Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 Review: ‘Now and Then’

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 “Now and Then” picks up a year after the BAU found the killer calling herself “The Disciple” and brought her into custody, which means it’s also roughly a year after Elias Voit’s unbelievable, yet actually genuine, sudden humanity. The season premiere does a decent job of catching viewers up on just how badly everyone wants to move on. Rossi’s avoiding book deals because all anyone wants to hear about is the last person he wants to discuss—Voit, who Prentiss describes as “Bundy and Dahmer famous.” Emily’s also about a zillion percent over being asked to talk about Voit for the true crime podbro types. Meanwhile, Lewis is…actually regularly meeting with a Voit who’s in federal prison, having trouble sleeping, and hallucinating his favorite “dad.” (Rossi.) So, at least someone’s trying to learn whatever they possibly can from the whole mess.

Also looking to move on, yet from something much more personal: JJ. She’s leaving the home she and Will shared, and Henry’s apparently going off to college soon. (A sentence I can’t believe I just typed.) Not only will JJ and Garcia be neighbors now, but Penelope remembered plenty of bubble wrap for the move—just like Will did with her stuff back when she moved to her current place. The moment’s a nice throwback to Garcia’s speech at Will’s funeral, and it’s also a really good reminder of what makes this series watchable in between all the kidnapping, torture, murder, and other forms of pure evil. Namely, the found family aspect remains on point.

As for the hour’s central case, Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 kind of gets off to a slow start. The cold open seems to take forever, or maybe it’s just a matter of “we’ve kind of seen all of this before at this point.” To be fair, that’s kind of an uncomfortable reaction to sit with. After all, we shouldn’t exactly need each victim to go through something more awful and shock-inducing than the last. But…still. Some combination of the super familiar setup, the somewhat mindless way the victims walk (drive?) into that trap and then do very little to try to get away, and the Laurie character’s stereotypically one-note “hysterical” behavior in captivity just results in it all being kinda “meh.” Or maybe our Unsubs, the Warners, are just entirely unoriginal losers. Which, really, aren’t most—if not all—of these dudes at this point?

Would I put Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 on any kind of “Best of” list? No, but there’s still plenty worth watching. And whatever’s being set up with what I’m calling Voit 3.0—not his original sadistic self, not the helpless puppy in Season 18, but some third thing with the conscience of one and the snarky attitude of the other—has me interested to see what’s next. Also, there’s our new Big Bad right there at the end. Now, the buildup to that person’s crime was actually well done.

And if all else fails, I mean, anytime Emily Prentiss gets to show her disdain for old dudes who call her “girl,” I’m having a good time.

MORE: Here’s what we thought of the Season 18 premiere.

Scene stealer: Guest star Jeri Ryan

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 Jeri Ryan — Screenshot Courtesy of Paramount+

Even if some parts are forgettable, that’s not to say that this latest case is completely unwatchable. The draw, however, doesn’t come from the urgency to save the most recent victims—it’s all in meeting a survivor. Jeri Ryan is excellent in every single scene in which she appears, whether it’s Susan’s initial interview with JJ or when the modern-day version of the character appears in her own memories, looking on in horror with the rest of us. In fact, those flashbacks feel eerily like the early days of Criminal Minds, and I’m always here for a nod to that original format, however clunky those episodes may feel in comparison to more recent ones now.

At multiple points while watching Susan share her trauma, I jotted down some sort of comment or another (usually all-caps) about the protective stance Ryan takes in her scenes. That presence, that posture, those little details all add up to just make it work. When Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 gets to the point where Tara and JJ help Susan unlock her memories, her mere preparation—a deep breath, closed eyes, leaning back to brace herself against the wall and the furniture—lets us know we’re about to be in for some major emotional moments. And we are. Some of the closeups of Ryan are stunning, and when the camera pulls in to draw us into Susan’s world, the way that anxiety bleeds into Ryan’s performance is in perfect sync. When she shares some of the worst memories from that time, the emotion in her voice is everything.

And for as much as some elements of the case are about as—sorry to say—generic as it gets for this series, learning that the current UnSubs are the twins that Susan gave birth to, and that they’re filming everything to take to their hospitalized father to watch to keep him happy while he slowly dies…oof. Now, there’s a twist. My original guess was the two unwashed dudes were recording it for some kind of bland influencer slop “content” or something. Pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

MORE: In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 17 Episode 7, we had a totally chilling case of the week and a standout guest star.

More Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1 reactions

“Maybe you become one with nature.” “On this road?! God knows what’s out there. Uh-uh. Spiders, snakes, bears?” You left out UnSubs.
This should terrify me, considering how dudes around here like to do this aggressively tailgating sh** and could very easily be Very Bad Dudes™ at any time? But it does not.
“Now, I really gotta pee.”
Maybe they just do the camera-in-camera thing a bit too much? It’s neat if put to good use, which it is in parts of this premiere, but overusing it dilutes that effect. Basically, it becomes a cheap gimmick at some point.
“It’s just us again.” There’s no “just” about you and Dave, Emily, but ok.
“Penelope’s helping JJ move.” Fascinated by the way Paget Brewster plays Emily’s reaction here. Not just the little beat she takes but also the way her voice almost, like, trails off on the “she needs the support…” I have so many thoughts, and I don’t know in what world Emily wouldn’t, bare minimum, wish she could be there for a friend. But duty calls. Heavy is the head and all that.
“Oh, seriously? Our friends on the 8th floor just got axed. When will it end? This is brutal.” If I speak on real-world events right now…
I know Emily really wants that Pellegrino to be a beer with the way she’s gesturing with that bottle, huh.
“A household name.” “Well, not in my house.” You tell ’em, ~~Dad!~~ Dave!
Air quotes: “Killer instincts.”
“I have zero interest in having this team relive our Voit years.” “You and me both. I’d die a happy man if I didn’t have to think about Elias Voit? Ever again.” Um. This is what we call “we’re setting the audience up to know that they definitely will be thinking about him again. And soon.” (In case you saw zero trailers and zero cast lists and…)
…and there he is. I love that reflection shot.
“Oh, so you think what I did was special?” It’s the offended/sarcastic/frustrated/fed up delivery from Zach Gilford for me. Voit so very much doesn’t want to be special anymore, doesn’t want to dwell on all of this, just…doesn’t. Period.
That annoyed way he kind of gathers himself before almost mocking the concept of Tara being able to “stop someone else” is so very on brand. Perfect blend of original Voit and the one who now has a conscience.
Hm. Yeah. I’d “uh oh” if Tara sat up, folded her hands, and gave me that look, too.
“…it feels cruel not to give it to them.” “No, it’d be cruel to trigger those memories.” What if both?
“Oh, God. You and Will with that bubble wrap.” “It helps protect precious things.” My heart.
A.J. Cook is always so good at delivering on an emotional moment, and what she does when JJ takes that little bit of time for herself in the empty house is no exception. The whole scene is really well done, probably one of my favorites in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 1, and it’s something many of us can probably connect with. Moving, leaving all those memories behind, is hard. It’s especially difficult given the circumstances, but JJ bears it all with a quiet strength that’s just…heartbreakingly beautiful. The subtle way Cook not only delivers on the emotion, but also lets it grow and breathe throughout, is excellent. And when JJ kisses her fingers and presses them against the kids’ height measurements? Ouch. Pain!
THE SHOVEL THROUGH THE CHEST.
“…where everything feels normal.” How f**ked up is it that this is JJ’s normal????
See also: “Because it’s totally normal, catching killers…at least we don’t pull muscles…”
Garvez alert. “Can you help me get it up on the monitor?” “Well, you have one more dumb question for today, Handsome. Choose wisely.” Check out how soft Penelope is when she ribs Luke here. She keeps that sense of “normal” for him and all, but…that is way, way more gentle than usual. Whatever’s going on with those phone calls, she’s worried. Setup…for what, I have no idea. But setup.
“Just…one more thing.” And then, he smashes that phone. Relatable—in that one split second only.
Joe Mantegna and Zach Gilford, perfect scene partners as always. Imaginary Rossi has a tad bit more of Voit’s attitude than the real version, but only just a tad. (And, in some circumstances, I’d say this is all Dave.) I do feel like there’s a lot of the characters just dumping information on us, but I’ll let it slide on account of this being a season premiere. Besides, if Elias can’t have “Dad” visit in reality, he does deserve a little bit of a coping mechanism. Who better to help him work through this whole internal struggle he’s having after Tara’s insistence on him giving his victims’ families closure? (I still think it could both help and hurt—both Voit and the families—though.)
“You call this coping? Talking to these families is a bad idea.” “Of all your bad ideas, that’s where you’re drawing the line?” Oh, ok. Ghost!Dave is laughing at him on this one. Someone’s shaming himself, huh?
