The critically acclaimed and seminal crime-drama series with great character development, passion, and innovation, Criminal Minds wrapped up its 15-season run in 2020. Or did it? Paramount+ officially announced that a reboot was in the works in February of last year, and now, we have some exciting and specific details to look forward to regarding the show’s future.

With some returning cast members, new antagonists, a new title, and a whole new outlook, the show, titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, is shaping up to be a worthy addition to the beloved series. While, unfortunately, some fan-favorite characters will not be returning to the revamped streaming season, this is not out of line with the show, and fans are still looking forward to the world of the Behavioral Analysis Unit’s (BAU) continuation.

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Famous for its groundbreaking, in-depth dive into some of the most disturbing fictional, though certainly based on real cases, crimes, and their perpetrators, the long-running series was immediately missed after its conclusion. Paramount has ordered a 10-episode run for the reboot’s season one. Here’s what we know so far about Criminal Minds: Evolution!

Criminal Minds: Evolution: The Plot

     CBS

So what will Criminal Minds be about now that it is being rebooted? Most notably, the show’s 10-episode run will be in a different format from the original, more anthological series. Instead of each episode exploring a relatively stand-alone case and plot line, a set number of cases will extend throughout all ten episodes, not reaching a conclusion until the tenth episode finale. This change is much more in line with most streaming series these days, so we aren’t too surprised about this update.

The most significant update about the reboot is that it has a new, telling title to go with it: Criminal Minds: Evolution. We expect the series to have evolved dramatically in the plot line and character development. The new, more in-depth format will certainly give the show free rein to explore its evolution and the meaning behind these different creative decisions.

Criminal Minds: Evolution: The Cast

     Paramount+

While Criminal Minds is getting a serious makeover, there are various returning cast members from the series last season. Most notably, Joe Mantegna will be reprising his smoldering but tortured play-boy character of David Rossi. In the series, he is a popular writer and former behavioral analyst at Quantico who is brought back to the BAU to finish what he started and address the loose ends he feels that he left behind.

Rossi often brought contrast and opposition to the show as a more outgoing and occasionally arrogant former special agent, unlike his coworkers. Mantegna has shared a photo of himself at the under-construction new set of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Also returning for the reboot is the character Emily Prentiss, played by Paget Brewster. Prentiss, as a character with international ties and knowledge, brought something unique to the character line-up, and a lot of intrigues came with her run on the show. She is a strong character who fans are excited to see return for the reboot.

Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, played by actress A.J. Cook, will also be returning to reprise her role as former BAU and media liaison and eventual Pentagon official. She is married to a New Orleans detective and mother of two, who are played by her real-life sons. Kristen Vangsness will reprise the quirky Penelope Garcia, a former hacker and now a technical analyst for the team. Aisha Tyler will return as Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist who was originally a temporary character replacement but became a series regular in season 11. Finally, Adam Rodriquez will return as Luke Alvez.

Some new faces we can look forward to are Zach Gilford, of Friday Night Lights and Midnight Mass, and soon Netflix’s infamous The Fall of the House of Usher, as a recurring guest star named Elias Voit, an “operations analyst for a global cyber-security firm who has a dark side and an obsession with death.” This new antagonist is being touted as the series’ most dangerous villain yet, so we are looking forward to seeing Gilford’s interpretation of this menacing new character.

Release Date

There is no release date for Criminal Minds: Evolution, though the studio has offered a first look. There are some who are concerned that the reboot might erase the importance of the original 15-season run, but Paramount+ can most likely be trusted to continue on the show’s enduring legacy in a way that honors what the show has done for television audiences, and that explores the series’ more recently modern cultural and social relevance.

We look forward to seeing this series wrap filming and eventually begin streaming on Paramount+!