The new season of Criminal Minds is about to give Heated Rivalry fans exactly what they are desperate for: more Connor Storrie on their screens.
What was originally intended to be a small role was turned into a four-episode arc on Criminal Minds, now Criminal Minds: Evolution, where Storrie will be playing Lance Kingston, “a charming narcissist with a deep sense of entitlement,” who ends up on the Behavioral Analysis Unit’s radar after being accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend.
Despite Heated Rivalry’s wild popularity making Storrie a household name overnight, when he filmed his part on Criminal Minds last summer, no one knew who he was, according to series creator Erica Messer in a new interview with Vulture.
“We were very much interested in finding somebody that would stand out a bit. Connor won that, hands down,” Messer said. “The interesting thing is, none of us knew what Heated Rivalry was. Even if it was on his résumé, I think the conversation was, ‘He’s just finished this thing that hasn’t aired yet.’ It wasn’t anything more than that.”
Storrie’s popularity may be opening doors now — he was a guest host on Saturday Night Live, attended Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party, and scored a coveted invite to the Met Gala — but when he auditioned for Criminal Minds, he was still a complete unknown and yet the writer’s immediately expanded his role after he showed off his acting chops in a role opposite series regulars R.J. Hatanaka, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, and A.J. Cook.
“We were like, ‘Okay, I know he was important for episode four, but we’ve got to make him more integral to the rest of the season,’” Messer said.
Storrie’s character went from being central to one episode in season 19 of the popular show to being featured in a four-episode arc, “100 percent because he was so compelling,” she said.
It wasn’t just the creator and writers who wanted to see more of Storrie. He made such a good impression on set that “everybody is asking, from our wardrobe department to our grips, ‘Is there a way to bring him back?’”
The plot for these episodes is being kept under wraps, but a newly released clip of Storrie's character being interrogated shows off his talent in an explosive moment when he loses his temper.
Messer told Vulture that fans can expect to see Storrie go “toe-to-toe with the BAU,” and there’s a scene where “Adam’s character kind of alphas him, in a way.”
This will be especially fun for fans who are used to seeing Storrie as the more alpha or dominant figure in his onscreen love story in Heated Rivalry, where his costar Hudson Williams plays the more submissive role.
If this four-episode arc isn't enough for you, it’s possible Storrie could guest star again in the future. “I would just say, on Criminal Minds in general, you never say never,” Messer said.
Storrie’s first episode, titled “The Witching Hour,” premieres on Paramount+ on June 11.
