Criminal Minds: Evolution Showrunner Explains The Tough Decision To Kill Off [SPOILER]
Spoilers ahead for the season finale of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" Season 1!
Working at the Behavioral Analysis Unit isn't some kind of relaxing and therapeutic job that involves spreadsheets, verbose reports, and test groups. Instead, the BAU hunts down the most twisted and sadistic killers known to humanity, and the group itself contains a varied group of people and skills that come together to apprehend these vile fiends. This means that the BAU in "Criminal Minds: Evolution" is often beset by crimes and individuals of varying complexities. Some unknown subjects, commonly referred to as the "unsubs," are absolutely disturbed, while others may have some kind of hidden motive or warped influence.
"Criminal Minds: Evolution," which can also be considered Season 16 of "Criminal Minds," deals with some truly heinous crimes, with one of the biggest plots throughout this season being that of the mysterious figure known as Sicarius. Sicarius acts as a major foil for the members of the BAU, mainly because of their far-reaching influence and organization of killers who listen to Sicarius' beck and call.
With the final episode of this particular season of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" having just aired, audiences have been treated to a massive shock and the death of a character that will surely affect the series going forward. This death-related decision wasn't the easiest, and in a recent interview, "Criminal Minds: Evolution" showrunner Erica Messer explained exactly why.
Voit killing Bailey wasn't always in the cards
Death, pain, and suffering seem to come fairly easy in the world of "Criminal Minds: Evolution." Besides the crimes that are committed, the members of the BAU and their friends and family have also experienced the cold embrace of death. The season finale of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" is no different, with David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Deputy Director Doug Bailey (Nicholas D'Agosto), and Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) engaging in an intense game of cat and mouse. Rossi suspects that Voit is actually Sicarius, but it is revealed that there is much more going on with Voit. The issues surrounding Voit come to light when he uses the phrase "Gold Star," which causes Bailey to get involved. Unfortunately, Voit shoots and kills Bailey during this interaction, which has left some fans absolutely shocked.
Luckily, showrunner Erica Messer spoke with TV Insider about this decision involving Bailey, hoping to help explain the behind-the-scenes motivation and thought process that went into this "Criminal Minds: Evolution" moment. Messer was asked if the plan was always to have Voit kill Bailey. "We love Nick, who played Bailey, and we did not wanna do that," she replied. "But we gave him such an arc this year that he basically feels like an enemy of the team and then nobody thought they would ever fall in love with Bailey. They're like, oh no, this guy's a jerk. And then sure enough, the tide turns in the last half of the season. You really like him, which is kind of sadly why he had to die."
Voit had to kill Bailey in order to make a big splash
In the same interview with TV Insider, Erica Messer elaborated on the reasons behind Bailey's death. "Voit had to make an impact on the team," she said. "Rossi got captured. It was horrible what happened to Rossi. But ultimately he's still alive and well. And he didn't kill Tyler Green [Ryan-James Hatanaka], so what could he have done to make a big splash? Killing the deputy director of the FBI is a gigantic splash that this enemy of ours has made." Messer then explained that it was a really hard decision to make, and that it definitely wasn't planned from the onset of "Criminal Minds: Evolution."
However, Messer then said that it felt like this moment became necessary if only to craft a scene where Voit can make a big play that upsets many of the dynamics of the BAU, and leads to a cloud of questions, leaving fans wondering where the series will go next. Considering that a single phrase from Voit was enough to cause Bailey to make some incredibly poor decisions and enter a room with Voit as a negotiator, it will be fascinating to see what happens in the next season of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," and what kind of connections Voit really has.