When a show manages to be on the air for over 10 years, it’s as impressive as ever, as it shows just how dedicated fans and everyone involved in the series are. What’s even more impressive is when a show that’s been on for over 10 years ends but then is brought back with the same amount of fanfare. We’ve already seen it with the Law & Order revival, and now Criminal Minds has done the same thing, and it’s crazy to think how long the procedural has been around. However, it became abundantly clear just how long it's been around when Joe Mantegna stood next to a cardboard cutout of his younger self.
Ahead of Criminal Minds: Evolution’s highly-anticipated return, Joe Mantegna took to Twitter to share a fun video to remind fans that Rossi is almost back. While telling fans to tune into the first five episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution so they can be prepared for the in installments in the series, he was beside a cardboard cutout of himself from the early seasons of Criminal Minds, and boy, things have changed:
We’re back, tomorrow! @paramountplus @CBSTweet @criminalminds pic.twitter.com/vWOpKGL9FWJanuary 12, 2023
No matter how long a show has been on the air, it’s always entertaining to see how much someone has changed from their first appearance on a show to their last or current appearance. When a show like Criminal Minds has been on for nearly two decades, it’s obvious there will be some changes, but it’s incredible to think about it as compared to seeing it side-by-side.
Joe Mantegna joined the Behavioral Analysis Unit as David Rossi beginning in the third season and hasn’t left since. And now, Evolution is arguably one of the best shows on Paramount+, and it’s not hard to see why since, despite some stars not returning, the majority of them did, including Mantegna. Even though it’s been a few years since Criminal Minds ended, it’s as if no time has passed. Though that cardboard cutout of Rossi may tell a different story.
A Criminal Minds revival had been in the works for quite some time before it was officially announced, and at one point, it looked like the BAU wouldn’t be back after all. Luckily, all was resolved, and before fans knew it, they were reunited with most of their favorites in Quantico, though it looked just a tad different. With the series being on Paramount+, episodes are longer and even include an array of swear words, which has been both refreshing and hard to get used to.
Meanwhile, with the sixth episode of Evolution resolving the midseason cliffhanger, fans will also be able to look forward to a fun ride for the last episodes of the Paramount+ series. As the team gets closer to solving the serial killer network mystery, and finding out just who is the mastermind behind the whole thing, Zach Gillford’s Elias is trying to balance being a dad, husband and killer. It’s only just a matter of time before they close in on him, and it should be as intriguing and disturbing as ever, even if all the characters are a bit older now.
New episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution premiere Thursdays on Paramount+ with a subscription!
