Throughout the run of Criminal Minds: Evolution, viewers have gotten the chance to see the BAU through a series of new eras, each defined by the way they relate to Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) and his crimes, but it’s time for the Paramount+ revival to forge a new path. Voit, the initial big bad that made Criminal Minds into Criminal Minds: Evolution, has long been a divisive part of the show’s second life. After airing from 2005 to 2020 over the course of 15 seasons, Criminal Minds needed a breath of fresh air to continue in the streaming era.
That breath of fresh air, at first, seemed like it was going to be the warped mind of Elias Voit. Watching the network of serial killers that stemmed from Voit’s influence come to light, Criminal Minds: Evolution was right to spend its early seasons investing in the story of how Voit became a serial killer himself and, further, how the BAU played into his downfall. The Voit plot, however, quickly grew stale once he’d been captured by the BAU. While Evolution has continued to use Voit as a major player, the past two seasons have struggled to connect the dots.
With just episodes left before Criminal Minds: Evolution ends its fourth season, the Voit plot has slowly become the most painful of the show’s stories. Despite providing a serialized story, it’s time for the Elias Voit chapter of Criminal Minds: Evolution to end, at least in its current state.
Voit’s Story Has Grown Stale, Despite The Inclusion Of The Fan
As Criminal Minds: Evolution has continued to work through Voit’s story, it’s become increasingly clear that the endgame of what happens to the now-captive Sicarius killer isn’t what it initially seemed. While there were some UnSubs throughout the run of CBS’ version of Criminal Minds that the show returned to over the course of the series, Voit is a whole new entity in the world of the BAU. Dealing with a serial killer who has effectively come to be part of the team in some convoluted ways isn’t easy, but keeping Voit in the loop often feels too put upon.
Throughout the current season, Voit has been shown struggling to keep himself going while in solitary confinement, and his interactions with the BAU’s new target, The Fan, haven’t been helping the situation. In previous seasons of Criminal Minds, the show made it clear that viewers weren’t typically meant to feel empathetic toward the UnSubs committing acts of violence, even if their backstories were torturous and dark. With Voit, especially in his moments with The Fan, it’s clear that mentality has shifted. We’re meant to feel even shreds of empathy for Voit, but the ask doesn’t mean those feelings are automatic.
Instead, it feels all the more obvious that in dealing with Voit episode in and episode out that recalling what he’s done with the person he’s become isn’t something Criminal Minds viewers are meant to metabolize, even if the show is asking us to. Voit’s not meant to be someone viewers feel for, but the show is working against that notion consistently, trying to make him into more of a character than a killer.
Voit’s Time On Criminal Minds: Evolution Needs To End
Although Voit has become a part of the fabric of Criminal Minds: Evolution, the show needs to make the decision to part ways with the character, at least in this light. Seeing the stagnation of Voit’s life in captivity doesn’t resonate in the way it’s likely meant to. Instead of giving viewers a look at his life after lockup, Criminal Minds brings him into their stories, which creates a confusing sense of dissonance when it comes to the show’s own formula. By keeping Voit in the loop and using him, it sends a mixed message on how viewers should feel.
While the BAU consistently makes it clear that they’re not coming to Voit with a positive perspective on him, having him remain a wealth of knowledge and a resource the team can turn to is only making it more difficult to then condemn him overall. When personal stories are involved surrounding his mentality and family, it becomes even trickier. For Criminal Minds: Evolution to continue evolving, taking Voit out of the equation seems like the only feasible option. While remnants of his story should remain and impact the BAU, Criminal Minds needs to end its current era and move forward.
- Release Date
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September 22, 2005
- Showrunner
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Erica Messer
- Directors
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Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky
- Writers
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Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna
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Kirsten Vangsness
Penelope Garcia
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Matthew Gray Gubler
Dr. Spencer Reid