Criminal Minds: Evolution: Zach Guilford Breaks A Surprise Premiere Twist (Exclusive)

Spoiler alert! If you haven’t seen his first two episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution, don’t go ahead.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” is finally here! In the Paramount+ update, members of the BAU reunite for a poignant new case involving novel killer Elliott Voight (Zach Gilford), ironically through a social network protected by Garcia. and tended the victim. Investigation of the latest enemy has just begun, and Rossi, Prentice, and the rest of the team have their hands full as they try to catch him before others get hurt.

But Elliot is not your typical unsub. In the final minutes of Thanksgiving Dropped Episode 2, it becomes clear that he’s more than just a cold, cold-blooded killer and vengeful. He is actually married to a beautiful wife, is the father of two young children, and lives in an expensive and comfortable house. Playing Elliot’s wife Bridget is Guilford’s wife of ten years, Kiel Sanchez. That surprising twist complicates her BAU mission to capture Elliott once and for all.

As Guilford explains, he was familiar with some of Elliot’s backstory when he signed the contract to play the villain in “Criminal Minds: Evolution.”

“They arced me, they gave me the concept, they told me what my origin story was. And then I got the third script right away, where we got even more into his personal life,” the actor tells ET. “Among these three scripts, I think it’s been very helpful. For a TV show, it takes two or three episodes to figure out who the characters are. And then what scenes they throw at you.” But it’s like, ‘Cool. I know how this guy does this.’ Luckily, they’re very supportive on the show.

Read more: ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ cast adds a dark twist to Paramount Plus’ (exclusive) beloved franchise.

Guilford credits his fame in Hollywood to playing the lovable, understated good guy. But he thinks his one of his more recent roles, “Midnight Mass,” may have expanded people’s perception of what he can do in front of the camera.

“I think that’s part of the reason they wanted me to do it. I haven’t been a good guy at ‘Midnight Mass’ lately.” He had a checkered path and a dark personality. And I know most of the writers saw it and loved it,” Guilford says. But I want him to like me, someone who can fool not only the world, the audience, but the world he lives in. technically needs someone likable and sympathetic in his fake life.

“The crew sometimes said to me, ‘And then I remember you killed someone, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s exactly what I wanted to happen.’ ’” he recalls. “He’s a bad guy, but what I always say is that everyone was once a boy or a girl. And I don’t think he started evil, just raising the point that he could very well be in the wrong circumstances.”

Guilford said the reveal at the end of Episode 2 that Elliot is living a double life was “perfectly arranged”. is particularly bright.

“Especially the first two episodes, so we’re here together. I think that’s the ‘WTF’ moment that really gets people going.” Because, not just because they want to see what the story and case is, but “What’s that? Wait, what?” “And the next episode goes really deep into that aspect of my life. From there you get very confused because you know the character is a really loving dad who is doing his best as a husband.” He’s got a job and lives a complete fantasy, what’s going on? It’s about to be like no. And you never know.

READ MORE: ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Trailer Reunites BAU, Introduces Vicious ‘Serial Murder’ Unsubs

Guilford said he was “pleasantly surprised” how Sanchez entered the fray.

“One day I literally kissed her goodbye on my way to work. She picked up the phone and accepted the offer to play your wife in Criminal Minds. “What? That’s great. And I went to work. I was like, ‘I heard you guys offered her.’ [a role]Is she going to do it? She hopes so,” he says. “It was a lot of fun. But there are days when I have a dark and heavy scene with my imaginary wife at work, but when it’s my real wife, it’s heavy.

“We’d come home at the end of the day and say, ‘That really sucked,’ and we’d have a drink and shake it off. We’re not people who take work home.”It’s one thing to act out these scenes with an actress and imagine, “Well, this doesn’t mean my life with my wife.” “When you’re doing this pretend play experience, though, it almost feels like bad therapy role-playing,” admits Guildford. I never had a relationship like this in , so it was fun to work with and do something with each other. was able to welcome as a partner of [is wonderful]But it kind of makes me sick sometimes.

The 40-year-old actor hinted that the reveal at the end of the two-episode premiere raises a lot of questions as the season progresses.

“The problem with this double life is that it’s a mess,” Guilford hinted. “I literally just got the final script last night and haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I’ll do it today. And I’m so excited to see how it ends. But I don’t want to. I’ve heard so many possibilities as to what could happen, so I’m nervous to read it.

READ MORE: New ‘Criminal Minds’ Series ‘Evolution’ Set Premiere Date on Paramount Plus

That moment wasn’t the only reveal at the premiere. Throughout the two episodes, BAU’s powerful leader David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) is shown not behaving like himself and experiencing something monumental over the years during the pandemic. is clear. Well, the episode revealed that his wife, Krystal, whom he married in the “Criminal Minds” series finale, fell ill with an undisclosed illness and passed away.

of@criminal mindPA told me to post a photo. Here is my photo. Thank you PA! pic.twitter.com/bbmBdJzWMv

— Zach Gilford (he/him) (@zachgilford) November 2, 2022

“I was surprised because I didn’t expect it,” Mantegna said of Rossi’s heartbreaking loss. I got it and said, “Ah.” Seeing the bright, happy domestic side of David Rossi, it’s something we haven’t done much in 15 years. I know it’s not, so I think it’s all just following the truth.

“But it’s okay,” he continues. “It’s like a caveman: ‘Why? ‘ Things happen and we can’t control them, we can only control what we can do in life. And if this is the card I was dealt, That’s fine.Then I’ll play them.But I see.We’ll see where that takes us.But I’ll give fair warning to characters who want to date Rossi in the future. Just! I can’t make any promises here.”

A new episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution airs Thursday on Paramount+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmB6ygEQ-rw

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