A brand new Criminal Minds behind-the-scenes image reveals the best look yet at Jennifer “JJ” Jarreau. Played by AJ Cook, the character is one of the most veteran members of FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and is among the few who have appeared throughout the police procedural’s 15 seasons. JJ is also returning for the upcoming Paramount+ reboot of the hit CBS show, officially titled Criminal Minds: Evolution.
The BAU is already set for its return on the small screen, but while most of the team is coming back, it will be missing a couple of members. Daniel Henney’s Matt Simmons won’t partake in the show due to a scheduling conflict. Meanwhile, Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid won’t be in the Criminal Minds reboot because of personal reasons. Despite this, both are confirmed to still be part of the team in-story, making their respective returns more possible. In any case, BAU chief Emily Prentiss and the rest of the squad will all be reconvening as seen in the first promotional images for the Criminal Minds reboot. Interestingly, however, those photos don’t offer a good look at JJ.
Thankfully, Cook took it to her official Instagram account to give fans their best look at JJ’s return in the Criminal Minds reboot. In the photo, she is wearing FBI’s tactical suit with her hair up in a ponytail. In the caption, the actor teases the release date for the upcoming Paramount+ project. Check out Cook’s image below:
JJ’s return in the Criminal Minds revival show isn’t surprising. At the end of the initial CBS run, she decided to stay with the specialized FBI units despite getting offers to relocate to New Orleans. Apparently, however, in the time gap between the original series and Criminal Minds: Evolution, JJ changed her mind and ultimately moved to Louisiana. It just so happens that she and her family opted to return and reclaim her post as part of the BAU when a network of UnSubs becomes a bigger issue. Whether she will be resettling in Washington DC is unclear at this point, but seeing her back with the BAU is a great thing, as she would be a big help in solving the team’s new case.
The question now is if the Criminal Minds reboot will touch on the controversial romantic pairing of JJ and Reid late in the show’s run. Admittedly, the plot twist surprised many viewers and garnered various opinions. As previously mentioned, Reid won’t be in the revival, so the project won’t be able to fully tackle this matter. In any case, the Paramount+ project has its love angle all figured out as it further develops Luke Alvez and Penelope Garcia’s relationship.
