“Criminal Minds: Evolution” premiered Thursday on Paramount+, and it proves that the hit franchise has still got it.
You don’t have to be a die-hard “Criminal Minds” fan to be able to watch the new series on Paramount+ and become fully immersed in the lives and work of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Even without the brilliant Gideon, Hodge, Reid and many of the old faces, the show’s inherently talented cast is more than capable of bringing to life a modern thriller that will have you addicted within the first 20 minutes.
The story in the new season has fallen off the old single-episode or two-episode arc, and transformed into both a long- and short-form plot line based on the most twisted concept: a domestic terrorist serial killer network throughout the U.S. hunting and harvesting humans for their own pleasure.
For fans of the horror and gore genres, there are more than enough gruesome murders to last a life time, to the point where I had to turn away on multiple occasions because the cinematography was too haunting. For people who prefer the police procedural elements of the show (like me), and the “will they, won’t they” of the chase, you’ll be more than fulfilled too.
Penelope Garcia, by far the greatest character in the history of “Criminal Minds” has by far the best subplot throughout, bringing joy, sparkle and a depth of emotion that only she can cultivate. Even if you’ve never seen an episode of “Criminal Minds” before, you’ll easily understand the entire backstory of the characters by the end of episode one.
Seriously, if you’re looking for something to do over this cold post-Thanksgiving weekend, get into “Criminal Minds: Evolution.” You’ll be thanking me until after Christmas! (REVIEW: There’s No Way You Can Watch This Trailer Without Sending Your Pulse Through The Roof)
Watch the trailer here: