Published May 28, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT
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Warning: this article contains discussion of murder, suicide, terminal illness, and PTSD. It also contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Criminal Minds season 19, episodes 1 & 2.
Criminal Minds has finally returned, and season 19 is already laying the groundwork for its most interesting mystery yet. The original run of Criminal Minds is widely regarded as one of the best police procedurals of all time, but its 2022 continuation (also known as Criminal Minds: Evolution) has been far more divisive. While the return of the fan-favorite Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) was a highlight, the reboot has faced its fair share of backlash, especially when it comes to Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), the infamous Sicarius killer.
For three seasons straight, the unsub terrorized the FBI and the world at large, be it through his actual crimes or the network of psychopaths he built during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Voit's original storyline has long been resolved, it seems the continuation simply cannot let him go, as the Criminal Minds season 19 premiere event confirms that the Sicarius case— and its overarching impact on society— is far from over. Yet, the crime drama has introduced a thrilling twist that should assuage viewers' chronic Voit fatigue alongside a slew of deeply provoking character arcs for the beloved main cast.
Criminal Minds Season 19 Time Jump Explained (Where Each BAU Member Is Starting)
Truthfully, some of the central special agents stand out more than others in the first two episodes of Criminal Minds season 19, but everyone has a role to play— and, thankfully, everyone has inklings of season-long storylines. Immediately, we learn that a year has passed since the end of Criminal Minds season 18, and most of the BAU have experienced major life changes. Following a near-death epiphany last season, Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) proposed to her girlfriend, Rebecca (Nicole Pacent), but the time-jump sadly means they got married off-screen.
Meanwhile, David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) has a well of hate for Elias Voit that will seemingly never run dry, but his publisher is begging for him to write a book on the Sicarius investigation. Similarly, Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) is her typical, endearingly snarky self, but she's biting back her growing frustration over department layoffs and Voit's continued presence.
Every season of Criminal Minds: Evolution has included a time-skip, with season 17 taking place two weeks after season 16 and season 18 picking up six months after season 17.
In stark contrast to the highly experienced agents, newbie Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka) was able to bypass the decades-long training protocol and earn a permanent spot on the BAU in the Criminal Minds season 18 finale. A year later, he's still undoubtedly finding his footing and learning to trust his gut, but he's formed a solid bond with fellow veteran Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez). Luke himself is struggling with a personal loss— much like Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook)— but his invaluable relationship with Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) has somewhat eased the blow.
So far, Garcia is the only BAU member without an obvious arc outside of playing a supporting role. In the first two episodes alone, she was JJ's moving buddy, Luke's shoulder to cry on, and the usual tech genius that saves the BAU's investigation at a critical moment. Surely, more will come pertaining to her individually, but she's far from invisible during the season 19 premiere.
One Killer Sicarius Fan Is Still On The Loose
While Garcia was even instrumental in shutting down the notorious Sicarius network in the Criminal Minds season 18 finale, Voit has apparently only gotten more popular since his arrest. Prentiss' conspiracy theorist nemesis, Brian Garrity (Paul F. Tompkins), returns with a vengeance in season 19, swapping his tin foil hat for a set of headphones to host The Sicarius Files, a true-crime podcast (sans the truth). Beyond spouting dangerous misinformation regarding Voit and his alleged government training, however, Garrity has helped earn the Sicarius killer even more celebrity, which has come with a killer cost.
Nearly every episode in the series includes a murderous cold open where the unsub's identity is concealed in some way, but Criminal Minds season 19's new villain remains completely anonymous after two full episodes. "Now and Then" ends with the unsub strangling an innocent college student, while "Cluster" shows the killer banging on his steering wheel after hearing Voit denouncing his fans. So far, there is no name, no face, and no chance of the unsub being on the BAU's radar. All we know is the car they drive, the black gloves they wear, and the cigarettes they smoke.
Why Alvez Felt Connected To The Unsub In “Cluster”
Out of the illustrious cast of characters in Criminal Minds: Evolution, Luke has irrefutably been the most overlooked. Thankfully, the new season is already giving the agent the screentime he deserves. Criminal Minds season 19, episode 2 revolves around Luke and the loss he's grieving. Though we begin in a cemetery, it's not until the final few scenes of the episode that Criminal Minds reveals who Luke is mourning: Roxy, the dog he had for over a decade. While losing a pet is devastating enough, Roxy's death has broader implications in episode 2's investigation.
