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The BAU is closing up shop. 

Criminal Minds will end after its upcoming 20th season, Deadline reports. The last batch of episodes will drop on Paramount+ sometime in 2027. Production has already wrapped on those episodes, which were reportedly not filmed with the idea that they would make up the show’s final season.

The long-running serial killer drama is the first Paramount+ show to get the ax following the recent Skydance/Warner Bros. merger. 

In a statement, showrunner Erica Messer described the cancellation as sudden.  

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“It’s hard to put into words what Criminal Minds has meant to all of us who have been fortunate enough to be part of this extraordinary journey, first on CBS for 15 seasons and then on Paramount+ for five,” she told Deadline. “While suddenly navigating the end of this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for our remarkable cast, writers, directors, and crew who have poured their hearts into this show, and for the incredible fans around the world whose unwavering loyalty has kept Criminal Minds going for two decades. We’re looking forward to sharing season 20 with everyone, and celebrating the legacy of this special show we’ve all built together.”

Criminal Minds premiered in 2005 on CBS. It ran for 15 seasons, ending its initial run in early 2020. In late 2022, the series was revived on Paramount+ with a slightly new format that focused on an ongoing story rather than the original case-of-the-week format. The continuation – dubbed Criminal Minds: Evolution – featured many of the show’s original cast members, including A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Paget Brewster, Joe Mantegna, and Aisha Tyler.

Vangsness reacted to the Criminal Minds news in an Instagram video. 

“This has happened. Do you see? It’s being canceled,” she said. 

The actor, who has played tech analyst Penelope Garcia on the show since its first season, called the cancellation “bittersweet.” But she remained hopeful the show might continue in some form. 

“Look at how many [seasons], look how long,” she continued. “I mean, that doesn’t happen ever. But I love my job, and my boss, Erica Messer, says there’s so many more stories to tell. So if we get to keep telling them somewhere, that would be amazing. I know all of us feel the same way.”

Criminal Minds is streaming on Paramount+. 

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