Alvez's Worst Moment On Criminal Minds
In his position as a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit on the long-enduring CBS hit "Criminal Minds," Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) has experienced the full gamut of dangers, narrow escapes, and emotional turmoil since his character was introduced during the series' "Crimson King" episode in 2016.
Before his promotion to Special Agent status within the FBI, Alvez worked in a variety of roles at the bureau, eventually finding himself assigned to the elite Fugitive Task Force (via Criminal Minds Fandom). As a former U.S. Army Ranger with a tour in Iraq under his belt, Alvez was well suited to the action-oriented assignments handed to him as part of the FTF team, which was charged with tracking down and bringing in some of the nation's most violent and slippery offenders. Then, in the final episode of Season 11, a terrorist attack on a prison releases 13 serial killers, which the FTF is called on to help track down and capture. When Alvez's performance on this case is noted by the BAU, he's offered a place on the team and promoted. But as it turns out, that work with the BAU will soon burden Luke Alvez with the worst moment he would face during his time on "Criminal Minds."
The death of his best friend Phil Brooks is Alvez's darkest time on Criminal Minds
In the 6th episode of "Criminal Minds" Season 14, "Luke," Alvez becomes involved in tracking down a former DEA agent-turned-copycat killer named Jeremy Grant (Johnny Messner). Grant is on a killing spree and is taking vengeance for the killings of his wife and children, who were slain by druglord Eduardo Ramos (Chad Guerrero). The fact is, Grant was in a position to kill Ramos himself a number of years before but was prevented when Alvez intervened to stop him.
Determined to punish Alvez for thwarting his effort to give Ramos the fate he felt he deserved, Grant captures and kills Alvez's former partner and best friend, Phil Brooks (Corey Reynolds). After finding Brooks' body, an enraged Alvez learns Grant is attempting to sneak out of the country using a false identity. Following a brief airport shootout, Alvez succeeds in apprehending the killer, who is subsequently tried and jailed for his crimes. But even though he was able to bring his friend's killer to justice, the traumatic death of Phil Brooks is seared into Luke Alvez's memory as the single worst moment for the character on "Criminal Minds."