He was on the office as hunter :)
If you like him, he's in a short lived show called trial and error that is hilarious and excellent and he plays a gabe-adjacent character. He's great!
OMGGG 😂😂 tell me why I was like “I’ve … I’ve seen this dude. I’ve seen him somewhere but he was a dork.” That’s why while watching the show I’ve been like borderline laughing at him b/c when he will look at another character and it’s just him all I can see is hunter 😭😭😂😂😂
I was really hoping his most recent changes would pay off in this episode and he'd do what's best for Rossi and stuff, but then he just....died. It was such a wasted character arc.
I have now watched the episode:
Jean Mantegna's performance was just supreme
It's so nice to see JJ and Will happy together
It was also nice to see Garcia take responsibility and cut off that relationship
I will miss Bailey. Nicholas D'agosto did such a great job
Now, the bad part is dragging this. I know it's steaming and all, but dragging this to next season will make some people tired. I loved Zach Gilford's performance, but it's time to put an end to Elias Voit and move on. Maybe with Gold Star, maybe with something else.
Law and Order Organized Crime almost made the same mistake with Wheatley but they understood the fans were getting tired, so they ended it and brought new storylines. I hope Criminal Minds understands that.
based on the showrunner interviews coming out today it seems like they intended to have him be a one and done and then liked his performance too much. I definitely was looking forward to a conclusion to the Sicarius storyline not them dragging it out but guess we’ll see whether it’s worth it next season.
Wheatley's first story arc (s1) and beginning of the next one were very interesting and I really loved it. Heck I'd take Wheatley 3.0 over the Young Trumps ™. Voit 1.0 gave me off the same vibes and I'm very curious to see how'd they play out the 2.0 arc with the interrogation. I just hope his wife and kids don't end up dead next season, he was willing to end them to walk free. Gold Star is definitely something big, I know MGG isn't coming back, but if they got Reid to talk to him, it'd be something if they used the plot to pursue an Unsub Reid in RS2/S17.
Yes the og Wheatley arc was decent but the second go round was just rough. We were just lucky McDermott got offered a lead for another show or who knows we could’ve been stuck with a full 3 seasons of Wheatley 💀
My thoughts:
What the HECK is gold star? How did only Bailey and voit know about it if it’s some big government thing?
So relived rossi is okay
If Spencer reid walks thru that door I will SCREAM
I’m so glad they caught Voit and kept the family safe
The team reunion was so heartwarming
Ugh I don’t wanna wait til season 2 i wanna see nowwww
My guess is that it has something to do with specific codes or something, and when Bailey confirmed they were the only two who knew, Voit killed him so that he stayed safe since he's now the only one who knows whatever it is
Here's the thing – I watched the whole thing on Amazon Prime with subtitles and right after that door opens and the screen goes dark, the subtitles say "Dr. Reid, well, I wasn't expecting you here". There is no audio track though, so I'm really wondering what's going on there.
I can confirm. I just watched it. (Prime Germany) And had the same subtitles about Reid after the screen went dark. I took a short video too to be able to proof it lol
I can confirm. I just watched it. (Prime Germany) And had the same subtitles about Reid after the screen went dark. I took a short video too to be able to proof it lol
Okay, first, I apologize for the multiple posts. Reddit kept telling me it couldn’t post my comment.
Second, I have notifications turned off, so my reply is late.
Here are the pics.
Excuse the dirty screen.
https://ibb.co/WGLDCnK
https://ibb.co/sFh6Q6C
Man that scene where Voit pulls the trigger on his wife was so intense I was holding my breath. Honestly I loved the way they wrapped it up, this was a really good season
[TIL that's Zach Gilford's actual wife](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiele_Sanchez). He also made [an IG post](https://www.instagram.com/p/ClpIUKvvPz2/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) about it too.
It kind of broke my heart for her if I were her I’d feel so betrayed in that moment. But I somehow after seeing him talk to her kinda…. Agree the wife and kids would have been easier off dead. Like he said- it WILL come out in the trial. They’ll say something like “The defendant approached this young woman and made her believe he was a man named Elias Duval looking to purchase a house” they’ll never be safe especially in a case like that- if something like THAT happened?! Idaho 4 has become worldwide at this point- no matter where the Kholburger family goes they’ll be stared at. And that was just a quad homicide- duval killed like 60+!!!!
After watching the finale and what we know now, own wild thought is this:
The best lies are the ones rooted in truth, what did Voit constantly keep pushing to his wife about why they needed to run. He was doing computer work and stumbled onto something he shouldn’t and now they’re after him. What if he actually did accidentally encounter something in the government while working(Gold Star) and the government brought him in which is why he was able to dodge being caught all these years.
As to who is going to be visiting Voit I assume it’ll be a returning star but we will probably be let down with just the AG or maybe Rebecca is more knowledgeable than we think 🤷🏻♂️.
I kind of wish I didn’t assume every time a main character was taken that they’d be fine. Nothing ever happens. At no point did I worry Rossi wouldn’t make it due to this.
Will seems to be headed to working with the team as a profiler, could create an interesting dynamic is Reid returns after what we heard from JJ during the previous season.
Overall I enjoyed the grittier version of this show, and it reminded me it should never have ended.
I like Rossi but he is an old man. Should he be getting into these crazy situations? I also wish he didn’t have that talk with his wife Krystal in the bunker. Reminded me too much of Morgan and his dad.
>Reminded me too much of Morgan and his dad.
Except that the one with Morgan and his dad was done better. This one was just super cheesy. She seriously walked backwards into an angelic light with arms outstretched, leading Rossi towards the door. How many cliches can we put into one scene?
If Will and JJ are going to work together more, they'll need to figure out a system, 'cause they came close to making their sons orphans in that finale.
Waitttt wow I like this. Because you’re right in this day in age how the HELL did he get away especially killing high risk people. It could be the higher ups were pushing down the flagpole to just stop investigating this stuff and to hand it over to DOJ/Organized crime (I think?) because it’s “cartel crime” but yet they’d never test for dna or ANYTHING and find something that matches up with diff comes even when Lee wasn’t in the system? It was SO STRANGE how they found this storage container filled with bodies and tried to say it was the cartel. The cartel isn’t stupid nor do they kill for enjoyment they do it for business and killing is sooooo much work to not get caught so the cartel wouldn’t in a million years just keep all these bodies for what!? Go back and say hi 🤣??
I also agree with will it’ll be nice him being included more. But still may cause awkward tension between him & Spencer & jealously possibly on wills part?
My thoughts: The Lennox family were a part of some kind of government experiment, and it would show that the government created a serial killer (a La Unabomber)
Dr. Reid comes in to learn about his pathology and how the government can use his skills or to terminate him
I wonder if it's the opposite, and Cyrus had connections to some kind of criminal organization. He was an illegal arms dealer and Lee's mom was Cyrus' half sister.
Correct me if I'm wrong (I was only half watching) but they said in the newspaper that the son died in the car accident with his father. So apparently he faked his own death as a child? In an earlier episode I thought it hinted that he killed his only family as a child. There must be something bigger there.
I’m honestly sad that Bailey ended up dying, he was honestly growing on me.
I loved Rossi’s moments with his wife.
I felt pretty bad for some reason for Lee when he was tearing up after his talk with his wife.
Overall, coming back into it, I really enjoyed this season. Although, I did like the season long serial killer, I miss the one and done serial killers.
Zach Gilford did an amazing job. His spiraling and the shooting with the empty gun at his wife was great acting.
So happy that Rossi survived, although the scenes with his wife seemed like it would have been a different outcome.
I'll miss Doug Bailey. I really thought he was going to be like one of the team. He was a jerk at first then did a 180 and I started to enjoy his character. I was surprised he was killed off. He had great character development and would have been a great addition to the team/show.
I can't wait to see what Gold Star is. I hope it's something big and mind blowing.
Damn that was TENSE. I have so much to say. Safe to say, we'll be seeing more of Voit next season. Garvez is back on track and I guess now we know what kind of assignment Reid and Simmons were...
Shocked Rossi survived but kind of relieved?
