| “ | 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"
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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.
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of the season, after Morgan's departure and his arrival to the BAU, Garcia becomes uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn from him, frequently calling him 'Newbie' until in "Red Light", the season twelve finale, Morgan returned after Peter Lewis tried to coax out the team and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. 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.
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.
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")