Jennifer Jareau: Pennsylvania Petite

[Wilowy]

Like her or not, she's definitely working all the angles. Loves her Baby Star, and her hairdresser. Arguably the best shot at the BAU.

[mstaken]

I'm so glad we have separate character threads now, because I've been dying to ask you guys who the heck JJ is supposed to be! Did the writers ever give even a minute of thought to defining this character, giving her even a single salient personality trait, interest or flaw?! I honestly have a far better handle on some characters in just one or two episodes than I do on JJ after, like, almost 200! How can she still be such a cipher? All I know is that she's a mom who grew up in a small town, played soccer and used to collect butterflies. Seriously, writers?! 

I'm not among those who thinks JJ took a dramatic turn for the worse in S7 because, for me, they just made an *already* dull, detached, flawless-by-default character seem even duller, more detached and more flawless. Part of it for me is that AJ Cook just doesn't exude any warmth or any...well, any ANYTHING for me! She doesn't ever project the sense to me that JJ has any sort of inner life---thoughts, feelings, dreams, wishes, fears, etc., the way someone like Paget Brewster did with the equally undefined/inconsistently defined Prentiss. Even when I think the writers try to make JJ The Empathetic One, AJ Cook's always come off wooden and icy to me, not to mention kind of self-superior and eye-roll-y (let's pretend that's an adjective!) around most members of the team. 

I think AJ Cook, if she had to be cast as all, would have been better as the snotty, sheltered, egotistical 'popular' girl who gradually comes to care about and relate to the rest of the team. Honestly, that would have made her character significantly more interesting to me than the blank slate we've gotten for eight seasons. 

I've even fanwanked that the writers deliberately reversed the usual crime procedure trope, deciding that instead of giving us the usual seemingly tough, hard-as-nails female detective with a not-so-secret gooey center, they'd give us a woman whose job is to project empathy and to connect and communicate with victims, families, police departments and media---but who, ironically, at her core kept an icy and distrustful distance from those allegedly 'closest' to her.  Yeah, I know...I'm giving the writers way too much credit for a character who's essentially just perfectly awesome at whatever there is to be awesome at in any particular episode, but it's a fanwank that worked to make her more interesting to me for at least four or so seasons! 

Oh, and as I think I said elsewhere, I'm totally holding out for a big reveal that her creepy husband, who she never even seemed to like much (but, again, that's just JJ/AJ Cook!), is a prolific serial killer who the team ends up profiling and apprehending. And, hey, if it turns out that JJ was in on the crime spree this whole time, that would at least make her a heck of a lot less flat and boring! ;) 

[Wilowy]

Aw, well I have a soft spot for JJ, mainly because of how she used to treat Reid in the earlier seasons, and so that's what spurred my writing jag of over a dozen stories for the two of them. It's also why I loved Magnum Opus, because that dynamic was back in full force. 

You're right, it would've been interesting had they made her 'The Cordelia', but I'm hoping that we get to see some fallout from 200 before the season ends. Some depth and some actual weakness that might tamp down a little of the Mary Sue talk.

Heh heh... "creepy husband"!! heh heh

[mstaken]

Heh heh... "creepy husband"!! heh heh

 

It's the first and only adjective that leaps to mind when I think of Will! I'm assuming we can snark on him here since the guy is totally not worthy of his own thread :) 

 

 

mainly because of how she used to treat Reid in the earlier seasons,

It's weird, because I actually think JJ is kind of snotty, superior and eyeroll-y towards "Spence" even in those early seasons. Much to my own surprise, I thought Elle was actually kinder to Reid than JJ---and that Elle and Reid had a surprisingly great connection, while I've always struggled to see JJ genuinely connecting with...anyone :) 

 

 

You're right, it would've been interesting had they made her 'The Cordelia',

Oh, wow, I've never adored you more---I swear that I almost typed 'kind of like Cordelia with lighter hair and a flatter voice' in that above post. 

