The Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 finale finished off the James Crowley arc while also leading to a character exit that many fans thought might be coming. After four years of terrorizing the BAU as Sicarius, aka Elias Voit, Zach Gilford is exiting the series.
In the season finale, the BAU learned that Voit escaped, and at around the same time, they also learned Holly Voit had disappeared soon after she asked her protection detail to step back a bit. FBI Director Madison was prepared to shoot Voit on sight once they found him, but the team balked. They knew Voit no longer posed a danger to others and was just trying to find his daughter.
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 19 finale reveals character connections
Meanwhile, Crowley had two hostages, Laura and Holly. Both women had unknowingly been classmates in college and watched a lecture Crowley had given on various killers the BAU had been caught themselves. Laura, in the midst of her breakup with Lance, had asked Crowley’s opinion on filing a restraining order against him. Unknowingly, she sealed both hers and Lance’s fates as being tied to the entire situation.Â
Holly had also approached Crowley, not realizing he recognized her from having been following Sicarius’s deeds. She wanted to know his thoughts on whether there was a genetic susceptibility for children of murderers eventually harming people themselves.
Laura was being held in an old industrial warehouse, stuck in the same type of chair Lance had been in when he was abducted. She had electrodes attached to her that shocked her when Penelope Garcia tried to track her location while talking with her on a livestream, closely monitored by Crowley.Â
Eventually, Garcia was able to override the system so the team could move in and rescue her without Crowley noticing. They found her, but the chair she was in was on a pressure plate, meaning it would explode once she got up. Luke used his hands to provide pressure once she was rescued, and just as it started to activate itself, he ran off.
After the explosion, Luke was unconscious in the warehouse while everyone got out. But he got a rescue in the form of his beloved dog, Roxy, whose spirit helped guide him to safety. It was such a heartwarming moment as Laura was rescued.
Poor Laura will likely have a lot to overcome herself. She just wanted advice on how to deal with her ex, and the man she spoke to eventually killed him. While she may have been rescued, there's a lot of emotional trauma she will have to work through.
Crowley himself had Holly hidden in Florida, in a house connected to his past. His biological father had been a leader of a religious group called The Columns, and he had a mistress who would become pregnant with Crowley. It was also here that Voit met Deena Ryan, who was passing out pamphlets for the group.
This is why Deena Ryan was the victim that Crowley focused on in order to get close to Voit, and now he had Holly. Even though Voit had been planning on going after him, he still called Rossi and Garcia, who tracked his location.
Voit found Crowley but eventually submitted, realizing Holly would die if anything happened to Crowley. He reunited with her in the basement where she was being held. Voit managed to fight Crowley off to keep him from shocking her while he helped her escape. As Holly ran off, Voit grabbed some handcuffs, foregoing the knife that Crowley had left there earlier.
Unfortunately, Crowley gained the upper hand and began to strangle him. Instead, Holly came running back and stabbed him herself. Voit quickly made it look like he was the one who stabbed Crowley, and he apologized to his daughter profusely for her becoming involved.
How did the show handle Voit's final bow?
Holly was clearly rattled by what had happened, her worst fear coming true of becoming someone who hurt another person. However it happened, it’s a lot to deal with, and JJ Jareau and Emily Prentiss assured her they were there for her so she could talk. Hopefully, Holly can move forward with her life.
Voit, in the meantime, was transferred to a high-maximum security prison, meaning he will now be out of commission and out of their lives. Despite having advocated for Voit, David still finished his book so people would know Sicarius was not one to be admired. He also had one last internal conversation with Sicarius himself before putting him to bed forever, seemingly.Â
The episode also ended with JJ and the gang driving Henry to his new college. It was a teary goodbye for everyone, and JJ told her son that his dad would be proud of him. Seeing the flashbacks of Henry growing up was also sweet and showed how far he had come since birth.
After ending with Dr. Tara Lewis and Prentiss enjoying a drink, the episode showed that even with Voit out of the picture, the cases never stop. With Voit’s storyline now at an end, we’re looking forward to seeing what season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution brings.
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