Douglas "Doug" Bailey was the deputy director of the FBI. He appeared throughout Criminal Minds: Evolution up until "Dead End", where he was shot and killed by Elias Voit.
Background
Bailey was born to Phil and Shirley Bailey and had a brother named Pete. By his own account, Bailey remembered Phil as a libertarian who kept many firearms, he feared the government would confiscate, believing Phil would disown him if finding out Bailey made it all the way to D.C. He was known for rising the ranks from appealing to budgeting concerns and misdirecting blame, which made him a thorn in the side for federal teams in less political demand and with less popularity and attention.
Bailey, however, secretly struggles trying to break Pete away from his right-wing extremism activities, as well as his torture and brainwashing under the cult of Frank Church. Pete was the only one of the original Gold Star experiment victims in the cult to return to his family regularly for visits, as the cult experimented with his functioning in the world. The brothers would get into arguments and physical fights when Bailey tried to deprogram him. And separate him from the network, and no matter how much Bailey introduced Pete to the FBI's professionals, Pete never believed Bailey was with the good guys and feared Bailey would give his life fighting a cabal.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Throughout the investigation into Voit and his network, Bailey is constantly at odds with Prentiss, insisting the investigation go to narcotics or domestic terrorism. He becomes livid finding out the BAU went ahead with collecting evidence regardless, having it so it comes straight from their budget. DOJ prosecutor Rebecca Wilson discreetly informs the team Bailey intends to dissolve the BAU, reassigning and demoting all agents, except for Rossi, who would be forced to retire.
Bailey tried to use the domestic terrorism division to send a terrorist suspect's apprehension off course and blame the team. When Alvez and JJ detained the suspect, Bailey put the credit on DT and revealed the existence of Voit's network to worsen their positions. He then told Prentiss he was demoting Rossi and wanted a new appointee to report to him only, and when she said she would lead the team, she told him he wouldn't get away with taking their jobs.
Bailey later approached the BAU with an unsub who killed his ex-girlfriend, Claire Durham. Rossi twisted the knife by assuming accurately she broke it off, Prentiss demanding Bailey not dissolve the team if they solved the case, which Bailey gave an insincere agreement to. When a congresswoman's son was identified, he refused to warrant his arrest, but the unsub was arrested anyway when nearly killing a surviving victim. Bailey was terrified everyone would lose their jobs, especially when Prentiss played in the unsub's mommy issues for a confession. He was blown away when the unsub took the wrap for Voit's murders. When the senator ordered his release, Prentiss left the decision up to Bailey, and out of fear, he warranted his release. The team later chastised Bailey for when the senator was killed by her son, let alone Voit getting away and killing the son as a patsy to stop the investigation.
Bailey slowly turned to the side of the BAU, defending in their efforts to arrest Voit and justify continuing the investigation. It didn't work, as he had to accept Attorney General Louise Davis' refusal. However, he was actively involved in tracking a recently prioritized unsub, and in spite of the team teasing and sidelining him as payback, he proved himself by putting his efforts in and even demonstrating compassion for a grieving family of a murder victim and a narrowly saved captive victim. The grieving family's distrust in the system was met with Bailey admitting he would walk a fine line between his faith in justice and his family's judgments. He tried to lie Phil was a Woodstock hippie, but before rescuing the captives, Prentiss admitted she knew he told the truth and promised it to be between them and maybe Rossi.
Bailey was called upon yet again when Voit demanded he only speak with Bailey while he and his family were on the run. Voit demanded no negotiations, subtly communicating he found out about the Gold Star investigation. Bailey relayed this veiled threat to Davis, who considered the acceptable loss if Voit were to cause disaster. Bailey insisted he go directly to the vacation home for the family to negotiate personally. Voit let him inside, only to shoot him in his head execution-style, killing him. His comrades attended his funeral and toasts his memory, Rossi himself personally expressing condolences to his parents. Pete was too devastated to attend, believing he was right and blaming the FBI.
Pete plotted his revenge during the Gold Star investigation, waging a defamation campaign against Prentiss, who he held most accountable. Once one of his fellow survivors, Jade Waters, killed Church and helped him take Prentiss hostage, Jade and Pete presented voice memos of Bailey trying to reach Pete when he was captive, revealing what he was behind. It was revealed in addition to the director avoiding embarrassment with Church stealing FBI research papers to make militant followers, Bailey wanted the case classified long enough to rescue Pete. When Voit was proven to have killed Bailey by the agents, Pete and Jade surrendered to arrest. Pete reunited with Phil and Shirley, all their gratitude to the bureau for rescuing Pete, in spite of his potentially severe legal sentences.
Appearances
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Season One
- "Just Getting Started"
- "Sicarius"
- "Moose"
- "Oedipus Wrecks"
- "True Conviction"
- "What Doesn't Kill Us"
- "Dead End"
Season Two
- "Gold Star" (mentioned)
- "Homesick" (mentioned)
- "Message in a Bottle" (mentioned)
- "Stars & Stripes" (mentioned)
- "Save the Children" (flashbacks)