Let it not be said that Criminal Minds can't do a cliffhanger on Paramount+, because the penultimate episode of Evolution Season 2 ended on some big questions and reasons for concern for Prentiss in particular. Fortunately, the wait for the Season 2 finale will end on August 1 for Paramount+ subscribers, and Paget Brewster spoke with CinemaBlend about what to expect that she thinks will make fans happy by the end in the 2024 TV schedule.
The penultimate episode of the second season ended with the BAU seemingly on the verge of a big win, with the bad guys in their crosshairs and a young girl in need of saving within reach. That went sideways in the final moments, however, with at least Prentiss and Rossi inside of the training center when Jade detonated what looked like an awful lot of explosives.
Paget Brewster of course didn't drop a mountain of spoilers to ruin the twists and turns that are sure to come in the finale, but when I spoke with the actress ahead of the episode, she hyped what to count on:
What can I say? I'm not allowed to say what happens, but I can say it's very rewarding. It took a long time to shoot. It's a very hard episode, the last episode, but our fans are going to be very happy and excited about where all of the characters go. What happens at the end of the episode still raises questions about what can happen in the future, but it answers questions we've had all season about what we've been up against.
While Brewster mentioning "questions" suggests that we definitely shouldn't rule out an end-of-season cliffhanger, some answers sound pretty great! Plus, Criminal Minds: Evolution was renewed for Season 3 quickly after Season 2 premiered, so fans don't even have to panic that any leftover questions will never be answered.
Season 2 has been a rough ride for the BAU, and not just because they had to have Voit in their midst for a while. Prentiss was all but spiraling until her job was in jeopardy and she got a much-needed (albeit stoned) pep talk from JJ, while JJ herself was reeling from learning about BAUgate.
All in all, some happiness sounds pretty great! Paget Brewster elaborated on what will make fans happy as well as what she's proud of when looking back at Evolution Season 2:
I think people will be very happy. It's really good. It's a really good episode. Okay, I'm tooting my own horn a little bit. I'm tooting everyone's horn! I'm tooting all my friends' horns, everybody, every department, writers, the director, our DP, our cast, just everybody really came together. It was a tough one, and then I got sick after we finished, and then everyone went crazy at the rap party, singing karaoke. I got videos all night while I was sick on the couch, but it's a great episode. I think our audience is gonna love it.
Luckily, fans don't have too much longer to wait to find out if the finale will indeed make them happy. The finale of Season 2 – which is Season 17 of the larger Criminal Minds universe – will go live on Paramount+ on Thursday, August 1.
You can also find all fifteen of Criminal Minds' CBS seasons on the streamer, as well as both seasons so far of Evolution. I for one am relieved that Paramount+ wasted no time in renewing the series, so whether or not it has a future beyond the second season is one less thing to worry about.
