The Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4 (season 19 overall) finale premiered on July 23, with Zach Gilford portraying Elias Voit.
Viewers got to see Voit’s fate and whether the UnSub is expected to return for the next season.
Zach exclusively opened up to Good Housekeeping about his thoughts on his character’s future.
This story contains light spoilers from the Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4 finale.
It’s official: Elias Voit is no longer plaguing the BAU.
Ever since Criminal Minds: Evolution first premiered on Paramount+ in November 2022, fans have watched Zach Gilford’s Elias Voit outsmart the BAU as the mastermind behind a network of serial killers. In the season 4 finale, however, his story took another dramatic turn as he helped the FBI track down his copycat before facing the consequences of his own crimes.
While viewers watched Voit escape prison and kill David Crowley, a.k.a. The Fan (Justin Kirk), after Crowley kidnapped his daughter Holly, they also saw the fallout from the explosive finale. Not only did Voit receive a reduced sentence, but BAU section chief Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) also made it clear that he would no longer be terrorizing the team.
So, what does this mean for Zach’s future on Criminal Minds: Evolution? As he exclusively told Good Housekeeping, don’t expect him to return for the next season. What’s more, he voiced how special the journey has been on such an iconic show.
This content is imported from instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“It’s kind of sad for me, because I’m done on the show, and it was just like such an amazing experience,” he explained over Zoom on July 14. “It became such a family, and like, you know, just such a great time. I got to do four seasons in three years, and I got to direct for the first time, and then a second time. I made some really close friends, and I’ve loved it.”
He’s even taken matters into his own hands on a possible return to the universe.
“I’ve jokingly pitched them a spinoff for so long,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Well, he doesn’t die—maybe he could be part of a Suicide Squad-like team for the BAU!”
Regardless of what happens next for Zach, he’s proud of his work as Voit.
“I try to learn something on every job, and I think Criminal Minds made me better at my job,” he noted. “I think because [showrunner] Erica Messer, [executive producer] Breen Frazier, and the writers were so open and collaborative, it allowed me to develop Voit in a way the show hadn’t seen before.
They told me, ‘We haven’t really done character arcs in this way—can you read them and let us know if it works?’ Because of that, I had the chance to learn a lot and make my own stamp in this universe.”
“Playing Voit was so cool and fun,” he concluded. “It was such an honor, and I was just happy to be there. It was exciting to do something a little different, and I hope to return as soon as possible.”
