With the lackluster “Gold Star” mystery behind them, and having managed to get notorious serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) arrested and charged, Criminal Minds: Evolution jumps forward six months in between seasons, skipping over a relatively quiet time for our beloved members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit: Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Jennifer Jareau (AJ Cook), Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness). However, the profilers’ difficult work is far from over. New killers begin to emerge from the shadows, potentially more intense and disturbing than ever before, which is truly a feat after 17 seasons.
Though only two episodes of Evolution’s third season (and the show’s 18th in total) were provided for early screening, this glimpse at what lies ahead promises to escalate things to an entirely new level, exploring depths of darkness, misery, and, yes, criminal minds unlike ever before.
Despite a six-month flash-forward, seemingly not much has changed in the characters’ lives. Everyone is better settled into their roles once more, something that has been painfully lacking since this revival began by exploring how the team had been broken apart to cut costs and assist with more cases. We continue to ever so slowly inch back toward the group atmosphere and dynamic that worked so well during the original run on CBS, rather than what we’ve seen during these past two seasons, with everyone splitting off in groups of two to work on different, often unrelated, tasks and hardly interacting as a whole.
The biggest change we see, at least right off the bat, is that Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka) is now an official (yet still probationary) FBI agent. As he anxiously awaits news of his official placement and prays he won’t be assigned to the station in Alaska or some other far-off place, he’s working alongside the team and honing his profiling skills. Furthermore, he yearns to stay in D.C. to continue his time with the BAU. Though I have never been much interested in Tyler, the camaraderie and friendships developing between him and the other team members—and his attempts to be an asset to them, instead of the loose cannon he’s proven to be before—is appreciated. It’s interesting to see a new member worked in again, as it’s been quite a while since we had another profiler join the squad—not since the dearly missed Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) back in Criminal Minds Season 13. Plus, it has never taken such an unexpected, twisted journey.
Meanwhile, Tara and Rebecca (Nicole Pacent) have taken the next step in their romance; although it may not be smooth sailing from here on. And, as much as we may hope for Prentiss and Rossi to develop personal lives that occasionally give them a much-needed break from work, they’ve still been far too focused on Voit. After being attacked in prison in the season finale with his life left up in the air, we learn Voit has been comatose ever since, laid up in the hospital with guards posted at his doors. Will he wake up? What will happen when he does? Those are the questions they’re worried about, and they’re being particularly cautious because they fear this may, somehow, end with Voit being released from prison and escaping justice. (Also, they’ve definitely ruled out the possibility of him faking the coma.)
Despite his lack of consciousness, it unfortunately remains true that Evolution should be entitled “The Elias Voit Chronicles” because all (or most) roads lead back to him. His actions continue to haunt the BAU, as the killers landing on their radar this season are members of Voit’s network of serial killers who went dark and, for some mysterious reason, have started up again without Voit’s command. At the very least, the antagonists in the first two episodes are unique and interesting, and the direction the show is heading in with Voit is wholly unexpected and somewhat fascinating. It’s arguably the most interesting content we’ve seen yet from Voit. Additionally, it’s presenting a rather challenging situation for the team—specifically for Rossi, as their dynamic continues to be highlighted, but also for Luke and Tara—and causing some difficult but enjoyable internal conflict.
However, while it’s nice to see the team again and have a promising start to the season, the final minutes of the second episode threaten to tear it all apart with the demise of a long-standing Criminal Minds fixture—no, not the jet again. While not much can be said, the decision was not necessary, no matter the reasoning behind it. Until this, I was eager for the remainder of the season, but now it’s a mixed bag of intrigue, excitement, apprehension, and dread. This won’t necessarily break the season, but it does call into question what the end goal is here and whether the series has gone too far.
During its original run on CBS, Criminal Minds went to some dark, miserable places, but ultimately showcased that the profilers were making a difference in the world and shining light into the darkness. With more serialized storytelling and in an effort to deliver more twisted stories, Evolution has arguably become too entrenched in misery, and this light has all but vanished. And if this rage-inducing twist is any indication, very soon that light will be gone entirely.
Jay Snow is a freelance writer. He has published many places on the internet. For more of his thoughts on television and to see his other work, follow him on Bluesky: @snowyjay.
For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists, and features, follow @Paste_TV.
