Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2, episode 5.
Summary
Criminal Minds: Evolutionhas continued the original story ofCriminal Minds, with some changes made in the time jump between its start and the series finale, leading to some confusion and complaints from viewers.Criminal Mindshad 15 seasonsbefore it ended in early 2020. The series was revived two years later, in 2022, with a 3-year time jump between theCriminal Mindsseason 15 finale and theCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1 premiere. Not every character returned forCriminal Minds: Evolution, but the series retained six BAU team members.
There’s still a chanceReid and Morgan can return inCriminal Minds: Evolution, but for now, the story has focused on Emily, Rossi, JJ, Luke, Tara, and Penelope. During the time jump, the BAU didn’t stay together entirely, with theCriminal Mindsfinale teasing characters going in different directions. The “Sicarius” case brought everyone back together, and the “Gold Star” case could tear them apart inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2. There’s still room for some major changes ahead ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, and hopefully, one will have to do with an unexpected love triangle.
Why Criminal Minds Ended After Season 15 (Was It Canceled?)
After 15 successful seasons, Criminal Minds ended on CBS. Despite its long time on the air, the reason for its cancelation remains intriguing.
Luke Still Has Feelings For Penelope In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2
Luke Never Got Over Penelope After Their Failed Date
In theCriminal Mindsseries finale, after seasons of teasing a relationship between Luke and Penelope, he finally asked her out on a date. She accepted, but by the timeCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1 began, they were back to square one Penelope insisting she didn’t like Luke and constant bickering.Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1 had a flashback of Luke and Penelope’s datethat saw them decide their relationship works better as just friends. Yet, it appears Luke never got over his romantic feelings, and it’s become more obvious since he found out about Penelope and Tyler’s relationship.
It’s so clear that even Voit picked up on it. InCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2, episode 5, Voit points outthe love triangle between Penelope, Luke, and Tylerto try and get under their skin. He succeeds, and the line teases that they still have a chance romantically. Luke and Penelope have gotten closer again as friends, but Voit’s comment forces Penelope to confront Luke’s feelings for her. Penelope claims to have moved on from Tyler, and she’s increasingly relied on Luke, showing she still values their relationship, romantic or platonic.
Penelope & Luke Finally Getting Together Could Fix A Criminal Minds: Evolution Problem
Penelope’s Inappropriate Relationship With Tyler Has Been Hurting Her Character
Beyond many viewers feeling robbed of the chance to see Penelope and Luke together, seeing Penelope and Tyler together has hurt her character.Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 has made Penelope a hypocrite, as she claimed she and Luke’s relationship wouldn’t work because of their history as colleagues. Yet, she got into a relationship with Tyler, knowing the conflicts of interest it would cause. Though agents aren’t supposed to date, Luke and Penelope have proven over multiple seasons that they can be far more professional than Penelope has been with Tyler.
At times, Tyler has been untrustworthy, and his feelings for Penelope have negatively impacted her ability to do her job. She even went against Emily’s orders to continue seeing him inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1. Fortunately, showrunner Erica Messer has said there will bemore Luke and Penelope romance inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2. With the season having just hit its halfway mark, there’s still a chance for them to finally get together and redeem Penelope’s bad romantic decisions inCriminal Minds: Evolution.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Cast
InCriminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.
