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Rossi, I appreciate the offer. I do. But I can't sit around brainstorming about these guys. I need the chase.
Alvez in "The Crimson King"

Luke Alvez is a Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit, who joined the team at the start of Season Twelve following the resignation of Derek Morgan.

Background

Alvez was born in the Bronx borough of New York City, New York. He described his mother as having a very intimidating stare. Inspired by his father's military service, he joined the U.S. Army and served as a part of the 75th Rangers Regiment in Iraq. He had a number of specialties, including animal training. After he was discharged, Alvez joined the FBI and worked in several different divisions before being assigned to its Fugitive Task Force, where he became responsible for capturing fugitives on the run. While training with the Task Force, he studied Calvin Shaw, a disgraced former FBI agent convicted of murdering his confidential informant. Later, one of Alvez's targets was a man named Daniel Cullen, a.k.a. "The Crimson King". During the manhunt, the team could never get a positive identification on Cullen during his crimes, so Alvez's partner Phil Brooks went undercover to lure him out. The operation was a success, and Cullen was recaptured, but not before he had managed to severely torture Phil. The incident traumatized Alvez ever since.

Season Twelve

Between the events of "The Storm" and "The Crimson King", Alvez helped the BAU apprehend eight of thirteen serial killers who escaped from prisons during an attempted terrorist attack. In the latter episode, Alvez helped catch a ninth serial killer, who turned out to be Cullen, along with a man named Brian Phillips, who was forced to become Cullen's copycat by escaped serial killer by proxy Peter Lewis. After Peter escaped, Hotch hired him into the BAU to assist in the manhunt for Peter.

In "Sick Day", Luke worries about JJ after a case on the plane ride home.

In "In the Dark", after seeing Garcia cry in her office, Alvez is told of Reid's assault in prison. Alvez heads to the prison and sees Calvin Shaw, a crooked FBI agent who's in the same prison as Reid. He had not only researched him but discovers the real reason why Shaw killed his informant. Alvez warns Shaw not to let Reid get hurt again while he's in prison or he will suffer. He makes good on his threat in "Green Light", when Reid is nearly killed after his FBI identity is exposed; thus forcing himself into solitary and framing Shaw for it. Alvez not only has Shaw transferred to a supermax in Michigan, but will also be put in the same prison where he helped incarcerate people he had put away during his time with the Bureau.

Throughout most of the season, after Morgan's departure and his arrival to the BAU, Garcia becomes uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn from him, frequently calling him 'Newbie' until in "Red Light", the season twelve finale, Morgan returned after Peter Lewis tried to coax out the team and asked Garcia to cut him some slack, despite her reluctance.

Season Thirteen

Picking up from the ending of "Red Light" and "Wheels Up", Alvez is the only one who appears to be unharmed from the car crash caused by Scratch. He also comforts Garcia as Walker did not survive the crash. He and Reid get everything they need from Rossi to stop Scratch and rescue Prentiss after she's abducting by him. Alvez notices the PTS changes in Reid after his release from prison. At the near end, Alvez chases Scratch to the rooftop of the building he was hiding out at. Scratch winds up dangling from the building side after being taken off guard when the fire escape he stood on gave way under his weight, allowing Alvez to catch up. Afterwards, Scratch pathetically begged Alvez to save him, but he rightfully refuses and glares at him until he lost his grip and fell to his death.

In "Lucky Strikes", Alvez is told of Garcia being shot ten years ago during the briefing of a case of a certain case bringing back those memories for her and is satisfied to hear that he's dead.

In "Dust and Bones", Alvez thinks of a way to help out Phil Brooks, who's still going through the aftermath of his torture caused by Cullen. By the episode's end, Alvez and Garcia gifts Brooks with a dog.

In "Bad Moon on the Rise", Alvez is set up on a blind date with Lisa Douglas by Phil Brooks and the two of them hit it off.

In "Mixed Signals", on the plane ride home after finishing a case, Alvez is the first person to know about Tara Lewis' ex-husband.

Season Fourteen

In the episode "Luke", an unsub who is killing people on the hit list of an infamous sicario in Mexico kills Luke's former partner, Phil Brooks, in an attempt to break Alvez's spirit. He takes matters into his own hands and hunts the killer, leading to his demotion from Supervisory Special Agent of the BAU to Special Agent.

Following his actions during the events of "Twenty Seven", SSA Prentiss began the process of getting him reinstated to the rank of Supervisory Special Agent, and by the events of "Broken Wing", Alvez was restored to full duty.

Season Fifteen

Alvez is taken hostage along with Matt Simmons in the episode "Ghost" by a splinter group of a biker gang along with a former mob enforcer who blames the two for his brother's arrest and death while in captivity. Right before they are to be killed, Alvez and Simmons are able to break free and ambush him and the bikers, managing to subdue all of them until the rest of the BAU arrive.

In the series finale, "And In the End...", Alvez asks Garcia out for dinner, an offer which she happily accepts.

Evolution

In "Just Getting Started", Luke remains an SSA at the BAU along with Tara, Emily, and JJ.

Notes

  • His sidearm is a SIG Sauer P226R.
  • He owns a female Belgian Shepherd named Roxy ("Taboo"). He mentions adopting her to help him adapt to civilian life after he was discharged. ("Dust and Bones")
  • He understands some Latin ("Alpha Male").
  • Like David Rossi, he likes to play video games. He mentions an interest in flight simulator and virtual reality games. ("Killer App")
  • Alvez can talk in American Sign Language. ("Mixed Signals")
  • According to his old partner Phil, Alvez is a terrible cook. ("Dust and Bones")
  • He is the first member of the BAU to have been demoted within the team, even though it was only temporary. ("Luke")
  • He is an avid recreational boxer. ("Ghost")
  • His grandmother used to say when he was a kid: "He who hangs out with the wolves learns how to howl". ("Message in a Bottle")
  • In "Save The Children" Elias Voit calls Luke by his full name "Lucas". It is unknown if his name is actually short for Lucas, or if Voit simply assumed that it was and nobody corrected him.

Appearances

Appearances

Episode
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Total
Season 12 22
Season 13 22
Season 14 15
Season 15 10
Season 16 10
Season 17 10

Please go to here for color coding.

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