There's yet another item to add to the list of things we're grateful for this Thanksgiving.
On Sept. 21, Paramount+ announced the first two episodes of the Criminal Minds spin-off Criminal Minds: Evolution will debut on the streaming platform Nov. 24, a.k.a. Thanksgiving Day. The remaining episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays.
The new series will see the return of agents Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), JJ Jareau (A.J. Cook) and Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler).
And while Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney, who portrayed Spencer Reid and Matthew Simmons respectively, won't be joining the Evolution, they'll be referenced throughout. "It's a little bit more of a mystery what Reid and Simmons are up to," showrunner Erica Messer said on Wednesday's virtual Television Critics Association panel, according to Deadline. "They're certainly not forgotten. Their desks are still there, still have stuff on it."
As for the story at the center of Evolution, Messer said it's a complex one that involves a network of serial killers who were connected through a mysterious UnSub (Zach Gilford) during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the series will be on a streaming platform, the writers have more freedom when it comes to portraying the killers' crimes, but Messer doesn't intend to make it R-rated. "I'm very aware that teenage kids watch this show," she explained. "I don't think you're going to be shocked at the graphics being worse or anything like that."
Mantenga noted there will be more cursing, though—so there's that!