| Criminal Minds Season 19 Premiere Date on Paramount+ |
|---|
| Criminal Minds Season 19 is yet to be announced:
Is There going to be a Season 19 of Criminal Minds — ✔️ May 28, 2026 New 🌻 Summer 2026 TV Show Premiere |
When does “Criminal Minds” Season 19 come out?
May 28, 2026.
That’s a Thursday. 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Ten episodes. Forty-two minutes each. Classic Criminal Minds length. Long enough to catch a killer. Short enough to watch before bed.
The show has been on since 2005. Nineteen seasons. That’s insane for a crime procedural. Most shows die after ten. Criminal Minds keeps going. New cast. New network. Same format. It works.
Season 18 ended on a cliffhanger. Someone was taken. Someone was shot. Season 19 picks up right there. No time jump. The first episode is called “Now and Then.” That tells you everything.
What is “Criminal Minds” Season 19 about?
Same as always. The BAU. The Behavioral Analysis Unit. FBI profilers who get inside the heads of serial killers.
The team analyzes the country’s most twisted criminal minds. They anticipate the next move. They stop the killer before more people die.
Each member brings expertise. Garcia is the tech genius. JJ is the communications liaison. Prentiss is the unit chief. Tara is the psychologist. Luke is the former fugitive hunter. They work together. They profile. They catch bad guys.
Season 19 focuses on two main arcs.
Arc One: Elias Voit returns. Zach Gilford’s character. He was the big bad of Seasons 16 and 17 (when the show was called Criminal Minds: Evolution). He’s been in custody. But he’s not done. He’s been playing games from inside. Season 19 reveals what he’s been planning.
Arc Two: Special Agent Garrity. Paul F. Tompkins plays a new character. Brian Garrity. He’s brought in from another division. He’s not a profiler. He’s an administrator. He wants to change how the BAU operates. The team doesn’t trust him. The season finale is called “Special Agent Garrity.” That’s not a good sign.
The season also has standalone episodes. A killer in Seattle. A bomber in Chicago. A stalker in Atlanta. Classic Criminal Minds stuff. But the serialized arcs are the main draw.
How can I watch “Criminal Minds” Season 19?
Paramount+. That’s the only place.
The show moved from CBS to Paramount+ after Season 15. Seasons 16-19 are streaming exclusives. No cable. No broadcast. Just streaming.
Subscription cost: 5.99/monthwithads.11.99/month without ads. Also available through Amazon Prime as a channel add-on (same price).
Free trial: Paramount+ offers 7 days for new subscribers. You could watch all ten episodes in a week. Doable. But tight.
Better plan: Pay for one month. Watch Season 19. Also catch up on Seasons 16-18 if you missed them. Cancel when done.
International: Paramount+ is available in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Latin America, Europe. Same release date. May 28. Check your local Paramount+ for exact timing.
Not on Netflix. Not on Hulu. Not on CBS (except old seasons). Paramount+ exclusive.
Criminal Minds Season 19 Teaser
Paramount+ released a teaser in April 2026.
Forty-five seconds. Dark. Rainy. Shots of the team looking worried. A computer screen flashing red. Someone typing “HELP” in a chat window. Then Paget Brewster’s voice: “He’s not in the cell anymore. He’s in our heads.”
The teaser doesn’t show Elias Voit. Just his voice. Zach Gilford recorded new dialogue. He says one line: “You think you caught me. You caught nothing.”
The teaser also shows Paul F. Tompkins for half a second. He’s standing in the bullpen. Looking at the team. Smiling. Not a friendly smile.
Search “Criminal Minds Season 19 teaser” on YouTube. About 2 million views. The comments are full of people guessing what happens.
Full trailer dropped May 15. Two minutes. Shows more. A shootout. A funeral. Someone handcuffed to a chair. The full trailer spoils one major death. Don’t watch if you want to be surprised.
What time do episodes air and stream?
May 28 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.
But that’s just for Episode 1.
Paramount+ releases one episode per week. Not all at once. That’s different from other streamers. They want you to stay subscribed.
