Criminal Minds: Evolution doesn’t believe in easing us into the season.
Following the premiere’s plunge into psychological torture and Voit’s return from the abyss, “The Zookeeper” delivers a searing, disturbing hour that deepens the central mystery, explores the high cost of trauma, and ends with a heartbreaking farewell to a character who has been with us since 2007.
There’s no sugar-coating this one. It was brutal, it was bold, and for longtime fans, it may be unforgivable.
But first: sex.
Tara and Rebecca’s morning-after scene opened the episode with a rare look at intimacy in this world. Not just physical, but emotional intimacy, and the fear that comes with it.
Rebecca hit on something real when she accused Tara of living in the “fire me before I quit” mindset.
That instinct to pull away before someone can hurt you? It’s relatable. And very on-brand for Tara, whose control mechanisms have always been a defense.
Meanwhile, Penelope and JJ enjoyed a lighter moment, chatting about Michael’s birthday. But it didn’t last. A group text pulled everyone back into a world of nightmares.
Voit was awake.
Somehow, the nurse he strangled last week was still helping him walk, which is wild. He was smiling, seemingly docile, and appeared to have retrograde amnesia. His speech is limited. His memories are scattered.
He calls Rossi “Dad” and beams like a child when he completes simple tasks. And while Tara and Dr. Ochoa (played by the always-watchable Aimee Garcia) were cautiously open-minded, Rossi and Luke have none of it.
And honestly? Same.
Sure, brain scans show a pattern of injury that matches Voit’s history. And yes, he’s answering psychological evaluation questions in ways that suggest empathy is firing in his brain.
But let’s not forget who we’re dealing with. This is the guy who led a sadistic network of serial killers. He built an identity around deception. Luke’s skepticism isn’t just warranted; it’s vital.
Still, the show wisely plays in the gray. Voit’s confusion seems genuine. His moments with Rossi read as sincere. He even wrote a note: “Dad, sorry I made you mad.” Which, if you didn’t know who he was, might tug at the heartstrings.
That’s the game here. Can a monster be broken so badly that what comes out the other side is something almost… human?
Zach Gilford is clearly having a blast with this different side of Voit. And they’ve hit on the right note with Rossi as a father figure.
Voit devoured everything he’d written from a young age, coinciding with how his uncle groomed him in his image. Rossi is as much of a father to Voit as anyone ever was.
Rossi hates that he’ll have to lean into the role play. From a viewer standpoint? This could make the season something special and out of the ordinary.
The BAU didn’t have time to answer any of it because the Zookeeper case was horrifying. Tyler and Penelope found videos on a drive left behind by Orloff, Voit’s old lawyer, who is in the wind.
The footage showed women in cages, forced to sing while tortured, made to perform, humiliated beyond belief. It’s not just depravity; it’s ideology.
The Zookeeper, as Tyler realized, wasn’t new. He was a known entity in the dark corners of their investigation — someone who “retrains” sex workers, then kills them once he gets bored. The latest victim was Tia Ryder; if there was any hope of saving her, it had to happen fast.
The hour splits its attention between tracking Zookeeper (aka Clyde Smetz, whose name sounds like a comic book villain rejected for being too pathetic) and continuing to explore how Voit fits into all of this.
Clyde was a sad, controlling creep. The kind of man society makes invisible until his fantasy life breaks into reality.
His partner-in-crime, a brainwashed slave, showed us just how deep his psychological manipulation ran. That throat slash? Brutal.
But it was his speeches that lingered. His monologue about targeting women who alienate loved ones to chase fame? Horrifyingly on point.
He weaponized society’s online toxicity and exploited the desire to be seen. The show doesn’t excuse his behavior, but it does shine a harsh light on how systems of loneliness and validation-seeking can lead women to dangerous places.
Tia fought back, and it was glorious. She freed herself, used his own rope to strangle him, and gave us one of the most cathartic moments of the season so far. But Clyde slit his own throat before Tyler could arrest him, dying in Tyler’s hands.
It was a punch in the gut for the rookie agent who just wanted to prove himself.
And speaking of Tyler: Prentiss has secured his assignment. He’s officially part of the BAU now, surprising no one. After everything he’s seen — especially tied to Voit — there’s no better place for him, even if he doesn’t feel like he’s earned it.
But nothing hits harder than what happens at the very end.
JJ’s husband, Will, who’s been part of the Criminal Minds universe since 2007, collapsed in their kitchen after complaining about a headache. Moments later, JJ walked out of the hospital room, stunned and broken. Will is dead — an aneurysm related to his thyroid condition.
There’s something so cruel about how fast it happened. So sudden. So ordinary. For a show that thrives on grisly deaths, this one cuts differently. It’s not a case. It’s not a murder. It’s just a man — a father, a husband — gone.
Viewers will be angry. And they should be. But there’s more to this story. There has to be. This isn’t the kind of exit you gloss over in one scene. The grief, the fallout — it will ripple through everything, especially for JJ, who has given everything to this job.
And the implications? With Rossi under OPR scrutiny, Voit’s past acolytes resurfacing, and Tyler still proving himself, the BAU will need every ounce of strength to hold together.
JJ’s personal tragedy may change the shape of the team in ways we can’t yet see. But if they lean into the emotion, if they honor Will’s death with the depth it deserves, it could become one of the most powerful arcs the show has ever done.
This episode didn’t just progress the plot. It dug deeper. It reminded us that evil wears many faces, that pain doesn’t always scream, and that the line between predator and victim can blur in terrifying ways.
Welcome to the next phase of Criminal Minds: Evolution. The zookeeper may be dead, but the cage is still wide open.
But what about you?
How do you feel about Voit’s amnesia? Is Tara right to consider that maybe revealing his memories does more harm than good, even if it could save others from his network?
Josh Stewart had been cut from the cast, returning to say goodbye to Will with a heartbreaking death. I know you have feelings.
Share them below, and share this article with friends. We’re clinging to life because you read our work. You are our best advocates, and we thank you!
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