Jennifer Jareau: Pennsylvania Petite

[Cobalt Stargazer]

THat was cute. There is one moment though that i cringe. When Morgan says he is smiling, immediately Emily and Garcia say in unison "gas!". Fine, maybe it is gas, but the scene, as write, is sexist. It made the WOMEN say that , as if every woman just *knows* things about children. 

 

To be fair (I say that a lot, don't I?) JJ tells Hotch, who's standing on the sidelines watching Morgan hold the baby, "You're smiling." He doesn't look at her, but he says in a quiet voice, "It's gas."

[alexvillage]

I think he just says "yes"

Not sure now

[missmycat]

I loved that scene where JJ brought her baby to the BAU. I found it hysterically funny that JJ was as calm as could be and just handed her baby over to Morgan when he asked if he could hold it, but then you had Emily and Garcia who both seemed to be in near panic mode over it. 

Edited October 24, 2014 by missmycat

[normasm]

No, she says, "You're smiling," and he, smiling says, "Gas." I always loved that.

 

Plus, Costar, I love that you're always trying to be fair...

[idiotwaltz]

Does that mean that the fact that Henry is played by AJ's real son made it doubly ruinous? :-P

 

Actually, I think Mehkai is absolutely adorable. He just can't really act (since he's not a trained actor and what, 5 years old?) so I prefer if we didn't have to see him often. And if he didn't actually have to say any lines. I feel the same way about the kid who plays Jack. Adorable, but needs to work on line delivery. When the show has good child actors, they are really good, but I can understand why they kept Mehkai and Cade Owens for their roles and it's fine with me. Just don't give them a lot to do. That children are better to be seen and not heard applies here. But I digress. 

 

Be nice to the babies---they're the ones who will be picking out your nursing homes!

 

Honestly, it's all cycle-of-life stuff, and I like that some of our team have growing family at home. 

 

Oh, I love babies, I just don't want to see them on TV. I don't mind that our team have their own families but keep them out of the storylines. Hotch has admitted that ever since he had Jack, he dreads every time there's a case that involves children but we don't have entire episodes devoted to his working father angst, do we? JJ had Amplification, the one where Henry has a fever and Will gets all cross because she isn't around, and the nanny one where JJ is all, "I've left my son home with the nanny while I am catching a guy who kills nannies!" 

 

I suppose it's still a step up from Ninja!JJ Hunts Bin Laden. 

Edited October 25, 2014 by idiotwaltz

[zannej]

I can be honest and say that I do not like babies. I don't like to see them. I don't like to hear them. I don't like to smell them. I try to avoid them if possible. I really hate seeing them on TV. I never thought Mekhai was a bad actor, but I absolutely think Cade Owens is terrible and I don't think he's even cute-- but that is a topic for another thread.

 

I actually liked the way they wrote things around JJ's pregnancy and how the different team members reacted. I liked the part where they talked about how JJ got the "last viable donor" (for sperm) and Hotch walks up while looking at some files and says "Donor for what?" and they say nothing. It makes you wonder if he overheard and was messing with them-- because you can never tell with Hotch.

 

I actually thought there was some good potential for bonding between Hotch and JJ about what its like taking care of a baby. I wish we had seen Hotch giving some advice or the two of them discussing something about how to deal with the kids when they do certain things and both wondering what to do when neither of them no. I could see them commiserating about getting a toy and the kid just wants the box.

 

As for AJ in interviews, she always seemed ok to me. She seems very sweet to the fans and seems to have a very nice sweet personality. I'm sure Willowy would probably have the link, but there's a clip of JJ at some Canadian fan thing where a fan wanted to give AJ a letter and AJ was just very sweet and almost moved to tears by how sweet the fan was.

 

I actually liked the original JJ. Sure she didn't have a lot of screentime and didn't get to do a lot, but she did have an important role and there were times when her insights were valuable and when she was able to manipulate the media to help the case.

