the characters in Criminal Minds' BAU identifying Sicarius, now known to be Elias Voit, their most prolific serial killer to date. Season 2 centered on stopping a trained group of assassins, with the BAU being forced to work with Voit to stop the Gold Star Program.

Voit seemed to particularly haunt David Rossi, who experienced hallucinations of Voit through the most important things to from Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 is that Gideon’s wife, Jill, leaked the paper, hoping it would save children. She is brought back to help stop Gold Star, and it reignites complicated chemistry between Jill and Rossi that will hopefully be explored in season 3.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Will Premiere On Paramount+ At 3 AM EST/12 AM PST/5 PM GMT

New Episodes Stream Every Thursday

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 will premiere exclusively streaming on Paramount+ Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 3am EST/12am PST. Just like the first two Evolution seasons, season 3 will have a 10-episode run, with one episode released weekly every Thursday, which has been Criminal Minds’ slot since moving from broadcast to streaming.

According to a Paramount press brief, the new season will pick up six months after the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 finale. While Voit’s fate was left on a cliffhanger in the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 finale, Voit seems poised to remain a thorn in the side of the BAU. Although Voit is imprisoned, though not as Sicarius, he will be able to mobilize his online network of killers across the country in the season 3.

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Will Release New Episodes On Paramount+

The BAU Has Found A New Home On Streaming

CBS’ original Criminal Minds ran for 15 seasons, and all 300+ episodes are available to stream on Paramount+. The reboot took a season to find its footing, with rumors of its cancellation swirling with a lack of updates between seasons 1 and 2. But the BAU continues to thrive on streaming, leaning into its darker, more serialized format. It's a strong vote of confidence that Paramount+ renewed Criminal Minds: Evolution for season 4 ahead of the season 3 premiere.

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 (stylized as Criminal Minds season 18 on Paramount+) will have one episode per week for 10 weeks from May 8 to July 10, with no hiatuses. Previous seasons ran slightly longer than the standard 44-minute broadcast format, with upwards of an hour of content most weeks. There is a lot to look forward to, including the return of fan-favorite profiler Dr. Spencer Reid, absent for the first two seasons of the reboot, his absence vaguely explained as a sabbatical and an undisclosed special assignment.

What To Expect From Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3

Voit Remains A Thorn In The Side Of The BAU

Although Voit’s death was teased, Paramount’s press briefing indicates Voit survives and will continue to be the primary antagonist, manipulating events from behind bars. While Zach Gilford has brought an unpredictable, maniacally fun energy to Criminal Minds: Evolution as Voit, focusing on a single unsub for two full seasons is starting to feel stale, with at least one more to come. Criminal Minds has had many terrifying unsubs, so hopefully season 3 can strike a balance between the ongoing Sicarius machinations and fresh unsubs week-to-week.

Fans will be excited to see Matthew Gray Gubler's return as Spencer Reid, even if it is for only one episode. However, with SWAT now canceled, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 has a chance to do what the first two seasons didn’t: bring back Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan, as the actor has expressed interest in reprising the role, which would be nostalgic fun for a show that is getting increasingly dark.

Season 1 spent a lot of time with J.J. and her husband, ending on a strong note, but Will LaMontagne’s actor Josh Stewart departed Criminal Minds after that. Will was largely unmentioned in season 2, though J.J. remains happily married. It’s possible the show will return to Will’s health scare from season 1, or not touch J.J.’s home life much at all.

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 revealed that Rossi left the BAU in part because he was developing feelings for Jill Gideon, Jason’s wife, and even Jill knows that even though they never acted on it, she still broke Rossi’s heart. Jill is not confirmed to be returning in season 3, but with two of Gold Star alive and in need of her psychological help more than ever, in addition to her kiss with Rossi, it would feel odd not to return to Jill in some capacity.

Tyler Green ended season 2 applying for a full-time position at the FBI, and actor Ryan-James Hatanaka is credited as part of the main cast for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3. It’s safe to assume Tyler’s knowledge of Sicarius, having infiltrated the network before, will keep him valuable to the BAU, although he might find having to operate within the bounds of the law as an agent rather than a consultant challenging. Whether the show has closed the book on his and Garcia’s burgeoning relationship remains to be seen.

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