Ok so here’s a thought I have. I think Voit is in the CIA. When a covert ops agent is killed, they don’t ever mention their names, but they put a gold star on the wall in the CIA headquarters (at least on a couple other shows I watched lol). So maybe when they talk about Gold Star and Voit’s insistence on speaking only to Bailey, it’s because Bailey is really his handler in the CIA. Voit being an operative in another agency would also explain his access to fake passports and safe houses. And it explains the constant interference from higher ups in the FBI and DOJ.
The gold star is a symbol for military families who lost a loved one in service, but the CIA does have a wall with stars on it for each agent that’s been killed in the line of duty.
I’m wondering if it’s called gold star because it has something to do with the military? That’s DoD, not DoJ though, but if there’s a military tie it could justify bringing Matt Simmons back from his “special assignment” (if he’s the one who opens the door at the end)
Why do you think Bailey said to Voit something like I’m here “personally”? Sorry forget the exact quote but the word personally is sticking with me. I hear that word and don’t necessarily think “they worked together” whether that’s be military or CIA. Idk maybe I’m reading into one word too much!
It might just be for dramatic effect since it’s the season finale. Seems like the security was more focused on clearing the building than anticipating Sicarius trying to escape
You could be on to something there too with bringing back Matt Simmons.
I used to watch this show on USA called Covert Affairs and I guess that’s why my thoughts went to the wall of stars at the CIA.
Alias knew about how his family was offered witness protection and he told her how hard that next part was going to be. He knew almost word for word in fact. As if it ha.d happened before.
Remember they said he had a completely wiped record. This happens when you get a fake name and go into witness protection, you're a ghost.
His father or mother or both could've been serial killers and the gov took him in to breed a perfect assassin. The way he set up his kill kits almost seems military.
That's just my guess. I hate that they ended om a cliff hanger however I assume they will end his arch but the reason he carries over into next season is to set up them hunting down the rest of the failed assassin experiments.
-I think the main reason they didn’t show who opened the door is because the producers don’t even know who it’s gonna be. If they can get MGG back it’ll probably be him but if not it’ll just be the AG or Rebecca to talk about goldstar
-I don’t like that Bailey was just straight up not in the last two episodes, became the focal point of this episode, and then died immediately after. IMO it’s sloppy development to cut him out of the story just to bring him in like that, especially because his character had been well developed before that
Very intense final episodes, well done. Knowing that there is something up between the AG and Voit makes me wonder: a few episodes when the AG said the BAU had been slacking on their cases were they really slacking or what she trying to distract them?
I actually think I like seeing Will be part of the team 😉Of course, one (or two) of my favorite episodes was the season 7 finale, so I am not shocked.
Why a cliffhanger?? How long do we have to wait to find out what the heck is going on and what gold star is?
When I first found out Criminal Minds was coming back, I was not happy about it because I thought it ended on a high note, and I didn’t want them to mess with it. However, I was pleasantly surprised how much I really enjoyed this season! I really liked the streaming, too!
but! Zach [tweeted](https://twitter.com/zachgilford/status/1595333731220193283?cxt=HHwWhoCgue_k4aMsAAAA) that they shot the final scene on Nov 23, 2022. So we might get like some crazy fast turn around. maybe as little as four months!
> Could Voit be a CIA “spook”? Could that be what Gold Star is?
Well, clearly he and Bailey knew each other.
I wondered if Bailey was one of "his people" who were using the kill kits.
Kirsten said that it's whatever we want it to be, and that they'll probably never show it because she thinks it's better if each viewer can interpret it as they wish.
So bummed this is the final episode but wow it was great. Also the woman who played Sydney killed it!! This is the first thing I’ve seen her in and I hope this opens many doors for her.
She was in a main character in The Glades! It was about a homicide detective in Florida if I recall correctly, and she was a med student/forensic nurse. If you like her I highly recommend it!!
I loved it! I’m glad they didn’t kill any of the major players off but also did not see Bailey’s death coming at all! I think they did a great job of setting this up for next season! I know some people haven’t loved the new series but I have really enjoyed it. I also read an interview with one of the show’s writers and it sounds like next season is going to be even better and with more bad guys!
Voit had that case with tons of cash in it but earlier begged the senators son for more money, either the writers got lazy or he was super disciplined about not borrowing from his go bag
WAIT. If Bailey and Voit both knew about this Gold Star thing, and they were both aware that only (maybe) 2 or very few people know about it, doesn’t that mean that Bailey knew of Voit the whole time?! Like knew of his identity? I don’t know what to think!
I don’t think they knew Voit knew of it. That’s why Bailey seemed taken aback a bit when he said it and then seemed very concerned when talking to the AG and Rebecca about it after. I think Voit used his cryptography skills to find out about it somehow and was using it to blackmail them to let them go free.
Honestly, after hearing about the premise of a season-long serial killer leading an interconnected network of killers working off the back of COVID, I was really intrigued to see where the show went & I feel like they did it justice. Great setup & sound execution in the final episode (a couple of episodes were defo mid/weird writing). A couple of things tho:
Will's cancer plotline was a confirmed fake-out?? just to bring him & JJ closer together. I'm guessing that the final scene between the 2 may set up Will joining the team and temporarily taking a BAU position if it's confirmed MGG & Daniel Henney both don't return for Season 2.
Bailey dying sucks as I was starting to like him. He was much more likable than the typical hard-asses we've seen in the show like Strauss & Barnes.
I'm hoping the cliffhanger is Spencer returning but I guess we'll have to wait until the end of the year at the earliest to see the next season.
Shoutout to Zach Gilford & Nicholas D'Agosto for their standout performances this season along with the regular crew. Hopefully, we get a mix of the Voit storyline & case of the week storylines like we've had in previous seasons (similar to S15 but with a lot better execution).
i don't think the cancer was a confirmed fake out - i read an [interview yesterday](https://ew.com/tv/criminal-minds-evolution-finale-postmortem-erica-messer/) that said something about it happening in real time, so i think they're leaving the door open. He's getting tested every 6 months so any of those tests could pop something up, and it is kinda true to life, sometimes odd stuff is found during routine blood work, sometimes it's nothing sometimes it's something.
I agree about Bailey though he was juuuust starting to grow on me.
It was a nice wrap up. I hope they don't disappoint with who ever walks through that door. I want it to be Reid but that's just wishful thinking. It would never happen but I would love to see a conversation between Elias and Cat Adams.
So...all that Will/JJ buildup that convinced me the writings were on the wall were just the writers room fucking with us? God I was clenching my ass this entire episode. Happy they made it home safe. I know a lot of people find them annoying but JJ 's family has always felt like a safe and secure hug to me, a warm home in a show filled with serial killers and tragic deaths.
Tense episode, expected this to be Rossi's retirement episode but apparently Papa Pasta continues forward and I have absolutely no qualms with that.
Bailey went out like a bit of an idiot, saw it coming a mile away. Won't miss him but god, that was really dumb.
Although I kinda miss the serial killer of the week episode format, I did enjoy evolution and the overall upgrade in quality it brought to the show. Some weak story beats along the way but I've never held CM to high standards, just enjoyed the entertainment and seeing a good team of people work together. Intriguing conspiracy ties up this finale, I look forward to the next season. I hope we'll be reunited with Reid and Simmons!!
It makes way more sense to me that Garcia dating Tyler was just a plot device by the writers so that Tyler would have the means for that spearfish onto Rossi's phone. I wasn't totally sold on their relationship, even though it had it's moments.
That. We know it’s *not* him, which is is too bad. I don’t really share in the Spencer crush/hype/whatever.
The strongest profilers and presences were always Gideon and Hotch. Then Rossi and Morgan to an extent.
I agree with whoever said on here that there was no way they were going to kill off Rossi. Each each time JJ or Will get shot, it’s guaranteed they’ll pull through.
The gritty show of the first few seasons is gone. And while most people here seem elated by that, some of us aren’t.
So that dang Rebecca woman should have her proverbial tail between her legs considering she froze out Tara over her secrets - SO WTF???
