Criminal Minds: Evolution Horror Movie Vibes Leaves Fans Divided
The first two episodes of the Criminal Minds reboot were released, and fans can't agree if the show is benefitting from the transition to a streaming service and overall darker tone.
Being the direct revival of the original CBS crime show, Paramount+ Criminal Minds: Evolution revolves around the work of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, composed of fan-favorite characters.
However, the transition from network television to a streaming service had its consequences for the show. All viewers noted the darker tone and horror film vibes filling the first two episodes, but not everyone loved them, which made fans turn to Reddit.
"Is this a horror film or a LMN movie? I'm positive it'll get better but I'm already not feeling this streaming service format," the Redditor u/Low-Intention902 wrote on the r/criminalminds Subreddit to start a discussion.
Some of the commenters agreed that Evolution was giving off a horror movie vibe instead of a show.
"I agree with you. I got early 2000s thriller movie vibes although I think they were going for Mindhunter vibes. I haaaaated the bg music. Why was it so creepy?" one of the commenters admitted.
Indeed, some fans noted that the creepy vibes made them skip several scenes. For example, the very first kill of the reboot was disturbing for some commenters. However, others were really excited about the darker tone of Evolution, seeing a change for "much darker and creepier" as a positive thing.
The creators of the reboot have changed the format of the show, too. Instead of a monster-of-the-week format, viewers now get a season-long plot, with cases wrapped up in each episode. Besides, the episodes got longer. Fans noted that the new format was beneficial for the show.
"I LOVED it. I think they're really benefitting from the new format tbh. I love the longer episodes and the darker content, as well as the deeper look into all the characters' personal lives," a fan explained.
All in all, fans' opinions about the reboot differ. While some think that Evolution feels like a whole new show rather than a reboot, others wholeheartedly enjoy the less formulaic nature of the pilot episodes, grittier tone, slicker graphics, and even the fact that the characters can swear now. All viewers agree on one thing, though. There is more to be discussed as the show goes on.