Warning: SPOILERS for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, episode 8.Criminal Minds: Evolutionmay follow the BAU as a team, but the power dynamics between Emily Prentiss and David Rossi are plain confusing. Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna have been majormembers of the BAUsince the early seasons ofCriminal Minds, but both were under the leadership of Thomas Gibson’s Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner.
Hotch’s role inCriminal Mindswas passed over to Prentiss following Gibson’s exit, then briefly held by Jennifer “JJ” Jareau (A.J. Cook) in season 13. In the FBI’s chain of command, the Unit Chief leads the field agents while the Section Chief is more bureaucratic, overseeing broader issues. InCriminal Minds: Evolution, however, the roles have become blurry.
Emily & Rossi’s Roles In The BAU Are Unclear In Criminal Minds: Evolution
Both Have Been Acting As Voices Of Authority, But Only One Can Be Unit Chief
Emily Prentiss’ arc inCriminal Mindsoriginally ended with her being promoted to Section Chief, a role she still held by the start ofCriminal Minds: Evolution. In her place,Rossi was promoted to Unit Chief. Yet, inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1, Deputy Director Doug Bailey (Nicholas D’Agosto) demotes Rossi, forcing Prentiss to reclaim the Unit Chief position.
Bailey’s death remained a recurring plot point in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2, with his brother becoming one of the final unsubs the BAU apprehends.
Since then, both Rossi and Prentiss have remained authority figures who unofficially leadthe Behavioral Analysis Unitin tandem. Bailey’s tragic death in theCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 1 finale did nothing to overturn his decision, but Prentiss is apparently still the Section Chief as well. Consequently,Prentiss is upholding two roles while Rossi is simply another field agent.
Prentiss being the Unit and Section Chief has never been addressed after season 1, despite the many professional challenges it would pose. Meanwhile, though Rossi is the most experienced field agent, he has no actual rank to pull.Criminal Minds: Evolutionmay have overlooked their roles since the first season, but the crime drama can still restore order.
Rossi Deserves To Finally Reclaim His Spot As The BAU’s Unit Chief
With Bailey dead set on dissolving the BAU and lingering grief over Krystall’s (Gail O’Grady) death left unresolved,Rossi’s time as the BAU’s Unit Chief was always limited(and doomed). It took Rossi all ofCriminal Minds:Evolutionseason 1 to work through his bereavement, lashing out at JJ and Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) long before his demotion.
All episodes ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionare streaming on Paramount+.
Rossi’s storyline inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 was even worse. With Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) finally apprehended, the BAU should have felt a sense of peace. Naturally, Rossi only continued fixating on Voit, even vividly hallucinating the serial killer like a ghost. Yet, by season 3,Rossi has confronted his shortcomings and earned a second shot as Unit Chief.
Rossi’s leadership inCriminal Mindswas always unique but endearing, and it’s disappointing that the continuation never showed what Rossi could truly do as Unit Chief. By reappointing Rossi,Prentiss could return to being Section Chief, clarifying their roles and dividing the administrative duties. Furthermore, having a clear-cut chain of command would benefit the entire BAU.
Why Criminal Minds: Evolution Needs A Clear Hierarchy In The BAU
The Alternative Is Sheer Confusion
With all theterrifying unsubs inCriminal Minds, the team deserves a sense of stability, at least in a professional capacity. Acting as Section and Unit Chief demands Prentiss be constantly pulled in two directions. The two jobs were never meant to be done simultaneously by the same person, which could easily backfire on the BAU inCriminal Minds: Evolution.
Furthermore, Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka) is training under the BAU, but he has no clear hierarchy to follow.Tyler’s role inCriminal Minds: Evolutionhas expanded following his decision to join the FBI, but he clearly craves mentorship that only someone like Rossi has the bandwidth to provide.
Aside from Rossi simply deserving a promotion,Criminal Minds: Evolutionmust clarify its chain of command for the audience. By conflating the Section Chief and Unit Chief,Criminal Minds: Evolutionmakes the BAU feel unorganized and less powerful. What should be a heroic team is constrained by its unclear but nonetheless consequential bureaucracy.
