cast of characters— alongside Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), and Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler)— since its 2020 revival. Aside from her home life involving two sons and husband, Will LaMontagne (Josh Stewart), JJ has been an active field agent and profiler for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.

At the Will’s death in Criminal Minds: Evolution still marks a pivotal turning point for the series. “Time to say Goodbye” barely scratched the surface of JJ’s journey with grief, but the actress gave a good indication of what the future holds for the series regular’s mourning storyline.

JJ Has Always Been The Steady Presence On Criminal Minds' BAU Team

For Over A Decade, She's Been A Rock

Throughout Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, episode 3, JJ was too preoccupied with caring for everyone else to truly feel her grief until Will’s funeral, where she finally broke down during her speech. As Garcia rightly noted, JJ is always the one holding other people together, and that caretaker mentality leaves her own complex feelings largely unattended. Rather than lean into the ugly truth that is grief, JJ spent the vast majority of “Time to Say Goodbye” comforting her mother, caring for her children, and struggling to keep the peace with her mother-in-law. Cook spoke to Screen Rant about where JJ is and will be after her loss, and her answer reveals JJ may not be the stable force the BAU has always relied on.

Screen Rant: We saw so many characters reminding JJ that she needs to let her feelings out and that she can't be everything to everyone and hold it all together. But because JJ is who she is, she might still revert to her “I can handle it” nature. Do you think that she has truly taken the first step toward healing, or will the bottom fall out later for her?

AJ Cook: Yeah. We’re going to touch on all the levels of grief because there are a lot of them, and you’ve gotta go through them, no matter how white-knuckling you are with it. You can’t do that forever. So we definitely touch on - we’re gonna see her maybe be unhinged a few times, which, rightfully so!

But yeah, she’s really going to struggle with that work/home balance because her job is a huge part of her identity. It’s almost her happy place in a creepy, strange way. It’s like okay, I can help other people, so I don’t have to focus on myself.

But she also has these boys at home, and all she wants to do is just hug them and protect them from everything. So the pressure on her, as far as that goes, is immense and really weighs on her. She’s grieving, and we’re gonna see her maybe not make some great decisions. But I think that’s the beauty of storytelling. We’re gonna get to see JJ struggle with some things.

Even before one of her greatest personal tragedies, JJ held the BAU together throughout the 15 original seasons of Criminal Minds. From JJ’s humble beginnings as the media liaison to her rigorous training to become a field agent, JJ never abandoned the team or took a moment to be selfish. Yet, A.J. Cook perfectly explains to Screen Rant how JJ’s work ethic can veer into an unhealthy coping mechanism, describing her mentality as “I can help other people, so I don’t have to focus on myself.” As everyone from Rossi to Prentiss warned her, though, that can’t last forever.

The BAU Will Have To Navigate Their Most Reliable Team Member Being Unpredictable In Her Grief In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3

During Their Ongoing Battle With Voit, JJ May Become Another Agent Of Chaos

As a member of the original BAU team, JJ has been one of the most consistent characters in Criminal Minds. Though she had her fair share of trauma like the rest of her coworkers, JJ’s personality was a constant. Now that Will has died and left her unmoored, there’s no telling how JJ will react in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3. What may previously have been easy to handle— like talking to a victim’s family— could now become challenging for JJ. Similarly, JJ might take on a new, obsessive nature when investigating conflicts like BAU-Gate.

Out of the seven original of the BAU in Criminal Minds, only JJ and Penelope remain as of Evolution season 3.

The ongoing struggle to convict Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) as Sicarius has plagued the BAU since Criminal Minds: Evolution began, but grief may drive JJ to take drastic measures. Should the glue holding the workplace together begin to act erratically, she may channel her rage and indignation into doing whatever’s necessary to ensure Voit and his killer network stay behind bars. Of course, everyone has a line they’d never cross— it’s now a matter of whether the pain of losing Will causes JJ to take that final, irreversible step.

How JJ's Loss Might Change Her Character Permanently

Losing Will Could Have Long-Lasting Consequences In Criminal Minds: Evolution

Grief is a long and messy process, but how JJ responds to her pain will dictate her future in Criminal Minds: Evolution. After a near-death experience, Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini) took justice into her own hands, killed an unsub who was about to get away with his horrific crimes, and was never seen again after Criminal Minds season 2. I doubt JJ would do anything that life-altering, especially considering she still has Henry and Michael to worry about, but it’s entirely possible for JJ to make dramatic and consequential decisions during her mourning period.

Criminal Minds: Evolution is streaming on Paramount+.

That said, JJ may navigate her grief well and, in the end, find a silver lining. JJ’s work-life balance has been a clear issue since Criminal Minds: Evolution premiered, when JJ opted to review Rossi’s case files instead of sleeping. The storyline was never explicitly defined, but it has run as an undercurrent every season, and Will’s death could be the catalyst for real change. JJ and Will’s relationship in Criminal Minds changed them both for the better over 18 years. Even post-mortem, Will can help JJ grow further in Criminal Minds: Evolution (but not without a little anarchy first).

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