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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Criminal Minds'' A.J. Cook on Will's death and that brief but 'impactful' Matthew Gray Gubler reunion: 'It was a fine line'
JJ (A.J. Cook) and the rest of the BAU gather for Will's funeral in the latest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution. The episode also features the return of fan-favorite Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler. Cook speaks to EW about her longtime TV husband's big death, the reunion between JJ and Reid, that slap from the late Linda Lavin, and hard to say goodbye. In the newest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, a grieving JJ (A.J. Cook) grapples with the funeral of her longtime husband Will (Josh Stewart), a staple since season 2 of the original CBS drama. The detective and father of her two boys (played by Cook's sons Mekhai and Phoenix) suffered an aneurysm after a thyroid artery rupture following a health scare. Will's kitchen collapse, it turns out, was filmed several seasons ago, long before Stewart's decision to exit the show. 'We pulled it because it felt so wrong,' Cook tells Entertainment Weekly of the scene. 'We didn't want to put Will in that position.' But in the wake of Stewart's surprise departure, showrunner Erica Messer salvaged the scene for Thursday's emotional sendoff. 'We remembered, 'Oh my gosh, we have this footage that we never used because we did not want to use it.'' Though Stewart's exit took the crew by surprise, there's nothing but love there. 'I truly have such admiration and respect for Josh,' Cook says. 'We've known each other forever. We've done movies together. He and my husband are friends. He is so missed. But again, the show has to go on. We just had to do it.' Also in the episode: Matthew Gray Gubler's grand — albeit brief — return as Spencer Reid. Cook talks about calling up her old pal to ask him to return, the 'fine line' of reuniting JJ and Reid, getting slapped by the late Linda Lavin, and more. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your initial reaction when you found out about Will's fate? A.J. COOK: It took all of us by surprise when we found out that he wasn't going to be coming back. It took a while for us to process that and to figure out what was next. I think if we were still on CBS with our original format, we wouldn't have taken this route because we've gone seasons without seeing him. It was more procedural back then. But with this new format, a huge part of the show is the personal lives of these characters that we love so much. After much deliberation, we do what we always do on this show: we write to life. You don't get to choose when someone dies. Life happens and it blindsides you. And I think that's why this hurts so badly. We were all so against it, but we didn't have a say. So how do we move forward without feeling like we are in a prison of how we can write for JJ? We wanted this family safe and protected so badly that when we originally wrote in that cancer storyline, we hated it so much ... believe me, if we had Josh coming back, we wouldn't have shot such a short little thing like that. We would've milked it. Not only does the late and great Linda Lavin appear as Will's grieving mother, but she slaps you squarely across the face. What was it like sparring with her? And were those slaps real? What an honor to be slapped by Linda Lavin. I had to swear at that woman, OK? Twice! She is so full of life and giving as an actress. And case in point — one second you're doing a scene with a person, the next you find out that they've passed away. You'd do anything to go back in time to make it not so. But she was such a force. It's one of the great honors of my life that I got to act with her before she passed. There was such an ease between the two of us. We were on the same wavelength as far as how we approach scenes. She did not slap me. We just made it look real good. Matthew Gray Gubler makes his long-awaited return. What was the atmosphere like on set that day? It felt like a homecoming. It was really wonderful. I was so happy that he came back to do this with us. When we were in the conception of this episode, Erica and I kept going back to the idea of Spence having to be there. It would feel like a huge piece of the puzzle is missing if he couldn't be there. I called him up and I was like, 'Hey, bud, what are you doing? Do you want to come do this?' And being the gracious human that he is, he agreed. When I told him what was happening [with] Will, he was like, "Are you kidding me? I will absolutely be there." It was a short appearance, but so impactful. It meant the world to me and to our cast and I know it meant a lot to him, too. I did want to touch on that. I already know some folks will be unhappy with the minimal screen time between JJ and Reid. What are your thoughts on people still riding that ship so many years later? You've spoken about feeling weird about that because they're besties. That's what I was going to say. And having him come back at her husband's