Criminal Minds Renewed for Season 15 - Its LAST!!
Carissa Pavlica
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This is the news everyone has been debating, expecting, and dreading over the past few seasons.
It's good news and bad news for fans of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.
Criminal Minds Season 15 has been announced, and with the renewal came the news that the 10-episode season to air during the 2019-20 broadcast season will be its last.
It's been a long and exciting ride since Criminal Minds first aired on CBS in 2005.
In 14 seasons the show has focused not only on the often gruesome cases and deranged unsubs the team hunts but on the team itself.
It's the team the viewers will miss the most.
It's the changes on the team that put the show on the bubble for a good portion of the last few seasons, but it's also the amazing members of the BAU and the actors that currently fulfill the roles who have made the show a fan-favorite again.
“It is the quintessential CBS hit. We are so proud to have aired it,” said Amy Reisenbach, CBS’ EVP current programs.
“It speaks to everything we do best, which is air quality television. It’s been successful not only on air but online, in syndication, internationally for ABC (Studios).”
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By the time Criminal Minds goes off the air, it will have amassed 325 episodes, putting it in the top 20 shows of all time alongside shows like ER and CSI.
Only juggernauts like Gunsmoke, Grey's Anatomy, and Law & Order: SVU top it.
“We wanted to make sure Erica had the time and ability to write a season (14) finale that honors the characters and the fans,” said Reisenbach.
“We discussed wanting to keep the show in continuous production, so 10 felt like the right number for us to roll straight into and give Erica enough episodes to end the series the way she wanted to.”
Related: Elementary Canceled After Seven Seasons at CBS!
What more could fans want than to know they can continue watching before a new season arrives and that they're heading toward a logical conclusion?
Well, according to Deadline, there is more in store, and it seems like something everyone will love.
“I am very hopeful that we can honor all of those characters who have been beloved and with this team, with the audience for years, but I don’t know what that’s going to look like; I don’t know the logistics of anything or the story," said Erika Messer, executive producer/showrunner.
"That won’t be shooting until the spring, so I have some time to think about it, but the hope is to be able to honor all of that history, all of those heroes who have come and gone.”
Related: Get CBS All Access via Prime Video Channels for Hit Shows, Exclusive Originals & Live TV!
Messer also said that over the years, the idea of the ending of the show has changed, but not to expect something horrific like the BAU plane to take off and crash. She does, though, expect it to be a tearjerker.
We love ritualistic murders, serial killings, campus shenanigans, or desert disasters as much as the next guy, but Criminal Minds Season 15 is expected to be more serialized than the previous 14 before it.
With a less procedural nature, and a two-part opener after the Criminal Minds Season 14 finale (being shot now) that will feature a personal event in the life of someone from the BAU, as well as the required team member in jeopardy, maybe we'll finish off the beloved series knowing the characters better than ever.
What do you think, Criminal Minds Fanatics? Does that sound like something you'll tune in to see?
Don't forget you can always watch Criminal Minds online for years worth of entertainment featuring long-gone characters or to catch up on recent episodes.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
