Death on Criminal Minds: Evolution is nothing new, but during Season 18, Episode 2, “The Zookeeper,” the series shocked viewers by killing off one of its own recurring characters in an emotional twist.

Spoilers for Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18, Episode 2 ahead.

Two episodes into Criminal Minds Season 18, the Paramount+ crime thriller saw Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) awaken from his coma with amnesia, watched the BAU track down another Sicarius-related serial killer, and ended with a shocking death that will rattle the show’s core characters for weeks to come.

When Special Agent JJ Jareau (A.J. Cook) wasn’t working, she spent the episode planning her son’s birthday bash and mentally preparing for her mother-in-law’s arrival. Her husband William LaMontagne, Jr. (Josh Stewart) spent the majority of Season 18’s first two episodes away on a case, but before 1802 concluded, JJ went inside their home and found him standing in the kitchen complaining ofom a migraine. “I just feel kind of weird,” Will said, holding his head. When JJ asked if he was OK, he replied, “Yeah, I just need a minute,” then collapsed to the floor, prompting a worried JJ to call 911.

Episode 1802’s final scene saw the BAU team racing to the emergency room waiting room, where they learned that Will suffered an aneurism and doctors found signs of a rare “spontaneous rupture of the inferior thyroid artery.” While the team still clung to hope that Will could pull through, right before the episode ended, JJ walked into the waiting room and emotionally revealed, “He’s gone. Will’s dead.” BRB, crying!

For those who need a refresher, Will was first introduced to the Criminal Minds universe back in Season 2, Episode 18, “Jones,” as a New Orleans, Louisiana detective in an overlapping case with the BAU. He was smitten by JJ at first sight, and though the two parted ways after solving the case, when he returned in Season 3, Episode 17, “In Heat,” fans learned that he and JJ had been secretly dating for the past year. While JJ considered a breakup blamed on long-distance, the two ultimately set out to fix their relationship complications in the Season 3 finale. JJ discovered she was pregnant, Will proposed, and they got married in Season 7.

Though Stewart has only been in 27 episodes throughout the course of the series, he’s become a Criminal Minds fixture who appeared in 13 seasons (14 counting his 1802 appearance), and he’ll undoubtedly be missed.

From helping with Sicarius’ case to navigating a cancer scare-turned-thyroid problem, Will played a prominent role in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 16. And though Stewart confirmed in January 2024 that he wouldn’t be returning to Criminal Minds: Evolution as Will, it was unclear how exactly he’d be written off the show.

When asked about Will’s departure from the show in a 2024 interview with TVLine, showrunner Erica Messer explained, “We tried to make it work for this year and it just didn’t work out. We love Will, JJ loves Will… and that’s always a part of her world and her character.”

Due to Will and JJ’s long-running relationship, Stewart’s departure will be devastating to longtime fans of the series, and Will’s loss will undoubtedly leave characters reeling. So what else could his death mean for the future of the series?

Will’s death will obviously take a major toll on JJ and the kids. But a scene in Episode 1802 has me worried that JJ’s grief this season might not stop there. Right before JJ found Will feeling ill, she got a major scare when her son Henry’s friend showed him something on his phone. After Henry’s pal asked, “Dude, isn’t that your mom?” and handed him the phone, JJ went into full-on panic mode and asked to see the content. While the phone simply showed an article celebrating her hostage rescue and serial killer takedown, JJ was clearly worried that the BAU Gate porn of her leaked. So was that scene foreshadowing? When JJ’s down about Will, will she be kicked even harder?

Longtime fans of the series will also be wondering if Will’s death is what brings Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid back into the picture. Back in December 2024, Gubler told Italian publication Ansa, that he recently “shot a new episode of Criminal Minds.” And per TVLine, the actor is expected to appear in only part of one Season 18 episode. A source confirmed that “fortunately, schedules aligned,” but considering his character’s past with JJ, perhaps a potential romance could spark down the line once she’s had proper time to mourn Will.

With Gubler’s upcoming CBS series Einstein, set to premiere in the 2026-2027 series, it’s unlikely he’ll have time to become a series regular on Criminal Minds againOr maybe JJ and Prentiss will grow closer in wake of the loss. Only time will tell, but next week’s Episode 1803 will undoubtedly show the aftermath of this major loss.

New episodes of Criminal Minds: Evolution premiere Thursdays on Paramount+.