'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot and More

In 2020 Criminal Minds came to an end on CBS, but the show is now returning to screens, this time on Paramount+.

The show revival will see the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) return to what they do best: profiling criminals and stopping them from doing any more harm.

Except things are slightly different this time around and the team will have to use all their skills to try and stop their most challenging adversary yet. Here is everything that you need to know.

When Is 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Out?

Criminal Minds: Evolution will be released on Paramount+ and it will premiere on the streaming platform on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, November 24, with its first two episodes.

For those who don't have Paramount+, the show will also air on CBS on the same day at 10 p.m. ET. The 10-episode series will then be released on a weekly basis thereafter, both on Paramount+ and CBS.

What Is 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' About?

Set two years after the end of Criminal Minds Season 15, Evolution returns to the BAU to find the team in a different place in their lives. Some have moved on while others have really found their feet in the team.

Now in 2022, the BAU uncover a serial killer network that established itself during the COVID-19 pandemic, after they were unable to commit crimes during the pandemic and now it's up to the team to find those responsible for setting it up.

Rather than have a story per episode, Criminal Minds: Evolution will have a season-long story arc focused on this serial killer network.

Aisha Tyler, who returns as Tara Lewis, told Newsweek how much she enjoyed the new chapter of the police procedural show and felt it was "elevated" because of the way in which it utilized real-life events to inform the story.

"I thought it was so intelligent, I thought it was a really sophisticated way back and it felt new, it felt elevated, a lot of television shows, a lot of series have not really dealt with COVID, not really dealt with the pandemic," she said.

"And for our show, not just to examine how it would have affected the members of the BAU, their offices been closed, they're not getting the same kind of support and kind of field resources, but also to look at how it would affect serial killers and the way they operate—they typically operate in the shadows, they leverage their own anonymity, they move through crowds, and they prey on people moving through the streets.

"But now, no one has been moving to the streets for quite a bit of time, and how that would affect a serial killer was a really interesting concept to explore, and I think people are really going to love how the show deals with these ideas."

Who Stars in 'Criminal Minds: Evolution'?

Tyler will be joined by original Criminal Minds cast members Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster.

Mantegna portrays BAU senior agent David Rossi, while Cook plays Jennifer Jareau a.k.a. "JJ," Vangsness is Penelope Garcia, Rodriguez returns as Luke Alvez and Brewster returns as Unit Chief Emily Prentiss.

The actors will not be joined by original cast members Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney, who played Spencer Reid and Matt Simmons, respectively. But the show will feature Zach Gilford as Elias Voit, an operations analyst at a cybersecurity firm.

Mantegna spoke to Newsweek about how joyous it was to return to the franchise alongside his fellow original cast members, saying that they were all delighted to be back for the show two years after the original series ended.

"It was great getting the band back together again, I tell you that," the actor said. "I mean, I think we all would have been very happy if had we'd been doing it continually from the time we left [the show] two-and-a-half years ago to today, but that didn't happen so to be able to get another run around the track is a blessing and I think we all feel that way.

"We're all happy to be together, we've always enjoyed each other, working together. These are lifelong friendships we've made and so I think it's all good, so we're all happy to be here."

Is There a Trailer for 'Criminal Minds: Evolution'?

Yes, a trailer for Criminal Minds: Evolution was released by Paramount+ ahead of the show's release which gives viewers a preview of what's to come in the show.

The teaser trailer gave a glimpse at the team as they try to tackle the possibility of there being a serial killer network that was created during the pandemic, and how they can team up together to take them down.

Criminal Minds: Evolution premieres with its first two episodes on Paramount+ on Thanksgiving Day, and it will also air on CBS at 10 p.m. ET.