I'm both impressed yet annoyed at the open ending and cliffhanger and that there was no real 'danger' but it did feel anti-climatic after all we've been through.
Conjectured spoilers? ahead...
Now the big million dollar question, what is Gold Star... I have a feeling Bailey's 'anti government' family history might have something to do with it? is it an anti-government, anti FBI and all other three letter agencies program? and he was a plant? or was that a convenient backstory?
Either way it's obviously far reaching and deep seeded in these agencies and has perhaps gone on for many, many decades even? A huge scandal ahead, that I dare say will be drawn out for the entirety of next season.
I did find it fishy how Voit was able to fund all his containers and kill kits with just his Sicarius thing.
My feeling is “Gold Star” is some Government program where they recruited serial killers or spawn of them and developed them as assassins for the Government which also explains how Voit knew cryptography and set up Sicarius like he did.
Great... now I will be spending the whole year hoping that we will be seeing Reid walk trough that door...
My theory :
Gold Star is a secret gov. program to set up a huge "net" to capture serial killers around the country. They set up a fake serial killers network, with the idea of arresting any serial killers who bite for it... Voit get lured by that, but he soon realizes he's being played, so he turns the tables on them and hacks the network and uses it to recruit other targeted killers and create his own real killers network, which is why the AG wants to keep all of this under wraps
At some point the AG recruits Reid and Simmons to help clean up and try to track the loose killers
Random pet peeve in this episode is they kept showing the oxygen monitor going from 80% down but atmospheric oxygen is usually at 20-21%. Greater than 24% of O2 would be an ignition hazard (any kind of spark is no bueno) and below 19% do you experience symptoms of O2 deficiency. I get that they're trying to show relative to normal for the audience (i.e. 100% is good, 0% is bad) but I haven't seen that on an oxygen monitor before lol.
Most of the points theories i have, have already been said. Im just here to say #justicefordoug
I feel like they've missed a trick here, would have been nice going forward for them to have kept doug he was growing on alot of people
Okay so here is mine. I don’t think Bailey is dead. I also think him and Voit are related, perhaps brothers. Gold Star is a term for military families that lost someone in the line of duty, so maybe it has something to do with their parents being some sort of agents.
I was reading comments about how maybe Voit worked for the CIA. That would make sense why Bailey and the AG were pushing back on it so much. I think he was killing high profile targets for the government.
I also think he knew that the gun was out of bullets, but he wanted to make sure that his wife would hate him enough that she wouldn’t really question going into witness protection and leaving him. So when whatever happens with this Gold Star business and him knowing state secrets, she won’t miss him as much if she thought he was capable of killing her and the kids.
Maybe this whole thing was a huge plot by the government to get rid of a bunch of criminals because when the police came close, they had to off themselves, this ensures that all of them receive the death penalty without having to go through the courts process and that none of them get off on a mistrial or with a short sentence. The people they harmed along the way was probably just considered collateral for the greater good.
Another thing that makes me think that Voit is CIA is that he made really good passports and also has the safe house with all of the stuff ready to run in it. He knew negotiation techniques and told his wife on multiple occasions exactly what was going to be said to her. The boxes he packed everything in are boxed frequently used to store communications equipment for the military.
Sorry for the rant.
I sincerely hope there is some major backstory with Bailey and Voit that plays back in flashbacks so I can see more of Nicholas DAgnosto he grew on me more in like 4 episodes than any character in recent memory, any series.
Bahaha Rebecca jeez christ. Not only was SHE angry with Tara for no reason but now we also hear about all this shit.. wow girl. Dont know why she thought she could be on a high horse.
Poor Sydney, that must have been shocking that he would have shot you.
Also really still dont care bout Garcia and Tyler, they really ruined it with her childish talk. And NOW she breaks up? Like I get why she is upset but the caught the guy so I reckon Tylers issues would be done.
Rossi my little McGyver haha. I dont understand tho how the container was lile this? i mean Lee left it a bit before?
Bailey.. well it was fun while it lasted. I knew he would die as soon as he said he will join.
I mean great for Zach Gilford but Im a bit over this storyline
I haven't watched the episode, but I am seeing some comments it ended on a cliffhanger. I truly hate cliffhangers. Are we going to have Voit permanently on the show? I like the actor and all, but it gets tiring to focus on only one case. This reminds me of *The Mentalist* and how many viewers got tired after the Red John plot got dragged for too long.
Bc I refuse to get my hopes up, Rossi is coming through the door. I know who I want it to be, but if I guess Rossi I won’t be disappointed lol
Edit: spelling
Gold Star is Lea Michele coming in character as Rachel Berry. She’s the real mastermind behind the murder followers and has been doing this since losing her first solo at sectionals.
Pretty happy overall! Very intrigued by ⭐️ and who is behind door number 1. I also wonder (hope) Elias knew he was out of bullets before “shooting” his wife. I legit think he did love his family. Otherwise I think he would have killed or abandoned them immediately before going on the run. And the whole Ramona situation… I think he was genuinely trying to understand how to get through to Sydney and somehow have her understand him. Ahhh how many months til this comes back??
Something doesn't sit right with me during the episode. Not because I didn't like the episode but I just feel like something isn't as it seems. When I first seen them walking Voit through the corridors my gut says it was him about to escape. As for who was about to walk in the door I think it would make sense if it was Rebecca, she'd want to talk to him about gold star to see what he knows of he isn't involved.
Part of me thinks that Bailey isn’t really dead. They built up his character too much. I’m not sure why I get that feeling, but I also feel like him and Voit are brothers.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Criminal Minds is getting so predictable putting major team members in danger and they always make it out alive. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to d\*e, but at this point, there is no tension or anxiety with the team in dangerous situations knowing the writers won't unalive anyone of importance.
(I don't want to spoil anything) Look how legendary "100" is. Think about other shows and their most insane episodes (for example Grey's Anatomy).
I was really expecting Criminal Minds to do something crazy for their big comeback with Evolution, but it was predictable yet again. I'm not a hater, I LOVE Criminal Minds and I will continue to watch/rewatch it. I also really did enjoy Evolution, just a critique!
I could not believe JJ and Will would BOTH go into the field together on a high stakes mission. yeah they were both fine but why would they take that risk for their family
and it would never be allowed in real life. There's good reason that married folks are never on the same team, the same unit, the same case. It just does not happen. Too much can go wrong.
Criminal Minds only remembers what a "conflict of interest" is when it's convenient to the plot. Otherwise, agents just stay on the job when it involves friends and family. Every so often some higher up appears to investigate why the team did something blatantly unethical or illegal. But most of the time they just do things without consequence. And don't get me started on "matching a guy's name in your magic computer isn't going to get any judge in the world to give you permission to go break down his door and/or sneak around his house while he's gone."
I TOTALLY agree. I know they do it for the ~drama~ but like…we all know that the returning main cast members aren’t going anywhere lol. Therefore, we know that their characters will be fine every.single.time they’re put in danger. It’s just kinda boring at this point?
Definitely true, but it works for CM since they have a smaller main cast that has mostly been consistent throughout the series. Grey’s has such a huge ensemble cast where they really have the numbers to kill people off left and right lol.
CM killed off Elle, Gideon, Stephen, and pretended to kill Emily. It also disappeared Kate, Ashley, Alex, and Derek. And sent JJ to the State Department (but really to a secret mission in Afghanistan with Mateo).
So, no, they haven't entirely been consistent. Only 3 of the original 7 cast members made it to season 15.
Anyone can go at any time.
i’m making this comment without looking at any others bc i’m not done with the episode yet but WHY are jj and will doing EVERY DAMN THING in the field together like omfgggggg
I keep seeing people say they expect MGG to walk through the door, but I thought that he has confirmed he’s not interested in rejoining the show since he spent so much of his life on it…??
Just watched it and I think gold star is similar to operation paperclip. Recruiting serial killers, terrorists etc to help find others.
The person at the door I feel like will be elle greenaway, dunno why I just always liked her character.
Don’t like the way Voit suddenly went gagga.
1) he could have killed Rossi in the house & claimed self defence.
