Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 17 Fulfilled Fans’ Biggest Wish, But They Regret It Now
Viewers want more focus on the season's main antagonist.
Until the release of Evolution, Criminal Minds used the same tried-and-true formula. The profilers are alerted to a string of similar cases and quickly arrive at the spot.
Once the BAU members have a good understanding of the circumstances, they spot trends in the behavior of a serial killer, figure out what set them off, and declare which profile the suspect needs to suit.
Evolution Season 1 Changed the Show's Formula
However, the first season of Evolution presented viewers with a more linear narrative with the season's main antagonist – Elias Voit, played by Zach Gilford. Throughout the season, he was given quite a bit of screen time, which is atypical for previous Criminal Minds cases.
As a result, by the end of the season, viewers just didn't want to part with him – Zach Gilford proved to be surprisingly convincing and, let's admit it, charming in the role of the main villain.
It doesn't happen often, but the creators of the second season of Evolution, and especially Erica Messer, listened to the viewers – and in the second season we got almost as much Voit as in the first season, although the main antagonist has changed – now it's the mysterious Gold Star.
Criminal Minds Fans Want Less Elias Voit
The writers' decision quickly disappointed fans, however.
“I think the biggest mistake they made this season was continuing to make Voit a series regular. The show has to feature him in every episode in order to make it worth the cost [...]. Which means their shoehorning him into the show wherever they can even when it's not necessary,” Reddit user Valenstein77 pointed out.
Voit's presence for two seasons changed the show, from the structure to the character development. Never before has Criminal Minds delved so deeply into the trauma of the BAU members and also revealed a serial killer in such a detailed manner.
All of this takes up a lot of time and takes away from the main mystery of Gold Star. And considering that Gold Star's storyline has become perhaps the most convoluted in the show's history, these plot branches do the show no favors.