Are we supposed to get the impression that JJ really disliked and resented small town life despite being 'popular' and successful there? (Why, yes, I AM grasping at straws to find something the tiniest bit interesting about her!)  She always seems particularly eye-roll-y and disdainful when the team discusses/visits small towns...yes, even more than usual :)  

Edited March 30, 2014 by mstaken

[Wilowy]

She used to be so handsy with him, always the first to touch him, hug him, stand next to him, tell him things, work by his side, and little things like when Penelope was shot and he showed up at the hospital she jumped up and nearly ran into his arms. When he was in the shack reading those journals, her comment "Reid goes to another place when he reads." was accompanied by a soft, shy smile, and she was always piping up to explain him to others, check on him when he was hurt. Last season Magnum Opus when she went to check on him, and later when they melted into each other at the end...

http://i.imgur.com/EdjonAh.jpg

this season in Gatekeeper when he delivered that baby, the way they slid into each other's arms after, and her look of amazement at him when she heard he'd learned it for her... 

http://i.imgur.com/DDc99Cd.jpg

Some people have said they have a bro/sis bond... I see it differently. ;)

And YAY! Will snark is always welcome!!

[ForeverAlone]

I do have to agree that JJ's ability to convey warmth seems to have gone away in recent years. She goes through the motions of appearing empathetic, but it doesn't seem to be real. And I honestly wonder if that is not the writing, but rather AJ's performance. I mean, Reid is not written to be exceptionally empathetic, and yet he comes across as being so compassionate and kind and gentle, and that is because of what Matthew brings to his performance, and his ability to convey a wealth of emotions through just his eyes. JJ would absolutely be more interesting if she was intentionally written to have an icy core and an inability to relate to persons, but she had to mask that due to the nature of her job. 

I agree that Reid had a crush on JJ in earlier seasons. Of course it was kind of hard to deny, since he asked her out on a date. But I never once got the impression she had any romantic or sexual interest in Reid. He doesn't seem to be her type at all. She seems to go for the more stereotypical masculine man, and would not see Reid as a sexual person. Remember how she reacted when she found out he had a girlfriend. She reacted with disbelief, and almost as a joke. Or at least that is how I interpreted her tone when she blurted out in the elevator (violating his privacy and turning his personal life into something of a punchline) that Reid had a girlfriend at the end of "The Lesson." She has affection for him, sure, but it always came across to me like more of a LITTLE brother, and not even as a peer brother. 

And I could write a ton about the relationship between Elle and Reid. Not that I ever once thought they had any sort of romantic connection, but I loved those two together, and many of my favorite early season Reid moments were with Elle. 

[Wilowy]

I thought it was Morgan that blurted out the girlfriend thing. JJ just looked, frankly, astonished. 

I wanked that she couldn't believe he had moved on from his crush over her. heh heh

[ForeverAlone]

Morgan was the one who told JJ that he thought Reid had a girlfriend in the thrift store, but it was JJ who was the one who blurted it out to everyone in the elevator. There was no real reason for her to do that, except to garner a laugh from the audience. Which is what I can assume the writers were going for, but it didn't really show JJ in a good light in my opinion.  Reid had never confided in her about that, and it wasn't her place to reveal it to everyone. Alex kept his secret for weeks and never revealed to anyone what she knew, but JJ couldn't contain herself to share what she knew. And I always interpreted her tone to be one of disbelief. Since I sometimes interpret things to be against JJ, I can easily buy her being shocked that Reid had gotten over his crush on her after she probably politely rejected him seven years prior, had a baby with another man and married that man, and that just makes her seem even a bit bitchier if that was supposed to be the case. It would go to my opinion that JJ doesn't really view Reid as a man with romantic/sexual needs

Edited March 30, 2014 by ForeverAlone

[Wilowy]

I just don't see her loving Will, though.

Her years of resistance to his multiple proposals, her "Let's just get it over with" after he almost got blown up speaks to her fear of losing her 'blankie'... her 'warm sweater' more than it does true, solid love and passion, the kind you base a life together on. He's Henry's father, and he gave up his whole life to wrap around her and Henry. I always get the feeling she's with him out of comfort, familiarity, and obligation. I don't hate the guy, just don't think he's her true love. 

That and there is ZERO chemistry between them. Nada. 