funeral where these characters have said that they love each other? It was a fine line. We did not want to give off that vibe at all. We wanted it to be like, this is your best friend showing up for you in your time of need. So that's why it was a sensitive thing. It was like, do we hug? Do we not hug? What are the people going to think? It's so polarized when it comes to [the JJ and Reid shippers]. Everyone is allowed to have a fantasy and think what they want. We were very careful about that. And Erica did let the public know that yes, he's coming back, but I think her quote was, "He's a small part in a really big episode," which is true. But you can't please everybody. We do our best. A lot of folks don't realize that your sons play your TV sons. This was a very heavy episode. What kind of conversations did you have prior to filming? Was it difficult to shoot? This was a huge part of the decision making in all of this, too. My boys are highly intelligent, very emotionally stable, well-grounded humans who grew up on this set. They know it's acting. But I can see how those lines would look blurry to the outsider looking in. What people don't see is that when they call 'cut,' Matthew Gray Gubler is flipping my youngest son around his head. It was so joyful. It was such a juxtaposition. We were all celebrating being together and having fun. Also, as a mother, I'm not opposed to children feeling big emotions. They should. You can't protect your child from big emotions and the what-ifs of life. I think that's a disservice to them in a way. My kids, they get it. We had some of the most beautiful memories I'll have in my lifetime [during] that two week stretch of shooting that episode. There was so much joy involved in making this episode even though it came across as so sad. But they know Josh really well, and my husband is friends with Josh. But yeah, it was absolutely something that I had to think about and talked to the kids about. And they were like, 'Mom, are you serious? We're good.'What will the rest of JJ's arc look like this season as she navigates this grief? It's going to be messy. Grief is not pretty. There's so many layers to grief and we're going to touch on a lot of them. And I will say that she will find healing and comfort in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected people. How's that for a carrot dangling? Or a Cheeto dangling. A Cheeto, yeah. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. New episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution drop Thursdays on Paramount+. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
The Review Geek
10-05-2025
- The Review Geek
Criminal Minds: Evolution – Season 3 Episode 1 Recap & Review
Swimmer's Calculus Episode 1 of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 picks up six months after Voit is attacked in prison. The scene cuts to a man smoking as he waits for someone to exit a store. The man secretly takes a video of his victim before approaching him and asking for directions. Unaware of the danger he is in, the victim offers to help the unsub. Suddenly, the unsub sprays something into the victim's face, and he falls to the ground. A police car drives by and sees the victim lying on the ground. The officer is tricked by the unsub to think the victim is drunk. The unsub lies that the victim is his brother and they are on their way home. The good officer helps the unsub load the victim into the car, and they drive off. The next thing we know, the victim's body is discovered in Ocean City, MD, floating on the beach. As the local sheriff takes witness statements, the BAU team arrives and examines the body. It turns out that this is the fourth body found on a beach. The unsub punctures multiple holes on his victims' chests. The BAU believes this is the unsub's signature. He does this to ensure the body sinks in the salty water. The following day, Tyler reports for work, and the team incessantly teases him for carrying a mock gun. Tyler is still in training and has yet to be cleared for field work. Fortunately, he is carrying a knife in case he needs it. Luke asks him to present the case. We learn that there have been five victims. The police are yet to identify the first two. Based on the wounds on the victims, the BAU thinks the stabbing is a countermeasure. Until they figure out the names of the first victims. They don't have an accurate timeline. Meanwhile, Rossi is in a bad mood thanks to the OPR( FBI's Internal Affairs) investigation into him. They believe Rossi was behind Voit's attack in prison. They have interviewed him six times over the past six months. Rossi has stuck to his story that he is innocent, but the OPR agent isn't buying it. This time, she asks if Rossi can prove his innocence. Of course, he can't. Off the record, Rossi points out that if he wanted Voit dead, he would be. The scene cuts to Garcia at Voit's side at the hospital. Emily finds it strange to see Garcia there. She explains that Voit is in a medically induced coma. The doctors found his brain scan abnormal, as it showed years of brain