“You thought that if no one knew what you did, you could be loved. That’s why you buried your secrets.” The little tic in Gilford’s jaw and the way he braces himself after hearing that…
“Yeah. Well. There’s no more secrets and no one left to love me.” Let this man start an emo band in prison. That lyric would get the fans screaming along. (I am the fans.)
“I’M NOT IGNORING THEM.” (…he’s beating himself up over ignoring them.)
“My husband always said, ‘time’s a thief.’”
JJ, YOU DON’T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
“I can’t even imagine doing this alone. I don’t know how you do it.” Absolutely fascinated by the way Cook’s smile just melts right off her face, eyes first.
“I thought it would be easier to just keep it a secret. Nobody to…feel sorry for me, nobody to explain it to.”
Can’t help but make an SVU reference here, but I mean this as the highest compliment: It’s as good as just about any scene where a victim discloses to Olivia Benson. As in, it’s really good—and both Cook and Ryan kill it.
“I really thought I was gonna die there. And, you know, part of me did.”
JJ like “???” when she hears “he took them.”
Wee bit much with the “these are definitely the bad guys” framing when the brothers walk into that hospital and all, but ok. We have a lot to do in this hour. I’ll allow it, I guess.
“So, they abduct strangers to, like, continue the lineage of evil. Oh, my gosh. Why are people so mean? I know we don’t have time to get into it…” Never change, Penelope. Not ever.
JJ’s doing the thing with her sleeves again…
“…he was bleeding so bad.” SO MUCH EMOTION. And I’m just going to directly quote my next note while I’m at it: “This is. SO GOOD.”
“You have that look. I can feel it.” “…what look?” “That ‘you’re thinking something and you’re not gonna say it’ look.” Amazing. At this point, just make a new ship name that combines Garvez with Tyler, and be done with it. There’s enough love to go around, isn’t there?
“Wait, what? They’re doing that to her, and you don’t fight them?” As a general rule, I’d be just as pi**ed off as Laurie here, but like. Look at the guy. He’s barely even alive at this point. What is he supposed to do, chained up, against two monsters? Still, points were made here: “You feel powerless. And what about Julie?”
“Maybe death is better than what they’re gonna put you through.”
Ahhh, yes. Classic torture technique.
Dude’s got a good evil laugh. But also: …WTF.
The way Dave and Emily enter that hospital room? Powerful.
Nice little gesture from Mantegna when Rossi tells that dude to take off the headphones.
Also a huge fan of Prentiss not even bothering to look at that human scum while she and Rossi talk sh** on him. Like, everything about her screams “this guy is too beneath me to give him the time of day.” Which, like, yeah. Most guys are unworthy of Emily’s attention. Let’s be real.
And when she does turn and actually face him…if looks could kill.
“Well, now. Nobody has called me girl in quite some time. But the girl in me would say that you, Frank, sound like a crazy old man. The seasoned profiler in me knows that you’re a violent, anger excitation rapist. Raised in a household that praised the hate you spew, which is why you passed it along to your sons. But you’d say it’s in the DNA. I’d say it’s how you were socialized. It’s probably both. The worst part is, just like you, your sons abducted innocent people.” Again going to say I could easily use this to speak on current events.
Brewster maintaining Emily’s complete lack of f**ks to give, even after Frank explodes: Typical, iconic Emily Prentiss behavior.
“Boy, you are so. angry, Frank. Is it because you’re an original incel? Or because you’ll be dead soon. Don’t worry about your sons. We’ll make sure they’re in prison.” FINISH HIM.
I also know I shouldn’t praise law enforcement intimidating rotting corpses or whatever, but like. Kinda loved the entertainment value here at the end of the scene, too. “Ah, that’s enough. Let’s get him out of here before I slap the sh** out of him.” “Oh, I would like to see you try.” Like, all Rossi has to do is get in his face and make that noise, and the coward flinches?? …and Dave smirks.
Raise your hand if you fangirled hard over JJ helping Henry with laundry over the phone. (Both of mine are up, for what it’s worth.)
That last Voit/Lewis scene is so good. Not only does it have that smooth transition into introducing the new Big Bad, but Aisha Tyler and Zach Gilford just work together as scene partners.
I prefer this song cover and this crime setup over the ones at the beginning. I think I already said that up above, but it’s worth repeating because there’s really no comparison. Not even close.