Though he loved her more than anything, Luke didn't get Roxy because he wanted a pet. Rather, the Belgian Shepherd specifically helped him transition back to the real world after he finished his deployment. The time he spent overseas alone was enough to keep him up at night, but the combination of his active duty and his FBI work left Luke thoroughly traumatized. The reason he persevered and became the SSA he is today is Roxy's service as his loyal companion. Naturally, Criminal Minds has Luke process this the good old-fashioned way: through a harrowing case.
"Cluster" follows the BAU as they try to solve a string of forced lobotomies given to members of ARC (the army recovery care program), and the case obviously hits especially close to home for Luke. While interviewing a surviving victim, Luke is forced to talk down the lobotomized veteran as he begs to be killed. Later, when Luke comes face-to-face with the unsub— a traumatized solider with a brain tumor— he practically flays himself open with honesty, disarming the killer with his vulnerability.
As Luke explains, returning to reality after his discharge felt like an insurmountable challenge, and he even experienced suicidal ideation. The difference between him and the unsub, however, is that Luke had Roxy to rely on. Without her, there's no telling what might have happened to the skilled profiler, but the pain of losing her is dulled by the sheer gratitude Luke feels for having her in his life at all. In many ways, the unsub is a mirror to Luke, which explains why he vows to visit him in prison and ensure he's never alone again.
The BAU's Voit Conflict Explained
While Alvez is getting his well-earned time in the sun, Voit continues to be one of the most important characters in the overarching plot of the series. Instead of relishing life as a newlywed, Tara is fixated on interviewing Voit to get to the root of his past psychopathy. The psychologist believes that, if she can truly understand Voit, the FBI will be able to intercept the countless other killers just like him and prevent them from reaching Sicarius-level notoriety. In her own words, Tara feels compelled to "tell [Voit's] story" vis-à-vis her psychoanalysis.
Ironically, this is a direct inverse of Rossi, who is trying his hardest to bury Voit's story in the depths of his memory. Both he and Prentiss express skepticism, if not full-blown disapproval, of Tara's plan, though the first two installments of Criminal Minds season 19 indicate that Voit will be an invaluable tool in taking down his copycat killer. Nevertheless, Voit is dividing the BAU once again, and whether that tension will come to a head remains to be seen.
How JJ's Major Life Change Starts A New Era
Arguably the most consequential twist in the show's modern history has been Will's death in Criminal Minds season 18. The love story between JJ and William LaMontagne (Josh Stewart) was a highlight of the original series, but the New Orleans native was anticlimactically written off last season. Since then, JJ's entire character has been a portrait of grief, with each passing episode adding a new brushstroke of agony, anger, and small scraps of acceptance. Season 19, however, is progressing to the next stage of JJ's healing journey.
Early on, "Now and Then" reveals that JJ is moving out of the house she shared with Will and, after a brief yet emotional farewell montage, she reckons with the new source of her inner turmoil: her son, Henry (Mekhai Andersen), is planning to move across the country for college. There are still tethers to her grief, expressed through her bittersweet realization that she'll be navigating this milestone without her late husband, but JJ is headed for an empty-nester storyline that will free her from a perpetual cycle of mourning.
What Voit’s Hallucinations Of Rossi Reveal About His Season 19 Storyline
Of course, it wouldn't be Criminal Minds: Evolution if there wasn't some kind of showdown between Rossi and Voit. Granted, the real Rossi wants nothing to do with the killer and has successfully avoided him thus far, but his influence is still felt in Voit's inner psyche. In a fascinating reversal of season 2, Voit is now hallucinating Rossi, and he's keeping it secret from Tara and the prison staff. Throughout Criminal Minds season 19 episodes 1 and 2, "Rossi" appears as a punishing inner voice that degrades Voit and distracts him from his murderous impulses.
That Voit has internalized Rossi as a form of subconscious self-flagellation is certainly intriguing, but the end of episode 2 is when the real bombshell drops. Once the typical back-and-forth of accusations and denials wraps up, Voit's inner Rossi gets the last word by insisting the killer is secretly planning his escape from prison. Voit, at war with himself, ardently denies it, but Chekhov's gun has officially been loaded.
It's no longer a question of if the "old" Voit still exists, but rather a waiting game to see how far he can break through. If the sadistic daydreams are anything to go by, it seems as though Criminal Minds season 19 is once again putting Voit's "true" nature up for debate, but there's hope yet that the notorious serial killer will have the restraint to not take the lid off his id. Most likely, the Sicarius copycat will serve as a perfectly-timed reminder that no amount of remorse will make up for the widespread damage Voit has caused.
New episodes of Criminal Minds season 19 drop every Thursday on Paramount+.
Release Date May 27, 2026
Episodes 10
English (US) ·