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Fans will have to say goodbye to the BAU once again after season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution.
“This has happened. It’s being canceled. Then it says right there, it’s ending for now,” Kirsten Vangsness, who has played Penelope Garcia throughout the show’s 20 seasons, said via an Instagram video on Friday, October 30, responding to news that the series is coming to an end after its 2027 season.
“You know that part in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where Charlie gets the chocolate and it’s like a little bittersweet, because he’s like, ‘Thanks so much for the chocolate,’” the actress, 54, explained, noting she is feeling similar emotions.
“Look how long, that doesn’t happen ever. But I love my job and my boss Erica Messer says there’s so many more stories to tell. So, if we get to keep telling them somewhere, that would be amazing,” Vangsness continued. “I know all of us feel the same way. … Everything’s OK. Aren’t we all in a death and rebirth cycle? Yes, so maybe this goes somewhere else? What an adventure.”
Us confirmed on Friday that Criminal Minds’ upcoming season — its 20th overall and fifth with the subtitle Evolution — will mark the franchise’s final season on Paramount+.
“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,” showrunner and executive producer Messer, 52, said in a statement on Friday. “While suddenly navigating the end of this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for our remarkable cast, writers, directors and crew who have poured their hearts into this show, and for the incredible fans around the world whose unwavering loyalty has kept Criminal Minds going for two decades.”
Season 20’s RJ Hatanaka as Tyler Green, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, A.J. Cook as Jennifer ‘JJ’ Jareau, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia and Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis. Michael Becker/Paramount+
She added, “We’re looking forward to sharing season 20 with everyone, and celebrating the legacy of this special show we’ve all built together.”
Criminal Minds premiered on CBS in 2005, following a group of criminal profilers working for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), often focusing on cases involving serial killers.
The show’s original run came to an end in 2020, but it was revived by Paramount+ and rebranded as Criminal Minds: Evolution two years later.
The new iteration brought back the majority of the cast, including Vangsness, Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster all of whom reprised their original roles.
Other key characters, such as Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid, have made cameos on the reboot.
A.J. Cook and Adam Rodriguez. Michael Becker/Paramount+
During Evolution’s first season (a.k.a. season 16 of Criminal Minds), viewers were introduced to Elias Voit, played by Zach Gilford, as the main antagonist.
The BAU ultimately linked Voit to 62 murders during his debut season, and discovered that he was the mastermind behind an online network of serial killers.
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Voit remained a constant presence throughout the next three seasons, even after he was no longer considered to be a psychopath following significant memory loss. The villain even became a consultant for the BAU at one point before he was written off the show during the season 19 finale.
“We can both hope [my character Voit will return] but all I know is I’m not there filming right now,” Gilford, 44, exclusively told Us in July of his potential return for season 20. “It was hard to say goodbye. It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a gift.”
Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness and Paget Brewster. Michael Becker/Paramount+
Despite being done with his story arc, the actor looked back on his time as Voit fondly.
“To give this guy some redemption and go out on a good guy note — so to speak — was nice. It’s weird,” he shared. “You wrap a show and a lot of times you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I’m coming back next year and if we’re going to have another season in general.’ On this, I did know that it was the end.”
The rest of the Evolution cast is expected to return for the farewell season.
