- Network: CBS , Paramount+
- Series Premiere Date: Sep 22, 2005
Critic Reviews
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I would not go so far as to say that Criminal Minds: Evolution is the product of “What if Criminal Minds and a prestige cable drama had a baby?” But that wouldn’t be too far off. It’s just wonderfully different, in assorted ways that longtime viewers may not have realized they wanted.
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While Evolution certainly doesn’t reinvent any hallmarks of crime dramas—this is Criminal Minds, after all—the serialized nature of the new season gradually builds intrigue that will ultimately make a final showdown between Volt and the BAU much more satisfying.
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The series is on a great path so far. The characters we have come to love over the years are back, the BAU is together again, and there’s a great, winding story to accompany the reunion.
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Has Criminal Minds: Evolution changed the tried and true formula that carried its original show to over 320 episodes? Not really. But with an extended storyline and most of the cast back, it’ll feel like a refresh to the show’s longtime fans, while feeling familiar enough to keep them very happy.
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“Evolution” is a lively and competent extension of a recently ended series, but little more, and it’s certainly not a leap forward.
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Since “Criminal Minds” was always a show about brutal crimes, the move to Paramount+ doesn’t result in that much more violence on screen, but it does allow star Joe Mantegna to drop the occasional f-bomb.
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At times the plotting is facile, and the scripts have their share of groaners ("Agent Rossi has forgotten more about serial offenders than we will ever know!"), but nobody comes to Criminal Minds for complexity and nuance. Showrunner Erica Messer knows that her viewers want something very simple and satisfying.