The sixteenth season of the American police proceduralcrime drama television series Criminal Minds, subtitled Evolution, follows members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as they are faced with a network of serial killers built during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a revival of the 2005 series which ended in 2020.[1] The season premiered on November 24, 2022 on Paramount+ in the U.S.[2] and on Disney+ in other regions on November 25, 2022.
In January 2023, Evolution was renewed for another season.[3] Filming began in January 2024.[4]
When a teenage girl is abducted from her Bethesda, Maryland home and her parents are killed, the BAU believes the same perpetrator killed a family of four in Alexandria, Virginia. Meanwhile, Lewis investigates a number of bodies that were found in a Yakima County, Washington storage container, and developments in the abduction case bring former analyst Penelope Garcia back into the fold.
When two men in the Washington, D.C. area are killed with their spinal cords severed and both men are found to be "bulls" in cuckoldry, the team tries to find the killer. Meanwhile, the team discovers that this case and the last are connected to a serial killer network led by a man dubbed "Sicarius," and Lewis's girlfriend informs the team that the Department of Justice is trying to disband them.
As the BAU attempts to find the remaining kill kits, they try to locate a former army specialist who they believe is planning to detonate an incendiary device in a Washington, D.C. park. While trying to find him, the BAU comes into conflict with the FBI's domestic terrorism unit.
Having learned the army specialist, Tyler Green, was not a member of the network, but rather an undercover vigilante trying to find his sister, Lewis and Garcia try to convince him to help them find Sicarius. The team investigates a pair of Germantown, Maryland home invaders who lure security guards to residences with home security systems, before forcing the homeowners to watch their murders over security cameras.
329
5
"Oedipus Wrecks"
Sharat Raju
Jayne A. Archer
December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15)
After two women employed in government jobs in the Washington, D.C. area are found dead with numerous bite marks, the team works to locate the unsub. But after learning their main suspect is the son of a prominent senator, they find the case could have major political implications. Deputy Director Doug Bailey joins the investigation, as one of the victims was a former girlfriend he met on a dating site for government employees. Garcia and Tyler Green come into conflict while looking for clues on Sicarius.
The aftermath of the explosion threatens to end the Sicarius case unless the team comes up with a legitimate reason to keep it open. The search brings them to a prisoner on death row.
While the team continues to investigate Sicarius, they also must find an unsub in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia who killed one and kidnapped two others. Prentiss tells Garcia she must break things off with Tyler, and Lewis interviews a woman after her abducted dog Moose is found to have a connection to Sicarius.
The team gets closer to finding Sicarius after finding surveillance footage of him at a hardware store, while also investigating how a recently deceased North Carolina man could be involved. The team suspects a missing Indio, California real estate agent was kidnapped by Sicarius and a local follower of his.
Rossi will go to any lengths to prove that Elias Voit is Sicarius. But Voit turns Rossi into his own worst enemy, putting his future at the BAU in jeopardy.
334
10
"Dead End"
Glenn Kershaw
Christopher Barbour
February 9, 2023 (2023-02-09)
With Rossi in Voit’s clutches, he grapples with the limits of his technical know-how and mental strength. As the BAU tightens their grip on Voit, he reveals just how far he’s willing to take his deadly crusade.
Production
Development
In February 2021, a revival series and the sixteenth season of Criminal Minds was announced to be in early development at Paramount+ with 10 episodes planned.[8][9] In February 2022, the series was confirmed to be still in development.[10] Paramount+ officially gave a series order in July 2022.[11] The official title of the new series was revealed in September 2022.[1]
Casting
Most of the main cast of the last season of the previous series returned, with the exception of Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney.[11] On September 4, 2022, Josh Stewart confirmed he would reprise his role as Will LaMontagne Jr.[5] On September 9, 2022, Zach Gilford was cast in a recurring role.[1]
Filming
Filming began in August 2022.[12] In September 2022, Joe Mantegna announced that he would be directing an episode this season.[13] Later that month, it was confirmed that A. J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Adam Rodriguez would also be directing episodes this season.[14]
