Criminal Minds: Evolution has officially been renewed for season 3. While Criminal Minds has been airing since 2005, its new era, Criminal Minds: Evolution, began with season 16 of the series. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 — season 17 of the overall series — airs its first two episodes on June 6. From there, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 will air episodes weekly on Thursdays through the end of July.
Per Variety, Criminal Minds: Evolution has now been renewed for season 3. This season will go into production later this year, likely following the end of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2. Casting information has yet to be announced, but it will likely feature a number of recurring cast members from the previous iterations of the series.
The Criminal Minds Renewal Is A Great Sign For The Show’s Longevity
The Early Renewal Shows Great Faith In The Show From Paramount+
The timing is key for the renewal of Criminal Minds: Evolution. While any renewal announced this week would be considered a fairly early renewal for the series, Paramount+ has decided to renew the show before the season 2 premiere airs. This indicates that Criminal Minds: Evolution is a huge point of focus for Paramount+, as the network clearly has faith in it.
This faith is a great sign for the show’s longevity, as increased confidence in Criminal Minds: Evolution’s ability to succeed may come with perks like an increased budget. Over the years, Criminal Minds has lost key players including Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan, who left Criminal Minds after season 11, when Moore sought other creative opportunities. Showrunner Erica Messer has since indicated that Moore is unlikely to make even a cameo appearance, due to his starring role on the TV series S.W.A.T.
Even with this major cast departure and other changes over the years, Paramount+ is confident in the success of the show given its early renewal. The upcoming season of the show will feature the core team of investigators as they look into the Gold Star mystery. On this quest, they have to face a vicious serial killer named Elias Voit. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 features cast members Joe Mantegna, Krsitin Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, A.J. Cook, Ryan-James Hatanaka, Paget Brewster, and Adam Rodriguez who make a great ensemble.