A Fan-Favorite TV Actress Just Joined ‘Criminal Minds’

A fan-favorite actress is joining Criminal Minds: Evolution for the upcoming fourth season.

TVLine reports that Star Trek: Voyager alum Jeri Ryan will be appearing in the Season 4 premiere in an undisclosed role.

“Jeri had worked with the director of the premiere, Doug Aarniokoski, for years on Star Trek, so they’ve known one another,” showrunner Erica Messer said. “But yeah, Jeri is amazing.” Messer didn’t share too much information about Ryan’s role, and it’s unknown if she will be appearing in more than just the premiere episode. However, more information surrounding Season 4 of Criminal Minds: Evolution, which is the 19^th overall season of Criminal Minds, should be revealed in the coming months.

Ryan is best known for her roles as Seven of Nine, Three of Eight, and Two of Three on Star Trek: Voyager from 1997 to 2001. She reprised her role as Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023. Other credits include Dark Winds, MacGyver, Bosch, Helix, Body of Proof, Shark, The O.C., Boston Public, and many more.

Criminal Minds: Evolution was renewed for Season 4 in March, two months before Season 3 premiered. The Season 3 finale aired earlier this month, and it teased that some disturbing things involving Voit are in store. Even though Jeri Ryan’s role is unknown, Messer has revealed what Zach Gilford’s sociopathic unsub will be up to next season.

“In Season 19, he has gone from being invisible, living in the shadows, being a killer for 20 years that we never knew about, to now being a household name,” Messer told TVLine. “There’s been a year between Seasons 18 and 19. He has confessed to all these crimes, he gets sentenced to life in prison — not the death penalty — and he now has to deal with unwanted celebrity.”

“Some might say he was a ‘celebrity’ within his network because he was the leader of it, but it’s very different than being a celebrity for, now, the most shameful thing you’ve ever done, and now you have a conscience and you’re aware of that,” she continued. “There’s a new threat and a new darkness that comes out of him being in the light now.”

It can be assumed that Criminal Minds: Evolution will be premiering Season 4 in 2026, and as filming continues, there are bound to be more details released, including who Jeri Ryan will play and how it will pertain to the storyline. All 18 seasons of Criminal Minds are streaming on Paramount+ in the meantime.