Warning! Spoilers ahead for Criminal Minds: Evolution.
After three episodes, Criminal Minds: Evolution finally reveals the show's secret real villain. The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is back on the small screen, which sees them deal with a new UnSub. Dubbed their biggest case yet, Criminal Minds: Evolution sees the profilers hunt down a network of serial killers who came together during the pandemic, which is led by Elias Voit. While the BAU's ultimate goal is to get to the mastermind to take down his whole operation, Voit isn't actually the series' true antagonist. Instead, Criminal Minds: Evolution's true villain is hiding in plain sight.
Episode 3 of the Criminal Minds revival aptly titled "Evolution" makes it clear that the BAU's real enemy is Deputy Director Bailey. Introduced on the show's premiere, he has been secretly sabotaging the profilers so he could break the team apart in the hopes that it would make himself look good with the brass. Given the BAU's years of expertise, there's no doubt that they can catch Voit, but Bailey is making things much more difficult. What's worse is that he makes it a no-win situation for the agents — if BAU does great, he credit grabs, and if they fail, it gives him the reason to break up the team.
Can The BAU Defeat Bailey On Criminal Minds: Evolution?
Given Matt Simmons and Spencer Reid's absence on Criminal Minds: Evolution, the BAU is undermanned, not to mention underfunded as the FBI has been going through cost-cutting. Despite the less-than-ideal situation, the team can still defeat Bailey. For what it's worth, he isn't the first supervisor who tried to dismantle the BAU. Time and time again, however, the profilers have proven that they are more valuable to the bureau than any singular employee, regardless of who they are. They did it by solving a high-profile case, and that's exactly how they are going to do it again to get rid of Bailey.
Bailey’s Defeat Could Result In Reid & Simmons’ BAU Return
Bailey may also be the reason for Simmons and Reid's absence on Criminal Minds: Evolution. He maintains that he can't say where the SSAs are as it's supposed to be classified, but he could just be trying to keep them away from the team to make things much worse for the profilers on Paramount+’s Criminal Minds: Evolution. This means that they can get rid of him after they arrest Voit, it could pave the way for Simmons and Reid to return. This would be a great narrative roundabout to explain why the pair missed Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1 and easily bring them back in season 2.
The good thing is, the BAU has found out about Bailey's game fairly early. This way, they're well aware of what they are dealing with in of their allies within the FBI. As tricky as their current situation is right now, Prentiss already made the bold prediction that at the end of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 1, Bailey would be the one out of a job while the BAU moves forward.
Criminal Minds: Evolution airs every Thursday on Paramount+.
