,type=downsize)
Get ready to white-knuckle your couch cushions, because "Criminal Minds: Evolution" is about to crank the chaos to eleven. Star Adam Rodriguez is teasing a "shocking" Season 3 finale that'll have fans pacing, crying, and counting the days until the next season drops.
"I'll just say, I think you'll be distraught [by the way the season ends] until you get the next season," Rodriguez, 50, told Us Weekly ahead of the Thursday, May 8, premiere. "Hopefully, we always leave you there."
Drowning in Tension
Season 3 wastes no time going for the psychological jugular. The BAU's first big case includes an UnSub who traps victims in swimming pools and forces them to swim until they drown from exhaustion. As if that wasn't brutal enough, Rodriguez admitted that the storyline hit way too close to home.
"It's intense, and it doesn't take much to bring you back to that moment where you think your life is going to be over," he said, revealing a past drowning scare. "Our guy is mostly operating out of swimming pools, but sometimes in the ocean, and that makes it even more scary."
This isn't the same "Criminal Minds" you knew on network TV. Since its revival on Paramount+ in 2022, "Evolution" has been living up to its name, more freedom, more depth, and definitely more nightmares.
"Now that we're on Paramount+, we've got this latitude to do so much more with the show," Rodriguez explained. "It's like having a box of new toys."
"It also gives us a chance to not have to squeeze so much story in between commercials," he said. "We've all enjoyed this new freedom."
More breathing room means more character development, deeper dives into the twisted minds of killers, and richer storytelling all around. And fans seem to be eating it up.
Rodriguez emphasized that while the show still delivers those iconic standalone cases, the "freak of the week" baddies who get bagged by the end of the hour, there's now a bigger overarching story tying it all together.
"We get the satisfaction of solving a case, but the serialized format lets us explore more, for the actors and the writers," he said. And that exploration includes some serious darkness. "This is what you get from Criminal Minds," Rodriguez warned. "It's going to be dark and completely diabolical evil. The best part is we get to be the heroes, put the bad guys away, and save some people hopefully."
The End Will Leave You Gasping
Rodriguez didn't give away details, but he made it clear that the finale isn't just intense; it's designed to emotionally wreck you. "You'll be distraught," he repeated, in case that wasn't clear," until you get the next season." In other words: brace yourself. Expect a plot twist that knocks the wind out of you, then leaves you hanging off a cliff with zero chill.
When and Where to Watch
New episodes of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" drop on Thursdays exclusively on Paramount+. If you're not caught up yet, now's the time to binge, because this season is serving psychological whiplash with a side of emotional damage.