[ForeverAlone]

Well I tend to agree, if only because the only reason Will is still present on the show is because they decided to write in AJ's real life pregnancy, and he was the only plausible person for a reverse-engineered baby daddy. But they certainly never wrote them as a great love story, because JJ was reluctant from day one to commit to that relationship. So I have no emotional investment in the JJ/Will relationship, but since they are now married, I can't imagine the writers going through the long, soap opera process of uncoupling them. 

[Wilowy]

You're probably right. But you know... Will does have a very dangery job! AND his death would make for less-than-perfection in JJ's life, and also some angsty, grief/guilt related issues that SPENCE would be in a very good position to help her with! 

I know... I just can't stop. ;)

[ForeverAlone]

Considering the big ta da they made over the season seven finale and making it JJ/Will centric, and then with 200, I think I would scream bloody murder if they gave her another centric episode by killing off Will and then having to deal with her subsequent grief. And since I am REALLY over JJ, I would probably stop watching the show if they ever made the mistake of pairing JJ and Reid up. But as silly as the new writers are, I don't think any of them are stupid or desperate enough to pair any of the main characters up with each other. 

[Old Dog]

Perception is such a subjective thing isn't it? Willowy, when Reid was in that shack reading the journals in "A Thousand Words" and JJ commented that "Reid goes to another place when he reads" I saw that as a snarky comment from her - and that was before my dislike of her reached the pitch it has now! Maybe it's because she can come over as cold and snarky even in some of the earlier seasons when I quite liked the character.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Old Dog

[Wilowy]

Perception is subjective, Old Dog, absolutely. To me, her take on that line read as "That's my dork!" in a very affectionate way. :)

ForeverAlone, I don't think the (new) writers are silly, I think and actually know that they work very hard to come up with stories that will entertain and thrill us. They are very aware that tv isn't Shakespeare for the most part, but they care about the product they give us, and sincerely hope we like it. If they take a wrong turn now and again, they dust off and get right back on the horse. I can't imagine how crazy difficult their job is, and how much pressure they all are under, every week.

Also, I don't think an eventual pairing of Spencer and JJ is stupid, mostly for the reasons I've said above (and my own investment in the character's future). I see them ramping up Spencer's 'manliness' exponentially this season; extremely capable in the field, physically stepping up his game, overpowering UnSubs, fighting alongside Morgan, saving Blake's life, and delivering a baby... all things that he hasn't done before, and I see JJ noticing (although I do think she'd always be the Alpha in their relationship). She's the only woman besides Maeve he's ever had romantic feelings for, and judging by his adorably drunk wedding 'toast', those feelings never entirely went away. 

You are right in saying that it won't ever happen, however. While I don't think it's stupid or desperate in any way, I do not think they'll take it there. I do hold out hope that, in the very last episode at least, they do a SFU-style 'life-recap', and it shows them together, surrounded by their grandkids at some family picnic, arms around each other as always.

[missmycat]

Pairing up Reid and JJ would also be the last straw for me. Especially since I now despise JJ to my very core. I actually shipped Reid and Prentiss, but I still wouldn't have wanted it to become canon, even if Emily had stayed. IMO shipping belongs in fanfic.

I too will scream bloody murder if that character gets any major focus in the season finale. My hope is that she will be as insignificant as possible. Although I admit it's a rather slim hope at that.

[spinner33]

Although I am usually a "ship and let ship" kind of person, JJ acts like she can hardly stand to be in the same room with Reid, like she's afraid he's going to give her nerd cooties or something if he brushes against her.  She acts like Reid isn't fit to lick her shoes.  That just doesn't say love to me.  Different strokes for different folks, I guess.   

[Wilowy]

Hmm... did you SEE Magnum Opus? Gatekeeper? Not too worried about nerd cooties, I'll wager...

[spinner33]

Those are some seriously powerful rose-colored glasses you've got there! 

Like I said, I believe in letting people ship whatever they like.  Not everyone sees this show or these characters the same way, clearly. 

[Wilowy]

Exactly. And denial is a river. So, maybe your opinions about me personally can be kept to yourself? Thank you for letting us have our ships. That isn't remotely condescending.

[radishcake]

Take a minute and read through the Forum Primer HERE. Personal attacks are not on and will be moderated. 

