How Many Episodes Are In Criminal Minds: Evolution?

"Criminal Minds: Evolution" served as both a revival and sequel to the original run that saw most of the cast return for a narrative that had the Behavioral Analysis Unit go up against a network of serial killers put together during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 16th season of the series consisted of ten episodes, each with varying run times ranging from 43 to 56 minutes. But this time, instead of airing on CBS, the show premiered on Paramount+ on November 24, 2022, and the finale for that season was released on February 9, 2023, where each entry is now ready to stream for subscribers.

While its run may have been brief, fans should realize that it's far from over because, before the final installment aired, Paramount announced on January 12, 2023, that there would be a second season of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," consisting of another ten episodes. But even with a quick renewal, some may want to know if it really lives up to the hype, especially compared to the previous run of "Criminal Minds."

There is no denying that "Criminal Minds: Evolution" takes a very different approach than previous seasons, including altering the structure of the narrative from episodic to serial to featuring more graphic visuals and language. While many agree the sequel revival set of entries wasn't perfect, the ratings from critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes were probably better than expected, and even though the shift was a bit much to begin with for some, certain fans believed the show only got better as it progressed like u/xomather posted on Reddit, "It started a tad slow, but then it got interesting, and every episode has my attention."

While change can be the kind of thing that keeps longtime fans away, that doesn't seem to be the case as many people have embraced the entries that have resulted from the show's new direction, like u/nartkin, who wrote, "The structure and atmosphere of Evolution is very movie like I enjoy it for what it is." Another Reddit user liked the way the series played out being made for streaming instead of cable, writing in a post, "It feels fresh. You can see they get more liberties with the new platform." Even though there has been plenty of chatter online about people buzzing over the series, there are still some out there suspected of not liking "Criminal Minds: Evolution."

Not everyone was a fan of the new and improved "Evolution," and when it came to how the story played out, some people preferred the good old days of "Criminal Minds," like a Reddit user who wrote, "I just kind of miss being able to watch an episode and not have to have seen the previous episodes to understand what's going on."

Others had a more desperate perspective on the situation, and while they didn't like what "Evolution" had to offer, some users felt it was satisfying enough to fill the void the series left behind, like u/jessieagain, who wrote, "if you're just desperate for CM [like me] then there is a lot to like about this season." Some fans only tuned in because of their love of the original, like u/lashesnlipstick, who wrote, "I don't like it, but I watch every episode because I loved the original series." Enduring something that isn't entertaining is an impressive level of devotion that "Criminal Minds" has apparently earned from certain followers.

But then there are those who think the best way to enjoy every episode of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" is as long as people don't associate it whatsoever with its predecessor, like u/mikaylagrace_ who wrote in a post, "If you think of it as criminal minds, or the next season of CM, you won't like it. Think of it as a separate show and you should."

While there are several schools of thought on how "Criminal Minds: Evolution" compares to the original, it seems like the best way to crack this case is for curious investigators to dive right in and see for themselves if it's worth watching.