Warning: SPOILERS for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, episode 10.Criminal Minds: Evolutionfinally wrapped up its Sicarius plot, but one character got the short end of the stick. Since the reboot premiered in 2022, the FBI’sBehavioral Analysis Unithas been trapped in a vicious cycle of fighting and cooperating with prolific killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford). Thankfully,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 finally said goodbye to Voit/Sicarius.
The dramatic end of the Sicarius saga had been a long time coming, but that doesn’t meanCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 was without its faults. The third installment of the continuation consistently struggled with pacing, character development, and overall storytelling. Aside from including one of themost tragic deaths inCriminal Minds, there wasn’t enough room for non-Sicarius plotlines.
JJ Was Positioned As The Main Character Of Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3
It Seemed Like She Would Take Center Stage Like Her Predecessors
Out of the entirecast ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, it seemed obvious that A.J. Cook’s Jennifer “JJ” Jareau would emerge as a major character. Promotional materials, teasers, trailers, and pre-season interviews only confirmed as much, teasing that JJ would be the unofficial main character ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3. Based on past storylines, I had high hopes.
David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) was the central character in the reboot’s first season as he hunted down Voit and confronted his unresolved grief from losing his wife. Similarly, Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) was the key figure of season 2 as she chased down Gold Star and dealt with her lingering guilt over the death of Doug Bailey (Nicholas D’Agosto).
Given that JJ is one of only twooriginal BAU membersremaining onCriminal Minds: Evolution, I expected her to follow in her predecessor’s footsteps. Both Rossi and Prentiss had season-long storylines that reached satisfying conclusions via intense moments of emotional catharsis. Unfortunately,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 changed gears and left JJ in the dustonly halfway through.
Voit Replaced JJ As The Most Important Character In The Second Half Of The Season
The Disciple Twist Left JJ On The Sidelines
Admittedly, the Sicarius killer has been a focal point of the series since it began, andVoit’s amnesia storyline inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3turned the character on his head. For the first five episodes of the season, Voit and JJ’s arcs managed to coexist. The BAU worked to recover Voit’s memories, but JJ still had independent development.
As the FBI’s game of cat and mouse with the rebooted killer network gradually intensified, however, JJ was sidelined to delve deeper into Voit’s history.Criminal Minds: Evolutionintroduced last-second conflicts, new characters, and convoluted plots that all centered on Voit’s dark past. While it made for a consequential final showdown,JJ never got closurefor her season 3 wounds.
JJ and Voit’s storylines could have been fascinating parallels…
What makes the disproportionate screentime even more exasperating is that JJ and Voit’s storylines could have been fascinating parallels, using the characters as foils for one another to add an extra layer of depth. By simplifying Voit’s plot,Criminal Minds: Evolutioncould have easily made room. Sadly,Voit’s development came at the expense of JJ’s, leaving her arc frustratingly unresolved.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Treated Will’s Death As An Unnecessary Twist
The Storyline Only Existed For Shock Value
Undoubtedly, the most JJ-centric storyline inCriminal MInds: Evolutionseason 3 was the death of Will LaMontagne Jr. (Josh Stewart), the profiler’s longtime love interest. Following his sudden aneurysm in episode 2,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3devoted an entire episode to Will’s funeral and JJ’s complicated grief (“Time to Say Goodbye”).
From displaying the ugly reality of bereavement to bringing back Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid, the funeral episode made me hopeful that JJ’s season-long journey would be a sensitive exploration of her learning to accept her mourning. Sadly,Will’s death inCriminal Minds: Evolutionwas quickly discarded for new plots, only being mentioned sporadically throughout the rest of the season.
All episodes ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionare streaming on Paramount+.
SinceJJ and Will’s relationship inCriminal Mindswas such a pivotal fixture of the original series,it was baffling how easily the reboot moved on from JJ and her loss. Such a life-changing experience should have had longer-lasting effects than a few episodes of JJ overwhelmingly denying her true emotions.
Frankly,JJ’s storyline inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 never came to a natural end. The closest she got to resolution was opening up to Dr. Ochoa (Aimee Garcia) in episode 5, but even that was simply for Voit’s benefit. Rather than truly focus on JJ’s healing,Criminal Minds: Evolutionused her trauma to prop up Voit’s character development.
Focusing On Voit Makes JJ’s Unresolved Storyline Even More Insulting
The Sicarius Network Was A Source Of Trauma For JJ
Shelving any main character to give the killer yet another arc would have been upsetting, butCriminal Minds: Evolutionreplacing JJ with Voit was the worst-case scenarioby far. While he may have spontaneously developed a conscience in season 3, Voit was responsible for JJ’s BAU Gate trauma. By hijacking her season, Voit is once again stealing JJ’s autonomy.
Furthermore,Criminal Minds: Evolutionrobbed the audience of JJ’s story. Since the original series, JJ has been a beloved member of the team, a sentiment which offers a limitless reservoir of sympathy for the character. Instead of following through on her plot, though,Criminal Minds: Evolutioneffectively put a Band-aid over a bullet hole and left JJ to bleed out.
When it comes to JJ specifically, leaving loose ends is nothing new. Without a well-executed healing arc, JJ can’t move on from BAU Gate, her husband’s passing, or the widespread trauma she’s experienced on the job. Season 3 could have finally given JJ the break she deserves, but sadly,Criminal Minds: Evolutionseemingly values Voit more than its own heroes.
