Criminal Minds Pulled Off 1 of the Biggest Bait-&-Switches in TV History (in the Absolute Best Way Possible)

Criminal Minds has enjoyed a large and thriving fan base ever since the series debuted in 2005. The series follows agents of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit who use behavioral profiling to hunt down some of the most heinous serial killers imaginable. The original run of the series ran for 15 seasons and concluded in 2020. However, the series’ conclusion did not last long. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the series became a streaming sensation. With a renewed interest in the series, a successful revival of the series was pitched. Thus, Criminal Minds: Evolution was born.

When in-depth information about the premise of Criminal Minds: Evolution was announced to fans, some fans were hesitant about the changes being made in the revival. Criminal Minds: Evolution made significant changes from the original series. Criminal Minds: Evolution changed the classic format of the series and made other significant changes relating to the cast and content. While Criminal Minds: Evolution may deviate in notable ways from the original series, at its core, the series is a continuation of the much-loved original series.

What is Criminal Minds: Evolution About?

Criminal Minds: Evolution Takes a Fan-Favorite Series in a New Direction

Criminal Minds: Evolution makes a bold promise to new viewers. That promise is in the bold new title, promising from the beginning a different kind of Criminal Minds for viewers to follow. The procedural debuted in 2022 and follows a very different BAU that fans almost can’t recognize. The BAU is scattered, with SSA Emily Prentiss and SSA David Rossi in leadership positions and bogged down in bureaucracy. SSA Dr. Tara Lewis and SSA Jennifer ‘JJ’ Jareau are field agents traveling around the country, and SSA Luke Alvez is holding things down at headquarters. SSA Dr. Spencer Reid and SSA Matt Simmons have been temporarily reassigned and do not appear in the series. Former technical analyst Penelope Garcia has left the BAU, but rejoins when the team uncovers a shocking new case that is unlike anything they have dealt with before.

Criminal Minds: Evolution centers around a serial killer network conspiracy that has spawned in the wake of the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. A serial killer has been using the dark web, social networking, and the internet to create a network of serial killers. The BAU is forced to adapt to this new challenge to tackle a tangled web of serial killers that are more dangerous than ever before. Criminal Minds: Evolution ups the ante by centering on conspiracy theories and networks of killers rather than individual killers. By presenting viewers with such a complex puzzle, it locks in fans for the whole season.

Criminal Minds: Evolution also introduces a consistent main antagonist in the serial killer Elias Voit. Voit is the first serial killer to be billed as a main character in any Criminal Minds series. Voit is responsible for crafting the serial killing network that the BAU seeks to dismantle in the first season of Evolution. Voit is an incredibly manipulative UNSUB, and he continues to be a thorn in the side of the BAU throughout Criminal Minds: Evolution by playing games with the agents who are already on edge.

How is Criminal Minds: Evolution Different from the Original Series?

Criminal Minds: Evolution has its Unique Characteristics

Criminal Minds: Evolution has a few notable differences from the original Criminal Minds series. For starters, it breaks from the standard individual case episode format. Instead of each episode being an independent case, each 10-episode season centers around an overarching story arc that the BAU spends the season untangling. While each episode may have unique cases, the overarching narrative is the true focus of the season. Criminal Minds: Evolution is also noticeably grittier than its predecessor.

The original Criminal Minds was already a notably dark show and was unafraid to push the envelope. However, it still had to operate within the confines of a network show with a TV-14 rating. Criminal Minds: Evolution airs on the streaming service Paramount+ instead of the CBS network. Being a streaming exclusive series and having a TV-MA rating allows the show to take on a more explicit tone. The characters are now allowed to swear and discuss topics that may have been too inappropriate for in-depth discussion and depiction on network television, such as revenge porn and other sexual themes.

Criminal Minds: Evolution also feels more emboldened than the original series, as it is unafraid to explore the dark side of institutions such as law enforcement and society in general. The series delves into how these institutional dark sides have contributed to creating the environment where this serial killer network and other conspiracy theories that Criminal Minds: Evolution is investigating can thrive.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Continues the True Legacy of Criminal Minds

Like the Title States, Criminal Minds: Evolution Evolves but Keeps True to the Original Series

One of the most impressive aspects of Criminal Minds: Evolution is how it works as a continuation of the original series, despite pitching itself as a revival. The changes the new series made relating to some of the traditional details of Criminal Minds were done in favor of elevating much-loved elements of the original series. On the surface, the differences between the original series and its recent revival seem incredibly stark. The original Criminal Minds balanced the dark subject matter with the familiar comfort of a ‘case of the week’ episode style while operating within the confines of a TV-14 rating. With Criminal Minds: Evolution taking on a darker tone and breaking from the pre-established format, it can appear like a radical departure from Criminal Minds. However, they have more in common with each other than one would assume.

The true heart of Criminal Minds has always been the characters themselves. In this new context, these characters may seem unfamiliar from how they appeared in first run. When fans see these familiar characters again in Criminal Minds: Evolution, these characters are going through intense emotional troubles, such as Prentiss’ promotion and Rossi’s devastating loss. However, just because these characters are in a darker headspace does not mean they are out of character. The characters are still the same people who fans fell in love with in the original series. The BAU team in Criminal Minds: Evolution easily transfers the same great qualities from the original show to the revival. The nuanced conflicts depicted in Evolution reveal new sides of these characters’ emotional selves while staying true to their core selves.

The formatting changes between both shows are one of the most obvious differences between the two series. Changing from a 22-24 episode season to 10 episodes could very easily negatively impact a revival series. However, this change does work in favor of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Centering one primary investigation for a shorter season allows the best elements of the original series were able to shine brighter. Every change that Evolution makes from Criminal Minds is used to move the series forward in terms of stakes and adapting to a new streaming format while holding true to the series that gathered a loyal legion of fans with 15 years on the air.

Every change that Criminal Minds: Evolution made was carefully weighed to bring the most beloved details from Criminal Minds into a revival that would succeed on streaming television. A majority of the main Criminal Minds cast have returned for the revival series. These characters center the revival series and keep viewers grounded throughout the changes that require fans to take time to adapt to. The new format changes allow for the main characters to be explored with a new emotional depth as the singular case brings out different sides to their personalities. Overall, Criminal Minds: Evolution works very well as a revival series and as a continuation of Criminal Minds.

Criminal Minds: Evolution makes enough changes to compel viewers and maximize the potential of its new series format and rating. However, they also keep the most important details from the original series, such as the beloved cast and core investigative style that made Criminal Minds such a big hit. Criminal Minds: Evolution may have initially given viewers pause, but fans have flocked to the revival series and embraced the series enough for Criminal Minds: Evolution to enjoy multiple renewals since it debuted. Fans of the franchise see enough of their beloved original series to keep coming back to the revival.