trauma. This is unusual since Voit was not an athlete, and those kinds of injuries mostly happen to athletes. A nurse comes to change Voit's medication, and Emily shows Garcia a drill. If Voit wakes up and moves, the alarm immediately goes off. Emily is also worried about Rossi. She is curious to find out how Voit survived the attack. Meanwhile, JJ is stressed over her mother-in-law's upcoming visit. Simultaneously, Tara is concerned about her dad meeting Rebecca for the first time. She is not sure he will be able to handle her being in a queer relationship. The team holds a brief, and Tyler shares that the last victim has been identified. His name is David Hartle, and since he was discovered early, there are some clues in his ME report. Traces of aerosolised fentanyl were found in his lungs. It was enough to temporarily knock him down. There was also brown residue found in his teeth. This leads the team to realise the unsub is first drowning the victims in his pool before dumping their bodies in the ocean. The scene cuts to the unsub drowning another victim in his pool and taking a video. Elsewhere, Emily encourages Rossi to look over the incident report from Voit's prison attack. Initially, Rossi is hesitant as he doesn't want Voit in his head again. However, after looking into the report, he gets a clue. The next day, he asks Emily to get him clearance to visit the prison. Back to the case, Tara suggests they look into cases of people with water trauma. Garcia interrupts the lunch and reveals she has found a clue. All the identified victims visited a site called Air, Beach, and Bed. The BAU calls the shareholders of the site and delivers the profile to them. Obviously, the BAU knows the shareholders won't admit to anything, but they hope to use body language to identify someone who can help them. Tara calls Rebecca to help them. They deliver the profile to the shareholders and narrow down a willing former soldier to secretly help. Meanwhile, the unsub kidnaps a family of three, mom, daughter and dad. He brings them to his pool and shoots the dad when he refuses to get in the pool. The mom convinces the daughter to get into the pool. They do their best to save their energy as they plot an escape. However, the unsub gets impatient and releases the swimming pool cover. Back in the BAU, Luke talks to Garcia about her empathy for Voit. She assures him that Voit still has some humanity in him, but Luke thinks otherwise. As they talk, Garcia manages to identify the first victims. This is mostly due to the help of the soldier who allowed them access to the back-end of the site. The identity of the first victims allows them to narrow down the unsub search geographically. Luke asks Garcia to also run a search of private pools that are big enough for an adult human to drown in. In the meantime, Rossi visits the prison and finds the shank that Voit used on his attackers. While running her search, Garcia discovers the latest victims who have been reported missing. Her two other searches lead them to Franklin. His parents and sister drowned in the family pool when he was ten. At the time, the police suspected Franklin of killing his parents but couldn't prove it. Franklin's dad was a drunk, lifeguard who tortured Franklin for failing his swimming test multiple times. The BAU believe seeing the Estes family at the beach reminded Franklin of his family. They believe it is why he escalated to taking three victims at once. The team arrives in time to save Vivian and Kristi Estes. However, Franklin kills himself after saying that all this was according to plan. After the case, Rossi reports to Emily that OPR are starting to back off after he found Voit's weapon. Sadly, Rossi is not in the clear yet, but it is a good start. Emily shares that Franklin's last words were suspicious. The IT team found out that Franklin uploaded his victims' videos to a dark website. The site has similarities to the one Voit made. Emily fears there is a link between the unsub and Voit. Rossi is also thinking the same, as he doesn't trust Voit. The episode ends with Voit waking up from his coma and strangling the nurse. The minute he moves his hands to grab her neck, the alarms go off. The Episode Review We are wheels up, and the season starts strong. At this point, we are all tired of Voit, and we hoped he would die. However, like the true evil he is, it is hard for him to die. It is almost as if he is a cat with nine lives. Why do evil people always survive and live to cause more harm? What is truly baffling is Garcia's empathy towards Voit. I need her to back up and stay away from him. Voit has no humanity in him. It is doubtful he was even born with a shred of humanity. Garcia is tripping, and it is scary. Voit will find a way to use this when he picks up on it. Trying to take Rossi down is already enough. We can't have Garcia caught on his web, too. Based on the first episode, we can assume Voit is here to stay. Dude always has something up his sleeves. What is with the new website, and how does he still have a following? We will have to see which games Voit will play with the BAU this time. However, we could use a fresh story line and be done with Voit for good. Previous Episode Next Episode
