Is Rossi Really Voit’s Dad in Criminal Minds: Evolution?
Ever since its reincarnation on Paramount+, Criminal Minds has continued its legacy of nail-biting storytelling. The beloved procedural may have suffered a two-year hiatus after its 2020 cancellation on CBS, but that little bump failed to knock the wind from its sails. Instead, the rebranded Criminal Minds: Evolution is only growing. It’s also retreading some old storylines, many of which include beloved characters from the series’ past.
Who Is Voit in Criminal Minds: Evolution?
- Coincidentally, Zach Gilford’s first television credit is within television’s most beloved and long-running police procedural, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
- Zach Gilford’s character is the show’s first unsub in the show’s 18-year broadcast history to earn a spot in the main character roster.
Born as Lee Duval, Elias Jasper Voit is the latest in a long line of Criminal Minds unknown subjects. In addition to murdering cops, Voit has built a sordid reputation with his persistent presence as a stalker and serial killer. His many offences have earned him the name “Sicarius,” a type of venomous spider. While Voit’s M.O. varies, his murders are often wildly brutal — even by Criminal Minds standards. He beats, mutilates, and strangles his victims with wanton glee.
To make matters worse, he also holds many victims captive in a shipping container. As if to complete his villainous checklist, Voit has also dabbled in animal abuse. In a more meta sense, Voit’s first appearance falls within Criminal Minds: Evolution’s first season, which doubles as Season 16 of Criminal Minds. His big, murderous reveal establishes his character’s murderous tendencies with bloody aplomb. As he dismembers one of his many victims, he is rightfully framed as a depraved and remorseless murderer.
The Link Between Rossi and Voit
- Criminal Minds’ outstanding popularity inspired a South Korean adaptation. While the adaptation kept the show’s title and premise, it lasted just one season, completing and ending its run in 2017.
- Another spin-off, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, had a similarly short run. The CBS show debuted and ended in 2011. Its total length spans just thirteen episodes.
By Season 18 (or Season 3 of Evolution), Voit has been severely injured in a prison attack. His brief, comatose slumber culminates in a shocking reveal. When he awakens, the once-infamous killer seemingly cannot remember most of his life. Doctor Julia Ochoa (Aimee Garcia) diagnoses him with retrograde amnesia, leaving the BAU with an ethical dilemma. Thanks to this new diagnosis, the serial killer may now get a compassionate release.
Knowing the inherent danger in letting Voit run free, the team seeks a way to jog his memory. And it is during one of these many efforts that Voit mistakenly identifies Rossi as his father. However, thanks to his amnesia, the “revelation” is a mere memory lapse. David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) is not Voit’s father. In fact, Voit’s past turns out to be surprisingly complex. The team tracks down one of Voit’s surviving victims, real estate agent Ramona Havener (Kerry Knuppe), and convinces her to speak to her would-be murderer.
Despite some understandable apprehension, Havener relents. Her decision offers some much-needed closure, and she leaves the meeting satisfied. Voit, meanwhile, remembers that his biological family was killed in a fire. So, ultimately, Rossi’s surprise parenthood is little more than a red herring. While Voit’s initial identification is easily played up for drama points, it’s far from the truth. The revelation also aligns with Criminal Minds’ established canon. Rossi is still a widow, and his only surviving child is Joy Struthers (Amber Stevens).
