Fans Agree About Why Criminal Minds: Evolution Is An Apt Title
"Criminal Minds" was and is a particular kind of procedural. For one thing, its focus on the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit gives it a highly intellectual angle, making it just as much a psychological thriller as a law enforcement story. For another, and related to that first point, the "Criminal Minds" team deals with some of the most terrifying criminals you can imagine: serial killers. Each week, each new unsub proves themselves capable of doing some truly horrific things. In that regard, one can see how "Criminal Minds" helped pave the way for lauded series like, say, Netflix's "Mindhunter."
Ironically, because "Criminal Minds" raised that bar in such a way when it returned to the air — this time on Paramount+ rather than on CBS — the show had to up the ante somehow. The "Criminal Minds" of Paramount+ was, after all, technically a reboot. What's more, past attempts to spin off other "Criminal Minds" shows had nowhere near the original's success. Both "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" flopped, meaning that the formula of the original series didn't necessarily carry over well.
Tinkering with the blueprint might not have gone down well with fans. As it turns out, "Criminal Minds: Evolution" raises the stakes in a way many fans love.
A darker tone and better storytelling
Let's put it this way. What's scarier than a serial killer? Two serial killers? Three? How about a network of serial killers? As viewers will know, that's what that B.A.U. aims to take down in "Criminal Minds: Evolution." And while this differentiates it from the original show, many viewers see it as a worthy next step.
"There's a reason it's called 'Evolution,'" wrote u/OkAcanthocephala6837 in the r/criminalminds subreddit, "and not just Season 16 ... It's a different show. Same characters we love performing in roles we love, but more grit, better storytelling." The user elaborated by saying that it matches up more with the style of works like "Silence of the Lambs," as well as the length of time it takes most cases to be investigated and solved over months or even years rather than the two days it took in the original "Criminal Minds."
This made the darker tone more fitting to some viewers. It also seemed clear to some of them that "Criminal Minds" has taken a cue from similar shows that have come after. "This new season feels how reading the book 'Mindhunter' felt for me — dark, but very informative," wrote u/CaktusJacklynn. Other users, like u/Equivalent-Reply-114, agreed that watching the show felt more like reading a book. All in all, it sounds like moving "Criminal Minds: Evolution" to Paramount+ changed the show for the better.