Criminal Minds #4: We Take Care Of Our Own!

Thanks for TG interview.:thumbsup: Maybe Emily can come back as a guest for some episodes like Marg would do on CSI.But My hope is to have her full time.

 

Source: EW (any spoilers will be put in the box)

A.J. Cook on returning to 'Criminal Minds': 'Feels like coming home'

She’s finally back! EW checked in with AJ Cook, the beloved ex-co-star of Criminal Minds who will re-join the CBS series (full time!) this fall. Was it all your cards and letters that made CBS change its mind? Or was it that the dark and dreary drama never felt the same once the gentle JJ left the crime scene? Let the actress explains while she helps to promote the show’s May 18 finale.

EW How many episodes did you appear in this season?
AJ Cook Including the finale, it will be four.

Will the finale involve a cliffhanger?
In all honesty, we have so many balls in the air, we’re trying to figure that out. We just shot it [last] Thursday. It was my first day back with everyone. It definitely set everything up. It’s very ominous. What’s Criminal Minds without a crazy cliffhanger? I’m guessing there might be one or two.

How surreal is it that you’re back fulltime?
People were fighting for me since day one. The whole thing took so many people by surprise. It just didn’t make sense to a lot of people from the get go. I think when I came back for Paget’s [goodbye] episode, they started to come up with story ideas, and storylines that would make sense to utilize JJ, what she could become on the show. There were whispers for quite some time. I was trying to have closure and until I had a proper offer, I couldn’t speak about it! I did go on auditions. A lot of really great opportunities came up, but I have a family and I would have had to move my family out of the country or out of the state. I was in a position where I didn’t need to run out and grab the next thing that came my way, so I had a nice little vacation.

The uproar from fans must have felt so great.
In all honesty, that’s what really helped me hold my head up high. I wasn’t just another blonde chick, another actor. I meant something to them. That’s not to say the network didn’t think that. They are entitled to do whatever the heck they want. It’s their show. But it’s overwhelming how fans all loved JJ and how they really felt like the heart of the show was ripped out.

Why do fans love JJ so much?
Because it’s a dark show and it’s packed with a lot of testosterone. JJ was different from everyone. She was the mother, she was the nurturer and she had a special relationship with each character on a personal level. People connected to that, they needed the compassion from JJ to make the show feel not so heavy. The can’t be gloomy and doomy all the time.

So why was the character eliminated in the first place?
Money had nothing to do it. They decided to go in a different creative decision. I was never given a full explanation. Now they decided to do something creative and that’s why they brought me back. They came up with storylines for JJ to use her properly. So I’m back in full force! It feels like coming home again. I was never able to get full closure on it and this is why. Because it wasn’t over. I was meant to come back for some reason.


NOTE: I underlined "Guess" meaning she isn't saying yes or no, so I can't see that as a spoiler. And also the last question, the first line, the part where she states that while never being given a full explaination, here is what she does know. Therefore in my opinion only she has given the reason for her characters exit the best she knows of it. While I am not saying that Paget lied, she may not have been given the whole story. I am sure these two are probably friends off the set, but honestly if AJ couldn't talk about it, then my guess is she didn't and Paget presumed maybe just from things she heard or went through herself why AJ's character had to exit. Again I am not saying Paget lied or intentionally mislead, more that maybe the info she got was just not the correct info. Either way I hope that AJ has helped to clear up some of the misconceptions that were floating around the internet. BTW lastly I do not think (nor am I saying someone does just saying though imo) that AJ is suddenly saying all this in support of the network, just because they allowed her to come back. Okay thats all I wanted to add, next lmao.

 

*spam*

 

Maybe they thought that AJ's character was being under-used, I mean you have this great character, who if you noticed was fading little by little, into the background, sure the writers and all that managed to get her out there, but if you really think back it wasn't like before. I could see when she was pregnate and all that, heck the fact they included that into a storyline like they did was great. But if they were having problems trying to get her the screen time the fans were us to, maybe they thought they were not being true to the actress and her character. I am guessing here, from what she said. "They came up with storylines for JJ to use her properly." can mean many things. But I just remember thinking JJ doesn't have as much screen time and or lines as before.

Actually if you go back to the interview she says "I was trying to have closure and until I had a proper offer, I couldn’t speak about it!" So actually they (her people and their people) could have been having discussions, we all figured they stopped when she was off the show, like I mentioned once we don't know what goes on in negotations, and that would include how long they go on. They couldn't leave JJ in limbo or AJ either for that matter.

Charlie Sheen seems to be getting alot of credit from alot of us, and honestly I have brought it up to, but honestly if this was going on before he was even considered for being fired, then that tells alot. We don't know. The thing is the network isn't going to say if or until they are ready to say, which I doubt they will.

Right along they have been saying "Creative Differences" maybe that really is what it was all about. But again like I said we don't know what happened that broke down the negotations. I found it odd too that she said it wasn't about money, but then added she waited until she had a proper offer, that can be misleading whether or not that was her intention or just the wording from her, for the person doing the interview.

Who knows, all we do know is she is coming back, and while fans may celebrate any part they had to do with it, it still comes down to the fact that the show didn't have to do it, she didn't have to accept, they did and hopefully it will fade so that she can once again be the character we came to know and love.

 

So much Hotch happiness!!! I could hardly believe we got to see him smiling so much. The ending was great. Different and happy. Hotch and Rossi have a great friendship and it's a treat to watch. The case was interesting and it was disturbing how it ended with the teacher having Marcy's picture. I wonder if we'll see him in the future.

I have to say I really, really missed Emily and JJ in this one. Way too many boys. Garcia was there for her 30 seconds and the new girl is good but there's just too much testosterone. I hope that in september we have the old team back . Maybe there's room for the new girl too.

 

thank for shared. I like this site

 

Hotch and Rossi friendship was the best part of the episode.I like that Hotch can relax with him.That scene at the end is going to my favorites of all times .We also got a little of Morgan and Reid so I am a happy fan.

Case was good and I hope we can see the art teacher again. There is more to that story.I enjoy Seaver but I want to see her learning instead as like she already knows it all.

 

The last scene was pure cheese plus the slow-mo effect. :lol: I thought Criminal Minds is so dark to have cheesy scenes like that. :lol:

I didn't get the meaning of the scene where the teacher (the first suspect) was developing a picture sent by the unsub? Was that suppose to mean something?

 

^ I think it meant they were in it together or at least he knew .

Case reminded me of Dexer except for the vigilante theme.I liked how Morgan and Rossi are so close now considering how they started.There was a lot of profiling and Reid was his geeky self again.:thumbsup: Morgan scene with his aunt was very touching.Overall ,good episode.

 

Morgan told his aunt that the unsub had picked his cousin's picture out of a pile, so the aunt was able to feel closure. In reality, as Morgan told Rossi, the unsub named all of his victims as Morgan showed him their pictures, but couldn't name Morgan's cousin when her picture was shown to him. Therefore, the unsub didn't kill Morgan's cousin.

 

First: excellent episode. One of the best of the past two seasons.

Second: Paget's pilot didn't get picked up so it's about 99% likely she'll be back on CM next season.