“Criminal Minds: Evolution” has been canceled at Paramount+, bringing the long-running crime drama toward its conclusion with Season 20. Following Friday’s news, cast members including A.J. Cook, Paget Brewster, Kirsten Vangsness and RJ Hatanaka shared personal reactions to the end of the show’s extended run.

The series still has one more chapter ahead: Season 20 is scheduled to air in 2027. Its cancellation follows Season 19, which aired between May and July earlier this year.

The cast marks the end of an era

Cook, who has played Jennifer “JJ” Jareau since “Criminal Minds” debuted in 2005, addressed the news with a Halloween-themed Instagram photo. Dressed in a tombstone costume for her character, she wrote, “Rest in peace JJ (for now) #criminalminds #halloween #stillprocessing.”

JJ began as the Behavioral Analysis Unit’s media and police liaison before becoming a profiler in later seasons. Cook’s inclusion of “for now” also echoed a note of uncertainty running through some of the cast’s responses.

Brewster, who joined “Criminal Minds” in Season 2 as FBI supervisory special agent Emily Prentiss, posted a black-and-white image bearing the words “Free Agent.”

Hatanaka shared a cast photo and offered a brief tribute: “Just the finest group of people.” The actor joined the series in Season 16 as FBI agent Tyler Green.

Vangsness delivered a longer response in an Instagram video, acknowledging the cancellation while highlighting the longevity of the series.

“Social media is sort of like getting to do your own press conference I guess. This has happened. It’s being canceled, but then it says right there it’s ending ‘for now,’” she said.

Vangsness has portrayed technical analyst Penelope Garcia since Season 1. During the original run, Garcia was also known in part for her relationship with agent Derek Morgan, played by Shemar Moore.

Reflecting on the show’s 20-season span, Vangsness compared the moment to a scene from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” describing a mix of gratitude and sadness.

“You know the part in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ where Charlie gets the chocolate, and it’s a little bittersweet. He’s like, ‘Thank you so much for the chocolate.’ Look at how long, that doesn’t happen ever,” she said.

She also pointed to the possibility that the characters’ stories could continue elsewhere, although no such continuation has been confirmed.

“But I love my job, and my boss Erica Messer says there are so many more stories to tell,” Vangsness continued. “So if we get to keep telling them somewhere, that would be amazing. I know all of us feel the same way.”

In the caption accompanying her video, Vangsness expressed appreciation for her time on the series and named fellow cast members Brewster, Cook, Aisha Tyler, Hatanaka, Adam Rodriguez and Joe Mantegna among her “co-horts at fake murder camp.”

From final season to revival

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” continued the story after the events of the original “Criminal Minds.” The project revived the show for Season 16 in 2022, after the CBS series had previously been renewed in January 2019 for a fifteenth and final season.

The Paramount+ continuation ultimately carried the procedural through four additional seasons. Alongside Cook, Brewster, Vangsness and Hatanaka, “Evolution” stars Mantegna, Tyler and Rodriguez.

ShowBiz Take

The cast’s reactions underline what makes this cancellation significant: “Criminal Minds” already survived one announced ending and returned in a new form. Cook’s “for now” and Vangsness’ hope that the team might tell more stories somewhere else stop short of announcing another revival, but they show that the performers are not treating the franchise’s future as an entirely closed case.

At the same time, their messages remain rooted in appreciation for an unusually long shared experience. Cook reached back to a character she has played since the show’s 2005 debut, while Vangsness emphasized both her love for the job and the rarity of reaching 20 seasons.

What Happens Next?

Season 20 is expected to air in 2027 and will serve as the final season of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” at Paramount+. Messer’s view that more stories remain, and the cast’s public openness to telling them, leaves room for hope among the team—but there is currently no confirmed plan for the series to continue on another platform.