Like the creepy UnSubs that always seem to come back, Criminal Minds was never going to be gone for good. The long-running crime procedural always had the potential to be resurrected.
Or become evolved, as it were. After the cancelation in 2020 by CBS, Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Prentiss (Paget Brewster), J.J. (A.J. Cook), and Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) said goodbye to the BAU for what seemed like a permanent leave of absence. But with the rise of streaming, Paramount Plus gave them a new home in 2022 in the form of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Though Matthew Gray Gubler would not be reprising his role as the beloved hyper-analytical Reid, much of the main cast returned for season 16.
Criminal Minds on Paramount Plus was something of a different animal. Filler episodes and Monsters of the Week were a thing of the past. Instead, season 16 was a truncated season of 10 episodes and one overarching villain. Showrunner Erica Messler acknowledged to TVLine the difficulties of focusing on one villain for the whole season.
“You know, it was harder. But I think that after 15 years of standalone [UnSubs], it was the change we were looking for. It was also good to challenge the audience to watch Criminal Minds that way. It was good for all of us, in a way.”
The BAU has changed with the times and appears to be gearing up for more seasons to come.
When will Criminal Minds season 17 premiere?
16 seasons is a widely successful run for any television series. These types of numbers are typically only seen with police or medical dramas. With the combination of psychology and insidious villains in the best episodes, Criminal Minds has found its niche. Season 16 may have been different, but there is always room for more.
Season 17 was greenlit back in January 2023 but with a serious caveat. It takes months to put together a television show, and 2023 also happened to be the year of the monumental strike in Hollywood. Both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA went on strike due to looming concerns about fair pay in the industry. The union conflict has since been resolved but put a significant dent in many production schedules. Criminal Minds season 17 is on tap, but it may be some time before we see it.
Who is cast in season 17?
Many fans of Criminal Minds deeply felt Gubler’s absence. We can all agree his mind and his cardigans were the heart of the series. The potential for his return is still up in the air, but as for the rest of the cast, there is no need to worry.
“Everybody in the main cast is coming back, they all had a contract to come back,” Messler reported to TVLine. Many things may have changed, but the DNA of the BAU will remain the same. Rossi, J.J., Prentiss, and Garcia are all stated to return, as well as Aisha Tyler in the role of Dr. Tara Lewis. But even more interesting is the recurring presence of a new cast member.
Friday Night Lights and Midnight Mass alum, Zach Gilford, became a central focus of season 16 as UnSub, Elias Voit. Taking advantage of the lockdown, Voit creates a vast network of serial killers that he keeps from his wife — played by the actor’s real-life spouse, Kiele Sanchez. The BAU eventually catches Voit and puts him behind bars, but that won’t be the last we see of him. He will return to continue the story left up in the air at the end of season 16.
What’s the plot of season 17?
Messler naturally didn’t want to give everything away, but we do know the cliffhanger at the end of last season will be picked up again. After Voit’s crimes result in his arrest, he hints about being privy to a government secret, known as “Gold Star.” With his ties to the criminal underworld, he may have some government knowledge. Messler confirmed Criminal Minds would revisit that story in season 17.
“It’s sort of like, ‘We thought we knew everything, we thought we know all about the [Sicarius] network and Voit and all this stuff.’ So for Voit to drop that bomb, and to have it mean something to Bailey, it’s our jump-start into the next season, for sure.”
Messler also noted that the series won’t follow just one UnSub like in season 16. Though the season will continue with the 10-episode structure, they will have a combination of a recurring villain and UnSubs of the week. This decision may tie into extra stories for the main cast. Prentiss, for instance, had no room for personal stories with the short episode count of the previous season. However, Messler states that will change with the new season shake-up. Criminal Minds season 17 will stream on Paramount Plus when it premieres.