Here’s the full schedule:
- Episode 1: May 28, 2026
- Episode 2: June 4, 2026
- Episode 3: June 11, 2026
- Episode 4: June 18, 2026
- Episode 5: June 25, 2026
- Episode 6: July 2, 2026
- Episode 7: July 9, 2026
- Episode 8: July 16, 2026
- Episode 9: July 23, 2026
- Episode 10: July 30, 2026
New episodes drop at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET on the day listed. So Episode 1 is actually available at midnight Pacific on May 28. The 10 a.m. PT time in the announcement is a placeholder. Set your expectations for midnight.
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When do new episodes come out?
Every Thursday. For ten weeks.
June 4. June 11. June 18. And so on. Finale is July 30.
This is not a binge show. Paramount+ wants you to talk about it online. Tweet about it. Make theories. That’s harder when everything drops at once.
If you hate waiting, you can wait until July 31 and watch all ten episodes in one weekend. Nothing’s stopping you. But you’ll miss the online conversation.
Who is in the “Criminal Minds” Season 19 cast?
Here’s the full Season 19 lineup:
- Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia
- A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau (JJ)
- Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss
- Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis
- Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez
- Zach Gilford as Elias Voit
- RJ Hatanaka as Tyler Green
- Nicole Pacent as Rebecca Wilson
- Paul F. Tompkins as Brian Garrity
Kirsten Vangsness is Garcia. The tech genius. The one with the colorful glasses and the dark secrets. She’s been on the show since Season 1. The only original cast member still full-time. She’s not leaving.
A.J. Cook is JJ. Also since Season 1. She left for a while. Came back. Now she’s permanent. Her character has evolved from media liaison to profiler to action hero. Season 19 gives her a big storyline.
Paget Brewster is Prentiss. She joined in Season 2. Left. Came back. Now she’s the unit chief. The leader. She carries the show. Season 19 tests her loyalty to the team.
Aisha Tyler is Tara. She joined in Season 12. The psychologist. The calm one. Season 19 gives her a personal case. Someone from her past.
Adam Rodriguez is Luke. Joined in Season 12. The former fugitive hunter. The muscle. He has a romance subplot this season. Not saying with who.
Zach Gilford is Elias Voit. The villain. He was the focus of Criminal Minds: Evolution. He’s been in custody. But he’s been playing games. Season 19 reveals his endgame.
RJ Hatanaka is Tyler Green. New in Season 16. The young agent. Still learning. Season 19 gives him a mentor relationship with someone unexpected.
Nicole Pacent is Rebecca Wilson. Also new in Season 16. The lawyer who fell for a killer. Complicated. She’s back. She’s not forgiven.
Paul F. Tompkins is Brian Garrity. New character. The administrator. The outsider. He’s not a profiler. He doesn’t understand the team. He might be the real villain. Or he might just be annoying. The season finale will tell us.
Missing from the lineup: Joe Mantegna as David Rossi. He left after Season 18. Retired. The character is still alive. Just not on the team anymore. He might appear as a guest. Not confirmed.
Also missing: Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid. He left after Season 15. Hasn’t come back. Probably won’t. The show has moved on.
How to Watch Criminal Minds Season 19 on Paramount+
Step by step:
- Go to Paramount+ (website or app).
- Start a free trial if you’re new. 7 days.
- Search for “Criminal Minds.” Season 19 will be at the top.
- Watch Episode 1 on May 28. Then wait a week for Episode 2.
Cost: 5.99/monthwithads.11.99/month without ads.
Devices: Paramount+ works on Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Android, iOS, PlayStation, Xbox, web browsers. Everything.
Subtitles: English closed captions. Also Spanish, French, German, Italian.
Download for offline: Yes. Paramount+ allows downloads on mobile devices. Watch on a plane.
4K available: Some episodes. Not all. Paramount+ is inconsistent with 4K.
