Criminal Minds Season 15 premiere synopsis: Get ready for the final season

"Believer" -- When Reid discovers former FBI Special Agent Owen Quinn (James Urbaniak) locked inside a storage unit, the BAU questions the credibility of Quinn's bizarre accounts of searching for an UnSub that he named "The Strangler," on the second episode of the double-episode 13th season finale cliffhanger of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, April 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Joe Mantegna (David Rossi), Daniel Henney (Matt Simmons), Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez) Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
"Believer" -- When Reid discovers former FBI Special Agent Owen Quinn (James Urbaniak) locked inside a storage unit, the BAU questions the credibility of Quinn's bizarre accounts of searching for an UnSub that he named "The Strangler," on the second episode of the double-episode 13th season finale cliffhanger of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, April 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Joe Mantegna (David Rossi), Daniel Henney (Matt Simmons), Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez) Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Criminal Minds Season 15 is finally here. It’s the beginning of the end, and here’s all you need to know about the two-hour Criminal Minds Season 15 premiere.

We’ve been waiting a year for Criminal Minds Season 15 to premiere. CBS opted to hold the final season for the fall, and the first two episodes air on Jan. 8. Here’s what to expect based on the synopsis.

The two-hour premiere is actually two separate episodes. The premiere will see the BAU team go after an UnSub who is extremely similar to “The Chameleon.” Fans will remember that Everett Lynch nearly killed Rossi, but left him alive and ran off in the wind. Rossi is obsessed with finding him, but that causes problems for the entire team.

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It’s not clear if Michael Mosley will be back just yet. However, I think we can assume that he’ll return at some point during the final season. After all, this season is going to be a mixture of both procedural (through some standalone cases) and serialized (through Rossi’s hunt for The Chameleon).

Things aren’t going to end well. One of the BAU team will be injured and hospitalized. It’s not clear who, but the promo for the Criminal Minds Season 15 premiere suggests that it could be JJ. That could force JJ and Reid to assess their relationship right now.

However, the second episode will see the case focused on Everett Lynch, as well as his daughter Grace. Alex Jennings is back in the role.

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Watch Criminal Minds on CBS All Access with a FREE 7-day trial of Amazon Channels!

Speaking of returning characters, there’s one that we’d hoped to see return in Criminal Minds Season 15. Jane Lynch’s Diana Reid returns. Spencer sees his mother during a moment of lucidity, which means there’s something heartfelt in the episode. I do get the feeling this is going to be the last time we see her in the series.

Check out the synopsis for Criminal Minds Season 15, Episode 1:

"The BAU team investigates an UnSub with striking similarities to Rossi’s latest obsession, “The Chameleon,” a.k.a. Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), who nearly killed him and then disappeared."

And here is the synopsis for Criminal Minds Season 15, Episode 2:

"With a member of the BAU in the hospital, the team searches for Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), and his daughter, Grace (Alex Jennings). Also, Spencer has a meaningful visit with his mother, Diana Reid (Jane Lynch), while she’s experiencing a period of lucidity."

What do you hope to see in the Criminal Minds final season? What do you think about the synopsis for the two episodes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Criminal Minds Season 15 premieres on Jan. 8 with a two-hour special starting at 9/8c on CBS.