Did Criminal Minds just reveal The Disciple’s identity? One Episode 9 scene changes everything 

In Criminal Minds, The Disciple is a mysterious, high-ranking figure in the Sicarius serial killer network. The Disciple is someone who operates just below Sicarius, aka Elias Voit. Season 18 of Criminal Minds, episode 9, portrays the BAU team getting really close to the Disciple.

While the episode doesn't reveal the Disciple's identity. By the end of episode 9, the team concluded, firstly, that the disciple is highly manipulative and precise, and secondly, that the disciple could be a woman.

Some reports suggest that Dr. Ochoa, who was shown treating criminals psychologically, could potentially be The Disciple. And it makes a lot of sense, especially after that strange scene in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Episode 9.

Read on to know more.

Here is what happens between Dr. Ochoa and Voit in Criminal Minds Season 18 Episode 9

In episode 9, Criminal Minds doesn't reveal the identity of the disciple, but the episode shows an absurd scene that is unsettling and could hint towards the ultimate answer to the mystery.

In the episode, Dr. Ochoa yells at Voit for not taking the BAU seriously and not being cautious enough when he steals the phone from the nurse’s station, and warns Lainey and Ava to flee. Here, Ochoa's reaction doesn't seem like that of a psychiatrist empathizing with her patient, but something more intimate. The intensity and tone of her anger don’t align with her typically calm, clinical demeanor. It feels personal — almost like a betrayal rather than a professional setback.

Rossi's reaction in the same situation comes as a contrast. Rossi is the one who’s been hunting monsters for decades, and he didn't explode. He was disappointed, maybe even a bit frustrated, but he understood why Voit did it — to protect innocents. That tracks with Voit’s arc toward redemption.

Rossi is not an emotional fool, but he recognized growth. On the other hand, Dr. Ochoa seemed angry not because of what Voit did but because he didn't take her permission. If she is the disciple, she could be angry with Voit for ruining the plan.

How does Dr. Ochoa being the Disciple make a lot of sense in Criminal Minds?

If Dr. Ochoa is The Disciple, her entire investment in Voit wasn’t about helping him reform — it was about keeping the old Sicarius alive, dormant, but revivable. So when Voit acted independently, chose to save innocents, or disobeyed an implicit mission, he broke The Disciple's plan.

The idea behind Project Checkmate is scorched earth: eliminate everyone who knows too much. If Dr. Ochoa were just another civilian, the network would’ve taken her out by now. But if she’s The Disciple — one of the masterminds — that explains why she’s still alive, protected, and somehow always in the right place at the right time in Criminal Minds.

Dr. Ochoa has always been positioned as an asset, a gifted neurologist who has helped BAU with Voit a lot. But there’s a pattern in Criminal Minds: often, the most helpful, seemingly background players are revealed to be villains in the shadows. Moreover, The Disciple has always been described as someone stable, precise, and possessing the ability to manipulate someone's psyche.

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During her sessions with Voit, it seems more like she is trying to study him and not understand him. There was also a point when the BAU team believed The Disciple to be a woman, which makes Dr. Ochoa a perfect match, aligning with the narrative and nature of the character.

Another theory also posits that Cyrus Lebrun's daughter, Tessa, is Dr. Ochoa. She vanished from all records nearly 20 years ago after a police statement. That would place her in her mid-40s now, the perfect age to be Dr. Ochoa. Voit never knew Tessa existed, so he wouldn’t recognize her, meaning she could get close to him as Dr. Ochoa without ever raising suspicion.

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