Relevant portion copied here:

The Social Contract

My golden rule for forums is to pretend you are at someone else's party. Different opinions are welcomed and debate is encouraged but if you can't converse without name calling or flaming then you'll get The Size Nines out the door.

[spinner33]

My, aren't you defensive?  It's not condescending when someone disagrees with you and admits that they can't see things the same way you do. 

It's also not disrespecting you when someone doesn't agree with your view on everything. 

[mstaken]

Anyway, what were people's favorite JJ scenes of the series? It comforts me to realize that even the character I happen to enjoy the least has had some good moments!

A few off the top of my head: I loved her asking Reid to be Henry's godfather. It was one of the few times I saw JJ a fraction as warm and caring as I think we're supposed to! I like the scene where she's visiting Garcia after the latter's been shot. I actually like her very first scene in Compulsion, where she seems all hyper, stressed and highly competent but slightly neurotic----like the 'icy popular girl who carefully projects a positive image but takes a while to truly trust and care' fanwank I had of her, slightly kooky, hyper-caffeinated JJ would have been a more fun and interesting character to me than what we've actually gotten. I'm sure there are many more good JJ moments that I'm blanking out on---I recall liking a few of her scenes with Hotch as well. 

Edited March 30, 2014 by mstaken

[Wilowy]

Anyway, what were people's favorite JJ scenes of the series? It comforts me to realize that even the character I happen to enjoy the least has had some good moments!

A few off the top of my head: I loved her asking Reid to be Henry's godfather. It was one of the few times I saw JJ a fraction as warm and caring as I think we're supposed to! I like the scene where she's visiting Garcia after the latter's been shot. I actually like her very first scene in Compulsion, where she seems all hyper, stressed and highly competent but slightly neurotic----like the 'icy popular girl who carefully projects a positive image but takes a while to truly trust and care' fanwank I had of her, slightly kooky, hyper-caffeinated JJ would have been a more fun and interesting character to me than what we've actually gotten. I'm sure there are many more good JJ moments that I'm blanking out on---I recall liking a few of her scenes with Hotch as well.

I loved all of those, especially that first one. I must've watched that youtube clip a hundred times. The way Spencer looks at Henry, then at her. I like the one where she's with Hotch on the plane telling him why she wouldn't want to be a profiler. As we know, things changed, but it's a sweet moment of accord with them lightly needling each other.

I don't think she has a bit of chemistry with Morgan, but I did like her working with him and Angel in Foundation, and I liked her reading the parents in North Mammon the riot act. Anytime it's her and Reid one on one, I love, and a couple of times her and Garcia have been fun.

OH! One of my favorite scenes is in Amplification, when she is asking Aaron about warning her family. And you can see she's terrified for Henry... "I know... but I mean... how can I not?" And for some reason I love her 'look' in that episode. Very clean and fresh.

[ForeverAlone]

Hmmm... JJ scenes I like.  In no particular order:

1. JJ telling the story about the woods to Reid and Morgan in "Boogeyman". She really had them going and then just basically snorted in their faces with derision. Though looking back at earlier episodes under the new "JJ was always an ice queen masked as empathetic" lens, that scene would really fit with that persona. 

2. JJ calmly and confidently shooting Jason Clark Battle in the head. Through a glass door no less.

3. She was pretty good in almost all of North Mammon, but her conversation with Hotch at the end was good at providing some insight into how she viewed her job.

4. JJ was pretty good in Seven Seconds talking to the mom. 

5. JJ was very effective in Revelations. 

6. Probably the episode that deliberately highlighted her competence the most, was Catching Out. It is funny to compare how her job was viewed then and how that job is viewed now.

The problem I have is there are plenty of JJ scenes, but I like them for the other people in them more.

1. Reid and JJ having the baby kick conversation in Catching Out.

2. Reid playing mother hen to JJ after she got her ass kicked in Closing Time.

3. Hotch talking to JJ about her feeling uneasy about the case in Birthright. 

4. Reid and JJ's conversation about how she was a mean girl in Painless, a conversation and that is funny and telling in light of some of the current opinion about the character.

