‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ 17×08 Preview: See Why Zach Gilford & Joe Mantegna Said To Look Forward To It

Criminal Minds: Evolution 17×08 streams this Thursday, July 18, and we’re really looking forward to it. Actually, that’s not right — or, at least, it’s not completely accurate. We’ve been looking forward to this episode since before this season even began. And we have a very good reason for that. When we interviewed Zach Gilford and Joe Mantegna during the pre-season junket, we asked the actors if there was a moment in the season that viewers should look toward that they particularly enjoyed working on. And, at the time, both Gilford and Mantegna agreed on Episode 8.

At this point, you’re probably like, “this one’s special because…?” How about this: Gilford “had the good fortune of getting to direct for the first time this season,” and Criminal Minds: Evolution 17×08 is the episode. In fact, the actor director called it “an amazing experience.” Gilford also told us he’s “excited for people to see it, just to find out how people react to see if I did a good job or not.”

But there’s probably no need to worry — because Mantegna, who as he reminded us, has “done 11 total over the course of the run,” also said we should look forward to the hour. And after hearing his praise for “the enthusiasm [Gilford] had, and the joy he had in doing it, and the competence he had in doing it,” who are to argue? Needless to say, we’re definitely looking forward to this one.

Watch Part 2 of our interview with Zach Gilford & Joe Mantegna here.

(If you missed Part 1, click on the actors’ names in the first paragraph. You can also see our interview with A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Ryan-James Hatanaka here. Then, make sure to watch both parts of our interview with Kirsten Vangsness and Adam Rodriguez here and here.)

And check out the photos from “North Star” here.

So, what’s the episode about? Obviously, you’ll have to tune in to find out. Until then, though, here’s the synopsis (via Paramount):

“The BAU tries to get ahead of Jade and Damien who are on a killing spree. Rossi must confront an old flame to unpack the secrets behind the Gold Star program. Tyler and Rebecca attempt to gain leverage over Elias Voit’s lawyer.”

New episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution stream Thursdays on Paramount+.