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution' Season 18 Release Schedule
Season 18 of 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' premieres on Thursday, May 8 on Paramount+, with the team investigating four drowning murders in the premiere episode. The action picks up picks up six months after prisoners attack the Sicarius Killer, Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), prompting his followers to wreak havoc all over the country. To prevent more killings, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is forced to work with the unpredictable Voit. Here's what you need to know about this season and when new episodes premiere: Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, May 8. 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Season 18 is available to stream only on Paramount+. The first episode premieres on Paramount+ on May 8. Subsequent episodes will be released on a weekly basis every Thursday through July 10. Here is the series' full release schedule for Season 18: 18-1— 'Swimmer's Calculus,' May 8 18-2 —'The Zookeeper,' May 15 18-3 —'Time to Say Goodbye,' May 22 18-4 —'I'm Fine, It's Fine. Everything is Fine,' May 29 18-5 —'The Brutal Man,' June 5 18-6 —'Hell is Empty…,' June 12 18-7 —'…All the Devils Are Here,' June 19 18-8 —'Tara,' June 26 18-9 —'CollateRal,' July 3 18-10—'The Disciple,' July 10 The action picks up six months after the prisoners attack the Sicarius Killer, Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), prompting his followers to wreak havoc all over the country. To prevent more killings, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is forced to work with the unpredictable Voit. The cast for Season 18 includes Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Zach Gilford and RJ Hatanaka, as well as Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. The post 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Season 18 Release Schedule appeared first on TheWrap.
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Season 18 Debuts May 8: Full List of Episodes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Criminal Minds: Evolution may be the third season of the streaming revival, but it is officially Season 18 of the long-running franchise that began in 2005 on CBS. The series is a direct continuation of the original Criminal Minds, carrying over its core characters, overarching storylines and the structure of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Rather than reinvent the formula, Evolution deepens it, shifting to serialized storytelling and darker psychological terrain while preserving the ensemble that defined the show's early success. Now streaming on Paramount+, Season 18 picks up six months after a prison attack on serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), whose digital cult of killers continues to operate in his wake. The BAU—including familiar agents Rossi, Prentiss, JJ, Garcia and Alvez—must work alongside the very criminal they once hunted. And in a long-awaited return, Matthew Gray Gubler's Dr. Spencer Reid is set to reappear, marking another connective thread between the CBS original and this evolving revival. Why It Matters Unlike reboots or spinoffs, Criminal Minds: Evolution continues directly from the CBS series, maintaining its original characters and building on past storylines. The move to Paramount+ allows for darker themes and serialized arcs, giving longtime fans a more intense, layered version of the show while still honoring its procedural roots. In this Getty stock photo, two officers arrive at a crime scene late at night. "Criminal Minds: Evolution" premieres on Thursday. In this Getty stock photo, two officers arrive at a crime scene late at night. "Criminal Minds: Evolution" premieres on Thursday. gorodenkoff/Getty Images What to Know About 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' The 10-episode season premieres May 8 and will release weekly every Thursday through July 10. Episode titles for the first two are confirmed: "Swimmer's Calculus" (May 8) and "The Zookeeper" (May 15). The remaining episode titles are pending release dates through early July. The returning ensemble includes Joe Mantegna as David Rossi; Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss; A.J. Cook as JJ Jareau; Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez; Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia; Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis; and Ryan-James Hatanaka as Tyler Green. Gilford continues as Voit. Gubler's one-episode return as Reid—long hinted at—is now confirmed, according to multiple outlets. How to Stream 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18 is available exclusively on Paramount+. New episodes are released each Thursday at 3 a.m. ET, according to Decider. The series is included with Paramount+'s Essential ($7.99/month) and Paramount+ with Showtime ($12.99/month) subscription plans. A one-week free trial is available for new users. All 15 original seasons of Criminal Minds are also streaming on the platform, according to Decider. 