Aisha Tyler Confirms Tara Lewis is Pansexual in 'Criminal Minds: Evolution'

In its new home at Paramount+, Criminal Minds: Evolution is able to do a deeper dive into the personal lives of its characters, including Aisha Tyler's Dr. Tara Lewis.

The character, who joined the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in Criminal Minds season 11, was previously married to Dr. Daryl Wright, and engaged to Doug Fuller in the show, but she is now in a relationship with Rebecca Wilson (Nicole Pacent).

Tyler told Newsweek how much she loved being able to explore a different side to her character, and confirmed that she feels Tara identifies as pansexual rather than bisexual. The LGBTQ activist group Stonewall defines pansexuality as "an attraction to all gender identities, or attraction regardless of gender identity."

Aisha Tyler Confirms Tara Lewis Is Pansexual in 'Criminal Minds: Evolution'

Tara's new relationship status was revealed in the two-episode premiere of Criminal Minds: Evolution, in which she explained that she and Rebecca were in the early stages of their relationship but were very much in love.

When asked about her character's romance and how she might identify, Tyler said: "I think she's pan[sexual]. I think that's really perceptive.

"I think that, for Tara, she's really been married to her work for quite a bit of time, and I think that was satisfying to her. She was someone who really cared about the work and loved the intellectual challenge of doing this really difficult, all-consuming work, and so it's been a real surprise for her to fall for someone again.

"But, I mean, I love that you said that she's pan, because I think so much about pansexuality, and I don't want to speak for pansexual people, [but] it's just about falling in love with the person, you know what I mean?" Tyler added.

"And this is someone who's really brought her alive, in maybe ways that she didn't expect to feel, because she's like, 'No, relationships aren't for me, I'm about the work,' and I love these two characters together."

Reflecting on how the relationship might develop in future episodes, Tyler went on: "I think what you're also going to see is that this work is still all-consuming and so challenging that there is no way it won't affect a profiler's personal life.

"So, you are going to see that clash between this incredible love that she's feeling and this incredible devotion that she feels to the job, and whether they can both occupy the same space."

For Tyler, it was interesting also to explore something more light-hearted in a show like Criminal Minds: Evolution, which often focuses on the darkest aspects of society and the human psyche.

"We don't always get those moments of brightness in the BAU, and I think that's something people [will see]. We're streaming, so we're longer, and we're able to do more, kind of be more authentic, be a little grittier," Tyler said.

"But, also, we're able to give more lightness, more brightness. There's great moments of comedy this season, there's great moments of just sweetness and lots of romance. I mean, people are really gonna get the smorgasbord. They're gonna get the full turkey dinner."

On Returning to the 'Criminal Minds' Franchise as Tara Lewis

Tyler said it has "been really a delight" to return to the Criminal Minds franchise with Evolution, which is a continuation of the original CBS series and is set two years after the events of season 15.

"We have been talking about the show coming back since before lockdown, and then obviously everybody's life was put on hold for the last two years. So, to be back in the BAU but a new and improved version—we're really feeling that it's the same but different—has been just extraordinary," Tyler said.

"And I think getting to revisit these characters and tell these new stories has been really transformative for everybody."

In Evolution, the BAU profilers are tasked with solving their most difficult case yet, which involves them trying to uncover a serial-killer network that was created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on her character in particular, Archer star Tyler added: "I just love her. I think she's someone who, both speaking for myself as an actor and for her as a character, joined the BAU late and was really trying to find her footing, find her way in and figure out how her unique set of skills could complement the team.

"And I think, when we come back to her, she's really a fully integrated member of this team and has expanded her skill-set to be much more of a field agent, much more of a toughened, battle-ready profiler.

"There's a real love, and affection, and intimacy between the characters that I think mirrors the intimacy that we all share as actors, that I think really comes through in the show because they're really gonna be tested like they've never been tested before this season," Tyler said.

"I already knew going in that they were going to be able to handle whatever came their way, because we feel that way as a cast."

Criminal Minds: Evolution airs Thursdays on Paramount+.