On Thanksgiving, the directors of Criminal Minds released two episodes of the new series Criminal Minds: Evolution. It is streaming on Paramount Plus, and currently has five episodes out. The beloved original series ended in 2020 with an 8.1/10 rating from IMDb. Missing from that cast in the new series is Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons. While the writers left the plot open for both of these actors to return, it has been confirmed that Matthew Gray Gubler will not be making an appearance in Season 16.The original Criminal Minds was rated TV-14, as it was aired on CBS. Now that it is on Paramount Plus, the writers had more freedom and the rating has been bumped up to TV-MA. The characters are able to curse and the show overall can be more gorey and descriptive. So far, season 16 has received great reviews, but there are no official ratings as the entire series is not out yet.

I find that Criminal Minds: Evolution completely exceeded my expectations. I was very excited when I heard it was coming out, and am patiently awaiting episode six, which comes out on January 12th. The first episode of Criminal Minds was aired in 2005, but over quarantine in 2020 and 2021 the show regained a lot of popularity. Many teenagers fell in love with the series, deeming it as their comfort tv show. I know I became obsessed with it, as I watched four seasons in only 27 days. Many fans demanded that new episodes be made, and they got their wish.

The new series isn’t the traditional episode that fans are used to. Instead of a new case every episode, the reboot follows one case for all ten episodes. The premise of the case is that, as the world shut down in 2020 due to a pandemic, serial killers began connecting online. Soon, a network of serial killers formed, which is led by Elias Voit. Elias Voit is played by Zach Gilford. Another difference is that the team no longer has Spencer Reid to solve every case. In the original series, he used his IQ of 187 to figure out nearly every case. The writers were forced to figure out how to better utilize the other characters' abilities rather than just relying on Reid. Lastly, in episode two we are introduced to a friend of Tara Lewis’, Rebecca Wilson, who works at the DOJ. It is later revealed that Rebeca is Tara’s girlfriend and that they have been dating for a few months. This is a huge step for the writers, directors, and producers, as none of the main characters were ever portrayed as LGBTQ+.

Overall, the new series Criminal Minds: Evolution has been a great new season. It is different from the original, but still loved by so many fans all around the world. There is more representation, since the writers had more freedom on a streaming service, which adds to the quality of the show. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves crime TV. It is not necessary to watch the other seasons first, but it is helpful to understand the background of all of the characters.