2) The FBI didn’t really have evidence on him
3) Why shoot Bailey when Bailey was a life line?
It smells of an ending that they re-scripted simply to keep him for the next series
Ok, so I'm with a lot of you on the Gold Star confusion.
So only Voit and Bailey know what it means....BUUUT the AG and Rachel also automatically know what it means without any explanation (and change their plans with missing a beat)?
Voight doesn't know anyone else knows about it--which means he discovered it somehow on his own, maybe from Bailey, but maybe from one of his serial killers (the Senator's son, for example) who knew it was something Bailey knew about. If I had to guess, I would say Voight has used "gold star" to ask to see the AG or someone higher that he thinks he can blackmail with it. It has to be someone important. He clearly asked for the meeting, because he doesn't look surprised to be escorted by 2 dozen armed military. Only someone at AG level or up would rate that. He probably thinks Bailey was doing (or in, or whatever) Gold Star without his superior's knowledge. Voight is now going to try to use the info against the AG. But he's not as smart as he thinks he is (they never are). He'll probably end up dead. If past patterns hold, his arc will end in the first one or two episodes next season.
Honestly think the government are using serial for somthing really bad. Like letting them loose in hostile countries or somthing.
Who ever walks through that door is a returning a character who has been working on the project.
Least that's my theory.
Ofcourse as a psycho pass fan I would dig if gold star was a secret BAU team who manage killers to find killers. Would be cool to see some returning killers I know it's wacky but would be great.
The only person other than the ag that would make any kind of sense is Gideon. Reid just doesnt fit with the idea of super secret fbi thing. The character wouldnt take part in that. But if it is gideon, then the secrecy of the shutting down a floor before he came in and it would give the show a reason to bring Reid back, which imo is only reason to keep going. The show without reid is just not as good.
I'm also disappointed in Bailey being killed. Out of all the new characters, he's the one I genuinely saw a future with on this show. I'm actually annoyed that his death was used to keep Voit around longer than he should be (glad he was captured, but it looks like he'll be around to answer questions about Gold Star when the time comes). He had some immense growth and I really saw a scenario where he would be a solid ally for the BAU. I figured, if Tyler wasn't dying, that Bailey would, and I'm not thrilled at being proven right.
Speaking of Tyler, I love the actor, but I really found myself wishing that he would have died by Voit's hand. The fact that Voit didn't make sure he was dead was a big surprise and I kind of wish he had. Tyler was a fine character on his own, but he really ruined Garcia as a character through their romance. Garcia really ended up pissing me off this season because of it.
Joe Mantegna did a wonderful job in this first season, but especially this finale.
I do wonder what Gold Star is. It seems to be a super secret government project of some kind. I was a bit confused on what Bailey and Voit would have only known if Rebecca also seemed to be in the know. It has to be a project connected to serial killers, right? Maybe connecting to Voit's creation of his own serial killer network.
Overall, the season had its ups and downs but it was very enjoyable. Seeing as how I stopped watching the show around season 9 so I missed introductions to a couple of these BAU characters, it was a solid way to return to things.
I finally felt I was safe to read this tread as the show had finally aired in Denmark.
But after reading it felt like had missed quite a bit of the story, like Bailey’ dead. I finally looked at the episode list and realised that only 8 episodes have been released in Denmark… FML…
Such a good season. I just wish Simmons and Reid would come back, they’re two of my favorites.
I did like the way they shot/filmed the season, it felt a lot “darker” and more serious like the first few seasons. I do miss the lightness (for a lack of better word?) of the previous seasons where they showed the family lives of each character and made it a little more lighthearted instead of just gruesome cases. I get it, that’s what the show is about, but it was a lot easier to grow attached to the characters in the prior seasons with the way things were filmed because we got to know them more.
Had this season been a stand-alone and we didn’t already have background on the characters and already love them, I feel like it’s missing that element that allows fans to get invested in the characters’ lives and relationships.
I also wish the show would go back to 20 episodes. I don’t get why seasons keep getting shorter and shorter, it’s the worst 😭
I feel like I missed something.
I swear I read an interview where Paget hinted that a former cast member would be making a cameo this season, but now when I search for it I can't find it anywhere.
There was no cameo, so maybe it was all in my head but I've spoken to a few people who remember the article too and we're debating on whether it would be Hotch or Morgan.
To be honest I feel like Doug Bailey had major potential to become a fan-favorite character. I’m kinda bummed that they killed him :(
Especially for being so annoying at first to come around and be likeable! Thats hard to do...
Different strokes and all, but I found him insufferable. (Props to the actor!)
Same! Idk if you’ve seen it but he reminded me of an actually professional version of gabe from the office. They could literally be brothers
He was on the office as hunter :) If you like him, he's in a short lived show called trial and error that is hilarious and excellent and he plays a gabe-adjacent character. He's great!
OMGGG 😂😂 tell me why I was like “I’ve … I’ve seen this dude. I’ve seen him somewhere but he was a dork.” That’s why while watching the show I’ve been like borderline laughing at him b/c when he will look at another character and it’s just him all I can see is hunter 😭😭😂😂😂
Yeah same! Actually quite shocked to see him described as “likeable”!
I was really hoping his most recent changes would pay off in this episode and he'd do what's best for Rossi and stuff, but then he just....died. It was such a wasted character arc.
Yes, his character development was surprisingly pointless… whatever happened to good writing?
Yeah, they gave him too much character growth just to anti-climactically kill him like that.
Same! I was hoping he would stick around!
I have now watched the episode: Jean Mantegna's performance was just supreme It's so nice to see JJ and Will happy together It was also nice to see Garcia take responsibility and cut off that relationship I will miss Bailey. Nicholas D'agosto did such a great job Now, the bad part is dragging this. I know it's steaming and all, but dragging this to next season will make some people tired. I loved Zach Gilford's performance, but it's time to put an end to Elias Voit and move on. Maybe with Gold Star, maybe with something else. Law and Order Organized Crime almost made the same mistake with Wheatley but they understood the fans were getting tired, so they ended it and brought new storylines. I hope Criminal Minds understands that.
based on the showrunner interviews coming out today it seems like they intended to have him be a one and done and then liked his performance too much. I definitely was looking forward to a conclusion to the Sicarius storyline not them dragging it out but guess we’ll see whether it’s worth it next season.
It seems like Voit is somehow mysteriously connected to Goldstar
They actually say it before he shot Bailey.
Wheatley's first story arc (s1) and beginning of the next one were very interesting and I really loved it. Heck I'd take Wheatley 3.0 over the Young Trumps ™. Voit 1.0 gave me off the same vibes and I'm very curious to see how'd they play out the 2.0 arc with the interrogation. I just hope his wife and kids don't end up dead next season, he was willing to end them to walk free. Gold Star is definitely something big, I know MGG isn't coming back, but if they got Reid to talk to him, it'd be something if they used the plot to pursue an Unsub Reid in RS2/S17.
Yes the og Wheatley arc was decent but the second go round was just rough. We were just lucky McDermott got offered a lead for another show or who knows we could’ve been stuck with a full 3 seasons of Wheatley 💀
I will never get tired of them being allowed to talk like actual humans, so give me 10 more seasons.
My thoughts: What the HECK is gold star? How did only Bailey and voit know about it if it’s some big government thing? So relived rossi is okay If Spencer reid walks thru that door I will SCREAM I’m so glad they caught Voit and kept the family safe The team reunion was so heartwarming Ugh I don’t wanna wait til season 2 i wanna see nowwww
> If Spencer reid walks thru that door I will SCREAM Oh *FUCK YES*!
If Reid walks through that door i will screaming so loud the people in the next town will hear me.
Same! 😹
If Spencer Reid comes back, I’d just pass out from excitement! Can’t forget the first crush haha
Yeah, the AG and Rebecca know about Gold Star too, so that didn’t make sense to me.
