The BAU is back for more.
Paramount+ isn’t done playing mind games just yet—Criminal Minds: Evolution is officially returning for another season, locking in its 19th installment overall. The renewal news drops just before Season 18 (or Season 3 under the Evolution banner) premieres on May 8, with new episodes rolling out weekly.
The upcoming season picks up six months after the BAU’s last intense case, where prisoners attacked the infamous Sicarius Killer, Elias Voit (Zach Gilford). Now, Voit’s loyal dark web followers are out for blood, spreading chaos across the country. With lives on the line, the team faces their toughest challenge yet—working alongside Voit himself, who, let’s be real, always has a hidden agenda.
The new season brings back Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, Paget Brewster, RJ Hatanaka, and Zach Gilford, ensuring the BAU is stacked with familiar faces. But one big question remains—will Matthew Gray Gubler finally return as Dr. Spencer Reid? No official word yet, but given his recent project Einstein over at CBS, the door isn’t shut.
With nearly 28 billion minutes watched in 2024 alone, Criminal Minds continues to be one of streaming’s heavyweights. Whether it’s longtime viewers revisiting classic cases or new audiences binging through years of profiling mastery, the show’s grip on crime drama lovers isn’t fading anytime soon.
Erica Messer continues as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Breen Frazier, Chris Barbour, Glenn Kershaw, and Mark Gordon. The series is produced by 20th Television and CBS Studios.
So, set your reminders for May 8, because the BAU is back—and this time, the game just got even more dangerous.