Season 17 of Criminal Minds: Evolution will be released on Paramount+ on June 6, according to Comicbook.com. Previously, in the last season, few characters were introduced, including Tyler Green, portrayed by Ryan-James Hatanaka (Nancy Drew, Nurses, My Babysitter’s A Vampire). Firstly, Green was an anonymous informant helping the BAU. However, he met Penelope Garcia, played by Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Phil Of The Future), right after, and they had brief fling, which she broke off at the end of the season. Now, for this upcoming season, Hatanaka has been promoted to series regular, so he will join the BAU to break the mysterious code for Gold Star.
In a special interview with Comicbook.com, Vangsness has shared what Penelope’s growth will be like in the upcoming season. This character has been in the Paramount+ show, as well as the original series, Criminal Minds, for over 15 seasons. From season 15 to this upcoming one, Penelope has been part of the show’s focus. She has created various boundaries with many love interests, including her alleged interest, Luke Alvez, played by Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty), who will also return in season 17.Vangsness has explained that she “hopes” that Penelope will keep setting boundaries in her life this upcoming season.
“I think the boundaries stay, I hope the boundaries stay. I think like everybody, you set out this thing [where] you’re like, ‘I’m a big person.’ We’re on break right now, hopefully we come back soon. I’m hoping we get another season,” Vangsness shared via Comicbook.com. “But you know, I’m one of those people who’s like, ‘it’s summertime! Okay, I’m going to become a whole new person, I’m going to set up practices that so when I come back, I’m better than ever.’ So I think that Garcia has that in common; this thing that we do where you’re like, I’ve made these rules and whatever but I think some of them really have stayed.”
“I think that they’re so in her bones now that if I looked at her, you know, season 4 and now you’d be like, ‘Oh, she would never do that. Like never ever.’ Like there’s certain things like she’s just not walking in hand anybody coffee anymore like she don’t do that,” Vangsness added via Comicbook.com. “So I think that this year it’s interesting because there’s never been like a true conflict with a love interest. Someone you were actively sleeping with mere weeks ago that’s now suddenly someone’s dumb dumb idea [gestures to Rodriguez]. Sorry, Adam to just bring in — of the people that you can hire! Um, so I think that that’s a really, it’s a fun thing. It’s an awkward thing to play, but it’s a fun thing to play.”
According to Comicbook.com, the official synopsis for season 17 of Criminal Minds: Evolution reads: “As the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU’s own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences.”
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 17 will be released on Paramount+ on June 6.