Criminal Minds: Evolution – Season 17

By: Mariah Thomas

“The Criminal Minds: Evolution” finale had me on the edge of my seat from the very first moments. The previous episode left us on quite the cliffhanger of Jade (Liana Liberato) setting off the bombs she set up, as agents Prentiss (Paget Brewster) and Rossi (Joe Mantegna) enter the building. The finale picks up in the aftermath. The season has made references to Prentiss’s past trauma, so it feels fitting for this episode to open up similar to “Minimal Loss” (4×03). It parallels the episode opening up with a broadcast of an explosion and the audience’s knowledge that Prentiss is inside.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season Two feels like a giant video game and the finale is the final level. The main plot follows the mystery of Gold Star, which was introduced in Season One. Deputy Doug Bailey (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) face off about the subject, which leads to Bailey being shot by Voit. Season Two opens up with Prentiss harboring guilt over Bailey’s death and looking further into the mystery of Gold Star. In her findings she discovers a pattern of gouged out eyes and star bullets. After two weeks of solo research, she finally informs the team. The episodes that follow leave you with a new conclusion on what Gold Star could be and we truly do not see the full picture until the finale. Government trained assassins gone rogue? Conspiracy theorists? Someone named Damien (David Garelik)? Jade? Team of five? Stuart House? Rossi and Gideon study gone wrong? Answer: all of them. All of the pieces fall into place as the BAU and Prentiss discover the final Gold Star member – Pete Bailey (Alex Saxon), Doug Bailey’s younger brother. He blames Prentiss for his brother’s death and allows for a conspiracy to build up to this final showdown.

Level one of this tete-a-tete lays out the confusions of the case. In the metaphorical level two, we discover that many of the current deaths are at the hands of Jade. It is clear she has a specific end goal as she collects the gold stars (deputy badges) of sheriffs who worked as security part time at Stuart House – a training school for psychopaths. By level three, Damien is introduced and the BAU has concluded that each deceased sheriff has a tie to their identified Gold Star members. The next level sets off on some side quests. Prentiss is tasked with shutting down her conspiracy theorist former neighbor, Brian Garrity (Paul F. Thompkins). This proves to be more complicated than expected. Garrity possessed information he should not and amidst the chaos Prentiss gets arrested. We begin to see her unravel as this case gets more complex. Throughout the series, Emily Prentiss is a protector. She constantly puts herself on the line for her team and others. We see this when she goes off on her own to defeat Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy), in her capture by the cult in Minimal Loss and when she is captured by Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman) in Season 13. With the death of Doug Bailey and kidnapping of Rossi last season, she holds onto a significant amount of guilt. There is guilt in failing to protect them, as well as in not fully understanding what happened to be sure the threat has passed. Therefore, her obsession with this case amplifies and she is blinded by trying to put this fire out before it can reach anyone else. This season is an emotional rollercoaster driven by Emily Prentiss, showcasing the incredible talent of Paget Brewster. In episode 6 Prentiss and JJ (AJ Cook) finally discuss BAU-Gate and Prentiss’s knowledge of it. When JJ inquires why she was not told, Prentiss says, “I knew you could handle it. It doesn’t mean you have to. I’m supposed to protect the team.” This season focuses on truth versus conspiracy. That seems to be Prentiss’s truth. She has to carry the burdens and be the one to save everyone. As we near the end of the season, things settle as she seems to trust the team’s ability to protect themselves.

Finally, we get more insight on the origins of Gold Star. In the 90s, Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) and David Rossi worked on a paper that looked into the question, “How to find at-risk kids who grew up in a 360-degree environment of family violence?” The paper essentially examined how troubled teens could develop into unsubs. Dr. Jill Gideon (Felicity Huffman) believed the paper could be used for good. Her hope was that, despite the paper being about creating killers, it could be used to identify traits in these teens and intervene before any violent tendencies emerged. This leads us to Stuart House and where we learn about Jade and Damien’s past. Stuart House, and other similar facilities, did the opposite of Jill’s intention with leaking the paper. She was no longer involved after the initial investment of these facilities, so she was unaware of the harm caused. Jade and Damien, traumatized by their experiences, were manipulated by a man named Frank Church (Tuc Watkins) into believing many lies and conspiracies. Each member of Gold Star has a different mission. Jade, Damien and Dana (Nikko Austen Smith) repeatedly express their desire to “save the children,” a phrase often heard throughout the season. This phrase also serves as the title of the finale.

