‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Is Returning for Season 19: Everything We Know So Far

Meredith Jacobs March 6, 2025, 9:41 am

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Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, and A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau in 'Criminal Minds:Evolution' Season 17 Episode 10 'Save the Children' — Michael Yarish / Paramount+

Criminal Minds was a hit on CBS for 15 seasons. And now it’s become a hit again, on Paramount+.

Criminal Minds: Evolution returns for its 18th season on Thursday, May 8, but we already know that it will be back for more after that. Read on for everything we know about the drama’s future, from its cast to a Season 19 premiere date and more.

When was Criminal Minds: Evolution renewed for Season 19?

Criminal Minds: Evolution was renewed on March 5, two months ahead of the Season 18 premiere date. The series was renewed for Season 18 one day before Season 17’s premiere. And the first renewal for Evolution came the day it returned from its midseason break for Season 16.

Is it Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 4 or 19?

In case you’re confused since it is also called Season 4, Criminal Minds‘ original run lasted 15 seasons on CBS. Then, this next chapter, Evolution, was picked up on the streaming service Paramount+. Technically it’s going to be coming back for the fourth season of Evolution but 19th season overall for Criminal Minds.

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Will the Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18 finale set up Season 19?

Even knowing very little about what happens in Season 18, that’s safe to say. The first two Evolution seasons have ended in such a way that teased the following one’s central mystery. At the end of Season 16, we got the tease about Gold Star, which ended up being the main story of Season 17. That season then ended with serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) being attacked in prison. Now, the Season 18 logline teases how that comes into play going forward, with the action picking up six months later: That attack has led Voit’s “restless followers on the dark web to begin wreaking havoc all over the country. In order to stop this nefarious group from killing more innocents, the BAU is forced to work alongside an increasingly unpredictable Voit who has his own agenda.”

Who will star in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19?

That will all be determined by the events of Season 18. Returning for Season 18 are Joe Mantegna (David Rossi), Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss), A.J. Cook (JJ Jareau), Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez), Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia), Aisha Tyler (Dr. Tara Lewis), Gilford, and RJ Hatanaka (Tyler Green). Matthew Gray Gubler is returning as Dr. Spencer Reid for one episode.

When will Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 premiere?

It’s impossible to speculate until we know when production begins. The premiere dates for Seasons 16, 17, and 18 are November 2022, June 2024, and May 2025 respectively, so Paramount+ isn’t sticking to a specific part of the year.

What will Season 19 be about?

Beyond continuing to follow the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) as they hunt down serial killers, it’s impossible to say. Voit and his followers could continue to be part of it, but that will be determined by how Season 18 ends.