For those who can’t get enough of the latest streaming true crime documentary or salacious Ryan Murphy glamorization of a serial killer, you should be watchingCriminal Minds: Evolution- really. It’s no secret that America is deep in its true crime era. Thanks to streaming platforms, in particular Netflix’strue crime documentariesabout serial killers and cult leaders, are hotter than ever before.
Part of the allure for normal, not pathological people, is trying to unravel and understand how another human being can go so far off the rails. Serial killers in fiction tend to be more outlandish and unbelievable, but when fictional narratives get them right – or at least plausible – the results can be fascinating. It’s exactly why true crime fans must check outCriminal MInds: Evolutionbefore season 4.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Reinvented Its Tone From The Original Run
For starters, theEvolutionrevival ofCriminal Mindscompletely reinvented itself from the original series. Many of the main cast members returned, and newcomers were added to take over their roles in the group dynamic. The main premise of the show – the BAU profiling and tracking down serial killers – remained unchanged, as well.
The tone and story arcs, however, were transformed by the move from network TV to Paramount+. The shift to streaming allowed the show to get much, much darker, and it did.Criminal Mindshas always dealt with some deeply disturbing “unsub” killers, butCriminal Minds: Evolutiontook it to the next level in how twisted some of its antagonists are.
Likewise, whileCriminal Minds: Evolutionstill has serial killers, called unsubs, of the week, it follows an overarching, season-long story, unlike the original. Serial killer and hacker mastermindElias Voit (Zach Gilford)has been at the center of those stories since the revival began, and sticking with him as the primary antagonist has allowed the revival to dive more deeply into its storytelling and character development.
With only 10 episodes per season compared to the original’s 20+ episodes,Criminal Minds: Evolution’s seasons play out like proper streaming miniseries, with less filler and more ongoing twists and turns. The writing in the original was always fun, but the writing in the revival and the character work have been elevated since the move to streaming – and there’s no need to have watched the original to follow along.
Criminal Minds: Evolution’s Antagonist, Voit, Is Unlike Any Other Serial Killer
As for that overarching antagonist, Elias Voit, he’s unlike any other serial killer on TV – whether in a real true crime documentary or a fictionalized version likeDexter. Unlike fictional serial killers who are all gas, all the time, or real-life serial killers, who are almost always socially awkward and one-note, wholly unremarkable but for their pathology, Elias Voit is multifaceted and layered.
The interesting thing is that, for as twisted and depraved as his killings are – Voit’s actions are no doubt evil, and he is a serial killer – there’s a glimpse of the man he might have been had he not gone through an abusive childhood only to land in the hands of an even worse monster, his uncle, who taught him to kill.
He loves his wife and he loves his daughters, and so, during the COVID lockdown, in an attempt to stave off his urges, he creates a network on the dark web with the initial intention of helping other serial killers also fighting their urges and giving them a place to vent. Unsurprisingly, it quickly turns into a network of his acolytes all worshipping at his murderous throne.
Without spoiling anything, Voit’s transformation and arc inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 is unlike anything we’ve seen. It completely reinvents a character who was already incredibly interesting, making an already strong part of the show the most compelling part. For those who love serial killers, Voit is the perfect character study into psychopathy – and what happens after – makingCriminal Minds: Evolutionthe next show to binge-watch.