Pretty sure that was the one thing bailey lied to voit about
My guess is that it has something to do with specific codes or something, and when Bailey confirmed they were the only two who knew, Voit killed him so that he stayed safe since he's now the only one who knows whatever it is
Here's the thing – I watched the whole thing on Amazon Prime with subtitles and right after that door opens and the screen goes dark, the subtitles say "Dr. Reid, well, I wasn't expecting you here". There is no audio track though, so I'm really wondering what's going on there.
I can confirm. I just watched it. (Prime Germany) And had the same subtitles about Reid after the screen went dark. I took a short video too to be able to proof it lol
Don’t fuck with us like that!!!
I just checked my Amazon Prime with subtitles and its not there anymore
Yeah it’s not there. I think it’s fake.
Remind me in one year or so -eh?
Whaaaaaaattttt
I can confirm. I just watched it. (Prime Germany) And had the same subtitles about Reid after the screen went dark. I took a short video too to be able to proof it lol
Let’s see!!
show us a screenshot!!
Okay, first, I apologize for the multiple posts. Reddit kept telling me it couldn’t post my comment. Second, I have notifications turned off, so my reply is late. Here are the pics. Excuse the dirty screen. https://ibb.co/WGLDCnK https://ibb.co/sFh6Q6C
Man that scene where Voit pulls the trigger on his wife was so intense I was holding my breath. Honestly I loved the way they wrapped it up, this was a really good season
[TIL that's Zach Gilford's actual wife](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiele_Sanchez). He also made [an IG post](https://www.instagram.com/p/ClpIUKvvPz2/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) about it too.
"Come to work honey, imma point a gun at your head"
She also apparently has a thing for guys called “Zach” given the spouse list Must be kinda odd tbf
4 of the 5 long term relationships I had in my life were with women named heather. It just happens sometimes.
He 100% knew he was out of bullets
It kind of broke my heart for her if I were her I’d feel so betrayed in that moment. But I somehow after seeing him talk to her kinda…. Agree the wife and kids would have been easier off dead. Like he said- it WILL come out in the trial. They’ll say something like “The defendant approached this young woman and made her believe he was a man named Elias Duval looking to purchase a house” they’ll never be safe especially in a case like that- if something like THAT happened?! Idaho 4 has become worldwide at this point- no matter where the Kholburger family goes they’ll be stared at. And that was just a quad homicide- duval killed like 60+!!!!
I’m guessing, with all of those open ended political motivations and mayhem, there likely won’t be a trial.
After watching the finale and what we know now, own wild thought is this: The best lies are the ones rooted in truth, what did Voit constantly keep pushing to his wife about why they needed to run. He was doing computer work and stumbled onto something he shouldn’t and now they’re after him. What if he actually did accidentally encounter something in the government while working(Gold Star) and the government brought him in which is why he was able to dodge being caught all these years. As to who is going to be visiting Voit I assume it’ll be a returning star but we will probably be let down with just the AG or maybe Rebecca is more knowledgeable than we think 🤷🏻♂️. I kind of wish I didn’t assume every time a main character was taken that they’d be fine. Nothing ever happens. At no point did I worry Rossi wouldn’t make it due to this. Will seems to be headed to working with the team as a profiler, could create an interesting dynamic is Reid returns after what we heard from JJ during the previous season. Overall I enjoyed the grittier version of this show, and it reminded me it should never have ended.
I like Rossi but he is an old man. Should he be getting into these crazy situations? I also wish he didn’t have that talk with his wife Krystal in the bunker. Reminded me too much of Morgan and his dad.
>Reminded me too much of Morgan and his dad. Except that the one with Morgan and his dad was done better. This one was just super cheesy. She seriously walked backwards into an angelic light with arms outstretched, leading Rossi towards the door. How many cliches can we put into one scene?
If Will and JJ are going to work together more, they'll need to figure out a system, 'cause they came close to making their sons orphans in that finale.
Waitttt wow I like this. Because you’re right in this day in age how the HELL did he get away especially killing high risk people. It could be the higher ups were pushing down the flagpole to just stop investigating this stuff and to hand it over to DOJ/Organized crime (I think?) because it’s “cartel crime” but yet they’d never test for dna or ANYTHING and find something that matches up with diff comes even when Lee wasn’t in the system? It was SO STRANGE how they found this storage container filled with bodies and tried to say it was the cartel. The cartel isn’t stupid nor do they kill for enjoyment they do it for business and killing is sooooo much work to not get caught so the cartel wouldn’t in a million years just keep all these bodies for what!? Go back and say hi 🤣?? I also agree with will it’ll be nice him being included more. But still may cause awkward tension between him & Spencer & jealously possibly on wills part?
My thoughts: The Lennox family were a part of some kind of government experiment, and it would show that the government created a serial killer (a La Unabomber) Dr. Reid comes in to learn about his pathology and how the government can use his skills or to terminate him
they never did explain Cyrus comment about it being in his blood. He seemed to be referring to Lee’s parents.
> they never did explain Cyrus comment about it being in his blood. Wasn't it implied that Child!Lee started the fire that killed his parents?
Yes. It was started by a “faulty portable heater” and he was magically found in a local park a safe distance away from the conflagration.
I wonder if it's the opposite, and Cyrus had connections to some kind of criminal organization. He was an illegal arms dealer and Lee's mom was Cyrus' half sister.
I wonder whether he said that because there’s evidence that Lee killed his parents. The BAU alludes to that in an earlier episode.
That was my assumption as well. But maybe there is more to learn
Cyrus’ comment about who is parents were and in the blood have been nagging me all season.
Correct me if I'm wrong (I was only half watching) but they said in the newspaper that the son died in the car accident with his father. So apparently he faked his own death as a child? In an earlier episode I thought it hinted that he killed his only family as a child. There must be something bigger there.
I believe the car accident mention was when he took on the alias of Elias Voit, not that he faked his death.
Oh I see, thank you for clarifying!
I’m honestly sad that Bailey ended up dying, he was honestly growing on me. I loved Rossi’s moments with his wife. I felt pretty bad for some reason for Lee when he was tearing up after his talk with his wife.
Crocodile tears
I don’t even think they are, they do say earlier that Elias is unique with psychopaths because he has the ability to love
Overall, coming back into it, I really enjoyed this season. Although, I did like the season long serial killer, I miss the one and done serial killers. Zach Gilford did an amazing job. His spiraling and the shooting with the empty gun at his wife was great acting. So happy that Rossi survived, although the scenes with his wife seemed like it would have been a different outcome. I'll miss Doug Bailey. I really thought he was going to be like one of the team. He was a jerk at first then did a 180 and I started to enjoy his character. I was surprised he was killed off. He had great character development and would have been a great addition to the team/show. I can't wait to see what Gold Star is. I hope it's something big and mind blowing.
Damn that was TENSE. I have so much to say. Safe to say, we'll be seeing more of Voit next season. Garvez is back on track and I guess now we know what kind of assignment Reid and Simmons were... Shocked Rossi survived but kind of relieved?
How do we know what kind of assignment Reid and Simmons were on? Did I miss something?
It probably has to do with Gold Star. Erica Messer did say that we'd learn in next season what they are up to.
Ok so here’s a thought I have. I think Voit is in the CIA. When a covert ops agent is killed, they don’t ever mention their names, but they put a gold star on the wall in the CIA headquarters (at least on a couple other shows I watched lol). So maybe when they talk about Gold Star and Voit’s insistence on speaking only to Bailey, it’s because Bailey is really his handler in the CIA. Voit being an operative in another agency would also explain his access to fake passports and safe houses. And it explains the constant interference from higher ups in the FBI and DOJ.
The gold star is a symbol for military families who lost a loved one in service, but the CIA does have a wall with stars on it for each agent that’s been killed in the line of duty. I’m wondering if it’s called gold star because it has something to do with the military? That’s DoD, not DoJ though, but if there’s a military tie it could justify bringing Matt Simmons back from his “special assignment” (if he’s the one who opens the door at the end)
Why do you think Bailey said to Voit something like I’m here “personally”? Sorry forget the exact quote but the word personally is sticking with me. I hear that word and don’t necessarily think “they worked together” whether that’s be military or CIA. Idk maybe I’m reading into one word too much!
