Criminal Minds star Kirsten Vangsness heavily hints at the in-development Paramount+ revival in a post reuniting her with the rest of the original cast. CBS' Criminal Minds enjoyed a successful 15-season run from 2005 to 2020, and it still remains rather popular even two years after it ended. The series, which followed the gruesome cases of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, has been a major player on streaming, even being deemed one of Netflix's top shows in 2021. It also speaks to Criminal Minds' enduring popularity that Paramount+ announced the development of a revival just one year after the series concluded.
The Criminal Minds revival has so far endured a bit of a shaky road to creation. After it was initially announced in February 2021, there were few updates beyond the fact that the original cast and showrunner Erica Messer would be involved. It got to the point where star Paget Brewster said in July that she and the rest of the cast believed the revival to be dead. However, Paramount+ stated last month that Criminal Minds is still in development; days later, 6 original cast members were confirmed to be on board to return for what could also be dubbed as Criminal Minds season 16.
Fans are now waiting for more concrete confirmation, and it sounds like the stars could be too. Recently, Kirsten Vangsness shared a delightful picture on social media where she and the rest of the Criminal Minds cast gathered with Messer. Vangsness, who played technical analyst Penelope Garcia for the entirety of the show's original run, seemed to be sending a direct message to Paramount+ with her post, writing:
"Hi @paramountplus I had an Exceptional Evening with these Excellent Eggs last night and I wanted to let you to know we are fun & interesting & rad to hang out with & also we are ever so appreciative that Erica Messer is a genius who makes the crime doughnuts in the most singular way."
CLICK HERE TO SEE VANGSNESS' POST.
Vangsness' post includes all the cast members currently expected to return for the Criminal Minds revival: Adam Rodriguez, AJ Cook, Joe Mantegna, Aisha Tyler, Vangsness herself, and Brewster. Last spring, Brewster said the plan was to bring back the cast that had been present for the final seasons of Criminal Minds, and that's largely remained the case. The only two stars to not re-up just yet are Spencer Reid actor Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney, whose involvement with Amazon's The Wheel of Time impacts his availability.
Vangsness' post is both a heartwarming reminder that the Criminal Minds cast is like a family, and a not-so-subtle hint that everyone is ready to return for the revival. Based on the phrasing of her caption, it sounds like Vangness was trying to convince Paramount+ to let them do so, which could hint that negotiations are ongoing. Still, fans can rest assured that the Criminal Minds cast is just as interested in a revival as they are, so hopefully a new, promising update will arrive soon.
Source: Kirsten Vangsness/Instagram