Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 Review: ‘Body Count’

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 is a solid hour that sees the BAU traveling to Durham County, NC when new evidence is found that ties Sicarius to the 2022 disappearance of a mother and daughter. It’s not one of the many murders Elias Voit already confessed to, but where there’s a kill kit, there’s a way…or so the District Attorney seems to get the team to somewhat skeptically consider. Voit even promises to help them find a missing body—but only if he gets to come along and show them where it is. Although the whole team seems to agree that something’s not quite right, both in terms of nothing about the case actually jiving with what they know about Voit and because they’re pretty sure their guy’s just looking for a chance to escape, Voit gets the field trip he’s asking for.

And, in the end, DA Joy does get to close his case. It’s just that neither of the obvious suspects murdered Kaliyah and Avery Burke. It’s not the cheating husband who never really wanted to get married in the first place and is, understandably, annoyed AF at the cops for constantly coming at him. And no, not even the guy who offers himself up on a silver platter, practically begging for the state-mandated capital punishment—Voit—did the deed, no matter how easily his killer instincts allow him to find Kaliyah’s missing body. Instead, all the hype around Voit strikes again because, as Prentiss points out during the big reveal, Ryleigh “thought maybe a true crime twist might save” her. After all, Sicarius is a known entity, and his kill kits are an easy enough “brand” to replicate. So, problem solved. Or not.

The case of the week works well enough. Cress Williams’ performance as Davonte Faust, Kaliyah and Avery’s grieving father and grandfather, is a definite standout. It’s difficult not to want to try to claw through the gaggle of press and cops with Davonte when he first spots Voit and wants to take justice into his own hands. And when he tells Rossi about his wife’s death, about wanting to keep this investigation open as a missing persons case so he could hold onto hope, or even about Ryleigh’s struggles since her sister’s disappearance, Williams’ portrayal of all that heartbreak—not in some huge outpouring of emotion, but through a quiet sort of devastation—really hits hard. In the end, all that’s left is that crushing disbelief when closure for one indescribable loss means learning the ugly, jealous, hateful truth and realizing he’s about to lose his remaining daughter forever, too.

MORE: Last season, Voit had to face both memories of his terrifying uncle and his own Sicarius spider M.O.

New roommates, same found family

At some point, Penelope, JJ, and Emily should stop lying to themselves. Just get a permanent place together already! Back in Season 17, Emily crashed at Penelope’s place when she was struggling after being ousted as Unit Chief. (And Jemily-flavored funnies and feelings ensued.) Now, thanks to a burst pipe in their new place, it’s time for JJ and the boys to make a temporary stay at The House of Garcia. That initial move-in scene is, uh, awkward—to say the least. Kirsten Vangsness, AJ Cook, and Adam Rodriguez all deliver some comedy gold as a breathless Penelope rushes her “Mr. Wednesday” out the door…while JJ and Luke both have equally strong “how did I get here” reactions to the whole thing.

As in, your boy’s jealous but trying very hard to hold it in, and JJ’s like “???” because, apparently, she…did not realize she and her kids were moving into this. Also, there’s no way she’s not also clocking Luke’s reaction, even if neither he nor Penelope, you know, get it. Still, all the silliness devolves pretty quickly when Garcia tries, oh so carefully, to explain to JJ she wasn’t hiding things from her but just, basically, didn’t want to pour salt in the wound of Will having died only about a year ago. And in that moment, as JJ finishes her friend’s sentence with “widow,” it’s like the grief is fresh all over again for the briefest of seconds. Because that’s exactly what it’s like—you’re going through life, something reminds you, it hits.

Cook nails the reaction to that brief, yet sharp, stab to the guts. And then, it’s gone just as quickly as it came. Because, again, that’s exactly how that grief journey works. It also helps that Penelope’s back to promising to dish to her bestie about her Wednesdays and Saturdays. All while Luke just awkward-laughs it away, so it’s like…angst-lite.

JJ’s kids, on the other hand, are having a rough time. So, in true Garcia fashion, she comes up with a plan to cheer the family up—and ropes Alvez into helping. Their surprise, a night of indoor camping with S’mores and decorative lights, and Luke acting like a giant, nerdy child (complimentary)—might not be the most appropriate for Henry, who’s about to go off to college. But it’s just…a sweet, if corny, little family moment. It’s also a great reminder of why this series does comfort a lot of us. And that little hug between JJ and Penelope just totally makes the “dumb” surprise worth it. They hold onto each other—tight—and it’s nice to see JJ smiling after so many tough moments these past few seasons.

