Why Criminal Minds: Evolution's Erica Messer Doesn't Want To See Prentiss Get Promoted Anytime Soon

"Evolution," the streaming revival of "Criminal Minds," revealed that there are still plenty of stories to be told in the setting. Some might even argue "Evolution" arrived on Paramount+ leaner, meaner, bolder, and better than its network predecessor. And it did so fronting one of the best unsubs the "Criminal Minds" realm has ever conjured.

Several of the original stars returned for "Evolution," with Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney serving as the series' most notable absences. The creatives seized on the opportunity to bulk up the screen time of not only big bad unsub Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), but the BAU all-stars bent on bringing him down. These days that team is headed by Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), who's worked her way up from Supervisory Special Agent to the top BAU spot over the course of the show's run.

Seems Prentiss may be in line to take over an even bigger job in the FBI ranks — one that would likely forever take her out of the BAU fold. "Criminal Minds" fans can apparently breathe a sigh of relief, however, as showrunner Erica Messer doesn't see the series-altering promotion going through any time soon. 

As for the job that may eventually pull Unit Chief Emily Prentiss away from her BAU buddies, it's nothing short of Director of the FBI. While the potential change hasn't been addressed in "Criminal Minds" or "Evolution," longtime showrunner Erica Messer indeed teased the possibility of Prentiss being on a five-year track to become the first-ever female FBI Director after the original series ended in 2020 (via TV Insider). Given the timeline of its return, the clock would seem to be ticking abruptly away on the current BAU Unit Chief's tenure.

Messer backtracked that timeline, however, telling TV Insider during a February 2023 interview that Prentiss isn't going anywhere for the time being. "She might be thinking if she wants it [FBI Director], but the reality would be she'd be taken away from our team and that's something we never want to play because she's such a good leader and everything else." Seems she isn't quite ready to take her long-time star out of regular rotation. But that change may still come, as Messer added, "So it might be something that we play with years down the line whenever the show is coming to an end, that she's either gonna ride off in the sunset or do something incredible like be the director of the FBI."

Messer went on to say such a change is certainly not in play for Season 2 of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," signaling she fully expects the show to continue for now. And all of that should come as great news for any "Criminal Minds" diehard.