<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to kiss Joe Mantegna<\/a>.\u201d When TV Insider brings up\u00a0her arc on\u00a0Criminal Minds: Evolution<\/a><\/em> while talking to<\/a> Felicity Huffman<\/a> about\u00a0Doc<\/em><\/a>, on which she is now a series regular, that\u2019s her immediate reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s pretty much all I said for like two weeks. They were like, \u2018Hi, what are you up to?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018I get to kiss Joey Mantegna,’\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n Huffman recurred in the 17th season of the Paramount+ drama; it aired for 15 on CBS before the sequel debuted on the streaming service. (It\u2019s now heading into Season 19<\/a>.) She played Dr. Jill Gideon, ex-wife of Mandy Patinkin<\/a>\u2018s Jason. She also had major history \u2014 and a bit of a present \u2014 with Mantegna\u2019s David Rossi. They reconnected when the BAU had to turn to her upon learning their UnSubs that season had a connection to the team\u2019s early days, back when those three were involved. Rossi and Gideon had credit on the paper the Gold Star program used to find its candidates, while, back then, Jill had to stay in the shadows.<\/p>\n Though Jill did blame Rossi for Gideon\u2019s death, she apologized and explained that she\u2019d been mad that he left while her husband wouldn\u2019t \u2014 because she knew the job would kill him. Jill then kissed Rossi<\/a> as a distraction to get him to leave so she could bait one of the UnSubs into taking her so she could talk to him. Huffman was last seen in the penultimate episode of Season 17. Could we see her again?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I actually wrote, and I was like, \u2018Can I come back on?\u2019 And they said, \u2018Well, let\u2019s see what\u2019s going on.\u2019 We\u2019ll see,\u201d she tells TV Insider. \u201cBut that\u2019s a lovely show. And what great people. Gosh, I\u2019ve had such great luck that show and this show [Doc<\/em>], it\u2019s a very small boat, so you want to make sure you fill it with lovely people.\u201d<\/p>\n