When Criminal Minds returned on Paramount+ under the sequel title Criminal Minds: Evolution, it quickly set itself apart by introducing one of the series’ most dangerous unsubs. Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), the deadly Sicarius Killer, plagued the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as the murderous mastermind behind an encrypted network of serial killers, aiding them via a series of buried kill boxes. In essence, he served as Evolution’s version of Moriarty, a criminal consultant for murderers, before the team caught him. The following season followed the Gold Star case, where Frank Church (Tuc Watkins) was unmasked as a cult leader who raised and tortured a set of children to turn them into obedient killers, and Voit suffers an attack by fellow prison inmates at the very end. As has already been teased, Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 will leave Gold Star behind, returning to Voit’s villainy — with a twist.
What Is ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season 3 About?

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 picks up six months after Voit’s prison attack. While he’s surely not on the loose, a slate of killings begins which bears an unsettling resemblance to Voit’s eerie handiwork. In the season premiere, the BAU team hunts a villain using drowning to reenact a tragic past moment, and in Episode 2, a killer nicknamed “Zookeeper” (Elden Henson) kidnaps sex workers, coercively attempting to “break” their will before murdering them. These very different killers with different M.O.’s all seem to be connected to an encrypted dark web network that broadcasts kills, and each dies by suicide before being caught in a manner similar to Voit’s killer coterie.
BAU team members David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), whiz profiler Jennifer “JJ” Jareau (A.J. Cook), tech genius Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), vigilante-turned-department newbie Tyler Green (RJ Hatanaka), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), and chief Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) must get to the bottom of the mystery and gauge whether “Sicarius” is once again behind it all.
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Is Slow in Setting Up an Exciting Season 3

Image via Paramount+

Criminal Minds has boasted some of TV’s most disturbing killers, many of whom would rank highly against the best from Dexter or Hannibal. By that mark, however, Evolution’s latest season starts more slowly and runs the risk of being forgettable when compared to some of the series’ best. The premiere’s one-shot antagonist boasts little to make him stand out as a distinct killer, though his victims are memorable thanks to their family dynamic. Things pick up steam in the season’s second episode, with the “Zookeeper” proving a unique and unsettling sadist, thanks in no small part to a chilling portrayal by Daredevil favorite Henson. The mystery around Voit’s involvement seems to be building towards something exciting in the first pair of episodes, though that trajectory hasn’t been fully developed within the two episodes available for review. That said, Gilford’s return is welcome as a complex arch-nemesis of sorts for the BAU team, and the way he’s incorporated in Season 3 is certain to add mystery.
The series’ cast all excels thanks to long-cemented dynamics and strong character writing. Kirsten Vangsness is once again a standout charmer, elevating every scene with a combination of warm, cutesy eccentricity and intelligence. Hatanaka, now an official rookie on the team, adds charismatic flair, while Brewster grounds the ensemble well as a strong-willed but dedicated leader. Mantegna is again great in his return as David Rossi, especially as Episode 2 sets up an exciting new wrinkle in his relationship with his former captor, Voit. If Criminal Minds: Evolution sticks the landing on its current trajectory, Season 3 could be one of the series’ best and most complex installments yet.

Related

The Seeds of Evil Are Blooming in New ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season 3 Trailer

The new season premieres in May.

That said, while the new iteration does seem primed to build up to a haunting outing full of killers run amok (with deadly mysteries probably in tow), this round is a little slow to start. While the premiere capably grounds the team for Season 3, it’s otherwise a throwaway episode with a forgettable killer whose connection to the overarching plot is merely the concluding suggestion that Voit’s network has likely been reactivated. Great character work, a strong setup, and a grotesque antagonist in Episode 2 give Season 3 new momentum, and the trailer sure seems to promise eerie, white-masked baddies and a variety of threatening encounters as the antagonists circle. That said, there’s little available for review to say any more with confidence.
Altogether, Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 (also known as Criminal Minds Season 18) lays the groundwork for an exciting ride that could pit the BAU against one of its biggest challenges yet, at least if the team’s fears prove to be true. Gilford’s return immediately offers some interesting narrative possibilities that set it apart from his role in Season 1. Voit’s dynamic with Rossi brings with it new, dramatic complications, while the “Zookeeper” episode confirms that there are still interesting one-shot killers for the BAU to contend with. The rest of the ensemble players do great work, and fans of the series have a lot to look forward to despite a slightly rocky start. With Season 4 already confirmed, there seems to be a lot of life left in Criminal Minds… especially with a fan-favorite character set to return.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 premieres May 8 on Paramount+.

Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds: Evolution’s return starts on rocky ground but sets up an excellent season.

Release Date

September 22, 2005

Network

CBS, Paramount+

Showrunner

Erica Messer

Directors

Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky

Pros & Cons

The ensemble maintains a strong dynamic, with Kirsten Vangsness as a particular standout.
Zach Gilford’s return as arch-baddie Elias Voit is complex and welcome, and Elden Henson’s Zookeeper is a chilling one-shot antagonist.
Both of the first two episodes boast well-written and portrayed victims, and their humanity adds to the emotional weight.

Episode 1 is a largely forgettable affair.
The series gets off to a slow start, with the first two of 10 episodes barely giving an inkling of what’s to come.