Criminal Minds: Evolution has thrown yet another curveball into the life of Elias Voit, and it may mark a turning point for the series at large. The prolific Sicarius Killer, portrayed by Zach Gilford, has been arguably the main character of the crime drama’s modern era, as Voit has appeared in nearly every single episode of the Paramount+ show. Though the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) has defeated Voit on multiple occasions, the persistent unsub remains at the center of each season’s main plot.

After a 10-episode game of cat and mouse led to his arrest in season 16, Voit was a conniving consultant in season 17, a medical miracle in season 18 with a newfound sense of empathy, and a guilt-ridden prisoner in season 19 who is desperately seeking a purpose in life. Enter: The Fan (Justin Kirk), an obsessive-compulsive killer who has turned Paramount+’s most disturbing crime drama upside down. Suddenly, Voit feels compelled to stop his deranged Fan and prove that his second chance at life wasn’t a decision made in vain.

Being able to stop another Sicarius is ostensibly the driving force behind everything Voit does in Criminal Minds season 19, but his own killer instinct— the so-called “beast” within— is still rearing its ugly head, illustrated by hallucinations of David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) sporadically appearing to shame Voit for his nefarious subconscious. As such, the entire season feels like a battle of nature vs. nurture, a festering conflict that Voit can only oppose by distracting himself. Consequently, The Fan appeared to be the perfect project, but Criminal Minds season 19, episode 7 (“The Furies”) just proved Elias Voit isn’t infallible.

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For 70% of the season, Criminal Minds’ newest unsub remained totally anonymous. The viewer was constantly aware of The Fan’s presence, as the season premiere introduced the gloved killer via a chilling final scene. Regardless, nothing was revealed regarding his identity: no name, no face, no distinguishing traits aside from his apparent devotion to The Sicarius Files hosted by Brian Garrity (Paul F. Tompkins). When Voit appeared on the podcast himself to denounce fans of the Sicarius case and call them “pathetic” (season 19, episode 2), however, a flip switched for The Fan.

As soon as the mysterious antagonist landed on the BAU’s radar, though, he was already changing his game. At first, he sent a few meticulously-typed manifestos to Voit and Garrity, denying he was pathetic and insisting he would be a “GOD” (season 19, episode 5). Once he kidnapped Lance Kingston (Connor Storrie), The Fan raised the stakes again, slowly building towards the next stage of his grand plan: meeting Voit in person.

Conveniently, Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) and the rest of the BAU had set up meetings between Voit and the families of his victims, leaving the door open for The Fan (going by the name Joshua Ryan) to slip in undetected. The initial meeting was nothing short of spine-chilling, but Voit concocted his own plan to build a rapport with the new killer, aiming to coax details from him to report back to the FBI.

Unfortunately, Voit overestimated his influence, as The Fan revealed in the closing moments of “The Furies” with yet another cliffhanger. Following Voit’s monologue about how he’d “make” The Fan a true God, “Joshua” held up a simple sheet of paper. In an instant, Voit’s entire demeanor changed, leaving the once fearsome killer to resort to emotionally-charged threats and pure panic. Before he left, The Fan had only one thing to say: “Now who’s pathetic?”

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Though Criminal Minds purposely kept the audience in the dark, there’s very little that could realistically have thrown Voit so off-kilter. From the moment the continuation introduced Sicarius, he was as apathetic as he was charismatic. The more the crime drama has developed his character, however, the more clear it becomes that he earnestly wishes he was normal.

To that end, the family Voit built prior to the Criminal Minds: Evolution premiere was more than a decoy to cover his criminal dealings. As evidenced by seasons 17 and 18, there is a part of Voit that truly cares for his children. As such, if The Fan’s namesake is fitting, he would know there is no greater vulnerability than a loved one. Joshua could have shown Voit a picture of his children, their new address, their daily schedule, or anything tangentially related to them, and it would have been enough to earn that dramatic outburst.​​​​​​​

Furthermore, targeting Voit’s children perfectly aligns with what we already know of The Fan. Despite his moniker, Joshua’s real goal is to surpass Sicarius. He could easily achieve that via typical serial killer infamy, but it will only satisfy him if he knows he beat Voit one-on-one. From the beginning, this has been personal for The Fan; “The Furies” was simply Voit realizing the extent of his psychopathy.

Now that The Fan has clearly threatened someone or something Sicarius holds dear, Elias Voit’s fate in Criminal Minds season 19 may end up being a martyr. For weeks, Voit has languished over how he can atone for his past sins, and— as unsettling as it is— dying has always done the trick in shows like Criminal Minds. Yet, whether he sacrifices himself for his children or just to stop The Fan, it feels like Voit’s story is finally coming to an end.

The Fan Is Criminal Minds: Evolution’s Best Arc Yet

Criminal Minds Could Finally Get Rid Of Voit Once & For All

Without question, killing Voit off would be a divisive move, but viewers have been begging for the crime drama to move on since his capture in season 16. Continuing to bring Voit back and make him the centerpiece of every overarching plot is Criminal Minds’ most frustrating pattern, and the series needs to let the character go before he ruins whatever momentum the continuation has left. ​​​​​​​

If, somehow, Voit reigns victorious once again, The Fan will still be Evolution’s most interesting unsub yet. Seeing someone genuinely outsmart Sicarius has been a wildly refreshing change of pace, and the BAU has a real challenge. Similarly, the scope of his character is still relatively small, but The Fan packs a punch every time he’s on-screen. Unlike prior season-long villains, there’s a clear thoughtfulness to Joshua Ryan and the schemes he cooks up. Of course, he will inevitably be defeated one way or another, but the greatest gift The Fan could give Criminal Minds is Elias Voit’s swan song.