'Criminal Minds' first look: Aisha Tyler joins the BAU

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Published on August 20, 2015 08:09PM EDT

The BAU will welcome a new addition when Criminal Minds returns this fall — and EW has the exclusive first look.

In the wake of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s departure, Archer actress and current The Talk co-host joins the drama as Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who introduces an entirely new element to the long-running show. “The people in the BAU are analyzing these unknown subjects trying to catch them, but my character analyzes them after they’ve been caught to make sure they’re competent to stand trial,” Tyler teases.

“Every time we introduce a new team member, we want to make sure that they’re worthy of being a part of this elite criminal unit,” executive producer Erica Messer says. “She brings a different skill set than anyone else we’ve had. Once we’ve done our job and the bad guy is put away, she’s seeing what makes them tick once they aren’t hiding and running anymore. It’s really a cool sandwich to what our team does. It’s been a fun skill set to bring to the team, and one that we never thought we needed, but now that we have it, we love it.”

In taking on the role, however, Tyler “wanted her to look really different than how I look on The Talk,” she says, hence the new ‘do for the show. “It’s great because I get to do field work, I get to run around, wear a vest, wear a gun. She’s someone who has gathered a lot of evidence about the psychological makeup of the sociopath and she’s now bringing that knowledge into the field to help catch bad guys.”

Criminal Minds returns Wednesday. Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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