Criminal Minds Season 19 filming locations
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The show moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver after Season 15. Cheaper. Better tax credits. The BAU is supposed to be in Quantico, Virginia. But it looks like Vancouver. Most viewers don’t notice.
Specific locations:
- Canadian Motion Picture Park — The main studio. Built the BAU offices there. The bullpen. Prentiss’s office. Garcia’s lair. All soundstages.
- Downtown Vancouver — Used for exterior shots. The team walking into buildings. Getting coffee. Chasing suspects. Robson Street. Georgia Street. The usual spots.
- New Westminster — Used for the “small town” episodes. Looks like any American small town. But it’s a suburb of Vancouver.
- Port Coquitlam — Used for the Voit storyline. A house. A warehouse. A field where something is buried.
- North Vancouver — Used for forest scenes. The BAU searches for bodies in the woods. That’s Lynn Valley. Very green. Very rainy.
No US locations. Everything is shot in Canada. The production team uses Vancouver architecture to stand in for any American city. Seattle. Chicago. Boston. It all looks the same on TV.
If you want to visit the locations:
- Canadian Motion Picture Park is a working studio. Not open to the public.
- Downtown Vancouver is a normal city. Walk around. You might recognize streets.
- New Westminster is a normal suburb. Nothing special.
- Lynn Valley is a real park. Go hiking. Bring a raincoat.
Why Vancouver? Money. Also the crew is based there. The actors fly in for filming. Most of them live in LA. They commute. It’s a long flight. But the show is worth it for them.
Criminal Minds Season 19 Episodes Guide
| Episode | Episode Name | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Now and Then | Thu May 28, 2026 |
| 2 | Cluster | Thu Jun 04, 2026 |
| 3 | Body Count | Thu Jun 11, 2026 |
| 4 | The Witching Hour | Thu Jun 18, 2026 |
| 5 | Friendly Fire | Thu Jun 25, 2026 |
| 6 | Proxy | Thu Jul 02, 2026 |
| 7 | The Furies | Thu Jul 09, 2026 |
| 8 | Requiem for a Dream | Thu Jul 16, 2026 |
| 9 | Badder Blood | Thu Jul 23, 2026 |
| 10 | Special Agent Garrity | Thu Jul 30, 2026 |
What each episode covers (no major spoilers):
- Now and Then: The aftermath of the Season 18 cliffhanger. Someone is missing. Someone is lying. The team falls apart.
- Cluster: A killer in Seattle. Three victims. No connection. The team realizes it’s one person.
- Body Count: Elias Voit plays a game from his cell. He gives the team a clue. They don’t trust it. They follow it anyway.
- The Witching Hour: A case in Salem, Massachusetts. The killer thinks they’re a witch. The team has to get inside that mindset.
- Friendly Fire: A sniper is killing cops. The team races to find them before more die. Luke takes this one personally.
- Proxy: Someone is killing people and making it look like the BAU did it. The team becomes the suspect.
- The Furies: Tara’s past comes back. Someone she put away is up for parole. He wants revenge.
- Requiem for a Dream: A death in the family. Not saying who. The episode is quiet. Sad. The best acting of the season.
- Badder Blood: Elias Voit escapes. Not from prison. From somewhere else. The team has to find him before he disappears forever.
- Special Agent Garrity: The season finale. Brian Garrity makes his move. Someone doesn’t make it out. The title is a pun. You’ll understand when you watch.
Quick recap:
- Season 19 premiere: May 28, 2026
- Time: 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET (Paramount+ standard)
- Where: Paramount+ (streaming only)
- Episodes: 10 (42 minutes each)
- One episode per week. Not a binge.
- Main cast: Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Paget Brewster, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, Zach Gilford, Paul F. Tompkins
- Filmed in: Vancouver, Canada
- Season 20: Not confirmed. Depends on viewership.
May 28. Thursday. The BAU is back. Voit is waiting. Garrity is watching. Someone’s not making it to Season 20. That’s how this show works. Someone always leaves. Someone always dies. Someone always surprises you. That’s Criminal Minds. That’s why we’re still watching nineteen seasons later.
