Despite CBS crime drama Criminal Minds ending just two years ago, talks of a Criminal Minds revival began in early 2021, barely a year after the series ended. After the will they or won't they roller coaster the Criminal Minds revival has had in previous months, Paramount+ recently made the revival official, and now star Joe Mantegna is talking about what’s been like getting back to work at the BAU (and sharing photos to boot).
Joe Mantegna, who has long portrayed David Rossi in the franchise, spoke to WGN Radio about his career and the upcoming and highly-anticipated Criminal Minds revival. The topic came up after host Bob Sirott mentioned watching a marathon on Sundance, and Mantegna expressed his excitement to be returning to work with friends and co-stars:
We’re back solving. We just started last Tuesday, we’re back up, we’re gonna be on Paramount+. We just started Season 16 after a two-year hiatus. We’re all proud to be back. It’s a good group, a great group. I’m glad to be back, and we look forward to new episodes. Our fanbase is so wonderful all over the world, and I think that’s what helped bring us back.
It’s definitely exciting to hear the cast is back at work, and everything seems to be going smoothly so far. While not everyone will be returning for the Criminal Minds revival, Season 16 will surely be one to look forward to, as C-Minds remained popular on streaming in the time since it ended on CBS. (It’s also reassuring to know the show is finally filming, considering that for a while, it looked like the Criminal Minds revival was dead in the water.)
Joe Mantegna also took to Twitter to share with fans that he is back on set as the beloved profiler.
Work, work, work. pic.twitter.com/5zv5E7w6KrAugust 15, 2022
The picture came just a few days after co-star Paget Brewster shared her own photos in preparation for the revival, showing off Emily Prentiss’ new ‘do. Despite the pics, not too much information has been revealed about the reboot, though fans should expect a slightly different Criminal Minds than the CBS series.
The characters will be following one case for the season, as opposed to doing one per episode or for a few episodes. With not everyone returning -- notably Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney -- there will definitely be a void felt in the bullpen. But there should still be plenty to look forward to.
In fact, it should be interesting to see how the revival holds up to the original series and where the characters will be in their lives following the Criminal Minds series finale in 2020. Since filming did just start, it may be a while until we get a premiere date, but in the meantime, all 15 original seasons are streaming on Paramount+ with a subscription! Check out the best shows to stream on Paramount+ once you’ve finished to keep you occupied.
