A new challenge has been confirmed for Emily Prentiss in the Criminal Minds revival. Joining the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in season 2, Paget Brewster's multi-lingual FBI profiler, Prentiss, quickly became a favorite among fans, so much that her apparent death in season 6 left viewers mourning. However, she was revealed to be alive and well in season 7, although she briefly quits the BAU to join the Interpol office in London. Prentiss later returns in season 11 to rescue a kidnapped SSA Jennifer Jareau before stepping up to Aaron Hotchner's position as the BAU Unit Cheif in season 12. The original Criminal Minds series fleshed out Prentiss' arc by offering closure for her romance with Andrew Mendoza in the final season 15. But now, the show is seeking to revisit her story.
Emily Prentiss actress Brewster is among the several Criminal Minds veterans, including Joe Mantegna, AJ Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, and Aisha Tyler, returning for the procedural's season 16 on Paramount+. Rumblings of a Criminal Minds revival began less than a year after the original show ended on CBS. But it was only after the show resolved its complicated dealmaking that it was handed a 10-episode series order at the streaming service. The new show will focus on a single case for the entire season. The new UnSub in Criminal Minds season 16 will be a decidedly menacing threat - a criminal mastermind whose network of serial killers would become operative once countrywide COVID-19 restrictions begin easing.
Now, there is some additional information on the Criminal Minds revival, which teases a new workplace conflict for Brewster's Prentiss. According to TVLine, The BAU will have a new deputy director in season 16, and they will not exactly agree with how Prentiss chooses to run the unit. The executive will test Prentiss' leadership skills, although how she fights back remains to be seen.
At the moment, there is no word on who is playing the antagonistic deputy director in the show, as new cast members for the Criminal Minds revival are yet to be announced. But this clearly won't be the first time that the BAU will lock horns with upper management. Even in the original series, the BAU faced off against formidable opponents from the higher-ups, including SES Erin Strauss and FBI's Assistant Director of National Security Linda Barnes. The suits tried to influence policies within the unit, interrupted investigations, and even tried to break up the squad. But the BAU managed to counter those challenges with their synergized teamwork and partly due to Prentiss' persistence and her loyalty to the unit.
With several serial killers on the loose in the Criminal Minds revival, there is no doubt that the additional challenge posed by the administration will complicate the BAU's job. However, Prentiss has repeatedly proven that she is a capable leader who is protective of her team, and with her wisdom and wit, she can take down any managerial opponents. Prentiss remains level-headed and calm during her job, which makes her the best person to deal with workplace politics. Additionally, as a team leader, she has also been known to deliver results. Therefore, with this combination of intellect and drive, she can stand up to anyone threatening the unity of her team and exert herself to ensure that BAU's performance and functioning are not compromised. With no release date in sight for the Criminal Minds revival series yet, it seems that it will be some time before viewers find out more about the inimical deputy director and if they have a larger agenda than simply interfering with the BAU operations.
Source: TVLine