The BAU is saying goodbye to a character in Criminal Minds season 19.
For 15 years, Criminal Minds aired annually on CBS. When it ended, Paramount+ quickly brought the series back with Criminal Minds: Evolution. This revival is unusual because it successfully transitioned to a streaming service, and Paramount+ is pleased with how many people are watching. The show largely follows the original team of profilers from the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), giving each character personal struggles while they work to solve the complex case involving Elias Voit, also known as Sicarius.
As a longtime fan of Criminal Minds, I was really hooked by the final season. This time, the team didn’t just face one killer, but a whole network of them, all led by this incredibly creepy guy named Voit. He was a Seattle tech specialist who somehow managed to be both a loving family man and a ruthless murderer – talk about a twisted double life! It wasn’t just a simple case anymore; the story kept getting more complicated with new faces and twists. They finally caught Voit at the end of season 19, but honestly, knowing his history, I’m still not convinced he’s truly gone for good. It leaves you wondering what’s next!
So, I just read an interview with Zach Gilford over at TVLine and he finally set the record straight about what happened to his Criminal Minds character. Basically, he’s confirmed that yeah, he’s finished playing that serial killer – the FBI caught him and he’s going to be locked up for good! But… there’s a tiny glimmer of hope for maybe seeing him back someday, though it definitely won’t be happening anytime soon. He didn’t completely rule it out, which is interesting. You can check out exactly what he said below if you’re curious.
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty bummed – it seems like this is it for me with the BAU, at least for the time being. And if I’m being real, I’m worried about what that means for them. It feels like things are going to stall without me, and they won’t be able to crack any cases. [chuckles] I really have no idea how they’re going to manage.
When Criminal Minds became Evolution, the show aimed for a grittier tone, and it succeeded. But switching from 22 episodes a season to just 10 also changed how stories were told, moving away from self-contained cases to longer, connected narratives. The plan was for each season to focus on a single villain, but that hasn’t consistently happened – most recently, the story arc for Mr. Scratch spanned multiple seasons.
With Matthew Gray Gubler’s departure from Criminal Minds: Evolution, the future is wide open for the BAU team. The show has been renewed for a fifth season, demonstrating Paramount+’s commitment to continuing the story of these profilers. Now, showrunner Erica Messer and her team are tasked with charting a new course for the BAU after four seasons focused on the Sicarius case.
Now that Criminal Minds has evolved, it will be interesting to see how the team’s experience with the UnSub, Voit, influences their future investigations. He created a distinct relationship with many of the BAU members, especially Dave Rossi. The show should explore this connection further, potentially paving the way for actor Zach Gilford to reprise his role as Voit.
2026-07-24 14:27