‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’: Zach Gilford Was Perfectly Cast As Charming Girl Dad And Prolific Serial Killer Elias Voit

It takes a special kind of man to play a loving girl dad, a charming husband, a smart-ass hallucination, and a brutal serial killer in a single show. Zach Gilford is that man.

In Season 1, Criminal Minds: Evolution on Paramount+ introduced the Friday Night Lights alum as Elias Voit, a cold-blooded murderer, master manipulator, and evil genius who spent his COVID-19 lockdown assembling a network of serial killers online. At the end of its second episode, however, that same tortured soul walked inside a gorgeous Seattle house and was greeted by his beautiful wife, Sydney (played by Gilford’s IRL wife Kiele Sanchez), who dubbed him the “best husband ever.” He told her he’d whip up breakfast for his two daughters, Holly (Allison Nordahl) and Harlow (Mia Coleman), and the chilling sequence gave viewers their first major glimpse into Voit’s double life, showing just how skilled he is at juggling and compartmentalizing conflicting personalities.

As the season progressed and Voit’s body count increased, we learned that a serial killer uncle and a ruthless upbringing primed his sadistic behavior. After Voit attacked, abducted, and unsuccessfully left Rossi (Joe Mantegna) for dead in Season 1, the team finally put the bad guy behind bars. But in Season 2, he’s back again — both in the flesh and in haunting hallucinations born from Rossi’s PTSD.

When Voit roamed free, stealthily killed, and trained others to do the same in Season 1, Gilford regularly brought out the vile, monstrous Sicarius side of his character, crafting what Decider called one of 2022’s most terrifying on-screen villains. With Voit physically imprisoned in Season 2, however, Gilford shines without the aid of gruesome attention grabs. What makes the layered antagonist so compelling this time around is Gilford’s convincingly cocky attitude and remarkable ability to flick between tones, suppressing Voit’s serial killer rage for his family.

When he’s up against the FBI, Voit exudes arrogance, deriving pleasure from each and every second he conceals the truth about himself and Gold Star. He delights in watching his BAU visitors squirm, flashing sneaky grins after intentionally provoking J.J. (A.J. Cook) and Luke (Adam Rodriguez). He uses words and wit as weapons. And without Gilford’s snarky delivery of lines like “What’s a lingual artery?” and “Imagine me on the stand” the character wouldn’t be nearly as detestable.

Through Rossi’s hallucinations, Criminal Minds: Evolution really lets Gilford play. With gelled hair, street clothes, and annoying persistence, Voit pokes at Rossi’s insecurities and picks on his loved ones, hurling insulting and taunts at Mantegna as he struggles to maintain his character’s composure. Just when you think the visions are gone, Voit returns with another quip. (My personal favorite? “It’s almost adorable that you thought I’d leave you alone.) If you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening Gilford pop off on the It’s Not Only Football: Friday Night Lights and Beyond podcast, you may even find familiar flickers of his humor and personality in the intimate scenes.

Gilford excels when he leans into Voit’s incredibly punchable persona, but in order for the character to be truly effective, Criminal Minds needed someone who could successfully soften as a family man. The palpable chemistry Gilford and his IRL wife share certainly enhances the seemingly effortless Voit family dynamic. But seeing the actor smash pause on Elias’ new enemy of the FBI existence and tap into his old loving, empathetic dad duties in Episode 4 proves his range is essential for the complex role.

Between waves of denial and delusion, Gilford delivers a performance powerful enough to make viewers believe that Voit’s concern for his daughters and their future — after everything he’s done — is genuine. Throughout the series he’s visibly torn between his two realities, but that scene in his cell where he says “hi baby!” and embraces Harlow, assures his girls everything’s going to be OK, and tells Holly he loves her after she tries to stab him is no easy feat to pull off when you play a character as repulsive as Voit — just another reminder that Gilford (who’s played his fair share of Good Guys on-screen) was perfectly cast.

Criminal Minds: Evolution could have easily said goodbye to Voit with a satisfying Season 1 arrest, but by having the murderer work closely with the BAU, use essential information on the mysterious “Gold Star” killings to secure a series of deals with the FBI, and face his family in Season 2, the show found creative ways to continue harnessing Gilford’s talents and keep viewers craving more.

New episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution premiere on Paramount+ Thursdays.