Sumith Prasad
In the second season of Paramount+’s crime series ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution,’ which is also the seventeenth season of ‘Criminal Minds,’ the Behavioral Analysis Unit’s efforts to unravel the mystery behind Gold Star lead them to North Star, an ambiguous entity introduced by Elias Voit. Since Gold Star is a group of serial killers, the initial understanding behind North Star is that it represents another murderer. Damien and Jade’s search for North Star also adds to the assumption that it is indeed a person. However, the sixth episode of the installment ends with David Rossi claiming that North Star is the BAU rather than a killer like Damien! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Mystery Behind North Star
When Damien and Jade surface on the radar of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, David Rossi and the rest of the agents realize that Gold Star is not a killer but a group of connected or separated killers. Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that the agents rush to the assumption that North Star is a murderer, as in the case of Gold Star’s other points. What they miss is the significance of North Star in particular. North Star represents direction. In a practical sense, it is widely known that the star, also known as Polaris, is located above the north pole of Earth, helping travelers to identify the northern direction.
As far as the Gold Star killers are concerned, North Star also represents direction. North Star is pivotal when it comes to finding out “what to do.” That can be the reason why Damien jeopardizes his safety and meets Elias, who offers to provide him with insight into what the former has been looking for. The murderers seeking direction sparked some memories in Rossi, who remembered drafting a document that discusses the origin of a serial killer, explaining the conditions that can contribute to the creation of a mass murderer. It is through this document the BAU became North Star and guided the Gold Star killers.
The BAU and the Creation of Gold Star
The document David Rossi and other BAU agents conceived discusses how a “normal” person can become a serial killer when a set of changes alter his/her/their life. These altercations include being highly vulnerable and ending up in a controlled environment where superior and potent figures can mold them into murderers. The document was eventually trashed by the BAU since Rossi and others realized that anyone could follow their instructions to “make” serial killers in a strict environment. However, their realization sunk on them after the damage was done. The “recipe” for creating serial killers somehow got out and paved the way for the formation of Gold Star.
The BAU document reached Stuart House, which was a controlled environment as the material identified. Following the words in the blueprint, a group of highly vulnerable individuals were chosen to form the band of killers. Rossi and his colleagues’ understanding of the foundations of serial killings became the Bible of these Stuart House residents. Damien and others must have followed or were asked to follow the same words to unleash their wrath in the form of murders. Since these words guided the killers, it became their North Star. Indirectly, Rossi and his fellow agents were responsible for the murders these killers committed over the years.
Since the BAU document is the Bible of the Gold Star killers, it is safe to say that the creator of the group of murders was closely associated with the FBI unit. Considering that Rossi and other agents realized the danger that was hidden within the material, they must have buried it deep enough for a random nobody to dig it up. Therefore, the person who laid their hands on the document and used it to create Gold Star has a history with the BAU. It can be a former or present employee of the federal unit or even someone who contributed to the creation of the same blueprint. If that’s the case, Rossi may need to dive into the lives of his former colleagues who helped him draft the document.
Read More: Criminal Minds Evolution: Is BAU-Gate a Real Dark Web Site?
