It’s been over three years since Criminal Minds ended its original run on CBS, and fans had to say goodbye to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Not long after, though, talks of a reboot or revival had already started, and for a while, it was just a bunch of back and forth. When Evolution was officially greenlit, it was a long time coming. Now with a second season of Evolution in the works as the 17th overall season of Criminal Minds, Joe Mantegna opened up.
Reports of a possible Criminal Minds reboot started back in 2021, and even in the age of reboots, revivals, and spinoffs, it was a surprise when Evolution actually got off the ground so soon after the original series ended. Joe Mantegna, who portrays David Rossi on the crime drama, tells Closer he wasn’t expecting the series to be brought back and was grateful that the show was able to go 15 years:
I didn’t, but I’m thrilled. When the CBS show ended, we figured, OK, we did 15 years. I think there were some hints when we ended that maybe there would be a chance [to return] down the line, especially the way things are now with reboots, but we weren’t expecting it.
It’s definitely impressive that Criminal Minds was not only able to get a reboot but one so quickly after initially ending on CBS. Just compare this show to Law & Order, which took over 10 years after ending its original run to come back. And even despite the differences in between the original and the revival, Evolution came back kicking.
What was unexpected was who came back for Criminal Minds: Evolution. The majority of the cast did return, except for Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney, who were both busy with other projects. The series did explain Reid and Simmons’ absence by way of them being on a secret assignment. Even though it’s unknown if they’ll be able to appear in the next season, the hope is always there. At the very least, we should probably still expect some name-drops here and there.
Ahead of Criminal Minds: Evolution’s midseason return, Mantegna posed with a cardboard cutout of himself from the early seasons of the CBS series, and it really showed just how long the show has been going strong in some form or other. Expected or not, Criminal Minds is back with all the advantages of streaming, including longer episodes and more NSFW dialogue.
It’s currently unknown when the next season of Criminal Minds: Evolution will premiere, but it’s still possible it could be part of the 2023 TV schedule. Nevertheless, Criminal Minds is one of the best shows on Paramount+, and with 15 seasons of the original and one of the revival, there are plenty of cases and crimes to keep fans occupied. Make sure you sign up for a Paramount+ subscription so you can watch all of Criminal Minds!