Pete Bailey, who we learn in the finale to be the final Gold Star member, wants vengeance for his brother’s death. He was led to believe Prentiss was responsible. Jade and Pete hold strongly their belief in the truth and honor that. Prentiss is granted a trial of sorts to plead her innocence and understand her charges. In episode nine, Jade sees the truth of who Church is – a child molester. She learns he has been sexually abusing the teens at his facility and abuses her as well. He prides himself on running an establishment far different than Stuart House, one he believes is a safe place. Once Jade knows the truth, Church becomes a new target. The finale opens up with her laying out his charges and asking how he pleads. Although she knows the truth, she wants him to know his death is a consequence of his own actions. She shoots him and an immense look of relief washes over her face. Jade aims the gun at Prentiss, and she asks how she pleads. Jade, aware of Prentiss’s profiling tactics, lays out how she thinks their interaction will go. Thinking quickly on her feet (more like in her wheelchair), Prentiss understands how important the truth is to Jade and uses this to her advantage. Earlier in the season Prentiss says, “If it happens again, I would like it to be for something I did do,” referring to her arrest. This moment feels reminiscent of that. She holds off on showing fear to potential death and rallies to know the why.

Over the next forty minutes, we flash between the trial of Emily Prentiss and the BAU racing to find her with the help of Voit. Another season-wide plot that reaches an epic moment in the finale is the JJ and BAU-Gate storyline. Earlier in the season the existence of deep fake pornography that used Agent Jareau’s face was revealed. Voit also taunts Luke (Adam Rodriguez) with the knowledge of a secret that holds the potential to cause riffs within the BAU. Voit tells him a website link that ends up being an anagram for JJ’s name. Although Homeland Security found and shut down the website in 2014, it still exists in dark corners of the internet. Luke brings this to Prentiss’s attention, who solemnly tells Luke she was made aware when she became Unit Chief. Luke is outraged and does not understand why she would keep this from the team. She orders him not to relay this information to JJ. In a heartbreaking moment, he tells her the truth as the pair talk about Sydney’s (Kiele Sanchez) strength to deal with her former husband Voit. JJ tells him to “never underestimate the strength of a mother,” and he knew she would be able to handle the truth. Throughout the season, we see her fall into herself as she processes the deep fakes. AJ Cook does a wonderful job of showing us JJ’s trauma in the tiniest of ways, like having her sleeves pulled up and fidgeting with her necklace. In the final episode, the BAU once again has to use Voit’s help. It has been a season filled with his witty comebacks and sarcasm, and the finale is no different. He taunts JJ with bringing up BAU-Gate in front of the rest of the team and takes credit for its creation. JJ asks for a moment alone with him and she gives him a taste of his own medicine. She reveals to him she was able to discover Voit used videos of his wife, without her consent, and says he better hope any content with her “stays buried better than [his] bunkers.” We rarely see Voit falter; however, JJ’s delivery being laced with the sarcasm we have seen from Voit all season surely shut him down. Another wonderful Voit shutdown moment comes when Garica (Kirsten Vangsness) takes off her glasses and stares him down. A powerful highlight of the season.

Prentiss only drops the mask of confidence when she realizes her team is in danger. Throughout the cuts to her trial, we see her tortured and bound with zip ties. As Jade points a gun at her head, she seems to accept her possible death and only cracks when the BAU is walking into a trap. On the outside the BAU piece together the information Pete needs to know. Voit’s confession of killing Doug is broadcasted on their video feed and the moment Jade is able to confirm the video is real the pair surrender.

In the aftermath of her rescue, Prentiss reasons with Director Madison (Clark Gregg) that Pete and Jade are victims, and he offers to place them at a prison with a good psychological program. After an entire season of watching her be belittled by Madison and other men, she stands firmly in this. She barters for Pete to see his parents and Jade to see Mila (Josie Nivar). Jade Waters and Emily Prentiss mirror each other in a handful of ways. Once Pete and Jade have surrendered, Jade holds a hidden gun up to her head. In a moment of realizing the falsehoods she believed and the things she did because of it, she breaks down. She attempts to rationalize with Prentiss, who reveals she can relate to some of what she says. Prentiss tells Jade they need her to know about Damien, to know about Stuart House, and to know her truth. She places the gun down and allows officers to escort her out. Despite having been tortured and held captive by Jade, Prentiss holds so much empathy for her. She made sure Jade saw Mila again, so she could feel peace in being told “you saved me.” In Season six, Prentiss’s death was faked to protect herself and team from Ian Doyle. She waited seven months for her own moment to see her team safe. Seven months for the hugs and she made sure Jade got it immediately.

The beginning of the season shows us the BAU celebrating Garcia’s birthday while Prentiss works on the Gold Star case alone. In a beautiful mirror moment, our final glimpse of the BAU this season we see them celebrating together. It appears to be a “Hooray, You’re Alive!” party for Prentiss and with her track record? That is a worthy celebration. We also got confirmation that Tara (Aisha Tyler) and Rebecca (Nicole Pacent) are back together!

In the final scene, we see that Voit has been moved out of maximum security to the general population, under his birth name. However, someone discovers his true identity, and he is shanked. His fate is left unknown, but it has been confirmed we will see more of him next season.