Criminal Minds has come to an end…again. It’s been announced that the upcoming season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution will be the last. Case closed.
Farewell, Criminal Minds
“It’s hard to put into words what Criminal Minds has meant to all of us who have been fortunate enough to be part of this extraordinary journey, first on CBS for 15 seasons and then on Paramount+ for five,” showrunner and executive producer Erica Messer said in a statement. “While suddenly navigating the end of this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for our remarkable cast, writers, directors and crew who have poured their hearts into this show, and for the incredible fans around the world whose unwavering loyalty has kept Criminal Minds going for two decades.“
She concluded, “We’re looking forward to sharing season 20 with everyone, and celebrating the legacy of this special show we’ve all built together.“
According to Deadline, the decision to end the series was made somewhat recently by the new Paramount+ leadership team. And unfortunately, production on season 20 has already wrapped, so it’s unclear whether the final episode was intended as a series finale. Fingers crossed.
The Criminal Minds Franchise
The original series debuted in 2005 and followed a team of FBI profilers who work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit and took down a variety of serial killers and criminals every week. It later spawned two spin-offs, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
After fifteen seasons, the series came to an end in 2020…but it didn’t take long for news of a revival to emerge. Now dubbed Criminal Minds: Evolution, the show was brought back as a streaming series on Paramount+. Much of the original cast returned, including Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez, A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, and Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia.
Evolution took on a more serialized approach, which didn’t always click with some fans, but it’s always wonderful to see this group get together. Sadly, beyond one brief appearance, Matthew Gray Gubler hasn’t returned as Dr. Spencer Reid, and unless something changes in the final season…we may not see them reunite with his old pals again.
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