Criminal Minds: Evolution Pulls the Trigger on Garvez In The Worst Way Possible
Long-time fans find the latest Evolution episode hard to accept.
It is definitely not an easy thing to be a fan of a pairing on a long-running police procedural. Especially when it comes to Criminal Minds, which has a history of ending every single relationship on the show with a tragedy, big or small. And while dedicated fans still can't get over Spencer Reid's tragic love life and Haley Hotchner's murder, the revival seems determined to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and ruin the last healthy relationships (or hope for them) left on the show.
It all started with the death of David Rossi's wife during the off-season hiatus, and now something terrible is set to happen to JJ and Will in the Season 16 finale.
But the most devastating news for fans came with episode 9, Memento Mori, which featured several flashbacks, including a scene of an infamous date between Luke Alvez and Penelope Garcia that took place after the finale of the original show.
The Luke and Penelope pairing, often referred to as Garvez, has long been one of the show's most popular ships and has a large fan base that was hoping to finally see the couple together in the revival. However, the writers, who had promised to give Garvez more screen time in the new season, decided that the pairing was not meant to be.
"I have been gaslit because they said they would explore the relationship this season. When? Where? They've had like 3 scenes together," a fan wrote after the episode.
The flashback is painful to watch. The long-awaited date feels awkward, to say the least. It seems as if the agents have nothing to say to each other outside of the BAU headquarters and the usual friendly banter. While Luke tries to hold a conversation, Penelope seems frozen, which is completely out of character for her, as has been her entire storyline this season.
Eventually, the two agree that their date is a disaster and they need to stay friends and find the right people, dashing any hopes Garvez fans had. Devastated fans noted that the show not only sidelined Garvez but also set up Tyler as Garcia's person, which is simply unacceptable given his obvious lies.
"I want Garcia to be happy, but I would hope that it would be with someone who respects her and Tyler certainly does not," one of the fans wrote.