Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 4 has been a rollercoaster of disturbing cases and a tantalizing setup for its big bad, the Fan. But Episode 5, airing at the season's midpoint, slams the brakes hard. With only five episodes left to resolve the BAU's hunt for this elusive admirer-turned-threat, the show's decision to slow down feels risky. The Fan has made just one major move so far, and this week's installment teases more dread without delivering much payoff—until a fiery finale that finally raises the temperature.
The episode opens with what appears to be a hostage crisis, but it's quickly revealed as an FBI training exercise. Agent Lowell (Xavier Jimenez) is supposed to fire a blank, but instead, a live bullet kills his trainer, Milliken (Jamison Jones). Milliken, a familiar face from Episode 3, had a close bond with Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) through a war veteran recovery program. His death sends Alvez spiraling into grief—though the emotional weight feels less convincing than his earlier loss of Roxy.
Prentiss (Paget Brewster) allows Alvez to work the case, and he dives in with aggressive interrogations, especially after learning Milliken was a borderline abusive trainer. Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka) and JJ (A.J. Cook) try to pull him back, especially when they theorize Milliken might have orchestrated his own suicide. But Alvez pushes through, separating emotion from evidence in a painfully slow investigation. A predictable red herring—Milliken's troubled marriage—is quickly dismissed after Alvez talks to his wife, leading to a theory that should have been obvious: Lowell was framed. Someone with access to the training guns wanted Milliken dead.
Meanwhile, the Fan's storyline inches forward. He sends more typewritten letters to Bryan (Paul F. Tompkin), host of the podcast The Sicarius Files. The notes read: "Some may call me a FAN. But HE must call me GOD." The episode also includes an awkwardly forced scene where Bryan hits on Lewis (Aisha Tyler), who reminds him she's happily married to a woman. It's a clumsy attempt at humor that undercuts the tension. More promising is Rossi (Joe Mantegna) re-entering Voit's (Zach Gilford) orbit to help decipher the message. Voit realizes the Fan wants his approval—to be seen as a god. Voit suggests Rossi, not himself, should appear on Bryan's podcast, hoping the Fan might respect Rossi's voice enough to surrender.
These are intriguing ideas, but they're buried under prolonged scenes and repeated theories. The episode's pacing drags until the final ten minutes, when the BAU finally connects the dots. Their suspicions land on Milliken's chief of staff, O'Connor (Nicholas Gon...), setting up an explosive conclusion that reminds us why this season still has potential.
For fans craving more depth on the Fan, this episode feels like a tease. But for those who appreciate character-driven drama, Alvez's grief and Rossi's chess match with Voit offer some rewards. The season's biggest threat is still lurking, and Episode 5 proves that Criminal Minds: Evolution knows how to build anticipation—even if it takes its sweet time.
