Criminal Minds: Evolution (2022–) is a reboot of the popular series Criminal Minds that revitalizes the beloved procedural drama with a contemporary edge. The show follows a team of FBI agents, members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), as they attempt to solve a series of homicides during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the core concept of profiling and solving heinous crimes remained, Criminal Minds: Evolution introduced a fresh cast of characters and a contemporary approach to criminal psychology. The series delves deeper into its characters’ personal lives, offering one of crime television’s most authentic portrayals of bisexuality through Dr. Tara Lewis (played by Aisha Tyler).
Unlike many crime procedurals that relegate LGBT characters to the sidelines or reduce their identities to subplots, Evolution opted to integrate Tara Lewis’ (Aisha Tyler) bisexuality into the narrative. In the premiere episode, her relationship with a colleague named Rebecca Wilson (Nicole Pacent) is revealed not through a dramatic coming-out moment, but through casual workplace interactions. When Emily Prentiss teases her about the office romance, Tara openly acknowledges her past relationships with women, confirming what longtime fans may have suspected but was never explicitly stated before.
This subtle yet significant confirmation makes Tara one of the few openly bi characters in mainstream crime TV, a genre that has historically underrepresented queer identities, particularly bisexuality. The show avoids sensationalism, instead treating Tara’s relationship with the same narrative weight as her heterosexual counterparts.
Tara and Rebecca’s relationship evolves throughout the season, facing realistic challenges, including the complications of dating a coworker and relying on them for professional favors (that might get them both in trouble) as well as the complications of trying to move in together.
What makes this portrayal groundbreaking is its normalization of bisexuality without reducing Tara to a stereotype. She isn’t defined solely by her sexuality, nor is her bisexuality framed as a source of conflict. Instead, it’s simply another facet of her character — one that enriches her interactions and relationships. Unfortunately, we get no mention of bisexuality itself, so the audience is left to piece it all together.
The original Criminal Minds occasionally hinted at queer identities (like Penelope Garcia’s pansexuality in later seasons) but rarely explored them in depth. Evolution marks a shift by embracing its queer characters while staying true to the show’s suspenseful roots, setting a new standard for LGBT inclusion in the genre — one where queer character get to be profilers, partners, and fully realized people, not just plot devices.