Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 premiere.
Summary
Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 starts with an intense premiere that ends with Elias Voit successfully riling up Luke Alvez, and there are a couple of possible reasons for this. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is back on Paramount+ after an extended break due to the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023. Within the universe, however,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2picks up just two weeks since Sicarius was taken down. Unfortunately, just because Voit is in the FBI’s custody doesn’t mean that his reign of terror has been finished. Instead, it may even just be starting.
The BAU effectively took down Voit and his serial killer network, but the mystery of Gold Star has become a major bargaining chip for the prolific killer. InCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2, episode 1, “Gold Star,” Emily Prentiss' team is forced to work with Sicarius to crack what the FBI deems a much bigger suspect. Begrudgingly, they oblige, with each profiler getting a crack at Voit. After JJ Jarreau, Alvez follows. Just as he gets new insight into Sicarius' psyche that could help the case, the unsub flips it on him, causing the profiler to lash out.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2, Episode 2 Ends With Voit Successfully Goading Alvez
Voit Is Good At Playing Mind Games
Coming into his face-to-face with Voit, the plan is to make the suspect believe that Alvez feels inferior to him. For a while, this works, with Sicarius engaging. Somewhere, however, Sicarius catches up and drops what seems like a massive revelation to Luke, endingCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2, episode 2, “Contagion” on a cliffhanger. Considering the character’s history and current relationships, however, whatever Voit told him likely has personal ties to him. One possibility is that the new information has some connection to Alvez’s past as an FBI Fugitive Task Force Agent.
Two particular cases are sore spots for Alvez, but considering his reaction,Voit’s comments may be about the death of his old partner, Phil Brooks. His murder traumatized the profiler, and was a big motivator for him when he first joined the BAU afterDerek Morgan leftCriminal Minds. Another option may be something connected to his team,particularly Penelope Garcia. Considering his feelings for the BAU tech analyst and the odd way that she stumbled upon the Sicarius case, the unsub may have touched a nerve when he revealed something about her, or worse, threatened her.
Alvez’s Reaction Proves Voit Is A Far More Formidable Villain Than The BAU Initially Perceived
Voit May Be Imprisoned, But He Is As Dangerous As Ever
Technically,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2’s main mystery is Gold Star. However, its first two episodes make it clear that itsmain villain remains to be Voit. On top of the BAU tracking down a prolific serial killer who may have been trained by the government, the profilers also have to ensure thatVoit doesn’t get away with being Sicarius, which he continues to deny. The unsub was dangerous when he still wasn’t caught, but even behind bars, he remains a formidable opponent — perhaps more so now, considering that he doesn’t really have anything to lose.
Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Cast
InCriminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.