Bonus: No Mr. Saturday and no Mr. Wednesday. (They should stay gone. Because, seriously, get you a guy who genuinely adores your playful, imaginative side because he’s a big ol’ goof himself. Just give viewers “the chocolate and the peanut butter,” as Vangsness once described them, already.)

MORE: In the previous episode, Adam Rodriguez totally broke us with Luke’s grief.

Is Voit looking for penance…or reminiscence

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 also features some interesting developments in the ongoing Voit saga. First, although Tara will refer to him as an “open book” later in the hour, he’s still actually holding back a little when he meets with her. For one thing, he downplays a lot about those awful, jarring flashbacks we see. Zach Gilford does a compelling job of letting viewers in on the secret—signaling, ever so subtly, when Voit’s about to avoid certain things—while also making the case that some part of Voit is tortured by it all, even as that listless, grudging sort of way he answers Tara’s questions could raise suspicions.

So, is he dancing along that careful line between “wide open book” and just “tentatively-cracked cover” because he doesn’t want to go to that place and trigger a relapse? Is it about the way it haunts and tortures him to have done all of these terrible things, that he doesn’t want to feel that way—much less feel all the pain Cyrus caused? Both? Something else? At least we know one thing’s for sure: Just like his inner Rossi said when he was taunting him at the end of the previous hour, Voit is most definitely obsessing over the guards’ patterns and trying to find a way out of that cell.

But when he does manipulate everyone into letting him out, it’s to help with this case. No, he didn’t actually murder Kaliyah and Avery; but those serial killer instincts are still perfectly intact, which is why he’s able to find Kaliyah so easily. Before that, when he first meets with DA Joy, he’s also just…so very Sicarius. Every time he slips back into that persona—snark, disdain for others, casual evil, and all—it seems a bit more authentic. He’s also willing to lie and take the fall for the murder, in a way that I think he honestly believes is selfless. To some extent, it may sort of be? But Elias Voit taking responsibility for murders he didn’t commit wouldn’t have solved anything. Instead, he would’ve made things worse—the family may think there’s been justice for their loved ones, but the actual criminal would’ve gotten away with it.

And, at any rate, part of why Voit tries to play some 3D chess here is purely selfish: He wants out. Out of that cell, out of that hot seat across from Tara, and out of any potential requests to give anyone else closure. It’s not the same as planting conspiracy theories. But there’s still some game here, one that he intends to win. If he’d won this time around, North Carolina’s death penalty would’ve ended all the endless days behind bars, sitting with both everything he’s done and everyone who sends him mail. (Fan or hate mail—take your pick.) My only question is, is this a “kill me before I do it again” situation? Or a “put me out of my misery”?

My guess, as of now, is it’s a back-and-forth between both…and, probably, a race against time until Option 1 wins. Otherwise, what would be the point of having that deliciously evil version of Rossi come out to play with his mind? Which, come to think of it…how did the actual Rossi see Voit arguing with the voices in his head and not recognize what that was like from back when he went through the same thing?

MORE: We knew when Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 premiered with Dave and Emily talking about how glad they were to not have to deal with Voit, they would absolutely be thinking about him again soon.

More Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 reactions

I…have never heard of this town. But ok.
This little girl making these drawings makes me think of FROM…
This feels odd to say, considering how Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 ends and all, but I really liked the sisters’ dynamic in the cold open. Ryleigh shading that kitchen and making that face just felt both funny and relatable.
Oh. Hi. Rebecca Wilson (Lewis?) looking like that.
“…most of this area was underwater. And nobody would’ve ever anticipated a drought.” Weirdly, the writers predicted NC’s 2026 drought, somehow…
Speak of the devil. (Love that cut to Voit in prison, unable to sleep, when Rebecca’s talking about how he didn’t confess to murdering the Burkes.)
“I don’t think I’ve seen a smile in weeks.”
Luke’s basically frozen in awkward. Is he remembering to breathe? Seems unlikely.
“It just didn’t seem appropriate for me to be, you know, spewing about my salacious paramour encounters? To a…” Sometimes, trying to spare your grieving friends’ feelings just makes things worse. Not usually with so many layers of awkward? But still. Walking on eggshells around someone who’s grieving but trying to get back to some kind of “normal” just reminds them things aren’t normal and will never be again. I like that viewers can get this, and see it, but don’t need something super/unnecessarily heavy to make the point.
“I am…scared…but.” And then, I cracked TF up at AJ Cook’s line reading…and literally everyone’s faces.
“…and my gigantic bed, which is perfect for platonic overnights, too…” Mmhm. Someone really stumbled all over herself to add the “platonic” part in there…
“Atta boy.”
“Didn’t take him long to break me.” Currently thinking about Tessa…
“I mean…it’s preeeeetty much our whole raison d’être, right?” Aisha Tyler knows how to deliver a line.
In which David Rossi gets to make a grand entrance…and so does Emily Prentiss.
“But if Voit really did…murder this mother and daughter, why hasn’t he told us already? I mean, what is it about this crime that would make him refuse to take responsibility?” Love the way she sounds sick/has to force out “murder” even after allllllll the sh** she’s seen?? A hero.
Obligatory “Joe Mantegna and Zach Gilford are so effin’ good together” comment.
“They all say they want closure.” “They want to make sense of a senseless act. Your kid dies drowning, you can’t ask the water ‘what the He** were you thinking.’” Really interesting shot with Rossi so close up in Voit’s face, and I love how Mantegna does the “what the He** were you thinking” part.
“It’s not about closure; it’s about guilt and suffering—it’s about penance. It’s the same reason I’m putting myself through this.” And here we have a disgruntled child, arguing with this oppressive father figure in his head who’s talking to him like he’s stupid. “Don’t flatter yourself. For you, it’s about reminiscence.” Just…the disdain, almost like it’s not even worth the energy of it all.
“He’s f**king with all of us. The question is…why?”
When Voit starts smart-mouthing this DA? I’m seated. “You missed an essential part of my M.O., D.A.” The snark on the last part…
“…and if not for climate change, you’d’ve had no body, no crime.”
But look at the wary expression on Emily to end this, followed by Voit’s sideways glance in her direction. Fascinating in a way I can’t completely explain.
“Show’s not over.”
Tag yourself: I’m every single amused grin after Penelope rolls those eyes and shows how much she hates this but does, in fact, do what the boss lady says after Emily gives her that look.
Fake Dave is wayyyyy too perky.
Voit’s exasperated “F you.”
“I don’t have a choice.” “There are always choices.” I felt that irritated sigh from Gilford on the “just leave me alone.” And how completely brilliant is it that the real David Rossi is walking by to get some coffee at that exact moment?
My first thought seeing Cress Williams going off: Is that Reggie from ER? That’s totally Reggie from ER.
“Just seems like, every time she’s ready to take a step forward…without her sister…something like this just…pulls her right back into the pain.” This man is haunted.
“I was hoping you brought me here because you were investigating this motherf**ker’s misconduct!” If only that was ever how things actually went in these cases.
Kofi Siriboe plays every bit of stereotypical combativeness, the scoffing anger, the mirthless smiles, and…that chip on the shoulder that a lot of these procedurals typically would use as a “see? He’s totally the killer!!!” device. To some extent, Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Episode 3 does that, as well—Tara and Luke definitely share some looks there—but I’m grateful that that’s not the direction the hour ultimately goes in. A Black man who’s been repeatedly viewed as guilty until proven innocent has every right to be…basically everything Tristan Burke is here. There’s no real evidence against this guy (until, uh, his prints are all over that storage bin—and even then, it’s easily explained away). And yet, Joy’s come for him over and over. Anyone who can’t understand that…has a problem.