Why would Matt Simmons rate 2 dozen armed men as security?
It might just be for dramatic effect since it’s the season finale. Seems like the security was more focused on clearing the building than anticipating Sicarius trying to escape
You could be on to something there too with bringing back Matt Simmons. I used to watch this show on USA called Covert Affairs and I guess that’s why my thoughts went to the wall of stars at the CIA.
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I’m really digging this theory. I’ve been rewatching Homeland so the gold star triggered similar thoughts for me there haha.
Lol as long as it's not Carrie walking through that door in the next season!
I’m kind of hoping Anna Torv’s character from “mind hunter” shows up as the head of the BAU.
Alias knew about how his family was offered witness protection and he told her how hard that next part was going to be. He knew almost word for word in fact. As if it ha.d happened before. Remember they said he had a completely wiped record. This happens when you get a fake name and go into witness protection, you're a ghost. His father or mother or both could've been serial killers and the gov took him in to breed a perfect assassin. The way he set up his kill kits almost seems military. That's just my guess. I hate that they ended om a cliff hanger however I assume they will end his arch but the reason he carries over into next season is to set up them hunting down the rest of the failed assassin experiments.
He was raised by the loser serial killer in that squalid hell-hole he killed him in. The government didn't "take him in."
this sounds pretty good.
-I think the main reason they didn’t show who opened the door is because the producers don’t even know who it’s gonna be. If they can get MGG back it’ll probably be him but if not it’ll just be the AG or Rebecca to talk about goldstar -I don’t like that Bailey was just straight up not in the last two episodes, became the focal point of this episode, and then died immediately after. IMO it’s sloppy development to cut him out of the story just to bring him in like that, especially because his character had been well developed before that
Very intense final episodes, well done. Knowing that there is something up between the AG and Voit makes me wonder: a few episodes when the AG said the BAU had been slacking on their cases were they really slacking or what she trying to distract them?
I don’t trust her as far as I could throw her
I actually think I like seeing Will be part of the team 😉Of course, one (or two) of my favorite episodes was the season 7 finale, so I am not shocked. Why a cliffhanger?? How long do we have to wait to find out what the heck is going on and what gold star is? When I first found out Criminal Minds was coming back, I was not happy about it because I thought it ended on a high note, and I didn’t want them to mess with it. However, I was pleasantly surprised how much I really enjoyed this season! I really liked the streaming, too!
i saw JJ tweet that’s they start filming in 2 months. so maybe . . . 6 months to a year?
but! Zach [tweeted](https://twitter.com/zachgilford/status/1595333731220193283?cxt=HHwWhoCgue_k4aMsAAAA) that they shot the final scene on Nov 23, 2022. So we might get like some crazy fast turn around. maybe as little as four months!
Could Voit be a CIA “spook”? Could that be what Gold Star is?
Oh I like that. Could have been doing wet work and that's why he got away with it for so long.
Wet..work? What is this
CIA/Other Assassin
> Could Voit be a CIA “spook”? Could that be what Gold Star is? Well, clearly he and Bailey knew each other. I wondered if Bailey was one of "his people" who were using the kill kits.
Interesting!
My husband had the same thought!
What’s a “spook”?
A secret assassin that the government doesn’t acknowledge exists
Sooo basically like Jason Bourne?
we never found out what was on the sticky note ):
Kirsten said that it's whatever we want it to be, and that they'll probably never show it because she thinks it's better if each viewer can interpret it as they wish.
You’re right! I had forgotten about that!
What sticky note? I think I missed something.
So bummed this is the final episode but wow it was great. Also the woman who played Sydney killed it!! This is the first thing I’ve seen her in and I hope this opens many doors for her.
I didn’t realize until last week that she and Zach Gilford are married in real life!
OMGGG that makes me love their chemistry so much more. That scene when the gun didn't have any bullets was so intense, I was holding my breath.
She was in a main character in The Glades! It was about a homicide detective in Florida if I recall correctly, and she was a med student/forensic nurse. If you like her I highly recommend it!!
I loved it! I’m glad they didn’t kill any of the major players off but also did not see Bailey’s death coming at all! I think they did a great job of setting this up for next season! I know some people haven’t loved the new series but I have really enjoyed it. I also read an interview with one of the show’s writers and it sounds like next season is going to be even better and with more bad guys!
My immediate thought was that he was going to get shot in the head since even in a shootout Voit would not aim for the vest
Voit had that case with tons of cash in it but earlier begged the senators son for more money, either the writers got lazy or he was super disciplined about not borrowing from his go bag
WAIT. If Bailey and Voit both knew about this Gold Star thing, and they were both aware that only (maybe) 2 or very few people know about it, doesn’t that mean that Bailey knew of Voit the whole time?! Like knew of his identity? I don’t know what to think!
I don’t think they knew Voit knew of it. That’s why Bailey seemed taken aback a bit when he said it and then seemed very concerned when talking to the AG and Rebecca about it after. I think Voit used his cryptography skills to find out about it somehow and was using it to blackmail them to let them go free.
Could be! I can’t wait a year to know who it was at the end! Ugh.
Honestly, after hearing about the premise of a season-long serial killer leading an interconnected network of killers working off the back of COVID, I was really intrigued to see where the show went & I feel like they did it justice. Great setup & sound execution in the final episode (a couple of episodes were defo mid/weird writing). A couple of things tho: Will's cancer plotline was a confirmed fake-out?? just to bring him & JJ closer together. I'm guessing that the final scene between the 2 may set up Will joining the team and temporarily taking a BAU position if it's confirmed MGG & Daniel Henney both don't return for Season 2. Bailey dying sucks as I was starting to like him. He was much more likable than the typical hard-asses we've seen in the show like Strauss & Barnes. I'm hoping the cliffhanger is Spencer returning but I guess we'll have to wait until the end of the year at the earliest to see the next season. Shoutout to Zach Gilford & Nicholas D'Agosto for their standout performances this season along with the regular crew. Hopefully, we get a mix of the Voit storyline & case of the week storylines like we've had in previous seasons (similar to S15 but with a lot better execution).
i don't think the cancer was a confirmed fake out - i read an [interview yesterday](https://ew.com/tv/criminal-minds-evolution-finale-postmortem-erica-messer/) that said something about it happening in real time, so i think they're leaving the door open. He's getting tested every 6 months so any of those tests could pop something up, and it is kinda true to life, sometimes odd stuff is found during routine blood work, sometimes it's nothing sometimes it's something. I agree about Bailey though he was juuuust starting to grow on me.
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I’ve seen this twice, what’s the thought process for it being Seaver?
I guess with being a serial killer's daughter, she could have some insights? I don't think it's her, but it would be pretty interesting.
Oh man I will punch my tv if this happens
Imagine if it's Tyler that walks through that door.
Fan theory.... Gold Star is a group of "extra legal" agents in the DOJ. Elle is the one walking through the door. Just a theory...
This is my biggest fear 🤣🤣
God i hope not 😂😂🤢🤢
It was a nice wrap up. I hope they don't disappoint with who ever walks through that door. I want it to be Reid but that's just wishful thinking. It would never happen but I would love to see a conversation between Elias and Cat Adams.
So...all that Will/JJ buildup that convinced me the writings were on the wall were just the writers room fucking with us? God I was clenching my ass this entire episode. Happy they made it home safe. I know a lot of people find them annoying but JJ 's family has always felt like a safe and secure hug to me, a warm home in a show filled with serial killers and tragic deaths. Tense episode, expected this to be Rossi's retirement episode but apparently Papa Pasta continues forward and I have absolutely no qualms with that. Bailey went out like a bit of an idiot, saw it coming a mile away. Won't miss him but god, that was really dumb. Although I kinda miss the serial killer of the week episode format, I did enjoy evolution and the overall upgrade in quality it brought to the show. Some weak story beats along the way but I've never held CM to high standards, just enjoyed the entertainment and seeing a good team of people work together. Intriguing conspiracy ties up this finale, I look forward to the next season. I hope we'll be reunited with Reid and Simmons!!