5. Reid acting all protective when she was spit on in Doubt. 

[Old Dog]

I liked JJ in Amplification also - the scene with Hotch where she is looking out through the office blinds with tears in her eyes. I bet AJ was thinking of her own little baby when she did that scene - I know I thought about my son and what I would do. I thought it was a bit hypocritical on Hotch's part as he had done exactly what JJ wanted to do and phoned up Haley back in "Lessons Learned" to try and warn her of the terrorist attack!

I also liked JJ in "JJ" - but then that was the very last we saw of JJ as she came back a completely different person.

[Wilowy]

I don't know, OldDog, what do you think the new JJ would do in that exact same scenario? Do you think she'd toe the company line, or do you think she'd call and warn them?

And yes, her looking out the blinds, so upset and frantic but trying to hold it together. I too was thinking of my own children, and when she went to Penelope for advice and Pen just said a simple "Yes." when asked if she'd save her loved ones? That was me. 

I'd better never have any kind of job that wouldn't let me warn my family because I would be fucking FIRED in a New York minute! FUCK your 'protocol'! If my babies are gonna die? My loyalty is with THEM!

Edited March 31, 2014 by Willowy

[Old Dog]

New JJ wouldn't have needed to make the call as she would have single handedly found and subdued the unsub - or shot him between the eyes at 400 yards - then found the antidote, snarked at Reid, put down the General and been awarded some kind of medal for saving the nation!

[ForeverAlone]

Watching the scene in "Lessons Learned" I always wondered if Hotch made a legitimate attempt to contact Haley or if he did it just to placate Morgan, just because it happened so fast. Maybe the scene was paced like that for timing, but in reality it would take a bit longer for him to realize he was unable to reach her. Hotch was clearly scared for Haley, but he also had a very strong sense of duty and doing what was right for the job. Morgan had a very definite idea of what Hotch should do which was to violate security, but Hotch was much more conflicted, and I don't think he would have even attempted to make a call if Morgan hadn't encouraged him. 

Edited March 31, 2014 by ForeverAlone

[Old Dog]

I had to go and have a look at Lessons Learned and you are right - it is very quick though it could have gone straight to voicemail quite quickly. I agree with you as I don't think Hotch would have done it without Morgan telling him that if he lost Haley and Jack he wouldn't have a life but nonetheless he made the attempt. I don't think Hotch would have felt the need to placate Morgan and pretended to call - he could have just emphasised it was a breach of security protocol and left it at that.I think he tried out of genuine fear for his family.

[ForeverAlone]

And if that is the case, I can't figure out why Jim would have even put that into the episode (I guess to show what Hotch would do for his family, though he wasn't willing to leave a voice message or text Haley, so he did draw the line). We know Hotch has a very strong sense of duty. If security protocols are supposed to be put into place for a reason, what is the point if everyone who is supposed to be enforcing them just going to violate them? If it is supposed to be all right (or the subtext of both episodes, encouraged) for Hotch and JJ to call their families to warn them, why is it that no one else can know? Why is actually a right thing that Emily held her tongue when she wanted to say something ("Don't 'Emily' me), but we are supposed to think it is a good thing if Hotch and JJ are given a free pass to call? Yeah, I get that it's the eternal conflict between adhering to your duty and wanting to protect the persons you care about, but I think it would have been a bolder statement if Hotch had stood fast and told Morgan that it would be a breach of protocol. These are more just musings about what the episodes' writers were getting at with their writing choices, because I wasn't overly bothered by either Hotch or JJ's actions in these episodes.

[IndependentMind]

I so agree about Reid and JJ as a "brother-sister" thing. I laugh at the Reid/JJ ahippers and go "ewww". In fact one of the writers said that too. lol. I read fanfics and that is one I don't read.

My friend who is a huge Reid fan said that if JJ and Reid ever got together they would be the most boring couple ot tv. lol. And yeah, she hopes this never happens because she cannot stand the new JJ and wishes that JJ just goes away and would rather just have Blake.

I loved the old JJ. Her role was more defined on the team. But since AJ came back from her firing, she wanted so badly for JJ to be significant that she asked Erica Messer to change her. Huge mistake. AJ wanted JJ to be "Salt" or "Tomb Raider".

As for chemistry, to be honest the only chemistry she has is with Prentiss. But then again, that has to do with Paget more than AJ.

I have never seen so much hate or resentment towards a character on CM since Seaver.

