Criminal Minds Evolution (3×09) CollateRal Review

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

The endgame is now upon us as all the episodes before have been leading up to this thrilling penultimate episode of the season. Every action by the new Sicarius network has all been a part of its master plan, and it should not come as a surprise who that plan would be centered around. As the network closed ranks in preparation for their ultimate goal, lose ends began to be eliminated. Meanwhile, Rossi’s theory of the disciple, or someone working closely with the disciple, was closer to the case than they first suspected proved to be a correct one. And the episode didn’t really bother to try to hide that connection. But above all else, the episode would initiate a race against the clock as the BAU and the Sicarius network raced to the finish line. As the latter further deciphered all of the evidence across the first eight episodes, the larger plan of the network became more and more clear. In order to even up the odds, the team needed to identify the source of a leak within their investigation, someone who had been feeding the disciple vital information about the case.

When it came to Rossi’s theory, this was set in motion by an immediately suspicious orderly joining Ochoa’s new rotation, as ordered by Prentiss. That orderly also served as the means for the network to eliminate loose ends, the biggest ones being captured killers who did not kill themselves before being captured. However, unlike the other killers so far, they would abduct a young boy. This fact did not go unnoticed by the BAU who worked to secure as many survivors as possible. Fortunately for them, the abducted boy would fall into their laps after being delivered in a crate alive, tasked to deliver a message to JJ (using that nickname specifically). In the end, all roads led to Kyle Mackey who was missing, as was his ex-wife Lainey (Alicia Urizar McCallum) and their daughter Ava (Audrina Miranda).

Finding Mackey, he revealed that codename of the network’s final plan, ‘Project Checkmate.’ Believing his family to be vital in getting him to reveal the truth about the project, it did not take long for the BAU to discover that Voit had been the one to deliver a warning to them via a contraband phone he had procured. Although he had been surprisingly cooperative up to this point, he shut down regarding the origin of the phone and his connection to Lainey and Ava. Investigating the phones of Ochoa’s staff was a dead end, as the orderly set up another member of her staff to take the fall. Going back to Voit himself, it didn’t take long for Rossi to get him to reveal the truth about his actions. Still focused on saving people, he did not trust that the FBI could protect them until Rossi convinced him otherwise.

Finding Lainey and Ava, Mackey’s wife did not hesitate in giving her ex-husband a piece of her mind. As a result, he pointed the BAU to another killer with the codename of ‘The Engineer.’ Tracking down a potential suspect, the lead seemed to be a dead end until the network’s plan became crystal clear. Flooding the backyard of the BAU with so many unsubs, their plan was to pull them in different directions and stretch them thin in the hopes of leaving them vulnerable, as they went in for their final move. In this case, that final move was to abduct Voit and Ochoa, a victim of circumstance who was last seen arguing with him as the network approached. Showing up for the aftermath, the BAU were met with a trail of bodies scattered across the wing of the hospital where Voit was being held.

Setting up a potential new angle by foreshadowing a mystery daughter of Cyrus, that connection to him is further strengthened but whoever the disciple is, their true motivations remain unclear. However, abducting Voit is a good first step. There was no way that the endgame of the season was not going to involve him and thankfully, the inverse is the case here. While Zach Gilford continues to be one of the biggest highlights of the streaming revival of Criminal Minds, the character of Elias Voit is one with a shelf life and one that may be coming to an end soon. It’s unfortunate, however, it is inevitable. The path to the finish line is there. Now it’s about who will cross it first. The season finale is shaping up to be an exciting one. With the series renewed for a 4th season (or a 19th for those who group the revival with the original series), here’s to hoping it takes some big swings as it charts a new path moving forward.

still courtesy of Paramount+

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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.