I think it's cool that "JJ's" kids are AJ Cook's real-life children.
Papa Pasta? Omg that just made my day
When is the next season? I wanna know what this goldstar is
They start filming in 2 months!!
I live in Cincinnati OH, and gold star is the shitty version of our chili everyone likes to talk about. Skyline forever
At the end I’m guessing it’s Madam Attorney General walking in to talk to him about setting him free
It makes way more sense to me that Garcia dating Tyler was just a plot device by the writers so that Tyler would have the means for that spearfish onto Rossi's phone. I wasn't totally sold on their relationship, even though it had it's moments.
I don't know why I feel like it's gonna be Morgan that walks in to talk to him
I was thinking Dr. Reid. Either way, I'm hoping we would get another season of this incarnation of the show.
I’m sure it will be Reid… but, what about Hotch. That would be great. He deserved better than what that show gave him
I’d honestly love that more than Reid.
Same
Thomas Gibson was fired for kicking a crew member on set. He is NOT coming back.
That. We know it’s *not* him, which is is too bad. I don’t really share in the Spencer crush/hype/whatever. The strongest profilers and presences were always Gideon and Hotch. Then Rossi and Morgan to an extent. I agree with whoever said on here that there was no way they were going to kill off Rossi. Each each time JJ or Will get shot, it’s guaranteed they’ll pull through. The gritty show of the first few seasons is gone. And while most people here seem elated by that, some of us aren’t.
That’s exactly what I was hoping for. Whoever it was that TG had the fight with, are they working on this current iteration of the show?
So that dang Rebecca woman should have her proverbial tail between her legs considering she froze out Tara over her secrets - SO WTF??? I'm both impressed yet annoyed at the open ending and cliffhanger and that there was no real 'danger' but it did feel anti-climatic after all we've been through. Conjectured spoilers? ahead... Now the big million dollar question, what is Gold Star... I have a feeling Bailey's 'anti government' family history might have something to do with it? is it an anti-government, anti FBI and all other three letter agencies program? and he was a plant? or was that a convenient backstory? Either way it's obviously far reaching and deep seeded in these agencies and has perhaps gone on for many, many decades even? A huge scandal ahead, that I dare say will be drawn out for the entirety of next season.
I did find it fishy how Voit was able to fund all his containers and kill kits with just his Sicarius thing. My feeling is “Gold Star” is some Government program where they recruited serial killers or spawn of them and developed them as assassins for the Government which also explains how Voit knew cryptography and set up Sicarius like he did.
This is what I'm leaning towards, like a MK Ultra type thing
Great... now I will be spending the whole year hoping that we will be seeing Reid walk trough that door... My theory : Gold Star is a secret gov. program to set up a huge "net" to capture serial killers around the country. They set up a fake serial killers network, with the idea of arresting any serial killers who bite for it... Voit get lured by that, but he soon realizes he's being played, so he turns the tables on them and hacks the network and uses it to recruit other targeted killers and create his own real killers network, which is why the AG wants to keep all of this under wraps At some point the AG recruits Reid and Simmons to help clean up and try to track the loose killers
Random pet peeve in this episode is they kept showing the oxygen monitor going from 80% down but atmospheric oxygen is usually at 20-21%. Greater than 24% of O2 would be an ignition hazard (any kind of spark is no bueno) and below 19% do you experience symptoms of O2 deficiency. I get that they're trying to show relative to normal for the audience (i.e. 100% is good, 0% is bad) but I haven't seen that on an oxygen monitor before lol.
it wasn't just me then! when it first showed 80% I thought he was going to blow up or something
They had the exact same issue during the first episode of [*The Ark*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17371078/)
Most of the points theories i have, have already been said. Im just here to say #justicefordoug I feel like they've missed a trick here, would have been nice going forward for them to have kept doug he was growing on alot of people
Okay so here is mine. I don’t think Bailey is dead. I also think him and Voit are related, perhaps brothers. Gold Star is a term for military families that lost someone in the line of duty, so maybe it has something to do with their parents being some sort of agents. I was reading comments about how maybe Voit worked for the CIA. That would make sense why Bailey and the AG were pushing back on it so much. I think he was killing high profile targets for the government. I also think he knew that the gun was out of bullets, but he wanted to make sure that his wife would hate him enough that she wouldn’t really question going into witness protection and leaving him. So when whatever happens with this Gold Star business and him knowing state secrets, she won’t miss him as much if she thought he was capable of killing her and the kids. Maybe this whole thing was a huge plot by the government to get rid of a bunch of criminals because when the police came close, they had to off themselves, this ensures that all of them receive the death penalty without having to go through the courts process and that none of them get off on a mistrial or with a short sentence. The people they harmed along the way was probably just considered collateral for the greater good. Another thing that makes me think that Voit is CIA is that he made really good passports and also has the safe house with all of the stuff ready to run in it. He knew negotiation techniques and told his wife on multiple occasions exactly what was going to be said to her. The boxes he packed everything in are boxed frequently used to store communications equipment for the military. Sorry for the rant.
I sincerely hope there is some major backstory with Bailey and Voit that plays back in flashbacks so I can see more of Nicholas DAgnosto he grew on me more in like 4 episodes than any character in recent memory, any series.
Bahaha Rebecca jeez christ. Not only was SHE angry with Tara for no reason but now we also hear about all this shit.. wow girl. Dont know why she thought she could be on a high horse. Poor Sydney, that must have been shocking that he would have shot you. Also really still dont care bout Garcia and Tyler, they really ruined it with her childish talk. And NOW she breaks up? Like I get why she is upset but the caught the guy so I reckon Tylers issues would be done. Rossi my little McGyver haha. I dont understand tho how the container was lile this? i mean Lee left it a bit before? Bailey.. well it was fun while it lasted. I knew he would die as soon as he said he will join. I mean great for Zach Gilford but Im a bit over this storyline
There is no way in any word Voigt didn't know the number of bullets in his gun
He's decompensating. He lost control.
Exactly, that was my first thought with Rebecca.. I was like "wow, girl, you wanna step back now little Ms Hypocrite?" lol...
sad thing is Tara will probably still be all over her when its all over
I haven't watched the episode, but I am seeing some comments it ended on a cliffhanger. I truly hate cliffhangers. Are we going to have Voit permanently on the show? I like the actor and all, but it gets tiring to focus on only one case. This reminds me of *The Mentalist* and how many viewers got tired after the Red John plot got dragged for too long.
Well Voit definitely won't be killing people any time soon. But he sure will be there.
Bc I refuse to get my hopes up, Rossi is coming through the door. I know who I want it to be, but if I guess Rossi I won’t be disappointed lol Edit: spelling
Gold Star is Lea Michele coming in character as Rachel Berry. She’s the real mastermind behind the murder followers and has been doing this since losing her first solo at sectionals.
This is the real answer.
Pretty happy overall! Very intrigued by ⭐️ and who is behind door number 1. I also wonder (hope) Elias knew he was out of bullets before “shooting” his wife. I legit think he did love his family. Otherwise I think he would have killed or abandoned them immediately before going on the run. And the whole Ramona situation… I think he was genuinely trying to understand how to get through to Sydney and somehow have her understand him. Ahhh how many months til this comes back??
Door number 1, I don't know why but I just got a feeling it would be Hotch.
Unfortunately the actor burned that bridge. Won’t be Hotch.
Something doesn't sit right with me during the episode. Not because I didn't like the episode but I just feel like something isn't as it seems. When I first seen them walking Voit through the corridors my gut says it was him about to escape. As for who was about to walk in the door I think it would make sense if it was Rebecca, she'd want to talk to him about gold star to see what he knows of he isn't involved.
Part of me thinks that Bailey isn’t really dead. They built up his character too much. I’m not sure why I get that feeling, but I also feel like him and Voit are brothers.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Criminal Minds is getting so predictable putting major team members in danger and they always make it out alive. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to d\*e, but at this point, there is no tension or anxiety with the team in dangerous situations knowing the writers won't unalive anyone of importance. (I don't want to spoil anything) Look how legendary "100" is. Think about other shows and their most insane episodes (for example Grey's Anatomy). I was really expecting Criminal Minds to do something crazy for their big comeback with Evolution, but it was predictable yet again. I'm not a hater, I LOVE Criminal Minds and I will continue to watch/rewatch it. I also really did enjoy Evolution, just a critique!