 

I do agree that the way JJ and Kate interrogated the woman with the itching problem seemed awful though. I'll comment more in the appropriate thread on that.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Guys, this is but one in a string of incidents of JJ getting the idea to go provoke a mentally ill or possibly disturbed suspect or witness. I think of her baiting Danny Bidwell, and tag-teaming him with Blake (I think it was Blake). With help from Rossi, they pushed that guy to suicide.

 

Yes, it was Alex and JJ who were interrogating Donny Bidwell because they thought he was either the Replicator or connected to the Replicator. But in Blake's defense, (big surprise coming from me, right?) JJ was the one smugging all over the poor bastard, and technically none of them had anything to do with him overdosing on that medication since it was only after he made that phone call that he swallowed the entire bottle of pills.

[normasm]

Thanks for refreshing my memory, CoStar, I also don't think Blake was trying to be an asshole, or at least not enjoying having to be one. Oh, how I miss her.

 

But I beg to differ that all of them, JJ, Blake, Rossi, and whoever else was aware Bidwell was in there with his medication, are responsible for his overdose. That's why I called BS the first time it was broadcast: Rossi, old dog that he is, would never have been that sloppy.

[zannej]

I have to agree. There is no way in hell that they would have left the bottle with him. They would have gotten a medical professional to first confirm his prescription and the amount he was supposed to take and then have someone give him the pills (actually, they might not have been able to give him the pills from his own bottle because they could have been replaced with something else or contaminated and they would not want to be responsible for something going wrong). I'm pretty sure the Replicator told him to kill himself and that it wasn't JJ's doing. I really don't even remember JJ interacting with the guy-- other than the pill thing, I remember jack squat about that episode.

[normasm]

I know the suicide wasn't JJ's or Rossi's doing, but their sloppiness led to someone being able to kill themselves. Culpability.

[Knittzu]

You're 100 percent right, normasm. I can tell you for certain that there is no way, no how that he would have been left alone with a bottle of prescription medication. His dose would have been verified by a medical professional and then it would have have been administered to him. If that mess has transpired in real life, the department would have been sued by his family for millions. 

 

And JJ/Rossi would be unemployed. 

[missmycat]

You're 100 percent right, normasm. I can tell you for certain that there is no way, no how that he would have been left alone with a bottle of prescription medication. His dose would have been verified by a medical professional and then it would have have been administered to him. If that mess has transpired in real life, the department would have been sued by his family for millions. 

 

And JJ/Rossi would be unemployed. 

It was a ridiculous scenario cooked up in order to give the episode some drama and it made some of the members of the BAU look totally incompetent. I don't know what of if they are paying Jim Clemente to be a consultant but whatever it is imo they are over paying him.

[zannej]

I admit that I couldn't bring myself to blame the characters because it was clearly just such bad writing that I blame the writers instead. There are times when a character does something so stupid or out-of-character that I convince myself it isn't canon because of the stupid. LOL.

Jim thinks that JJ and 200 were wonderful and insulted people on Twitter that disagreed.

 

That said, I think maybe he is too close to it to be objective. I'm still really hoping that they will have JJ do some sort of media liaison type thing. It seems right now like they deliberately avoid it as if its beneath her.

[missmycat]

Okay I just found out the name of 10x11,The Mary Sue's PTSD episode. It's called "The Forever People".

[zannej]

I have to say that in the last episode, Thomas managed to get a good performance out of AJ. She didn't come across as snooty. She actually seemed to have some of her old compassion and she wasn't being super Mary Sue. I don't know how much of it was the writing vs the directing though.

[SSAHotchner]

THat was cute. There is one moment though that i cringe. When Morgan says he is smiling, immediately Emily and Garcia say in unison "gas!". Fine, maybe it is gas, but the scene, as write, is sexist. It made the WOMEN say that , as if every woman just *knows* things about children. 

I think that most women do know about these things. And it's because they hear other moms saying them long before they have children of their own. Also, more than Garcia and Prentiss trying to show their knowledge about babies, which I really think for both of them was limited, I think this remark was made specifically to put down Morgan.

[SSAHotchner]

Don't even get me started on Jim Clemente's shortcomings as a consultant/advisor!!!!

