The Behavioral Analysis Unit won’t have much more time to bring the bad guys to justice. On screen, at least. Paramount+ has decided that the upcoming, 20th season of Criminal Minds will be the last. For the procedural, which was initially canceled in 2020 after fifteen seasons, the second farewell to the audience arrives after a reboot also known as Criminal Minds: Evolution lasting five seasons.
Criminal Minds, the 20th season will be the last: the cast’s reaction
“It’s hard to find the words to describe what Criminal Minds has meant to all of us who were lucky enough to be part of this extraordinary journey, first on CBS for 15 seasons and then on Paramount+ for another five,” said showrunner Erica Messer in a statement. “As I suddenly find myself closing this chapter, I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward our exceptional cast, the writers, the directors, and the crew, who poured their heart and soul into this series, and toward the incredible fans around the world whose unwavering loyalty has allowed Criminal Minds to continue for two decades. We can’t wait to share the 20th season with all of you and to celebrate the legacy of this very special show we’ve built together.”
The words from Messer hint that the decision to halt Criminal Minds with the upcoming cycle of episodes — ordered in March and slated for 2027, with Disney+ in Italy — carries no creative motives and that it was an unexpectedly high-level decision. It is not clear whether it relates to the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance, which gave birth to the new Paramount Skydance group, and to subsequent dealings with Warner Bros. Discovery, which also involve the future of Paramount+ as a platform. Even the cast’s reactions to the news were tinged with surprise.
Kirsten Vangsness, who has portrayed computer tech Penelope Garcia since the first season, said on Instagram: “Social media is somewhat like holding your own press conference, I suppose. It happened: the show has been canceled, but, as one article noting the end of Criminal Minds states, it ends ‘for now’. Do you recall that moment in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie gets the chocolate? It’s a bittersweet moment. He says: ‘Thank you so much for the chocolate.’ Think about how long all of this has lasted… something like this never happens. But I love my job, and my boss Erica Messer says there are still many stories to tell. So if we had the chance to keep telling them elsewhere, that would be fantastic. I know we all feel the same.”
In the comments, Vangsness added that the cast learned the news at the same moment as the fans. While RJ Hatanaka, who joined the series in its sixteenth season as FBI agent Tyler Green, wrote “Simply the best people you could ever meet” beneath a cast photo, another longtime member A.J. Cook (Special Agent Jennifer ‘JJ’ Jareau) wrote: “These people will always have a place in my heart.” The same actress, on Halloween, posted another photo showing her holding a tombstone dedicated to JJ, with the caption “Rest in peace, JJ (for now)”. Finally, Paget Brewster (Special Agent Emily Prentiss) shared a photo of herself with the caption “Free Agent.”
Comments