Paramount+’s Crime Masterpiece Is Dangerously Rewriting the Rules of Serial Killer Shows After 21 Years

May 10, 2026, 1:00pm

As Paramount+‘s legacy crime masterpiece returns for its new season, it’s redefining what it means to be a serial killer series after two decades. Gritty stories about good vs. bad have always been popular. Even as the industry evolves, their prominence on network TV, streaming, and cable is proof of their enduring appeal. Some of the longest scripted shows that are still active on TV are from police procedurals, via NBC’s Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, as well as CBS’s NCIS, further backing this idea.

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While the most prominent crime shows still live on traditional broadcast, there’s one particular show from the sandbox that was able to make the rare jump from network to streaming. Criminal Minds originally ran for 15 seasons on CBS before it was picked up by Paramount+. The streamer recognized the project’s continued popularity and rebranded it as Criminal Minds: Evolution — a darker version of the parent show. As Paramount+ gets ready to release Criminal Minds season 19 (Evolution season 4), new details about its upcoming year via its fresh trailer reveal how it’s redefining its storytelling rules by rehabilitating its worst unsub to date — Elias Voit aka Sicarius.

Zach Gilford’s ruthless villain was introduced in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 16 as its central suspect. What made him more dangerous was that he not only carried out the operation himself, but he also created a network of other criminals. Instead of having him pay for his sins, a medical emergency unexpectedly kickstarted his rehabilitation in season 18, and by season 19, the BAU doesn’t see him as a bad guy anymore, but more of a resource person as part of his redemption arc.

Why Voight’s Rehabilitation In Criminal Minds: Evolution Needs To Be Earned

It’s difficult to find anyone who doesn’t like a good redemption arc. However, in the case of Voit, it feels unearned at this point. He killed so many people for so many years and motivated others to do his bidding. Voit also terrorized some of the members of the BAU, including Dave Rossi and JJ Jarreau. Criminal Minds: Evolution season 18 revealed his traumatic past, but that shouldn’t excuse him for everything that he has done. Sure, he’s still in jail, but it’s dangerous to focus on making him empathetic more than actually seeing him suffer the consequences of his actions.

Criminal Minds is one of, if not the best, serial killer shows ever. When it made the jump from CBS to Paramount+, it brought in the majority of the original creative team behind the series, which is why it has been able to maintain its quality despite some significant changes. Hopefully, whatever they’re planning for Voit in season 19 doesn’t water down his crimes. Criminal Minds season 19 can still utilize Gilford’s character as a resource person, as it fits with the show’s attempt to use profiling to solve crimes, but his cooperation should only be the bare minimum punishment for all the lives he ruined.

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