Criminal Minds made a bold move by depicting the shocking demise of a key character in a particularly grisly scene.
In the Thursday, June 18 episode of the Paramount+ series, Voit (Zach Gilford) witnessed his most devoted fan abducting Lance (Connor Storrie) to extract information from the BAU. As the team and Voit listened, a wrong answer led to Lance’s brutal torture. The call abruptly ended, suggesting a grim fate for Lance.
Storrie, 26, joined the cast earlier this year following his notable performance in Heated Rivalry.
Based on Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry centers on two rival hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), whose on-ice rivalry conceals a secret and passionate romance.
The show debuted on Crave in November 2025 and gained a wider audience through HBO Max earlier this year. Social media buzz quickly boosted the popularity of both Williams and Storrie.
Meanwhile, Storrie shot scenes for season 19 of Criminal Minds, which evolved into a multi-episode storyline. Showrunner Erica Messer hinted to Us Weekly that Storrie’s character would be significant in relation to this season’s antagonist.
“Connor gets introduced in episode 4,” she stated. “His storyline is tied to the season’s main villain, but that’s all I’ll reveal for now.”
As the season progresses, Messer hinted at the themes explored in this installment.
“It’s about new beginnings. A year has passed in our story world,” the screenwriter explained. “There are new challenges, but there’s also hope for better things to come.”
Messer also addressed the possibility of Storrie’s co-star Williams, 25, appearing in the series.
“Trust me, we looked into it,” she told Us. “We wondered, ‘Is he available?'”
However, the plan fell through as Williams is busy filming the second season of Heated Rivalry in August, which coincided with the Criminal Minds shooting schedule. “We tried,” Messer added.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is broadcast on Thursdays on Paramount+.