 

But back to the AJ real life pregnancy, I thought the best thing about it was in MGG's unauthorized documentaries when he says to Paget, "Did you notice AJ's pregnant? Is that something you might be interested in? Getting pregnant?"  Hahahaha! Loved it.

[zannej]

Ha! I liked the bit where he pulls aside a crew member "Is it just me, or is AJ getting fat?" and the guy said "pretty sure she's knocked up" and then he pretends to think he's the father.

 

It's kind of funny because her sarcastic response to Matthew when pretending to dislike him is pretty much how she came across as JJ from season 7 onward. There was this disdain that never seemed to go away. Although it seemed to be gone in "Boxed In".

[Cobalt Stargazer]

 

 

 

I thought the best thing about it was in MGG's unauthorized documentaries when he says to Paget, "Did you notice AJ's pregnant? Is that something you might be interested in? Getting pregnant?"  Hahahaha! Loved it.

 

Maybe that's why Paget looks like that. ;-)

[zannej]

And maybe that's why she hit him in the nuts with her purse. :P JK.

 

On a side note, I did like AJ in MGG's docs. The bit where she talked about how he made her audition and then found out he didn't make anyone else audition was hilarious.

Edited October 30, 2014 by zannej

[Cobalt Stargazer]

 I'd rather have JJ...but that is just me and my affinity for a strong female.  I like strong females on my television and think TV has far too little so I was disappointed when Emily left even with her unfortunate SuperEmily turn. 

 

At the risk of saying something that's already been said, Accused Dingo, I'm wondering, without snark, what you thought of JJ's behavior in The Itch. You're a fan of hers, and I admire your tenacity when I've almost given up on not hating her, so I don't debate your right to like her and not Reid or anyone else on the show. But since you brought up the 'strong woman' thing, I'm sincerely curious what you thought of her demeanor. I'd love to have a different perspective on it, to think that she wasn't basically getting her jollies from baiting that poor woman with Kate smugly backing her up, so this is a non-snarky inquiry.

[Guest Accused Dingo]

Cobalt Stargazer to be honest I've been bored this season and  I am not sure what you are referring to. That being said...all the characters going back to Gideon have been rude to people when they are annoyed themselves.  Is it unprofessional?  Yes.   Is it human?   yes.      Also bating someone is pretty good strategy for getting information....all the characters have done the same thing...again going back to Gideon and Hotch.  Hell I think Reid has even done it.   My point is, even with not knowing exactly what moment you are referring to....we tend to go "Hell Yeah" with characters we love.... and "STFU" with characters we don't when they have these moments.    I do it too.  

[Knittzu]

So, new JJ topic for discussion....

Is JJ really “better” this season?

 

I keep reading here and other places that JJ has been “toned down” and is “much better” this season, but frankly, I don’t see it. She’s still in nearly every scene, everywhere, doing everything. We continue to have episodes where cast members vanish without explanation — usually just Reid, but most recently half the freaking team — but somehow JJ is NEVER among them. Oh no. She’s present from beginning to end, no exceptions.

 

I agree that so far in S10 she’s no longer doing things that are absolutely laughable — taking down unsubs with roundhouse kicks, killing bad guys single-handedly after enduring days of torture, being personally selected to take out Bin Laden… but in a perverse way, I almost enjoyed that nonsense. It was SO laughable, SO ridiculous that I couldn’t even begin to take it seriously. Now that she’s no longer doing superhero stuff, she’s just… the clear lead of the show. She gets the most lines, the most scenes, and is apparently the only indispensable character on the team.

 

That’s not fun for me — it's just depressing.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Knittzu

[Old Dog]

I think they seem to be making a clear effort to show her softer side this season - and that must be a direct result to all the backlash and possibly as a lead in to her anniversary PTSD story (don't get me started on why she gets another landmark episode to ruin!). But for sure she is in every scene and every takedown. Maybe there is a long game to this and they are setting up for beyond Season 10 with female leads to the show in her and JLH. The social media sites are rampant with the feminist kiddies who complain about mysogyny in the show with too many female victims and male unsubs despite the fact that this is what happens in the real world. I can see Messer rubbing her hands and taking the show into female dominated territory. Bottom line is that yes she isn't so much of the superhero this year so far but she is queen of the show as far as screentime. As far as I'm concerned, if she has PTSD maybe she needs a year or two somewhere to recuperate!

