Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review: Just Getting Started / Sicarius
A procedural about serial killers might not be the first thing you think of when programming your holiday watchlist, but fans will be thankful for a return of their favorite profilers. Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 1 Episode 1, “Just Getting Started,” and Episode 2, “Sicarius,” bring viewers back into the thrilling world of the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) as the team tackles its toughest case yet.
Despite the new subtitle, Criminal Minds: Evolution is a revival, not a reboot, as it keeps the same cast and picks up from the show’s original continuity with a slight time jump. For the most part, the changes it makes in its move to streaming are welcome ones.
The “case of the week” format is not completely gone but reconfigured to support a season-long arc as the team hunts down a serial killer (Elias Voit played by Zach Gilford) who used the pandemic to build a network of serial killers that has gone operational. The arc is gradually set up throughout the first two episodes as two seemingly unrelated UnSubs are discovered and connected to the larger plot.
The shake-up of format coincides with a shake-up on screen, as the BAU we return to is more fractured due to internal politics that restructured the unit to operate as individuals. The team must come together not only to solve this case but to save the BAU from being disbanded completely by a budget-crunching deputy director of the FBI.
It’s not the first time government oversight threatened the BAU and the individual killers featured in the first two episodes aren’t more gruesome than before, but it does feel like the stakes are worthy of the anticipated revival.
Here the BAU and the show itself have a chance to prove why they matter in a changed landscape. An individual serial killer might sadly seem mundane when viewers are inundated with content about serial killers, both fictional and real, but the idea of them banding together under one psychopathic leader is bone-chilling for even the most desensitized viewer.
Gilford, currently best known for his softer roles in the “Flanaverse” of Mike Flanagan shows like Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club, radiates menace as Voit despite having limited dialogue over the two episodes. From his precise kill kits to his “rules” that force the other UnSubs to commit suicide if they’re captured, Voit is an organized evil force unlike we’ve ever seen.
Even if you’re not invested in the BAU as individuals you will be immediately hooked to see how this case plays out and what other twisted tricks Voit has up his sleeve.
The full Criminal Minds Season 15 team returns except for Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) and Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) though the explanation of the team being split up and assigned to different cases leaves the door open for their return. The BAU jet is also absent due to FBI budget cuts if you count that as a member of the team, which I do.
The absence of Gubler, who was a series regular since Season 1, is particularly jarring since Reid’s different perspective would often balance out the team. His absence does however leave more room for other characters to shine.
What truly makes the revival stand out is the time it’s able to spend exploring the characters as people since the episodes aren’t so tightly bound within the typical network procedural format. The members of the BAU have been doing this for a long time, and the wear and tear of the job and internal politics clearly weigh on them.
Even though some of their struggles are a bit mundane, it’s still worthwhile to see them all get to react as fully-developed characters instead of rushing through conflicts due to procedural pacing. Seeing Paget Brewster’s Emily Prentiss be more assertive and hilarious than ever is satisfying to watch and feels like an accurate portrayal of someone who’s been through the wringer of bureaucracy and doesn’t give a damn anymore about playing nice.
While lightheartedness and jokes are important to balance out the gravity of the murders, it’s Criminal Minds: Evolution‘s work in exploring its characters’ trauma that hits home on the first two episodes.
Joe Mantegna does a masterful job playing a completely unraveled David Rossi, whose grief over the loss of his wife leaves him barely holding it together. His rage feels all the more visceral since it doesn’t have to be watered down to network standards (are we really surprised to see Rossi cursing?).
Penelope Garcia’s (Kirsten Vangsness) traumatic life was explored throughout the original series, but it’s deeply moving to see her on the other side of her journey having found a place of healing. Often used for comedic relief in the original series, she brings emotional wisdom back to the team when she agrees to help them.
Garcia may do the same work as before but she’s a different, more confident person (who still wears plenty of colorful outfits of course). The scene she and Rossi share on Episode 2 when she reaches out to him in concern makes for a heart-wrenching role reversal.
Fans of Criminal Minds will enjoy having the BAU back in action as they investigate Voit’s network of serial killers. For viewers unfamiliar with the series, the show is still easy enough to jump into if you’re willing to accept you won’t get every reference.
With a captivating premiere, Criminal Minds: Evolution sets the bar high for how the rest of the season will play out.
Additional Thoughts:
- Ending Episode 1 with the UnSub reading the closing quote gave me chills!
- “I hate how easy it is to pick this back up.” Same Garcia, same.
- I wish Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) and Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) got a little more personal development in these episodes though Tara being the first openly queer member of the team is exciting for the show which has historically lacked that representation.
- SOAR (Safe Online Acquaintance Revolution) sounded a little ridiculous but there is a demand for new social media platforms at the moment…
- I refuse to believe JJ’s (A.J. Cook) marriage made it this far just for them to tank it now. We need love to prevail in this dark world!
- Would an empty office in the FBI headquarters stay empty that long? For dramatic effect, yes. In real life, probably not. (I hope we eventually learn what the post-it note said.)
- For as many things as it did right the little text message pop-ups on the screen look very dated to me. Very few shows or movies seem to have figured out how to make on-screen pop-ups not look bad.
What did you think of these episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.
One thought on “Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review: Just Getting Started / Sicarius”
I was excited to learn Criminal minds was back. I loved both episodes can’t wait for more!!!
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