It's Time for 'Criminal Minds: Evolution' To Cut Zach Gilford Loose

I’m not a longtime viewer of the original Criminal Minds — I’d only seen a few episodes over the years — but I’ve been in on Criminal Minds: Evolution from the beginning. Part of the initial appeal was the serialized storytelling and the addition of Zach Gilford, the former Friday Night Lights QB1.

I’ve always been a fan of Gilford, though he seemed to get lost in a string of forgettable TV projects after FNL (does anyone remember The Mob Doctor or The Family?). That was until Mike Flanagan discovered him and resurrected his career as a regular in Midnight Club, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Flanagan reminded the world that Gilford could act, which likely helped him land a plum role in Evolution, and against type, no less. In the first season, he plays Elias Voit, a serial killer mastermind also known as Sicarius, who ran a network of killers he personally recruited and mentored.

It was a great role, and it was genuinely fun to watch Gilford play a likable family man by day and a complete sociopath by night. The season was largely structured around the BAU tracking down Voit’s protégés and gradually connecting the dots back to him.

Gilford was so compelling that Evolution brought him back for a second season in a Hannibal Lecter-style role: still a psychopath, but now useful to the BAU in hunting other killers, especially those he trained. In exchange for his help, he got occasional perks — visits from his (rightfully) resentful family or brief stints outside prison walls.

But by the end of season two, Voit is stabbed repeatedly by inmates and left for dead. And honestly, that should have been the end of Elias Voit. He had a great run, boosted interest in the show, and earned his exit. Let the man disappear back into the Flanagan-verse or whatever else comes his way.

Instead, Evolution performed superhero-level contortions to keep him around. Not only did he survive, but he also developed amnesia. And as his memories returned, conveniently when the BAU needed his help, so did something else: empathy. His brain miraculously reconnected in a way that made him not just remorseful but horrified by his past. So horrified, in fact, that he attempted to take his life.

That was enough to convince the BAU that he wasn’t faking it (though, of course, he still might be). And as of this week’s episode, it appears Voit is now an actual member of the BAU. It’s a development that stretches credulity well past its breaking point.

While I initially enjoyed the serialized format of Evolution, I now find myself longing for a return to episodic storytelling. One season-long arc involving a serial killer network is plausible. A second? Pushing it. A third season still chasing Voit’s protégés is ridiculous. Aren’t serial killers usually lone wolves?

To make things even bleaker, JJ Jareau unexpectedly lost her husband, Will, and is now deep in grief, a subplot that’s also been folded into the Voit storyline. This week, she realizes that her sorrow has left her unable to care for herself, so she finds solace in helping others. Unfortunately, “others” means Voit. Yes, the guy who ran a serial killer cult. JJ is now using her grief to help him find purpose. I believe in second chances, but you have to draw the line somewhere, and that line should probably be well before “mass murderer who groomed other mass murderers.”

Given the trail of bodies Voit has left, I think it’s safe to overlook the amnesia, the childhood trauma, and the miraculous brain reboot, and just let the man rot in prison. Forever. Gilford is fantastic. But not every character deserves a redemption arc. It’s time to let him go, Criminal Minds: Evolution. And maybe dig up some new conspiracies while you’re at it.