JJ’s New Chapter Of Grief In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 Explained By Showrunner

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JJ is moving on in Criminal Minds season 19.

While the current team is excellent, many dedicated fans will always have a soft spot for the original BAU team. Thankfully, season 4 of Evolution still includes some familiar faces, with AJ Cook as JJ leading the way. Having been on the show for almost its entire run, JJ has experienced a lot of professional and personal changes. Most recently, she’s been dealing with a particularly difficult time, as season 18 of Criminal Minds saw the death of her husband, Wil LaMontagne, leaving her a widow.

Elias Voit remains the central focus of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Though the show largely retains the feel of the original Criminal Minds, the new format and streaming platform allow for some changes in how stories are told. The longer, 10-episode seasons give the show more room to explore the personal lives of the main characters, and season 18 centered on JJ. However, instead of a positive development, the season was marked by a devastating loss for her—an event that will significantly impact her character going forward.

I was really moved by the latest season of Criminal Minds. I recently read an interview with showrunner Erica Messer on ScreenRant where she talked about what’s happening with JJ a year after losing Will. It’s tough to watch, but so realistic. We see JJ, played by AJ Cook, finally starting to move on – she and her boys are leaving the family home. But just as she’s finding her way as a widow, she’s facing another big moment: getting ready to send Henry off to college. Messer shared some really insightful thoughts about it all, and you can find the full interview below.

It’s been fascinating to explore JJ’s story. While season 18 focused on her husband’s death, this new season takes place a year later, and she’s starting to move past that initial grief. Now, she’s facing the emotional experience of sending her son to college, something many of us working on the show were also going through personally. We really wanted to capture the expectations she had for this milestone – imagining her husband would be there to share it and experience the ’empty nest’ with her. It felt crucial to acknowledge her journey as a widow and a mother, now navigating these new challenges on her own.

The first episode shows her and her family leaving their home. Throughout the season, we’ll see her experience all the emotional challenges of a child deciding where to go to college – considering how far away from home they want to be, and everything that involves. This decision becomes a major focus for her character.

Those are definitely the main things we focused on. We really wanted to give Adam/Luke Alvez a chance to explore these stories – he’s been waiting for them for a while. This storyline allows Alvez and JJ to connect through shared grief, and we see their friendship develop in a new way because of it.

The unexpected death of Wil in season 18 of Criminal Minds was a shock to many viewers. Josh Stewart’s character had been a key part of the show since its early days on CBS, and his romantic relationship with JJ was the most lasting love story in the series. Their marriage demonstrated that members of the BAU team could find happiness in their personal lives despite the demands of their jobs, something previously seen with characters like Hotch and, to some degree, Morgan.

Now that Criminal Minds has been renewed for season 20, the show has plenty of time to explore JJ’s future. It seems unlikely she’d start a new romance so soon after losing her husband, Will – their relationship was a long and important one. The show previously sparked controversy by hinting at a connection between JJ and Reid, and revisiting that idea now that Will is gone would likely upset many viewers.

Right now, JJ is dealing with both Will’s absence and the need to allow her son, Henry, more independence as he grows up. While she’s lucky to have her colleagues at the BAU for support, it’s unclear where her personal story is headed in Criminal Minds.

Criminal Minds season 19 drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.

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2026-05-28 16:48