Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2

Revived on Paramount Plus after 15 seasons on CBS, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 news indicates the show will continue the beloved procedural for at least one more year. Following the investigations of the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, Criminal Minds: Evolution puts criminal profiling at the forefront of its story and explores the psychology of stopping crime. Often praised for its gritty, ripped-from-the-headlines stories, Criminal Minds is unique among the slew of procedural shows because of its clever writing and focus on characters.

Even after a decade and a half on the air, the show proved to be popular enough to warrant a full-scale revival a few years after its cancelation. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 brought back most of the familiar characters from the original series and continued their arcs. Though the cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution looked the same, the shape of the show had changed into a serialized format, and the season spanned 10 episodes. No longer shackled to the strictures of network TV’s schedule, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 was able to put more emphasis on each story, and that trend will continue as it returns for season 2.

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Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Latest News

November 2023 saw a slew of positive news arrive regarding the upcoming season as the number of episodes in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 was officially confirmed. Following the structure of season 1, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 will have 10 episodes and will have the same serialized storyline that made the first outing so unique. Along those same lines, it was also confirmed that the second season will begin filming in January 2024, after a lengthy production delay.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Is Confirmed

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 was officially renewed in January 2023. Mirroring its decade-and-a-half run on CBS, Criminal Minds: Evolution has proven to be just as popular as its predecessor and was never really in any jeopardy of being canned on Paramount+. With less pressure to rush out a complete network TV-length season, Criminal Minds: Evolution has the chance to continue beyond season 2 and blaze a trail for other procedurals by becoming a bona fide streaming institution.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Production Status

While all the recent news regarding Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 has been positive, the series was delayed for quite some time by the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. Fortunately, those were resolved, and it allowed CBS to rush the series back into production starting January 2024. However, this means that fans will have to wait a bit longer for their favorite procedural to return, and the earliest new episodes could reasonably be expected would be fall of 2024.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Cast

Procedural series generally keep the same actors from season to season, and it was confirmed in a report by TV Line that the entire main cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution would be returning. With that news in mind, viewers can expect to see the following actors back in their familiar roles:

The supporting Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 cast is less certain, though characters like Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka), and Will LaMontagne Jr. (Josh Stewart) could be expected because of their connections to the main cast. The shocking death of Deputy Director Doug Bailey, played by Nicholas D’Agosto, likely means he won’t return, but his mysterious connection to Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) could see him appear in flashbacks. While the season ended with Voit in custody, he will likely return because his tangled web of serial killing was only starting to be untangled in season 1.

Related: Why Paget Brewster’s Emily Left Criminal Minds And Returned (Twice)

Will Reid & Morgan Return For Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2?

Though Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 cast was largely a reunion of the characters from the CBS series, two notable omissions couldn’t be ignored. Firstly, Matthew Gray Gubler’s beloved Spencer Reid was not included, and Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan was also not mentioned. Though Shemar Moore left Criminal Minds during season 11, the door was left open for the character to potentially make a cameo appearance in the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 cast. Similarly, Reid left the show when it ended after season 15, and there is no reason why the character couldn’t come back.

The cliffhanger ending of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 didn’t reveal the identity of the agent who was going to interview Voit, and that seemed to indicate that the mysterious figure was a character known to audience members. With Shemar Moore’s series S.W.A.T. being canceled by CBS after its seventh season which begins in 2024, the long-time TV star could have stepped back into his role as Morgan. Gubler’s series Dollface ended in 2022, making it possible for him to reprise his Reid role, which he played for over 300 episodes.

RELATED: Criminal Minds Evolution Season 2 Update Makes Derek Morgan’s Return More Likely

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Story

The serialized nature of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 was a complete departure from the episodic format of the original series, but the new structure has allowed for bigger ongoing storylines. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 will be a hybrid version where some episodes will continue an ongoing story while others won’t (via TV Line). The serialized story will likely deal with the fallout of Voit’s apprehension and probably see the agents begin to unravel the strange conspiracy surrounding the mysterious Gold Star.

The death of Deputy Director Bailey will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the team, and Rossi’s near-death experience might change the seasoned veteran. Though no story details are confirmed so far, a mixed approach to the Criminal Minds: Evolution story will make for an interesting change of pace from the original series.