[mstaken]

It's funny, because I actually don't see nearly as sharp a distinction between Original Recipe JJ and post-S6 JJ as most do. For me, she was always flat, cold, dull, fairly disdainful towards the rest of the team and unrealistically, unrelatably awesome at everything she did. And now she's...well, flat, cold, dull, fairly disdainful towards the rest of the team and unrealistically, unrelatably awesome at everything she does, albeit to a slightly greater degree! As noted above, though, the fankwanks I adopted about her being *deliberately* depicted as the popular, superficially 'perfect' All-American girl who could connect well with the public at large but kept an icy, distrustful distance from those allegedly closest to her for a variety of reasons makes her a lot more interesting for me in those earlier seasons, though I know I'm probably giving the writers far too much credit there for what is probably just a severely underwritten character played by an actress I find it nearly impossible to connect with!

 

 

JJ telling the story about the woods to Reid and Morgan in "Boogeyman". She really had them going and then just basically snorted in their faces with derision. Though looking back at earlier episodes under the new "JJ was always an ice queen masked as empathetic" lens, that scene would really fit with that persona.

Exactly! 

 

 

I loved all of those, especially that first one. I must've watched that youtube clip a hundred times. The way Spencer looks at Henry, then at her.

Heh---yeah, that's probably my very favorite JJ moment of the series. 

Do you guys think JJ is truly in love with Will? 

Edited March 31, 2014 by mstaken

[Old Dog]

I've never seen much connection between JJ and Will and she seems to be the one calling the shots between them. They do sometimes show hints of problems between them don't they? But the answer is no - I think JJ cares about Henry and her career and not too much more.

[IndependentMind]

I wish EM could learn from Chris Carter. Thatba woman can be strong, fragile, sympatheitc and respected like Dana Scully (yes, I am a Gilian Anderson fan girl) without being a G.I. Jane. That even after 20 years, she is still so significant character and figure on television. And continues to gain new and younger fans even after it ended 11 years ago.

Years from now, in my opinion, few will remember Jennifer Jerrreau.

[Wilowy]

Hmm MsTaken... what do you think my answer might be? ;)

Edited March 31, 2014 by Willowy

[mstaken]

Hmm MsTaken... what do you think my answer might be? ;)

 

That Will and JJ are totally destined-to-be soul mates, of course. I know you so well! ;) 

It's kind of sad that I genuinely have no clue as to whether JJ truly loves her husband. For a long time, I couldn't even claim with any assurance that she *liked* him. JJ is so underwritten and the actress so flat that it's usually so hard for me to ascertain what (if anything!) she really feels about pretty much anything. But I'm inclined to agree with Old Dog:

I think JJ cares about Henry and her career and not too much more.

[IndependentMind]

JJ is in love with Will. I mean, they have been planning to have another child. If she was just stuck in the marriage because of Henry, why would she want to have another child with him.

The problem is that the actors have no chemistry. And AJ for some reason isn't convincing and can't convey those feelings, in my opinion.

And if after so many seasons, she or both of them still can't convince the audience that they are in love or she isn't in love with him, I think that is what they call "bad acting", right?

Edited March 31, 2014 by IndependentMind

[Wilowy]

Yes. Although I do think it's a combination of all the stuff we've discussed, not only bad acting. 

I read a review elsewhere, where as far as I could tell the reviewer wasn't invested in their relationship in any way, but the reviewer referred to Will as "JJ's husband that she doesn't love."

[IndependentMind]

Is the reviewer a tv critic or just a fan reviewing an episode?

I, myself, is not invested in their relationship at all, but I would say that two actors who play husband and wife for years have yet managed to convince the audience that they are in love and the only thing fans of the show can say is "I don't believe JJ is in love with Will", to me is just bad chemistry with AJ and Josh. Funny because they get along very well but somehow, that doesn't translate onscreen.

AJ has her moments. She reminds me of her best friend Meghan Ory and Megan Boone of "The Blacklist), they have moments where they are good but the rest of the time, they are just not able to convey emotions they are supposed to 

I can watch Sasha Alexander in a scene where she doesn't speak a word and I just watch her face change, emotions written all over it and her eyes and I immediately know what emotions she is conveying. The same goes for Mariska Hargitay or Gillian Anderson. Someone said she is a wooden actress and I agree with that assessment.

