Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, episode 1.
Summary
Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, episode 1 arrived on Paramount+ on May 8th, 2025, andthe beloved characters working forthe BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) at the FBI are back in action.The intelligent team includes charming Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), the prickly and tough David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), quirky researcher Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangness), and determined Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). Viewers also got the chance to catch up with Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), who is always one step ahead, andnew traineeTyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka).
Criminal Mindshas always had talented guest stars such as Tim Curry, and the season 3 premiere (also referred to asCriminal Mindsseason 18) is as well-crafted and unsettling as ever. So, how does “Swimmer’s Calculus” end, and what could happen next?
What Happens At The End Of Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3, Episode 1, “Swimmer’s Calculus”?
At the end ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, episode 1,David Rossi tells Emily Prentiss he figured out the weapon that Elias Voit used during his prison attack: a shank created from a fan’s wire cover. Rossi says Voit told him when he said he had a fan. Prentiss says that whileVoit had been using his birth name Lee Duvalwhile in prison, someone figured it out.
Then, Luke Alvez asks Penelope Garcia how she can sit next to Voit while he’s in a coma. Garcia explains that when the BAU team was with Voit previously, she noticed something about him.Garcia is a quirky, whimsical, and perceptive character, and a scene like this one is a reminder whyshows likeCriminal Mindsare so memorable. Garcia says:
“I looked in his eyes. I mean, I looked deep in there and I saw… stuff. A soul.”
Garcia says she’s aware Voit is a “psychopath” but continues:
“I’m hoping I can see something salvageable in him.”
In one of the rare humorous moments in the episode, Alvez says Garcia gives him heartburn, and she jokes about having “freakish empathy.” This funny and clever scene proves why Alvez and Garcia are two ofthe most interestingCriminal Mindscharacters. She then shares her research on the main case of the episode:an unsub killer who targets users of a beach vacation website rental, finds them at the beach, then forces them to tread water in his backyard pool until they drown. Garcia looks into two leads: custom pools created in Chesapeake Bay and drowning-related incidents in the same area. The BAU team thinks that the killer was involved in a traumatic water-related incident that set him on this dark path.
Mom and daughter Kristi (Jade Estes) and Vivian (Tate Moore) are stilltreading water in the killer’s pooland trying to survive. Earlier, the killer shot and killed Curtis (Eddie Estes), their husband and father, in front of them, which is one of the more emotional moments fromCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, episode 1. The BAU teamfigures out that the killertargeted the family because he had traumatic memories of his childhood. When Franklin Fowler (Sam O’Byrne) was ten, his sister, mom, and dad drowned, and he was the suspect.
The BAU team shows up at Franklin’s house, and he shoots himself. The team saves Vivian and Kristi.Criminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, episode 1 ends with some big news:trainee Tyler Green learns he has been assigned to Mobile, Alabama. Tyler says he’s sad to leave the BAU and is surprised to find out he can’t join the BAU for another ten years. Finally, Rossi continues to have trouble proving that he didn’t order the prison attack on Voit. This is a powerful storyline as the internal affairs investigation could mean he loses his job, which puts Rossi in a rare vulnerable position. Similar toHank Voight (Jason Beghe) onChicago P.D.andLeroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) onNCIS, Rossi is determined to catch dangerous criminals.
Prentiss shares that Franklin said,“this was part of the plan all along,“and took videos of his victims in the pool. Finally, in a surprising reveal,Voit wakes up at the end of the episode.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3, Episode 1 Sets Up A Shocking Season
Although Elias Voit is in a coma for most ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, episode 1, he’s still a main focus for the BAU team. While all the main characters have a stake in catching Voit for good and stopping the team of unsubs,David Rossi and Voit have a unique dynamic. After “Swimmer’s Calculus,” the focus for the upcoming season is clear: Rossi will keep trying to clear his name and take Voit down.
Why Is Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3, Episode 1 Called “Swimmer’s Calculus”?
Fans canwatch every new episode ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 on Thursdays on Paramount+ in May, June, and July 2025. Besides seeing more of Voit and hopefully learning more about the unsub network, fans can also get excited aboutthe return of Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler)in an upcoming episode.
