Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the season finale of Criminal Minds: Evolution
Criminal Minds: Evolution has wrapped up its first season but left the door open for a major plotline for Season 2. While serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) was defeated, the team now has to deal with the mystery of Gold Star.
In the finale of the first season of the show’s return, the team raced to rescue Rossi, held captive by the twisted Voit. They had him surrounded, but when Voit mentioned “Gold Star,” Assistant Director Bailey insisted on talking to him alone. He paid for that as Voit shot him dead before finally being arrested.
Lewis (Aisha Tyler) talked to ex-girlfriend Rebecca (Nicole Pacent) about Gold Star but all Rebecca said was that there were “issues” within the Department of Justice that she couldn’t go into.
The episode ended with the BAU cleared, mourning Bailey, while Voit was shown in an interrogation room just as the door opened for a mysterious visitor.
It thus appears Gold Star will play a major part in Season 2 of Criminal Minds: Evolution, yet the mystery as to just what it is.
Gold Star and Season 2 of Criminal Minds: Evolution
Speaking to TV Insider, showrunner Erica Messer acknowledged that Gold Star will be the focus for the second season of the returning series, although she’s tight-lipped on details.
"“I can’t say a whole heck of a lot about it right now because we are in the writers’ room for this second season [of Evolution] and Gold Star is shifting a little bit in our in our conversations, so I don’t wanna say anything that we then veer away from. But I can say that Voit clearly thinks knowing that phrase is going to be helpful for him in some kind of negotiating. And then the bigger mystery is, why does he know that? What is it that got our dear beloved deputy director killed? There’s not a whole lot of clues you could look for from previous seasons, but there will be some things that we introduced in Season 16 that will come into play regarding Gold Star for later.”"
While it may be that Gold Star is another network of serial killers, Messer hints it can go deeper and perhaps even connections to the DOJ. Whatever it is, this will form the backbone of the next season, including explaining who was behind that door meeting Volt.
"“We know for sure it’ll be part of the first half of the season and then it’ll probably evolve out of that a little bit. But right now we’re hoping to follow the path we did last year, which is five episodes and then do a mini cliffhanger and then come back. That’s our plan right now and that’s how we’re crafting Gold Star.”"
Thus, fans can expect a new mystery when Criminal Minds: Evolution returns, as Volt and Gold Star will continue to plague the BAU amidst other twisted killers.