‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Is Ending: Paramount+ Confirms the Final Season

Few procedurals have lasted as long as ‘Criminal Minds’. The series first hit CBS in 2005, running 15 seasons and more than 300 episodes before ending in February 2020. It spawned 2 spinoffs, ‘Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior’ and ‘Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders’, but neither matched the original’s staying power.

Then came an unexpected second life. Paramount+ revived the show as ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’, with Season 16 premiering in November 2022, bringing back the Behavioral Analysis Unit for shorter 10-episode seasons built on longer story arcs. The new format gave the franchise a fresh identity, and the streaming run has since stretched across 5 seasons.

Now that chapter has an end date. According to Variety, ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ will end with its upcoming final season on Paramount+. The season is set to premiere in 2027, though no date has been announced, and the network shared first-look photos alongside the news.

Showrunner and executive producer Erica Messer reacted in a statement, saying she was “suddenly navigating the end of this chapter.” That wording suggests the decision came as a surprise. She also thanked the cast, writers, directors, crew and fans around the world whose loyalty has kept the show going for 2 decades.

According to an exclusive from Deadline, the decision was made recently and marks the first official cancellation under Paramount+’s new leadership team. Sources told the outlet that the call came on the recommendation of the previous regime, which had granted an early renewal in March ahead of Season 19. The final season also wrapped production earlier this fall, so it wasn’t written as a planned series finale.

That timing matters for viewers hoping for a proper sendoff. Because filming has already finished, the producers won’t be able to retool the story to function as a full-circle conclusion. Messer has said that the show’s closing episodes are meant to celebrate the legacy of what the team built together, but the structure of the season was settled before the news.

The Season 19 finale also helps set the stage. Messer previously described it as a story in which some chapters end but the fight against evil never does, with another dangerous case brewing as the season closes. She added that the next batch of episodes would pick up about a year later in story time, and that one major villain would no longer play the same role in the characters’ lives.

The cast that has carried the show through the streaming era includes Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler and newcomer RJ Hatanaka. Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster also returned for the revival, giving longtime fans a sense of continuity. Behind the scenes, Messer is joined by executive producers Breen Frazier, Chris Barbour, Glenn Kershaw, Stacey Hardt and Mark Gordon.

The series is produced by 20th Television and CBS Studios and follows the FBI’s profilers as they work to capture dangerous criminals before they strike. That formula made it a ratings success for CBS and earned it a People’s Choice Award for Best TV Crime Drama in 2017. It’s also one of the rare network procedurals to find a long-term home on streaming.

The first trailer for the ‘CRIMINAL MINDS’ revival series has been released. The series premieres on November 24 on Paramount+ https://t.co/r6rYHPhykb

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 4, 2022

The ‘Criminal Minds’ story now has 2 distinct eras. The CBS years built a loyal global audience with standalone cases and character-driven drama, while the Paramount+ seasons leaned into serialized storytelling and darker arcs. Both versions are available to stream on Paramount+ ahead of the final season’s premiere.

For fans, that means a chance to revisit the entire run before the BAU closes its files for good. Whether the final batch of episodes feels like a satisfying farewell or an open door for future revivals remains to be seen, especially since Deadline noted the franchise is ending “for now.”

Whatever comes next, the show’s long run has secured its place among television’s most durable crime dramas.

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