Great news for fans of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU): Criminal Minds: Evolution has been officially renewed for a third season at Paramount+. This renewal comes just one day before the highly anticipated premiere of Season 2, set to debut with a double episode drop on June 6, followed by new episodes every Thursday. The new season picks up with the BAU diving into the deadly mystery of “Gold Star.” As the team unravels the conspiracy, they encounter an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit (played by Zach Gilford) negotiates a deal that brings him into federal custodyright in the BAU’s own territory.
The first season ended dramatically with Voit revealing potential knowledge about Gold Star. In a shocking turn, Director Bailey (Nicholas D’Agosto) releases Voit, but during a deal attempt, Voit kills Bailey. Now in custody in the FBI building, Voit remains a threat.
What Can We Expect from ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season 2?
Showrunner Erica Messer explained in an interview with TV Line, “This season we get to play into probably his greatest weapon, which is his mind. He gets to really flex that in front of the team. We’ve never been able to have a killer in custody like this, somebody that we have to consult with. It is an evolution of what our heroes have had to do in the past.”
Messer continued, “I feel like Elias has a Plan A through Z. We saw in the finale that he had his family’s [fake] identities all set up, he was lying to them saying, ‘I got caught up with bad guys, it’s not that I’m a bad guy.’ That was his plan — let me get away and get my family safe and I’ll lay low for as long as I possibly can. And then when he realized [the BAU] was closing in on him, that’s when he said ‘Gold Star’ to Doug Bailey.”
Season 2 boasts a cast featuring original Criminal Minds stars Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Ryan-James Hatanaka, Adam Rodriguez, and Paget Brewster. The season also includes notable guest stars such as Felicity Huffman, who will portray Dr. Jill Gideon, the ex-wife of Mandy Patinkin’s character, Jason Gideon. Additional guest stars include Clark Gregg, Liana Liberato, Paul F. Tompkins, Tuc Watkins, and Brian White.
Criminal Minds: Evolution acts as a continuation of the original Criminal Minds series, which enjoyed a successful 15-season run on CBS before concluding in 2020. The first season of Evolution premiered on Paramount+ in 2022, reviving the beloved crime procedural with a fresh twist and darker undertones.
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