Criminal Minds: Evolution will end with Season 20, and the Criminal Minds Evolution ending closes a run that began on CBS in 2005 and continued on Paramount+ as a streaming revival. Paramount+ confirmed on 30 October that the upcoming 20th season overall — the fifth under the Evolution banner — will be the last, with new episodes premiering in 2027.
A 20-season run across two eras
The original Criminal Minds ran for 15 seasons on CBS before ending in February 2020, according to TV Insider and Variety coverage summarised by multiple outlets. Paramount+ revived it in November 2022 as Evolution, billed as Season 16, swapping the case-of-the-week formula for longer, serialized arcs. Season 19 streamed from May to July 2025, and Paramount+ had already renewed the show for Season 20 in March, before Season 19 even premiered.
That early renewal makes the ending sting for the cast and crew. According to GeekTyrant and Deadline reporting cited by several outlets, Season 20 had already wrapped production earlier in the autumn before the cancellation decision was made. That means the final episodes were not written as a planned series finale, a point fans have seized on since the announcement.
What the showrunner and cast said
Showrunner and executive producer Erica Messer said in a statement: ‘It’s hard to put into words what Criminal Minds has meant to all of us who have been fortunate enough to be part of this extraordinary journey, first on CBS for 15 seasons and then on Paramount+ for five.’ She added that the team looked forward to sharing Season 20 and celebrating the show’s legacy.
Cast member Kirsten Vangsness, who plays Garcia, described the news plainly in a video shared on Instagram, saying ‘It’s being canceled.’ Season 20 stars Joe Mantegna, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster, with A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler and RJ Hatanaka also returning, according to TV Insider. Zach Gilford is not returning after Season 19 ended with his character, Elias Voit, locked up. No premiere date within 2027 has been announced, and Paramount+ has not announced a spinoff. For now, all 19 existing seasons remain streaming on Paramount+, giving viewers time to revisit the Behavioral Analysis Unit before the final run arrives.
