Zach Gilford Explains Voit’s Finale Ending

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 17 finale “Save the Children.”]

“I am going to win them over,” Zach Gilford declares of his character, serial killer Elias Voit, on Criminal Minds: Evolution. That’s much easier said than done.

After all, this is the guy who refuses to admit he’s Sicarius (“Why would he lie to the world?” the star asks), abducted Rossi (Joe Mantegna), has a network full of serial killers, has spent the season getting under the BAU’s skin, and also just seemingly can’t be killed. The Season 17 finale ended with Voit getting stabbed in prison (after wanting to be in gen pop), but showrunner Erica Messer promised us Gilford is around all of Season 18. Still, there is a question of what led to that attack: Was it Voit’s own doing for some nefarious purpose, or could Rossi have let her slip who he really was, since he went into prison using his birth name?

“That’s really manipulative if he plans his own attack,” Gilford points out during a visit to TV Insider. (Watch the video interview above.) “I think he believes Rossi probably set it up.” The actor doesn’t think that’s what happened, but he, like fans, wants answers.

Looking ahead, Gilford expects to see a different side of Voit in Season 18, “which has been one of the really fun parts about the show. Season 1, you kind of see Voit as the family guy and just trying to protect his family and you don’t see him doing too much nefarious stuff. This season, I’ve been in a cell the whole time and I’m just trying to get out and trying to get under the BAU’s skin. So I’m kind of manipulative and annoying,” he explains. “And then next season I think, I don’t know exactly what it is, but I do know it’s going to be a whole ‘nother side. I did say to Erica, I was like, man, I’m bummed. I like being s**t-talking Voit.”

But one member of the BAU he couldn’t mess with was Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), who has this great moment in the finale when she just steps up to him, looks at him, and makes him visibly uncomfortable. “When we filmed it, I feel like she stared me in the eye for 27 minutes. It just went all over the place, [from] awkward to cool, okay, you’re still here,” he shares. “She’s so great. I love her in real life. But yeah, that’s a great scene. And the way they wrote it, they’re like, ‘It shakes Voit’s soul. It’s pure good looking at pure evil.’”

Gilford does think it caught Voit off-guard that she seemed the least intimidated by him. “I think they also share this thing where they’re both computer people, so there’s kind of this one-upmanship that has to go on,” he adds. “But I always joke, if it wasn’t for property records and Garcia, the BAU would never solve a crime.”

Watch the full video interview above for much more, including his thoughts on Voit getting under the BAU’s skin this season, that great Voit and JJ (A.J. Cook) conversation in the finale, what he wants to see with Voit and Rossi next season, and directing.

Criminal Minds: Evolution, Season 18, TBA, Paramount+