Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Season 19 finale of Criminal Minds: Evolution, streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
Throughout its original run, Criminal Minds had some pretty shocking character exits, and that hasn’t changed with the revival. Criminal Minds: Evolution just wrapped its 19th season on the 2026 TV schedule, which was a roller coaster from start to finish. Between additional character deaths, such as Luke’s beloved dog Roxy, and some surprising twists, the latest season never slowed down. When it came to the finale, everything was heightened, and it included yet another character exit. And this one is definitely a bummer.
Thursday’s finale, “Bad Blood,” officially saw the last of Zach Gilford’s villainous Elias Voit/Sicarius, at least for now. Voit had to save his daughter Holly from this season’s unsub James Crowley/The Fan (Justin Kirk). Crowley, who had lured Voit to escape prison, nearly ended up killing him, until Holly got the drop on him and stabbed him. Voit took the fall for his daughter, and he was transferred to another prison to serve a whopping 64 consecutive life sentences. Gilford told Us Weekly that seeing Voit go out the way he did gave him a mix of emotions, especially knowing that this would be it for him:
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To give this guy some redemption and go out on a good guy note — so to speak — was nice. It’s weird. You wrap a show and a lot of times you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I’m coming back next year and if we’re going to have another season in general.’ On this, I did know that it was the end.
Fans were introduced to Voit in Season 16, the first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Of course, the show has had unsubs that have returned numerous times, but he was really Criminal Minds‘ first season-long unsub. He was then brought back for the next two seasons, once again giving the BAU headaches with his sarcastic and sadistic attitude… while also helping them at times. What was always his top priority was his family, so it makes sense that he would do whatever it took to protect his daughter, even if it meant never getting out.
That being said, Voit definitely made things a bit more entertaining, and you never knew what he could have up his sleeve that could harm or help the team. Even though some people may have found his arc was overdone because they’re not used to seeing the same unsub on screen for more than a few episodes, it’s hard to imagine Evolution without him. Gilford shared his thoughts on leaving the series, and I am just as bummed out as he is:
It was a bummer, and I am really like, ‘I’m not good with emotions.’ So I literally — before they even officially wrapped — I had a feeling it was the last take. I just left. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I just snuck out. They’re like, ‘Zach, where are you? Where’d you go?’ And then a few people saw me driving out of my car. I’m like, ‘Bye, I’ll see you later.’
Gilford has confirmed that he is, in fact, no longer on Criminal Minds. But since the show has found ways to bring Voit back before, it’s possible this won’t be the last we see of him. It might just be a little longer than fans are used to. The Friday Night Lights alum revealed just how hard it was to say goodbye to Voit and the show, and I honestly never thought I would feel sad about no longer seeing an unsub on Criminal Minds:
It was hard to say goodbye. It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play, and partially because what a gift. Every season I got to do a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was just doing the same thing every year.
Criminal Minds: Evolution has already been renewed for Season 5, the 20th season overall of Criminal Minds, so if anything, fans won’t have to wait too long for more. The Season 19 finale set up the next season, with body parts being sent to various FBI field offices across the country. So there is going to be a lot to look forward to, even if Elias Voit isn’t involved. All 19 seasons of Criminal Minds are streaming on Paramount+, so it can’t hurt to do a rewatch while waiting.
