Criminal Minds’ prominent cast members have recently revealed they are currently in negotiations to return for Criminal Minds Season 16. The series originally debuted on CBS in early 2005. The series ran for 15 seasons, and its finale aired back in February 2020. While the prominent members of the team never changed yet, we saw many new faces throughout its run. Now let’s see who will return for Criminal Minds Season 16.
Created by Jeff Davis, the series revolves around a group of criminal profilers. They work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, and using these analyses, they investigate the crime and continue to unearth the method and tricks used by the criminal. Aaron Hotchner supervised the team. And later Emily Prentiss took things in her hand. The entire series revolves around the various methods used by the suspects.
Is Criminal Minds Season 16 Happening?
Criminal Minds ran till season 15, but the COVID-related pandemic leads to a pause in the show. Shortly after the series wrapped up airing on the network, the series showrunner told TVLine that they are currently in a negotiation period. They have been discussing with the network whether or not to return with season 16. But no need to fret. This is because back in 2021, Paramount+ picked the series for season 16.
Well, the renewal of Criminal Minds Season 16 amazed the series fans as instead of returning as a reboot, the show will continue its saga. The series has gained positive responses throughout its run. On IMDb, it gained 8.2/10, while it gained 94% positive responses on Google reviews. Thus, there’s no surprise why Paramount+ is looking to continue with Criminal Minds.
When Will Production Begin?
Back on February 19, 2021, TVLine stated that Criminal Minds Season 16 is currently in the earliest development stage. Thus during that time, there wasn’t any deal with the writers. However, it remains unclear whether Criminal Minds Season 16 has undergone production or not. If the series goes into production, it will take almost six to seven months to wrap up production. Further, the post-production work will take around three to four months to complete.
Criminal Minds Season 16: Who Will Return?
Paramount+ is currently in talks with Criminal Minds creator and showrunner Erica Messer, as per the reports. The streamer is also in negotiations to settle the contract. Although they haven’t signed a deal yet, there will be six cast members who will join the show once the process finishes out. These star cast will continue their role from season 15 to the upcoming season. These include Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, and Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez. Apart from them, Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, and A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau will also return.
However, two prominent cast members aren’t present on the list. These include Matthew Gray Gubler, who plays Dr. Spencer Reid, and Daniel Henney, who appeared as Matt Simmons. Daniel is currently busy playing Lan Mandragoran on Amazon’s blockbuster hit The Wheel of Time. It is currently in season 2’s production. Thus it remains unclear whether he will return. But let’s cross our fingers and hope things work well in the end.