SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from the season finale of Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Paramount+ just dropped the final episode of the 18th season, which saw the return of serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), a fan favorite who’s become more complicated than ever. And it looks like we haven’t seen the last of this bad boy just yet.
Here, showrunner Erica Messer addresses the big changes we saw in Voit this season, along with how she and the writers came up with The Disciple, and what to expect from Season 19, which was ordered in March. Criminal Minds stars Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, and RJ Hatanaka, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster.
DEADLINE We’ve seen Voit go through such a transformation; he was very steadfast in his commitment to being good, even in the face of The Disciple. But there were moments, like when he was having visions of Cyrus, that it wasn’t clear whether he would be able to keep his “demons” at bay. Based on the cliffhanger at the end, is it fair to say that when we see Voit next he will go back to being the evil man we saw in past seasons? Will he still work closely with the BAU?
ERICA MESSER Voit is now a killer with a conscience. He’s got the skill set to take out multiple prisoners but will struggle — as evidenced by the cliffhanger — with keeping those instincts at bay. He’s gone from being an anonymous offender to a household name and that newfound celebrity will bring a series of problems that put him back in the BAU’s orbit.
DEADLINE Do you think the members of the BAU have changed their views on rehabilitation? Rossi tells Voit “your profile has changed.” Does he really believe that?
ERICA MESSER One of the main reasons I wanted to explore this new Voit was to challenge the team’s way of thinking. They’ve never had to deal with this before and they’re all working through something different — Rossi has seen a lot of things, but never this. While he might not agree with the idea that therapy could make someone switch from psychopath to healthy, he can’t deny what he’s experiencing with Voit’s case. And never would I ever imagine Penelope Garcia would sit across from a convicted serial killer and offer some healing words and aromatherapy.
DEADLINE How did you come up with the origin story for Tessa, otherwise known as the Disciple?
ERICA MESSER We debated in the writers’ room who we’d have and I really wanted The Disciple’s origin to be tied to the history of trauma that Voit encountered in the House of Cyrus. Once we started down that path, we landed on Cyrus’ behavior and how he’d react to his nephew leaving him. For Tessa, she thought she was having a bad night until she encountered Cyrus — that wrong place, wrong time turned into a nightmare. Seeing how she was broken down and dehumanized through torture and isolation, definitely reflected the lengths humans will go to in order to survive.
DEADLINE What can you preview about season 19? Will there be another unsub that gives the BAU a run for their money like Voit did?
ERICA MESSER Season 19 will be a year after the events of season 18. That time allows some stories to settle — Voit has confessed and been sentenced to life in prison — JJ has had a year to feel out how to navigate parenthood without her husband, Garcia has gotten back on the dating scene and much, much more. There will be another season-long unSub who the audience will learn about before the BAU. As the history of the show has promised, Season 19 will rely on real, simple, scary stories where we’ll take the audience into the dark, scare them and save them.
DEADLINE Aimee Garcia and Geoff Stults were such great additions this season. Will we see more of them?
ERICA MESSER Love both of them. Sadly, no plans to see them in S19.
DEADLINE Can we expect to see Matthew Grey Gubler back as a guest star?
ERICA MESSER Sadly, no plans but hope you enjoyed seeing him when it mattered. It’s what friends do for one another — show up when we really need them.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is executive produced by Messer, Chris Barbour, Glenn Kershaw, Breen Frazier and Mark Gordon. The series is produced by 20th Television and CBS Studios.
