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The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in many things but a network of serial killers is probably the last thing we would have expected. And yet, here we are, with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) tackling such a criminal group in the all-new series, Criminal Minds: Evolution. It’s been over two years since the fan-favorite crime procedural series, Criminal Minds ended on a bittersweet note, after 15 years on the air. Despite the original series getting canceled, Paramount+ is reviving it with Criminal Minds: Evolution, which got a green light this August. The 10-episode reboot also brings Erica Messer back to the project as the showrunner as well as a writer and one of the executive producers. Breen Frazier, Glenn Kershaw, and Mark Gordon are also returning as executive producers along with Christopher Barbour.
What’s more, the series will also see some of our favorite actors also assuming the role of directors. According to a tweet from the show’s handle in September, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, and Joe Mantegna are each directing episodes for the series. Mantegna directed some episodes of Criminal Minds earlier during its original run, as did Rodriguez and Tyler. Tyler has also directed episodes of popular series like Roswell, New Mexico, and Fear the Walking Dead. The filming for Criminal Minds: Evolution began in August 2022.
Criminal Minds: Evolution follows some of the original team members, reviving their roles as an integral part of the BAU, as they are faced with an unidentified subject who exploited the global pandemic to start a network of serial killers, making it an unpredictable and strange threat for the FBI. As soon as the world starts to return to normal, the elite team of profilers must put their best minds together to deal with this hidden network, one killer at a time.
With the premiere of the new series just around the corner, let’s dive into this complete guide on the release date, plot, trailer, cast and characters, and everything else that we know so far about Criminal Minds: Evolution.
What Is Criminal Minds: Evolution About?
Criminal Minds: Evolution begins with a fresh story but picks up from where it ended in 2020. However, unlike the original narrative format, this new series will continue with one storyline throughout the season instead of a new case in every episode. The brilliant team of FBI’s top profilers reunites in their new project as they discover a large group of killers cropping up during the global pandemic. Now, as the world slowly starts to open up and life begins to go back to normal, the team must hunt down one murderer at a time, which could lead to its leader.
When Is Criminal Minds: Evolution Premiering?
Criminal Minds: Evolution is getting a Thanksgiving Day release and is set to premiere on November 24, 2022, on Paramount+. You can also watch all episodes of Criminal Minds on Paramount+ now as well.
Watch the Criminal Minds: Evolution Trailer
The official trailer for Criminal Minds: Evolution just dropped on November 4, 2022, and it won’t be enough to say that the new season/series is darker, deeper, and bloodier. The narrative of this new story arc is way more intense than what we are used to seeing in the franchise. As we learn from the trailer, the FBI profilers discover how the pandemic affected the minds of criminals, particularly one serial killer who helms a gang of ruthless murderers. With no victims to hunt and nowhere to go, he became a cautious, calculated monster, hiding in the shadows, marking his victims, slowly and steadily, and preying on them as soon as society started to get back to normal.
The clip gives us a good look at the leading BAU team, featuring the fan-favorite characters and how they discover their new villain. But this man is something beyond what they have seen all their career, and they are in for a maddening chase. It also gives us a glimpse at the antagonist, Elias Voit, and it feels like we are about to see the actor in a role we aren’t quite used to seeing. There’s definitely a lot of violence and action in store, but not the speedy kind. Rather, it would be a slow burn and gradually build up toward the climax, as any good crime thriller should.
When Is the Criminal Minds: Evolution Finale?
The entire series of Criminal Minds: Evolution is following the traditional season run, which means that after five weekly episodes, the series will take a holiday break with the mid-season finale streaming on December 15. They will then return in the new year with the mid-season premiere on January 12, 2023, and continue to run weekly until February. The series will end with the season finale on February 9, 2023.
How Many Episodes Are There in Criminal Minds: Evolution?
The earlier seasons of the original Criminal Minds series had over 20 episodes per season, except for Seasons 14 and 15. Criminal Minds: Evolution, like the show’s last couple of seasons, is slated to have 10 episodes. The first two episodes are releasing together on the day of the premiere, i.e., on November 24, following which every new episode will release weekly, until the mid-season finale in December.
Check out all the details released so far about the episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution below:
Episode 1: "Just Getting Started"
Written by: Erica Messer | Release Date: November 24, 2022
Episode 2: "Sicarius"
Written by: Breen Frazier | Release Date: November 24, 2022
Episode 3: "Moose"
Written by: Matthew Lau | Release Date: December 1, 2022
Episode 4: "Pay-Per-View"
Written by: Christopher Barbour | Release Date: December 8, 2022
Episode 5: "Oedipus Wrecks"
Written by: Jayne A. Archer | Release Date: December 15, 2022
Episode 6: "True Conviction"
Release Date: January 12, 2023
Episode 7: "Pieces Of Me"
Release Date: January 19, 2023
Episode 8: "Pas De Deux"
Release Date: January 26, 2023
Episode 9
Release Date: February 2, 2023
Episode 10
Release Date: February 9, 2023
As you can see, the details for episodes 9 and 10, are yet to be released but we'll be updating this section with that information as soon as it becomes available.
Who's In the Criminal Minds: Evolution Cast?
As far as the cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution is concerned, there’s a bit of both good and bad news. The good news is that some of the earlier characters are reprising their roles for the upcoming series. After all, there wouldn’t be Criminal Minds without familiar faces like David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Tara Lewis, and Luke Alvez, among others. And they are all back, with Joe Mantegna continuing as Rossi, Paget Brewster as Prentiss, Aisha Tyler as Lewis, Adam Rodriguez as Alvez, along with A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau "JJ", and Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia. Now, for the bad news part, Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) and Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) will not be returning to their roles.
The team also has a couple of newcomers who will appear in recurring roles. Zach Gilford has been cast as Elias Voit, an operations analyst for a global cybersecurity firm with a hidden dark side, and Josh Stewart plays Will LaMontagne Jr.
What Is the Background of Criminal Minds?
Criminal Minds is one of those television shows with a really long history. The crime procedural drama began airing in 2005 on CBS, when the genre was hot and trending on television and almost every network featured a brilliant team of crime solvers, solving one strange crime at a time. But Criminal Minds became instantly popular among crime thriller lovers for its cast, performance, and unique plot lines. It was one of the network’s “most-watched shows” across its 15-year run, so much so that it turned into a media franchise, leading to multiple spin-offs, video games, and even a South Korean adaptation. Originally created by Jeff Davis, the thriller series follows a team of Behavioral Analysts at the FBI who profile criminals to solve crimes by getting to the root of their personalities, while also dealing with their personal struggles. The series was renowned for its ensemble cast, which changed during the series run and added new members to replace the original ones. But the new team became the cornerstone of the later seasons. As already mentioned, some of those cast members are reprising their roles in the upcoming series as well.
Criminal Minds ran for 15 years from 2005 to 2020 and got canceled after its 15th season. In February 2021, a 16th season revival was announced and got confirmed by Paramount+ in February 2022. The new title, Criminal Minds: Evolution, was also announced in September 2022. This indicated that although it’s a revival of the original series, the plot will see a whole new direction and although it will feature the same core team, the audience could look at it as a new series. For those of you who haven’t seen Criminal Minds yet, you might want to catch up on a few seasons to get acquainted with the characters and their procedures. Otherwise, you can always start with Criminal Minds: Evolution and begin a whole new journey with the team. All 15 seasons of Criminal Minds are available for streaming on Paramount+ and Hulu.