Rest assured that Thanksgiving will be eventful because Criminal Minds is returning with an evolved reboot featuring novel antagonists, an evolved plot, format, and of course, an evolved outlook. So, it leaves no wonder why the new series is titled Criminal Minds: Evolution.
The 15-season original series, Criminal Minds, wrapped up on February 19, 2020, with a two-hour series finale after airing 10 episodes, where each new episode was devoted to a single case. The final season left us in tears with the first anniversary of Rossi’s near-death experience, when the Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) traveled to Reno, Nevada, after finding a lead on Everett Lynch, aka “The Chameleon.” The purpose was to determine his renewed motivations. However, the unit is compelled to face off with the Chameleon’s mother, portrayed by Sharon Lawrence, who has motives of her own, which result in a dreadful outcome.
In the final episode, Reid found himself in the hospital after sustaining a vicious brain injury following the BAU’s face-off with Lynch. At the same time, the rest of the team continued their hunt for the killer, which led to a final violent climax. When all was said and done, we saw Rossi considering retirement, as Garcia made a life-altering decision that would change the course of the BAU’s future for all time to come.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Trailer
https://youtu.be/knfJ10ZdYJk
Criminal Minds: Evolution opens in the aftermath of the events that the franchise’s final episode in February 2020 bared. It is set deep around the pandemic and exhibits its effect on the FBI’s elite unit of criminal profilers. In the new installation, we will see them come up against a threat greater than they have ever faced before: an unknown subject, or as the FBI’s infamous coinage, “UnSub,” played by Zach Gilford. He has utilized the lockdown to create a whole network of serial killers. As the pandemic recedes and the world boots up, this malicious network becomes operational. And so, it falls upon the BAU to track them down and end the trail of blood they leave behind.
Credits: TV Fanatic
Showrunner Erica Messer, who had previously run the series on Wednesday on CBS, revealed to reporters present on Paramount+’s Virtual Television Critics Association Press, “We knew there were plenty of stories to tell. You can fill in behind the scenes if a show is lagging or creative. The scripts aren’t hitting. That never happened to us.”
Criminal Minds: Evolution Cast
With the show returning, some original cast members are also set to return to reprise their popular roles, including Joe Mantegna, who plays Rossi; Kirsten Vangsness, who portrays Garcia; Paget Brewster, who plays Prentiss; A.J. Cook, who plays JJ; Adam Rodriguez who plays Luke, and Aisha Tyler who plays Tara.
“Joe beyond delivers an emotional roller-coaster with Rossi,” Erica Messer reportedly revealed.
Credits: Digital Spy
Unfortunately for the fans, some of their favorite characters will not be returning to the revamped season, most notably Matthew Gray Gubler, who played the role of Dr. Spencer Reid, and Special Agent Matt Simmons, played by Season 13 veteran Daniel Henney.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Production
Filming for the renewed series began in August 2022. Erika Messer has returned to oversee the show as the showrunner and writer. She will also produce the show alongside Breen Frazier, Mark Gordon, Glenn Kershaw, and Chris Barbour. Breen Frazier and Chris Harbour will also co-write along with Messer, while Glenn Kershaw will serve as the director.
“We never wanted to go away, to begin with,” the showrunner shared. Moreover, Messer has ensured that the series would not go on to be R-rated by showing excessive violence or anything that diverges away from the foundation of the franchise as many teenagers watch the show.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Release Date
Criminal Minds: Evolution is confirmed to be a 10-episode season that will premiere on Thanksgiving, which is on Thursday, November 24, with two back-to-back episodes on Paramount+. Subsequently, new episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays through the mid-season finale, which is set to be on Thursday, December 15.
The quasi-season 16 of Criminal Minds will return on Thursday, January 12, 2023, with fresh episodes released weekly until the finale on Thursday, February 9.
Criminal Mind: Evolution Plot & Spoilers
It is worth noting that this new take on the franchise will differ in format from the original series, which was more anthological. In lieu of each episode being devoted to a rather stand-alone case and storyline, a fixed number of cases will be explored through the length of the season without concluding the series finale. This change is more accommodative of the general development followed by most of the streaming series in vogue today, so it is expected to be positive.
According to showrunner Erica Messer, in the first two episodes, we will see Rossi grieving, which has a comprehensive impact on the unit and his relationships because he is the core of it. The season begins in terms of the person in most crisis having to carry the emotional journey of the last season, and it is Rossi. As a result, the entire unit is worried not only for him but also for him.
The seminal crime-drama franchise Criminal Minds is critically acclaimed for its terrific character development, innovation, and ground-breaking dive into disconcerting fictional crimes and their committers based on real-live variations.