Edited April 1, 2014 by IndependentMind

[Wilowy]

I honestly don't remember, IndependentMind. :/

I just remember it struck me.

[zannej]

I think my absolute favorite JJ scene was the campfire like story in Boogeymen. I love that she had Morgan and Reid all wrapped up in the story and totally buying it and then got to laugh afterward. I think it spoke to her talent at being able to BS to the media.

I also liked a scene in an earlier episode (not sure which one) where a reporter came up to her and wanted a scoop. She leaned down, lifted his tie, and told him to reconsider his tie. It was another way of showing her tricking someone to be able to laugh.

I do think that perhaps it was a coping mechanism. We sort of got a hint of her growing up in a place where girls were not valued as much as boys and feeling trapped in a small town. She probably had to learn to keep up appearances and put on a tough face or a smiling face and just hide any sadness or emotions. Its sort of similar to what I imagine Prentiss went through-- only Prentiss was more privileged in terms of travel and finances but deprived of the love and attention she needed from her parents. I'm not sure if JJ got enough attention from her parents or not. I know that when a family loses a child it can be devastating and they either start to cherish the surviving ones more or actually push them away for fear of more loss. I suspect JJ losing her sister made her not want to get close to people because she didn't want to get hurt again.

So even from the get-go JJ had this hard outer shell in some ways.

Another moment I liked with JJ was an episode I can't remember the title of.. I just remember that JJ asked the cop to show her the files and he said that he and other cops had already gone over all of it before. So, to make him not feel like she wasn't trusting the judgment of him and his fellow cops, she took him aside and said something like "listen, these guys aren't going to let me actually do anything, so could you get me the paperwork so I have something to do, please?" It was a total lie but it placated the guy and he gave her what she wanted.

I suppose we should make a list of JJ's traits.

1. She is a good liar.

2. She likes to keep a distance from people so as not to get hurt.

3. She is a good shot.

4. Even if she doesn't always show it, she cares about her team members.

5. She values her son's life over protocol.

 

Oh, another scene I liked was when Elle first joined the team and was introduced to JJ who told her where her office was and that she would probably never be in it. She was rushing around and very busy. So she didn't have time to sit and shoot the bull with co-workers. I think she also liked to keep her personal life and work separate at that point.

I really do miss the sassy media-liaison JJ and how she got to sass reporters.

[Wilowy]

One of my favorite scenes:

http://i.imgur.com/J49UwPA.jpg

It's actually this gorgeous gifset off tumblr done by maributerfly, but my screen capture wouldn't get the whole thing. Wish y'all could see it in motion. 

[mstaken]

Funny, that Hotch has time to go to New York on a train while he is the BAU Chief and also doing JJ's old job.

Heh---I always find it amusing that the show went clunkily out of its way those first seasons to remind us how VERY demanding and vitally important JJ's job was, and how she usually had to arrive first and stay last, and, by the way, NO ONE can do it half as well as the unfathomably awesome JJ....only to then essentially be all like, 'yeah, whatever, someone else can just do that media liaison thing in addition to his already existing, super-demanding full-time role without missing a beat...no biggie!"

[IndependentMind]

Heh---I always find it amusing that the show went clunkily out of its way those first seasons to remind us how VERY demanding and vitally important JJ's job was, and how she usually had to arrive first and stay last, and, by the way, NO ONE can do it half as well as the unfathomably awesome JJ....only to then essentially be all like, 'yeah, whatever, someone else can just do that media liaison thing in addition to his already existing, super-demanding full-time role without missing a beat...no biggie!

Oh soooo TRUE! I think to Messer, it depends on who the character is. In her eyes, Hotch is Superman. He can do anything and everything. JJ is maybe Wonder Woman. She was assigned to Afghanistan to do what? Yeah, interrogate the wife of a terrorist who had connections to OSama Bin Laden. Out of all the trained CIA, FBI, Secret Service and military, they chose a Media Liaison. Wow. And yeah, the best part of 200 was, they pull her out because Emily prentiss was more inportant than catching the Most Wanted Man in the World, Osama bin Laden.

