from Jill, “it is nice for those who have watched the show the whole time, they know who Gideon is and they kind of understand Gideon’s ex-wife is probably similar to Gideon in some ways, so that energy is fun,” says Messer. “And then if you’ve never seen it, you’re meeting her through Rossi’s eyes, and Prentiss’ [Paget Brewster] eyes, and the rest of the team who knew her. And that’s just as impressive.”
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She won’t share much about Rossi and Jill’s relationship but “I’ll tell you what Prentiss learns. Prentiss learns that she broke his heart. That’s all I’m going to say.”
As for Mantegna’s take, “let’s see whose heart got broken and why and whatever,” he says. “You’ll just have to find out.”
He calls it “a joy” to work with Huffman. “I’ve known her since she was basically just out of college. When I did the play Speed the Plow with Madonna on Broadway in 1988 with Ron Silver, when the three of us left the show, after six months, she took over the Madonna role along with Bob Balaban and David Rasche. They just brought in a separate whole new cast. So her and I have a history going back to the films with David Mamet as well. So to work with her at this time in our careers was great. And so there was a whole personal aspect to it that we were bringing to it anyway, as to what transpires and how that plays out.”
What are you hoping to see from Jill and Rossi? Let us know in the comments section, below.
Criminal Minds: Evolution, Season 17 Premiere (two episodes), Thursday, June 6, Paramount+
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