‘Criminal Minds’ Season 18 Is Going To Be “Deeply Personal” for Tara, Says Aisha Tyler

In about forty-eight hours, Criminal Minds will make a thrilling comeback with its eighteenth season, also serving as the third chapter of the Evolution revival. The season debuts with the “Swimmer’s Calculus” episode, written by Breen Frazier and directed by Bethany Rooney, with every main character from Season 17 set to return, including the psychotic villain Elias Voit (Zach Gilford). A few hints have come up regarding what’s ahead for some of these characters; one from Paget Brewster (who portrays the BAU chief Emily Prentiss) and most recently from Aisha Tyler, whose character Tara Lewis is about to have one hell of a season.

Speaking with TVLine about the new installment of Criminal Minds, Tyler teased a “deeply personal” journey for her character, involving her history, saying:

“This season is going to be deeply personal for Tara. We get to dive into my backstory, which has been really beautiful.”

The actress also touched on the romance department for Tara and her girlfriend Rebecca (Nicole Pacent), who called it quits on their relationship in Criminal Minds Season 17 but then rekindled it after the harrowing events of the season. The lovebirds are about to face “every big obstacle” in the coming episodes, but details remain unclear about what these could be.

Prentiss & Tyler Have A Key Moment Coming up in ‘Criminal Minds’ Season 18

In addition to Tyler’s Criminal Minds update, Brewster recently previewed the highly anticipated Season 18, teasing a pivotal moment for her character and the newest BAU member, Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka), who officially became a consultant in Season 17. Fans may recall Prentiss saying to Tyler in the upcoming season’s trailer: “People think this job is about staring down evil, but it’s not. . . . . It’s about loss,” and Brewster has described this as “some of the best dialogue” ever.

The actress further elaborated on the intense scene, noting that her character’s speech is sort of an initiation for Tyler into the BAU as he gets to be a part of the team after suffering a significant loss. According to Brewster, this gives him an edge compared to other hotshots who have always wanted to join the BAU, and she added:

“So the idea that you have to comprehend what’s at stake if you’re dealing with a serial killer. They have a loss, but they’re creating loss. And if you can’t understand what the victims need, what the families need, you can’t just be a hotshot with a gun.”

Criminal Minds returns with Season 18 on May 8. Stay tuned to Collider for more information and watch the season’s teaser below.