And after having a miscarriage in a dangerous job, she decides she wants to be a profiler that goes on the field to atch serial killers. Hmmm.

[Wilowy]

JJ WAS good at her media liaison job, that's why most of us miss her doing it. She's also a good profiler. Some say that she's too good. I'd like to know when she passed that bar. What was it that made her too good? And exactly how much less good would you have her be?

As much as I like JJ when she's not being bitchface to Reid, the 200 thing was over the top for me. The whole terrorist/translator/soldier thing didn't work for me on any level. Strauss didn't have any business being there, either, and neither did Mateo. 

Maybe they realized that Dunkle shouldn't fly solo on these big episodes, after all. Now Janine and Breen are helping him with Angels. Which is how I wish 200 had been written. 

[Wilowy]

Here's one of my favorite shots of her on-set.

[mstaken]

JJ WAS good at her media liaison job, that's why most of us miss her doing it. She's also a good profiler. Some say that she's too good. I'd like to know when she passed that bar. What was it that made her too good? And exactly how much less good would you have her be?

I didn't claim she wasn't good at her job; they're all good at their jobs, as one would expect of an elite FBI unit. I was pointing out how ridiculous it is, to me, that they played up for years just how vitally important and demanding the role of media liaison was and how uniquely well-suited JJ was for it, only to then be all 'eh, whatever, some other team member can just do JJ's job IN ADDITION to their full-time position as a profiler.' 

It's impossible to quantify how much less perfect I'd like JJ to be. Honestly, I'd just like her to have something resembling a personality and a few relatable, distinct human traits rather than being a dully flawless, robotic, icily inaccessible Mary Sue. And, for me, the problem predates her becoming a super ninja profiler; she was always a blandly perfect cipher IMO. At the very least, they could have shown her as struggling a bit in her transition to profiler. That wouldn't have made her "less good" or weaker overall; just a relatable, slightly more interesting person. 

Rather than annoyingly repeat myself, though, I'm bowing out of this thread; life is too short to waste so many words defending why I don't like such a relentlessly bland fictional character! Have fun, guys :) 

[zannej]

In another thread someone mentioned whether or not AJ could do comedy. I don't know since I don't think I've ever seen her try. As JJ, I do think she's had a bit of funny moments where she showed humor and it worked. I think that given the right director and script she could pull it off.

I think that AJ is a warm person deep down but when she tries to be sassy as JJ she sometimes comes off as cold. 

New episode just came on so I'm going to watch.

[zannej]

I'm going to pitch in and say that I actually found JJ's attempt at mimicking Morgan to be hilarious. It was bad and it showed that she isn't good at everything. I loved how Morgan was all "I do not sound like that!" and I felt that she was being genuine and a bit dorky. I also liked the comment about liking her better as the media liaison and her balking at that. For some reason that interaction reminded me of the deleted scene of Morgan and Reid teasing each other in an episode. 

It just seemed like the sort of interaction real friends would have-- some give and take and some ribbing that was equal and not just one person being a total ass to the other.

I still feel like she does not reciprocate Will's feelings toward her but they have a child together and she doesn't want to be alone. Her saying to Morgan that he would end up alone in some ways showed to me her subconscious fear of being alone despite her initial reticence to commit in the first place. She didn't want to get hurt. She didn't want to lose someone, but she also didn't want to ultimately be alone. Will wanted to be with her whether she was into him or not and she probably settled with him so she would not be alone. I have friends who are in relationships like that because they would rather be with someone who treats them like crap than be alone.

I just remembered the scene where JJ and Garcia were cooped up in Garcia's office together with CIA babysitters and how JJ was amused by Garcia's obsession with prince William. Didn't she say something like "Goodbye you crazy person" afterward (JJ I mean). I can't remember for sure.

I wonder if we will ever see one of JJ's brothers. She mentioned having brothers before I think. I can't remember if she ever mentioned nephews or nieces-- maybe that was Garcia.. Anyone remember?

[missmycat]

I am positive JJ never mentioned having any brothers.Her one and only sibling was the sister who committed suicide.

Now as far as Garcia goes in one episode she had brothers,but yet in another episode she was an only child. Go figure.