‘Criminal Minds’ Stars Kirsten Vangsness & Shemar Moore Reunite

Joe Mantegna, Matthew Gray Gubler, Paget Brewster, Kristen Vangsness, Shemar Moore, and Thomas Gibson — 'Criminal Minds'
Cliff Lipson / ©CBS / Courtesy: Everett Collection

It’s been years since we’ve seen Garcia and Morgan onscreen together on Criminal Minds, but the actors who portray them, Kirsten Vangsness and Shemar Moore, reunited, thrilling fans.

“The Baby Girl sees the Baby Girls and @shemarfmoore aka Chocolate Thunder,” Vangsness wrote in the caption alongside photos from a Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings game. See the photos here.

“Awh what a beautiful reunion,” one fan wrote in the comments, while another added, “Something about this makes my heart melt! We’ve missed you so much like you’ve been the best tv duo.” And another fan wrote, “tell him we need him in evolution.”

Moore and Vangsness starred together during the original run of Criminal Minds from the CBS premiere in 2005. (Morgan called Garcia “baby girl,” hence the reference in her caption.) Moore exited as a series regular in Season 11, then returned for episodes in Seasons 12 and 13. He did not return for the final two seasons, nor has he been back for the sequel series on Paramount+, Criminal Minds: Evolution. Moore starred as Hondo on S.W.A.T. for eight seasons (it ended in May) and will reprise his role in the upcoming spinoff, S.W.A.T. Exiles.

Vangsness, Joe Mantegna (Rossi), Paget Brewster (Prentiss), A.J. Cook (JJ), Aisha Tyler (Lewis), and Adam Rodriguez (Alvez) all reprised their roles from Criminal Minds‘ original run as series regulars on Evolution. Matthew Gray Gubler returned as Reid for one episode in Season 18, to be there for JJ following her husband Will’s (Josh Stewart) shocking death.

When it comes to future returns, it really does depend on scheduling, showrunner Erica Messer told TV Insider after the Season 18 finale.

“Season 19, we got going in the writers’ room in February of this year, and we’re now shooting. So when we’re figuring out our season, we don’t know,” she explained. “We can’t really count on those guest stars because they can’t tell us if they’d be available or not, six months from then or whatever. So we don’t have any plans right now, but you never know.”

So for now, chances are reunions like this are going to be the only times we see Moore and Vangsness together.

Criminal Minds: Evolution, Season 19, TBA, Paramount+