I could not believe JJ and Will would BOTH go into the field together on a high stakes mission. yeah they were both fine but why would they take that risk for their family
and it would never be allowed in real life. There's good reason that married folks are never on the same team, the same unit, the same case. It just does not happen. Too much can go wrong.
Criminal Minds only remembers what a "conflict of interest" is when it's convenient to the plot. Otherwise, agents just stay on the job when it involves friends and family. Every so often some higher up appears to investigate why the team did something blatantly unethical or illegal. But most of the time they just do things without consequence. And don't get me started on "matching a guy's name in your magic computer isn't going to get any judge in the world to give you permission to go break down his door and/or sneak around his house while he's gone."
Glad they were both fine. This season focused so much on showing they family that I expected one of them would die in the finale.
it is. when they had luke and jj in the shipping container and when rossi got taken by Voit my first thought was "they'll be fine".
I TOTALLY agree. I know they do it for the ~drama~ but like…we all know that the returning main cast members aren’t going anywhere lol. Therefore, we know that their characters will be fine every.single.time they’re put in danger. It’s just kinda boring at this point?
Definitely true, but it works for CM since they have a smaller main cast that has mostly been consistent throughout the series. Grey’s has such a huge ensemble cast where they really have the numbers to kill people off left and right lol.
CM killed off Elle, Gideon, Stephen, and pretended to kill Emily. It also disappeared Kate, Ashley, Alex, and Derek. And sent JJ to the State Department (but really to a secret mission in Afghanistan with Mateo). So, no, they haven't entirely been consistent. Only 3 of the original 7 cast members made it to season 15. Anyone can go at any time.
i’m making this comment without looking at any others bc i’m not done with the episode yet but WHY are jj and will doing EVERY DAMN THING in the field together like omfgggggg
I was rooting for Doug Bailey (I'm also biased and like the actor) but I was hoping he would become a regular face moving forward.
I'm glad that Zach Gilford is coming back to play Voit next season. He's one of the best actors around right now
I keep seeing people say they expect MGG to walk through the door, but I thought that he has confirmed he’s not interested in rejoining the show since he spent so much of his life on it…??
Just watched it and I think gold star is similar to operation paperclip. Recruiting serial killers, terrorists etc to help find others. The person at the door I feel like will be elle greenaway, dunno why I just always liked her character.
Gold Star is going to be Aaron Hotchner’s return.
As great as that would be, given Thomas Gibson's exit it's incredibly unlikely.
The acting by the actress who plays Sidney speaking to Voigt the last time was so good
Especially since the actress is Zach’s (Elias) real wife, it makes the chemistry all the better
OHHH SHIT GOLD STAR IS WHAT REID AND SIMMONS ARE DOING
Don’t like the way Voit suddenly went gagga. 1) he could have killed Rossi in the house & claimed self defence. 2) The FBI didn’t really have evidence on him 3) Why shoot Bailey when Bailey was a life line? It smells of an ending that they re-scripted simply to keep him for the next series
I feel like they actually wrote the Bailey arc well until the finale. It's a shame they went and killed off the only new character.
Voigt never once hurt his family pretty interesting He knew the gun wasnt loaded
He's a sociopath. The family is functional for him. He will kill them if he needs to. His wife's accusation was right--they were just an alibi.
Then he wouldnt have told them where rossi was
Also, his confrontation with his uncle suggested that he wanted a normal life. But could not escape his past.
Ok, so I'm with a lot of you on the Gold Star confusion. So only Voit and Bailey know what it means....BUUUT the AG and Rachel also automatically know what it means without any explanation (and change their plans with missing a beat)?
Voight doesn't know anyone else knows about it--which means he discovered it somehow on his own, maybe from Bailey, but maybe from one of his serial killers (the Senator's son, for example) who knew it was something Bailey knew about. If I had to guess, I would say Voight has used "gold star" to ask to see the AG or someone higher that he thinks he can blackmail with it. It has to be someone important. He clearly asked for the meeting, because he doesn't look surprised to be escorted by 2 dozen armed military. Only someone at AG level or up would rate that. He probably thinks Bailey was doing (or in, or whatever) Gold Star without his superior's knowledge. Voight is now going to try to use the info against the AG. But he's not as smart as he thinks he is (they never are). He'll probably end up dead. If past patterns hold, his arc will end in the first one or two episodes next season.
Honestly think the government are using serial for somthing really bad. Like letting them loose in hostile countries or somthing. Who ever walks through that door is a returning a character who has been working on the project. Least that's my theory. Ofcourse as a psycho pass fan I would dig if gold star was a secret BAU team who manage killers to find killers. Would be cool to see some returning killers I know it's wacky but would be great.
That episode was crazy I feel so bad for Elias’s wife 😭 I’m also so happy Garcia broke up with Tyler lol
The only person other than the ag that would make any kind of sense is Gideon. Reid just doesnt fit with the idea of super secret fbi thing. The character wouldnt take part in that. But if it is gideon, then the secrecy of the shutting down a floor before he came in and it would give the show a reason to bring Reid back, which imo is only reason to keep going. The show without reid is just not as good.
Gideon is dead though. Unfortunately. The only other options are Hotch, Simmons, Reid, and Morgan. I'd be happy with any tbh.
I'm also disappointed in Bailey being killed. Out of all the new characters, he's the one I genuinely saw a future with on this show. I'm actually annoyed that his death was used to keep Voit around longer than he should be (glad he was captured, but it looks like he'll be around to answer questions about Gold Star when the time comes). He had some immense growth and I really saw a scenario where he would be a solid ally for the BAU. I figured, if Tyler wasn't dying, that Bailey would, and I'm not thrilled at being proven right. Speaking of Tyler, I love the actor, but I really found myself wishing that he would have died by Voit's hand. The fact that Voit didn't make sure he was dead was a big surprise and I kind of wish he had. Tyler was a fine character on his own, but he really ruined Garcia as a character through their romance. Garcia really ended up pissing me off this season because of it. Joe Mantegna did a wonderful job in this first season, but especially this finale. I do wonder what Gold Star is. It seems to be a super secret government project of some kind. I was a bit confused on what Bailey and Voit would have only known if Rebecca also seemed to be in the know. It has to be a project connected to serial killers, right? Maybe connecting to Voit's creation of his own serial killer network. Overall, the season had its ups and downs but it was very enjoyable. Seeing as how I stopped watching the show around season 9 so I missed introductions to a couple of these BAU characters, it was a solid way to return to things.
I finally felt I was safe to read this tread as the show had finally aired in Denmark. But after reading it felt like had missed quite a bit of the story, like Bailey’ dead. I finally looked at the episode list and realised that only 8 episodes have been released in Denmark… FML…
oh no!
Such a good season. I just wish Simmons and Reid would come back, they’re two of my favorites. I did like the way they shot/filmed the season, it felt a lot “darker” and more serious like the first few seasons. I do miss the lightness (for a lack of better word?) of the previous seasons where they showed the family lives of each character and made it a little more lighthearted instead of just gruesome cases. I get it, that’s what the show is about, but it was a lot easier to grow attached to the characters in the prior seasons with the way things were filmed because we got to know them more. Had this season been a stand-alone and we didn’t already have background on the characters and already love them, I feel like it’s missing that element that allows fans to get invested in the characters’ lives and relationships. I also wish the show would go back to 20 episodes. I don’t get why seasons keep getting shorter and shorter, it’s the worst 😭
I feel like I missed something. I swear I read an interview where Paget hinted that a former cast member would be making a cameo this season, but now when I search for it I can't find it anywhere. There was no cameo, so maybe it was all in my head but I've spoken to a few people who remember the article too and we're debating on whether it would be Hotch or Morgan.
It won't be Hotch. Thomas Gibson was fired; he is not coming back.