Connor Storrie’s – In the June 18 episode of Criminal Minds on Paramount+, Voit’s fan Lance (Connor Storrie) is kidnapped and used to pressure the BAU—ending with a call going dead and brutal torture that leaves his survival in doubt.
A call went dead on Thursday, June 18, and for Connor Storrie’s Lance, that silence landed like a final answer.
On the Paramount+ episode of Criminal Minds. Voit’s (Zach Gilford) biggest fan was kidnapped and brought into the hunt for answers from the BAU. Lance became the pressure point. Members of the organization—and Voit—listened as a wrong answer spiraled into brutal torture. the kind of escalation that doesn’t leave much room for recovery. Then the call cut off, and it felt like the show was quietly asking viewers to prepare for the worst.
The moment arrives with extra shock because Storrie isn’t just a name in the cast—he’s a rising presence. At 26, he joined Criminal Minds earlier this year, after a breakout role on Heated Rivalry.
That series has been turning heads since it premiered on Crave in November 2025. then moved into a wider audience when it became available on HBO Max earlier this year. The hockey rivalry pitch—Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) playing enemies on the ice—doesn’t just sell the drama. The animosity is described as a mask for a secret. very passionate romance. and it’s that chemistry that helped the show build momentum fast.
In the meantime. Storrie had already filmed scenes for season 19 of Criminal Minds. and those appearances have grown into a multi-episode arc. Even with that established runway. the June 18 episode reads like a deliberate turn—Voit’s obsession weaponized through Lance. and a final cut to black that raises the question of whether the character is gone for good.
Erica Messer. the Criminal Minds showrunner. has teased that Connor’s introduction isn’t random—and it ties directly to the season’s central villain. “Connor gets introduced in episode 4,” she confirmed. “His story does have something to do with the big bad of the season. but — without wanting to give much away — that’s all I’ll say.”.
Messer also talked about the season’s emotional direction as viewers look ahead. “It is this idea of new beginnings. It’s been a year in our story world,” the screenwriter noted. “So there are new challenges that they’re faced with — but there’s also a little bit of hope in that. It has the potential for better things to come.”.
That hope, though, collides with what Thursday delivered: Lance used as leverage until a call goes dead. The sequence makes the stakes feel immediate—this isn’t just a “bad guy” plan, it’s a signal that the BAU’s mistake can cost someone in real time.
And for fans hoping to see more Heated Rivalry energy inside Criminal Minds, Messer addressed a key casting question. She revealed whether Hudson Williams would show up alongside Storrie. “Trust me, we looked [into it],” Messer told Us Weekly. “We were like, ‘Is he available?’”
The plan didn’t move forward because Williams is too booked and busy. Messer added, “He’s shooting the second season of Heated Rivalry in August and that’s when we would need them. We tried.”
As Criminal Minds: Evolution continues to air Thursdays on Paramount+, the June 18 episode leaves viewers with one lingering dread: Lance’s story may be in the hands of a show that knows exactly how to make an ending feel final before the season even fully unfolds.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Connor Storrie Lance Voit Zach Gilford Erica Messer Paramount+ BAU heated rivalry Hudson Williams Ilya Rozanov Shane Hollander Game Changers series romance