Though Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 is the franchise’s most unrecognizable yet, it also delivers a blast from the past through the introduction of a character who has been mentioned but never seen. After all these years, we finally meet Jill Gideon (Felicity Huffman), who is the ex-wife of the late Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), one of the forefathers of the BAU and the original lead of the series. And she is not what we expected. She has an inherent sweetness and tenderness that is reminiscent of Jason, but, this is hidden by a hardened exterior that is nailed together with world-weariness and sarcasm. With most of our original Criminal Minds comrades fallen, the mercurial and eye-rolling Jill breathes some much-needed energy, drama, and nostalgia into the series.
Jill Gideon Is a Dose of Nostalgia for ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’
Jill’s appearance immediately calls back to the first couple of seasons of Criminal Minds, where she was frequently referenced in relation to Jason. We find out that Jill and Jason had divorced just before creating the BAU, and as a biological psychologist, she had a heavy hand in forming the BAU alongside David Rossi (Joe Mantegna). However, Jason had kept her as a silent partner in order to protect her, which ended up clearly being a clever move as he was later killed by a serial killer who was obsessed with him in Season 10. Because of her history with the BAU, it almost feels like an original cast member coming back, even if we’ve never actually seen her on-screen before.
Jill’s new involvement also brings along waves of nostalgia for viewers who were around for the first couple of seasons. Her exhaustion from seeing the terrible things humans do to each other coupled with her concealed compassion almost becomes an extension of Jason himself. They had also both left the BAU on their own accord, with Patinkin exiting the show during Season 3. Her “return” also makes for a tremendously heartwarming episode, as her initial questions to Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) involve asking how each member of the team is doing — characters who have long since left the show. When Jill steps into the BAU, she also lovingly stops at Spencer Reid’s (Matthew Gray Gubler) desk, one that had remained untouched with his plaque still shining, reminding us that he was still open to returning to the series; it’s just a matter of “all the stars aligning.”
Felicity Huffman Seamlessly Fits Into the ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Cast
Within the span of one episode, Jill herself has proven that she will fit into the team dynamics seamlessly. Throughout the show’s run, many newcomers have come and gone, not necessarily making an impact nor being memorable, but Huffman’s portrayal of Jill is already compelling. Introduced as simply a voice through a door, Huffman pours so much sarcasm and wit into her intonations that we can practically see the exasperated look on her face, mixed with a cheeky gleam. When we do meet her, it is clear that the years away from the BAU have put a spring in her step, though she is still clearly weathered by her experience there. As she banters with Emily, flicking out quick retorts and touching smiles, we know she will find her place in the found family at the BAU.
It is also refreshing to have a character introduced who is not yet tainted by the Gold Star program nor Elias Voit’s (Zach Gilford) prolonged stay on the show, though this abruptly changes in her second episode. Jill’s tender yet spunky edge essentially replaces that of Rossi, who is currently wracked with hallucinations of Voit and has only recently moved on from the grief of losing his wife. Criminal Minds: Evolution has offered a more sour and morbid atmosphere that hangs over every aspect of the show, unraveling characters and bringing solemn undercurrents to even lighter scenes. Prentiss’ interaction with Jill outside the BAU is a welcome tonal reprieve, returning the heartfelt ideas of family and closeness back into the show, even if it is just momentarily.
However, Episode 8 displays a very different side to the character, as the final scene sees Jill’s knees buckling and her facial expression wrought with torment when she fears she is the cause of the Gold Star program. As she turns from a quick-witted, spry, and languid character to a guilt-wracked shadow within the span of two episodes, it plays into the series’ grievous atmosphere in the BAU. But we do admire Jill’s backbone and ambition to use a profile to “take the gun out of [an unsub’s] hand,” and can only hope she will become a mainstay like Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka).
Is There Romance Brewing Between Jill and David on ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’?
Funnily enough, Jill’s return to the BAU was not without obstacles, as Rossi expressly forbids a dumbfounded Prentiss not to contact her to help with the case. As Mantegna wisely responded to Collider after a comment about forbidding a woman from doing something results in her doing that exact thing: “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve been married for 50 years. I certainly know that.” So, naturally, Prentiss goes behind Rossi’s back and recruits Jill anyway, completely blindsiding him as he walks into his office, which used to be Jason’s, and sees her crying. Of course, this doesn’t stop a torrid fight from breaking out between them, as years of repressed history, guilt, and shame swirl around the closed office. While the relationship is not strictly an enemies-to-lovers arc, the delicious drama and ravenous hatred exploding in that room already promise us amazing chemistry.
Rossi’s love life has frequently become the butt of many jokes throughout the series, as his Italian suave greatly contrasts with his ability to hold down any one of his three marriages. And though two of his relationships with his ex-wives ended tragically, one with ALS-driven suicide and one with cancer, this is the first time we’ve heard of the silver fox becoming heartbroken. (Rossi himself explains this is not entirely accurate, instead revealing that his shameful and emotionally immature thoughts of Jason not being good enough for Jill catalyzed his exit from the BAU.) Whether or not a romantic plot line will be conjured between the two old friends —fingers crossed after that steamy albeit manipulative kiss — her whirlwind entry paired with the words she used to describe him, “dramatic, melodramatic and histrionic,” promises us excitement. After everything Rossi has been through in Evolution, it is about time more light-hearted melodrama was sprinkled back into his overly serious life.
What Is Jill’s Expertise, Epigenetics, in ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’?
Jill’s expertise in epigenetics also brings back more of a scientific flavor that departed alongside Spencer, partially making up for his absence. As Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) quickly explains, epigenetics is the study of how the environment can impact our genes. For physiology, this can be understood in a relatively straightforward way. With diabetes, generally, environmental factors like a sedentary lifestyle coupled with low diet quality can lead to these genes “turning on,” making it more likely for a patient to have diabetes. However, psychological epigenetics becomes scientifically “bananas.” As Criminal Minds finally delves into this field, we can almost hear the echoes of Spencer rattling off facts on epigenetics, and we know his explanation of it would be far more long-winded.
It is about time that Criminal Minds explicitly addresses epigenetics, considering their knack for profiling largely depends on predicting the environmental factors that would lead to homicidal behavior. Though we know that Jill could never fill Spencer’s gaping shoes, her expertise in the field brings back that level of realism and science that Evolution was distinctly lacking as it veered into the technological era of crime. As the show finally breaks into the complex field of epigenetics and haunts us with the chilling experiment of a psychopathy breeding ground in the form of the Stuart House, the mesmerizing and strong-willed Jill seems like the perfect character to guide us through it.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.