The ensemble cast maintains longstanding diversity including Black, Latino, and female leads without unjustified race/gender swaps or clashes with the FBI setting. Some vocal fans criticize the revival as a 'woke soap opera' with baked-in left-leaning social issues like identity politics and LGBTQ+ storylines overshadowing traditional case-of-the-week profiling, alongside complaints of soapier romance plots reducing focus on unsub hunts.

However, no overt lectures on systemic issues, BLM, or DEI mandates drive the narrative, which centers on serial killer conspiracies like Gold Star epigenetics programming and Elias Voit's threats. Showrunner Erica Messer interviews emphasize plot twists and character development without activist intent or inclusion quotas. Backlash is limited to niche Reddit/Facebook/X complaints rather than widespread 'go woke go broke' rejection, with mainstream reviews lauding the gruesome cases and revival quality.