“Criminal Minds” has been running since September 2005. But the show is set to come a close with its upcoming 20th Season, marking the end of an incredible run that already included one previous cancellation. The original “Criminal Minds” aired on CBS and ended after its fifteenth season back in 2020, after which the show was reborn as “Criminal Minds: Evolution.” This latest incarnation of the procedural crime drama has been available on streaming service Paramount+ since 2022, but it seems the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) will finally close up shop after Season 20.
Originally created by Jeff Davis, “Criminal Minds” has followed the investigations of the BAU as they’ve help track down dangerous criminals via their profiling expertise. The show debuted with Mandy Patinkin playing FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, alongside Lola Glaudini as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Elle Greenaway, Thomas Gibson as FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, and A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau. But as you might expect given the show’s impressive run, “Criminal Minds” has undergone major changes over the years, with Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon leaving after just two seasons ahead of several other major departures.
Today, only Cook and Vangsness remain from the original cast, and it seems it’s now time for their “Criminal Minds” journey to come to a close. For fans, the show’s cancellation will have come as somewhat of a shock, especially since “Evolution” seems to have been faring well on Paramount+. For now, it remains unclear exactly why the series was canceled, but it likely has to do with a combination of cost, the show’s broadcast roots, and new leadership at Paramount.
Criminal Minds was the first cancellation following the Warner Bros. Paramount merger
“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 debuted in May 2026, by which time the show had already been given an early Season 20 renewal in March 2026, with Paramount+ announcing a 2027 debut for Season 20. All of which seemed to bode well for the show. But this was prior to the completion of the Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount merger becoming official in October 2026. Paramount’s takeover of the historic studio completed early that month, and by October 30 Deadline reported that “Criminal Minds: Evolution” had been cancelled, making the 20th season its last.
As such, the show became the first victim of the new Paramount+ leadership, but it seems the writing was on the wall even before the merger. Deadline cited sources as having claimed that the previous Paramount+ regime recommended cancelling the series prior to new Co-Chair & Chief Content Officer for Skydance Direct to Consumer, Casey Bloys, taking over. The outlet also noted that “Evolution” was still performing well and could, at the time of writing, be found in the Paramount+ Top 10. As such, it’s likely the show’s cancellation came down to cost or, as Deadline notes, the fact that “Evolution” retains much of the broadcast sensibility of the original show despite being a streaming series.
Meanwhile, HBO Max, which is now under the same leadership as Paramount+, is following a new “The Pitt”-style approach that, like broadcast, keeps the episode count high each season and follows a yearly release schedule while maintaining the production values of premium streaming series. It seems as though “Criminal Minds: Evolution” might not have fit that approach.
What have the cast and crew said about Criminal Minds: Evolution’s cancellation?
“Criminal Minds” executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer seemed surprised by the news of its cancellation. “It’s hard to put into words what ‘Criminal Minds’ has meant to all of us who have been fortunate enough to be part of this extraordinary journey,” she said (via Deadline). “(…) While suddenly navigating the end of this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for our remarkable cast, writers, directors and crew who have poured their hearts into this show, and for the incredible fans around the world whose unwavering loyalty has kept ‘Criminal Minds’ going for two decades.” The showrunner added that she was looking forward to Season 20, which wrapped filming by the time the cancellation was confirmed, meaning it likely won’t provide a definite ending to the story.
Elsewhere, the “Criminal Minds: Evolution” cast reacted to the cancellation via social media. Emily Prentiss actor Paget Brewster kept things simple, posting a photo to Instagram of herself smiling with the words, “Free Agent…” Similarly, A.J. Cook took to Instagram to post a photo of herself in front of a tombstone for her character, alongside the caption “Rest in peace JJ (for now).”
Meanwhile, RJ Hatanaka, who plays Special Agent Tyler Green, posted a photo of the cast alongside the caption, “Just the finest group of people.” Finally, Penelope Garcia actor Kirsten Vangsness — who has been part of every season of “Criminal Minds” — posted an Instagram video expressing her gratitude. “My heart fireworks in appreciation for the time at this job,” she wrote, while using the video to speculate that the show could still continue elsewhere. For now, nothing has been confirmed, but as Vangsness points out in her video, showrunner Erica Messer has said that there are still stories to tell.
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