Criminal Minds: Evolution has been canceled, bringing the franchise’s revival to an end with Season 5. Combined with the original series, the upcoming season will serve as the show’s 20th. The cancellation was announced on October 30, and the main cast has since shared varied reactions to the news.
Paget Brewster, who plays BAU section chief Emily Prentiss, posted a black-and-white Instagram image featuring the words “free agent.” A.J. Cook marked Halloween by dressing as a zombie and holding a gravestone bearing her character Jennifer Jareau’s name. “Rest in peace JJ (for now),” Cook wrote in the caption.
R.J. Hatanaka, who joined the cast when the series returned as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022, shared a picture of the central cast and praised them as “just the finest group of people.” Kirsten Vangsness, who has appeared in more episodes than any other cast member, offered a longer response while discussing a Deadline report about the cancellation.
In a video, Vangsness pointed to the report’s wording that the series was “ending for now.” She also cited showrunner Erica Messer’s view that there are more stories to tell, adding that continuing the series elsewhere would be welcomed by the cast. Her comments leave open the possibility that the franchise could continue in another spin-off.
The timing of the cancellation may also have caught the production team off guard. Production on Season 20 had reportedly already finished before the news became public. When discussing the decision, Messer said she was “suddenly navigating the end of this chapter,” suggesting that the final season may not have been produced with the cancellation in mind.
Messer said the team was looking forward to sharing Season 20 with viewers in 2027 and celebrating the show’s legacy. If Paramount+ approves changes, some scenes could potentially be reshot before release to provide a different ending, although no such plan has been confirmed.
The cancellation comes after Criminal Minds continued to demonstrate strong audience interest. During its 19th season, the series returned to Nielsen’s top 10 ranking for the most-watched streaming shows. Despite that performance, the end of Evolution may allow the cast and crew to move on after more than two decades of the franchise.
Sources: TVLine.