Criminal Minds Evolution (2×07) Piranha Review

For our review of the last episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, click here.

Following what was mostly a filler episode focused on getting the wheels in motion for the end of the season, this week’s episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution was essentially more of the same. Bringing in a new unsub as a slight distraction from the tedium of the Gold Star storyline, that subplot did its job by giving viewers another strong pairing to follow but in the end, this was just to give them something to do while the other characters dealt with some major things of their own. Last week’s reveal put the BAU in the crosshairs of the Gold Star killers as the answers to it all seemingly laid in the past. For longtime fans of the series, diving deeper into a past that predated the series made for some compelling moments, thanks to the appearance of a figure from that past, played by a special guest star. Even with all that, it did not forget about Voit. As an aside, he remained a threat despite still being behind bars as he found himself still several steps ahead of the others. Maybe the added unsub this week was not necessary, as it took time away from the far superior subplot which was that dive into the past, but the end of the episode did deliver some excitement and more set up. However, there comes a certain point where the set up needs to stop and stuff needs to start happening.

Getting the unsub out of the way, JJ and Luke were on the hunt for a D.C. area killer (Aaron Yoo) who prayed on men he believed to have raped his wife (Amy Gumenick) for whom he cared for deeply as she appeared to be suffering from postpartum depression. Abducting his victims before subjecting them to interrogations while facing an acid shower if they did not tell him the truth (or what he wanted to hear). Stuck in that delusion, his persecution of these so-called offenders kept going in a seemingly unrelenting quest to find those responsible. Due to the nature of delusions, the foundation of this particular one unsurprisingly proved to be unfounded and rooted in misguided anger and denial with his reasoning being more personal than anything else. While acid is something that doesn’t come along very often, this side mission didn’t add much to the grand scheme but rather, time that could have been spent elsewhere.

In terms of the rest of the episode, it was all about diving deeper into Gideon and Rossi’s work in making the report that became the basis of the Gold Star program. Faced with boxes and boxes of papers, the answer was a part of the founding members of the BAU and one that Gideon and Rossi shared a complicated history with, enough to make the latter reticent of bringing them back in. Dr. Jill Gideon’s (Felicity Huffman), Jason Gideon’s ex-wife, field of expertise fit right into what they were doing and would provide some invaluable insight. A silent partner, alongside Rossi and Gideon, she was burnt out and so far removed from the criminal profiling game to the point that she was reluctant to come back but Prentiss knew exactly which buttons to press to convince her to come back as a consultant. Voit, meanwhile, threatened his lawyer, Vincent Orlov (Brian White), into digging up a special kill kit and give it to Damien.

Inevitably setting her up for the final stretch, the highlight of the episode was Jill Gideon’s long-awaited return to the BAU. An emotional scene that bookended the episode, the sudden rush of feelings that came back from her being in the BAU once again felt real as Huffman did a great job at creating that gradual build-up. Ending in Rossi’s office, which used to be Jason Gideon’s office, memories of her deceased ex-husband and the time they surely spent together in that office hit especially hard. Hinting at a romantic past with Rossi, their reunion, and his surprise seeing her, made for an interesting cliffhanger.

A long-winded way to bring Jill Gideon into the fold and advance Voit’s involvement with Damien and the Gold Star storyline, along with a new unsub to fill out the remainder of the running time. A good episode for the most part, here’s to hoping that the time for set up is over.

still courtesy of Paramount+

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.