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' Episode Schedule Here is the official release schedule for Season 18 of Criminal Minds: Evolution: Episode 1 – "Swimmer's Calculus" – May 8 – May 8 Episode 2 – "The Zookeeper" – May 15 – May 15 Episode 3 – Title TBD – May 22 – May 22 Episode 4 – Title TBD – May 29 – May 29 Episode 5 – Title TBD – June 5 – June 5 Episode 6 – Title TBD – June 12 – June 12 Episode 7 – Title TBD – June 19 – June 19 Episode 8 – Title TBD – June 26 – June 26 Episode 9 – Title TBD – July 3 – July 3 Episode 10 – Title TBD (Finale) – July 10 Each episode will drop weekly on Thursdays through the season finale. What People Are Saying A Reddit user named u/Loose-Masterpiece-50 posted in April about the difference between the two iterations: "Expect your favourite characters in a vastly different setting. It is not the same format as the original and as someone who loves the original series, I think the change is probably better for them to keep the show around. Making it too similar I fear would've led to a cancellation. I enjoy it, but for different reasons than I like the original run." A Reddit user named u/Affectionate-Day6849 posted in April: "I advise you to open your mind to watch Evolution and remember that it's not like the original Criminal Minds. Then see if you like it or not. I personally like Evolution. I have criticisms like I do with the original series, but I'm happy to be excited for a new season of Criminal Minds in 2025." What's Next With its hybrid procedural-serialized format, Season 18 continues to develop story arcs across multiple characters. Showrunner Erica Messer hinted that both JJ and Dr. Lewis will have expanded narratives in the current season, and the door remains open for other past characters like Josh Stewart's Will LaMontagne and Felicity Huffman's Dr. Jill Gideon to return, according to TV Insider. Paramount+ has already renewed Criminal Minds: Evolution for Season 19, indicating continued momentum for the streaming-exclusive revival. The next new episode will debut on May 15.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Criminal Minds Video: Aisha Tyler Previews a ‘Hot Season for UnSubs,' Talks Directing Her Own Love Scene
The new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution is going to be 'a really hot one' for deviant UnSubs, Aisha Tyler promised during her visit to TVLine's NYC video studio this week. The Season 18 premiere (now streaming on Paramount+) picks up six months after Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) took that beating in prison, and now, even in his (seemingly?) compromised state, the BAU will need to try and work with him, again, to shut down the network of serial killers left in Sicarius' wake. More from TVLine Owen Wilson Stars in Apple TV+ Golf Comedy Stick - Watch Trailer, Get Premiere Date Will Trent Director Erika Christensen Just Helped Deliver a Pair of Gigantic, Series-Altering Twists Ahead of Finale Elsbeth Murderers Pay Homage to Chicago's 'Cell Block Tango' in Musical Finale Sneak Peek (Exclusive) Tyler stepped behind the camera again to direct this season's second episode (dropping May 15), and it features Daredevil vet Elden Henson exhibiting some extremely un-Foggy Nelson behavior. 'He was amazing,' Tyler effuses in the video Q&A above. 'He has such a lovable face, and he was able to deliver this very nuanced performance of a guy who has a private life and presents in a very different way publicly.' Henson's UnSub is not the most twisted one this season, though, Tyler goes on to warn. On the personal front, Season 18 is a 'deeply personal' one for Dr. Tara Lewis, Tyler says at the 3:15 mark, 'which is really nice. It was great as an actor to do some stiff I haven't been able to do on the show before. We get to dive into my backstory a bit, which has been really beautiful.' Tara's love life is also further explored. In fact, Tyler for Episode 2 had to direct the very rare Criminal Minds love scene, between her own character and Nicole Pacent's Rebecca. 'Sweating balls' is how Tyler sums up that challenge. 'It's never comfortable…. I couldn't wait for it to be over!' Tyler goes on to tease the 'obstacles' facing Tara and Rebecca this season; talks about Tara sporting a sweatshirt from her and her alter ego's Dartmouth alma mater; and shares her wish to direct a full-on horror film, after handling similar fare in Criminal Minds, Evil and Walking Dead episodes. What's in the box, in that first Season 18 photo released a while back? I threw that Q at Tyler at the 8:45 mark. She then talks about her margarita-flavored side hustle, and we wrap things up with a status report on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the long-running improv series that exhausted its last episodes back in November. Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to , and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