Also, there’s this: “So, what, I’m a f**kin killer and a moron?” (Meanwhile, I cracked up at Tara’s…reaction that I’m going to label as “amused, yet judging” there.)
“All you cops are the f—kin’ same. You’ve got your guy—a godda** serial killer. And here you are, still still trying to lock me up in a cage.” Mic drop. I mean, our pet serial killer didn’t actually do it. But…yeah. That part.
JJ will shoot you, Voit!
“Calm down, Sheila. That ‘somehow’ would be moi, and I overlooked zilch. I…ran digital traces ’til the cyber-cows came home.” It’s the finger motions for me. But also: If people don’t stop questioning Penelope Garcia in this episode, I will not mind if she does a little murder as a treat. (I mean, I’d mind because these are basically all comfort characters at this point. But otherwise, I’d support her rights and her wrongs.)
“He played the same profiling game I used to play with my old partner. Jason Gideon.” JASON GIDEON REFERENCE IN 2026.
Really liked Paget Brewster’s quick timing and little, like, “oh, yeah!” expression here: “’I’m the UnSub‘. You think he inferred his own profile and imagined himself as the assailant.”
“Right. For him, it’s like the way a musician can easily pick up and play along with an unfamiliar chord progression.”
“He** of a performance today.” “…why are you here?” Anyone else chuckle or.
In which Voit lashes out and makes Tyler hurt/feel insecure because he calls him out on wanting to get arrested and killed. Check out the emotion Gilford portrays him trying to hold before he kinda seamlessly goes into the “you don’t know sh**” part.
“Better Sicarius than nobody.”
“If you can’t figure out, then Sicarius will die for your sins.”
First off, that beam of light in the darkness when Dave sits down to interview Tristan? Gorgeous. Second, the way he cracks this guy is just some real genius work. Which, of course, should surprise less than zero people. A negative number of people.
“You don’t even know how many times, I actually prayed to be free…” “And so, your prayers were answered.” “No…look, I know I’m not a good guy. But I swear to god…I’m not a bad guy either.” Just superb emotion from Siriboe here and such a contrast to his initially going on offense, both back at the house and at the beginning of this interview.
Look at the emotion on JJ when she hears the mention of how this whole thing wrecked the surviving family. One thing AJ Cook’s gonna do is stay present in the in-between moments.
“You don’t understand!” “No, I don’t.” You’re a good egg, Tyler Green.
Back on the Cook praise: Check out some of these expressions—that grin that’s not quite a grimace when Jesse lawyers up, the way she shrugs both with her brows and her shoulders when she says putting Voit in there with him’s “not the craziest idea Rossi’s ever come up with,” the little head shake when she first goes in…
No but Dave putting his little glasses on.
“Over the years, with the work we do, we’ve seen how the thin line between grief and guilt can often blur. While it seems understandable for a family member to try to minimize the reminders of the deceased, the profile of a family member in mourning suggests it’s far more common for them to do just about everything to preserve the memories of their lost loved one.” Well then.
Just every shot of Williams, even if you barely see him in the background of someone else’s coverage, when Ryleigh’s revealed as the murderer…wow.
Okojie kills it (no pun intended?) there, though.
Dave and Tyler: Yes. Every hopeless, self-deprecating expression from RJ Hatanaka, all that powerful belief in Tyler from Mantegna, just…YES.
“What if I can’t hack it?” “…you will.” “How can you be so sure?” The lean in…before “because I make a great f**king profiler.” And that bashful smile???? Adorable.
“I mean, we used to do this when I was a kid? And it’s all about using your imagination.” He is literally the other half of Penelope Garcia. Prove me wrong.
It’s also just…I’m glad to see Luke having a blast with his little tent and little fishing pole here after he was in so much pain in the last episode. I don’t expect this to last. Just like JJ still has her throbs of grief over Will after a year, Luke’s loss is much more fresh. So, he’s going to have his own pangs that are, likely, more frequent and sharper. But it’s…I’m happy that he’s happy right now.
…and Penelope obviously is, too. Just saying.
“…maybe, if I got put down, maybe these idiots would realize that I’m not a fu—ing hero.” “That wouldn’t have worked anyway.” “No. It wouldn’t. Because parasites like Brian Garrity would turn my execution into martyrdom.” YUP.
“All of it—all the lives I’ve taken, the network of killers I put together, my…trial, my confession…has all just…evolved…into…social contagion.” Talk about a defeated man. This is worse than the death penalty, huh.
This guard, hitting Voit in the chest with his mail so hard, he falls backwards.
My “I am not pathetic” pile of papers has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my deranged pile of papers…
Nice use of the audio from the previous episode, there.