The Character Arc Criminal Minds Fans Wanted To See For Elle
Few characters on "Criminal Minds" were as divisive as Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini), a special agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Even though her storyline only lasted one and a half seasons, Elle is often cited as one of the least liked characters on the series. Her exit in Season 2 followed her recovery after being left for dead by a suspect known as The Fisher King. Suffering from PTSD, Elle became increasingly distant from and critical of her colleagues, and she botched the arrest of a suspected rapist by losing her temper and confronting him prematurely. When the suspect walked, Elle took matters into her own hands and confronted him again, this time shooting and killing him in cold blood.
Elle's vigilantism didn't sit well with fans, and her ending storyline is also named as one of the least popular in the TV series' history. Elle resigned from her position at the BAU not long after claiming self defense for the murder, but some fans had a different character arc in mind for the assertive but impulsive agent. Although her last appearance was in Season 2, some viewers hoped she'd return as one of the show's most interesting unsubs.
Some fans wanted Elle to be The Replicator
Season 8 of "Criminal Minds" saw the introduction of an unknown serial killer, who began copying the crimes of other killers, earning him the moniker The Replicator. Mysterious glimpses of the new unsub throughout the season showed the unknown person with photographs of the BAU team members, indicating the killer had been watching the team for some time. Even though the unsub was eventually revealed to be a man named John Curtis, played by Mark Hamill, some viewers feel the show's writers missed an opportunity to bring Elle back.
In a thread on Reddit, a viewer said Elle being revealed as The Replicator would have been an amazing twist. The idea could have created an interesting character arc for the former agent. While she showed some remorse for killing the suspect in Season 2, which prompted her to resign from her position, Elle could have struggled with her emotions for years, causing her to embrace her killer instinct and seek revenge against her former colleagues. Considering that Elle never confessed to her crime or served time for it, she might have developed the idea that she could get away with murder. While this storyline had potential, it also might have been too out of character for Elle, who was a trained agent and the daughter of a police officer. She only became a vigilante to seek justice, and it's unlikely she would have begun killing innocent people.
Regardless, Elle never returned to the series after resigning from the FBI, making her return a possibility in the upcoming series revival.