The procedural series Criminal Minds: Evolution resurrected the original show after a short stint off the air, and now it has completed season 3. Continuing the success of Criminal Minds, which ran from 2005 until 2020, Evolution follows the familiar FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit team as they try to crack the tough case of the Sicarius killer.
Unlike the original series, which was a pure procedural and featured an episodic format, Evolution shifted toward a serialized narrative involving one long ongoing storyline that has carried over for all three seasons so far.
Welcomed back by fans with open arms, Criminal Minds: Evolution was an unsurprising hit and was swiftly green-lit for a second season on Paramount+. In Evolution‘s second season, the team continues to hunt for the elusive Gold Star, while being forced to get help from another notorious criminal who has vexed them for years.
The serialized nature of the newest seasons has been a refreshing change of pace, and helps set Criminal Minds: Evolution apart from the plethora of other procedurals in TV history. All this set the stage for an explosive season 3
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Latest News
The Series Has Already Been Renewed
The latest Criminal Minds: Evolution news is that there will be more of it. Criminal Minds: Evolution was renewed ahead of the season 3 premiere. The renewal was a welcome reprieve from cancellations in March 2025, as network television canceled a lot of the shows that had become too expensive to produce or were not pulling in large enough audiences.
Related
It Took Criminal Minds: Evolution A Year To Solve Its Biggest Season 2 Mystery (But It Ended Up A Flop)
Criminal Minds: Evolution planted a cliffhanger at the end of season 2 that did not get its disappointing resolution until the season 3 finale.
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4 went into production while new episodes of season 3 were still releasing on Paramount+. The next season is expected to premiere some time in 2026.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Release Date
The BAU Returned In May 2025
Following the swift renewal of the series, it’s clear that Paramount+ wants Criminal Minds: Evolution to become a yearly staple. As such, the 10-episode season 3 began on May 8, 2025. The episodes aired every Thursday on Paramount+ until July 10, when the season finale was added to the streamer.
The full list of season three episodes includes:
- Episode 1: “Swimmer’s Calculus”
- Episode 2: “The Zookeeper”
- Episode 3: “Time To Say Goodbye”
- Episode 4: “I’m Fine, It’s Fine, Everything’s Fine”
- Episode 5: “The Brutal Man”
- Episode 6: “Hell Is Empty…”
- Episode 7: “…All The Devils Are Here”
- Episode 8: “Tara”
- Episode 9: “CollateRal”
- Episode 10: “The Disciple”
“…Hell Is Empty” marks the 350th episode of Criminal Minds.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Cast
The Main BAU Team Returned
As the ending of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 proved, the new serialized version of the procedural is not afraid to put main characters in danger. With that in mind, the cast of season 3 was anything but certain heading into the season.
Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) was left hanging by a thread after his prison attack. The entire BAU team was on hand to reprise their roles in investigating Voit and his network, including Joe Mantegna as the stalwart leader, David Rossi. Furthermore, veterans like Paget Brewster and Kirsten Vangsness were back as Prentiss and Garcia, respectively.
Also returning in a supporting role for the third season is Nicole Pacent as Rebecca Wilson. While she does not get to remain on the Sicarius case with the BAU during the season, she remains an important part of the show as Dr. Tara Lewis’ (Aisha Tyler) romantic partner.
The cast of season 3 grew with the addition of Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) as Dr. Julia Ochoa in a multi-episode arc. The character is a brilliant neuropsychiatrist who aided the BAU team members and clashed with them following Voit’s recovery and traumatic brain injury.
Original series star Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid) returned to appear in a single episode in season 3.
The cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 includes:
|
Actor |
Criminal Minds Role |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Joe Mantegna |
David Rossi |
|
|
Paget Brewster |
Emily Prentiss |
|
|
Kirsten Vangsness |
Penelope Garcia |
|
|
AJ Cook |
Jennifer “JJ” Jareau |
|
|
Aisha Tyler |
Dr. Tara Lewis |
|
|
Ryan-James Hatanaka |
Tyler Green |
|
|
Adam Rodriguez |
Luke Alvarez |
|
|
Nicole Pacent |
Rebecca Wilson |
|
|
Zach Gilford |
Elias Voit |
|
|
Aimee Garcia |
Dr. Julia Ochoa |
|
|
Matthew Gray Gubler |
Dr. Spencer Reid |
|
Making their last appearance in Criminal Minds: Evolution is JJ’s husband, Will (Josh Stewart). The series used footage originally shot for the first season of the revival series to write him out of the show in a particularly tragic turn of events for the season.
Other Original Series Stars Did Not Return In Season 3
Fans Still Speculate About Potential Guest Stars
Perhaps the most discussed aspect of Criminal Minds: Evolution has been the absence of original series actors Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid and Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan. Gubler starred in all 15 seasons of the original series, while Moore departed in season 11.
Both have been sorely missed in the rebooted series thus far, but their returns have been left open. The FBI still employs Gubler’s Reid in the show’s universe, and he is simply away on another assignment. Gubler was able to work out a return for a single episode in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3.
Related
Why Shemar Moore Left Criminal Minds During Season 11
Derek Morgan was on the Criminal Minds team from season 1 until season 11. Here’s why Shemar Moore left Criminal Minds, and if he’ll return.
Morgan’s return is a bit less open, and when he departed the series, his character also departed the FBI entirely. However, with Moore’s other series, S.W.A.T. ending, there was speculation that he could pay a visit. Moore, however, is set to lead the S.W.A.T. spinoff series as well, so a return seems unlikely even beyond season 3.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Story Details
Voit Is A Changed Man
Season 2 of Evolution wrapped up the Gold Star storyline but left plenty of cliffhangers for season 3 to resolve. First and foremost, Elias Voit’s identity was leaked, which led to a dangerous attack in prison. That attack left Voit with a traumatic brain injury that made for a major story point during the season.
As a result of his injury, Voit develops empathy, something he lacked in the past. He also has to regain his motor and verbal skills and regain his memories. As he does, the BAU employs his help on their cases – tracking the members of his Sicarius network, including the mysterious Disciple.
While the Disciple is not revealed until the final episode of the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, it is clear that they are pulling the strings as the network stays one step ahead of the BAU until the very end.
In addition to the season-long arc for the Sicarius case, the team also deals with several personal storylines. JJ loses her husband, and Tara faces a near-fatal shooting during the season, raising the stakes for the team.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Finale Explained
The Season 3 Finale Offers A Neat Conclusion
Since the first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, the revival series has made it clear that the show is much more serialized than the original CBS series. While that is still true in season 3, the final episode offers a lot more closure and fewer open threads than usual.
The Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 finale seemingly ends the Sicarius case for good. Voit helps the team to bring the Disciple to justice after he and Dr. Ochoa are kidnapped. He also confesses to his crimes, hoping to get the death penalty because of the guilt he has been feeling since his newfound sense of empathy.
Voit also makes sure to give Garcia every known member of his network and their locations when they are logged in, allowing FBI field offices to bring in every potential serial killer that has been on their radar. That means the series is free to explore new storylines in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4.
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 wraps up everything surprisingly neatly, even offering a hopeful note as the entire team celebrates their win with drinks on the town.
Enjoy ScreenRant’s primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check “Network TV” in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.
SIGN UP NOW!
Source link
Add Comment