Criminal Minds: Evolution’s Greatest Strength Has Now Become Its Downfall

After three excellent seasons of Criminal Minds: Evolution, it’s now clear that what was initially its greatest strength is now becoming the very thing holding the continuation back. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 ended with the Sicarius Network being destroyed, and Voit on an inmate bus heading back to prison. It’s an ambiguous season ending for a chameleon-like villain.

Criminal Minds has had several interesting unsubs throughout its many years, but it was in the Criminal Minds: Evolution revival where the baddies really had a chance to shine. While there were still plenty of unsub-of-the-week antagonists, Zach Gilford’s serial killer and criminal mastermind, Elias Voit, became the true overarching villain of the revival and completely took over Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3.

Elias Voit Is The Best Villain The Criminal Minds Franchise Has Ever Seen

He’s Genuinely Terrifying & Fascinating

Voit immediately made his mark and continued to evolve throughout the seasons of the revival. In season 1, he was set up as a serial killer who had created a whole network of serial killers, known as the Sicarius Network, on the dark web. Interestingly, however, he was also shown to be a family man and a genuinely loving and doting husband and father who tried to fight his urges – hence creating the network as an outlet.

By the end of season 1, he’d been captured and spent all of season 2 in prison. The end of season 2, however, saw him get a taste of his own medicine when he was jumped by fellow inmates, putting him in a coma. Though the BAU figures out Voit is the man behind the serial killer known as Sicarius, Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 offers a shocking twist: Voit is in a coma.

When he comes to, the former psychopath has no memory of his past life as a serial killer – and what’s more, the part of his brain responsible for empathy is suddenly functioning. It creates a fascinating hypothetical: How would someone with compassion react if they were to learn they are a monster?

This third season grapples with this question, and it’s easily the most interesting thing Criminal Minds has ever done with one of its villains. The lengthy, season-long arcs and return of Voit have allowed the revival to explore Voit in a way it hasn’t been able to with any other unsub, and the layers and complexity of his story easily make him the best villain the franchise has ever seen.

Zach Gilford Is So Compelling In The Role That The Show’s Focus Shifted More To Him

When You Strike Gold, You Mine It

Of course, a good villain is only as good as their actor, so while the writers deserve their flowers, the majority of credit for turning Voit into such a force of nature in Criminal Minds: Evolution goes to Zach Gilford. Voit has had an incredible arc over the past three seasons; in season 3, multiple references were made to the post-coma Voit being a completely different person than before.

It takes an actor of exceptional caliber and a depth of understanding to pull that off in a way that feels both believable and earned. It’s a testament to Gilford’s talent that you find yourself actually deeply sympathizing with Voit in season 3. After all the monstrous things he’s done, the depraved murders in his wake, seeing him so utterly horrified and broken to learn of the killer he was before and attempting to grapple with it is still moving.

He is irredeemable, and his turn and attempt to atone for his crimes isn’t enough to redeem him – but it is more than enough to give you a glimpse of the man Voit might have been had he not had such an intensely abusive childhood and teenage years, and the part of his brain responsible for empathy so atrophied. And the man he might have been is compassionate and kind.

That you actually believe it, but still wonder if maybe he’s faking his amnesia and empathy, is all down to Gilford’s charisma on screen. He’s utterly compelling, and it’s no wonder that his role in the show grew to match his captivating presence; when you strike gold, you mine that vein until it’s empty, and that’s exactly what Criminal Minds: Evolution has done with Gilford, understandably.

The Focus On Voit Comes At The Expense Of The BAU Team Members

Season 4 Needs To Rebalance The Show

Unfortunately, the increasing focus on Voit means less focus has been put on the members of the BAU, and their stories have suffered as a result. Elias Voit was and is Criminal Minds: Evolution‘s greatest strength, but he’s now also becoming the thing holding it back from, as its title promises, evolving.

Voit will return next season. How much he’ll be an integral part of the story is still unclear, but he’ll definitely be a part of season 4 in some way; the showrunners have already confirmed it. Gilford is such a versatile actor, and clearly, the writers feel there’s still more to do with him.

If he does, then Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4 must find a way to unfold the next chapter of his story without sidelining so many of the other characters. Several of the BAU team members barely felt like supporting characters this season, and the show has to figure out a better balance, or Voit, fascinating as he is, will pull the focus again and leave the rest of the story lacking.