[normasm]

Hey, old dog, please don't call the "kiddies" feminist because they cry misogyny. CM has had its feminist days when they had Elle and Emily being tough and taking charge without fanfare and without saying "look how tough I am." Just because these writers can't write JJ as a natural strong character who happens to be a woman, don't blame the kiddies for wanting her to be like Elle and Emily. JMO.

 

The show has dealt with Elle's PTSD in a realistic but ultimately tragic way because the actress wanted to leave the show. The show has dealt with Emily's PTSD in a clunky way because they boxed themselves into a corner having to get her back on the show. The show dealt with Garcia's PTSD with such ineptitude that it probably looks like farce or comedy to anyone just tuning in. JJ's PTSD will probably be like this X 10.

 

Here's a feminist question for you: Except for a little trouble they showed Hotch having post wife-slaughter and a little trouble while Reid was presumably using, none of the male characters have been shown to have PTSD at all. After everything Reid has been through, do you mean to tell me he doesn't still have triggers from time to time? In 8 years, it's only been mentioned once, in Elephant's Memory. I guess the show runners think only women have trouble dealing with dissociation, flashbacks and depression (although I do realize PTSD can be mild or crippling, I'm just pointing out the dichotomy).

[Old Dog]

The kiddies call themselves feminist! But I take your point and agree totally. CM always showed women like Elle and Emily as strong characters but only Elle had a well done PTSD meltdown. We did see occasional flashes for Reid - weren't there some flashbacks for him in Conflicted? Hotch's fallout manifested in the atrocious Route 66. Morgan's abuse as a child pops up from time to time and I always attribute his "angry man" persona to that, But JJ's PTSD will just be a big overly dramatic pander to the fans who have been agitating for it.

[Knittzu]

CM has had its feminist days when they had Elle and Emily being tough and taking charge without fanfare and without saying "look how tough I am."

 

 

Man, I miss them. They were convincing in their toughness -- whereas JJ comes across to me as Tough Girl Barbie, complete with Roundkicking Action Moves.

 

I wonder when they decided to make this pandering "poor JJ has PTSD" episode? It sure doesn't fit with anything they showed last season (drinks with her buddies at the bar! Yup, JJ doesn't even need an overnight stay at the hospital after days of torture!) or that annoying scene where she and Morgan were bragging about their scars. I remember watching her closely during the episode last season where a victim was water-boarded, and there was no reaction from her at all. Not even a flicker in those empty eyes.

 

Maybe there is a long game to this and they are setting up for beyond Season 10 with female leads to the show in her and JLH.

 

 

From what I've read, the network has made it clear that without TG, they don't have a show. So my theory is that EM has managed to backdoor her favorite in as the defacto lead. AJ Cook doesn't have top billing, but she's clearly getting more screen time than Hotch... more than anyone since Gideon, really. You almost have to admire that someone with so little talent for showrunning or writing has achieved so much of her agenda. Re-watching the early episodes makes her achievements even starker -- this show doesn't even resemble what it began as.

[Old Dog]

It was quite a while ago now that the network said that there would be no show without TG and JM. Since then there is a whole new generation of viewers and the younger set like the change to the action cops with guns format with ActionBarbie and love the cartoonish Garcia so the network may well rethink that view. I think Messer may indeed have been clever in manipulating the show towards this new audience and building up her favourites. It may result in the show being renewed but to me, it is absolute dumbing down and is such a shame.

I'll throw another thought into the mix - I think Messer really doesn't like the character of Reid but he is still on the show because of his vast army of fangirls . How it will affect things when he leaves the show remains to be seen.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Old Dog

[Knittzu]

Once MGG leaves, I'm out. I don't really enjoy this show anymore and spent more of seasons 6-9 thinking, "ANY TIME now they will start focusing on Reid, Hotch, and Rossi again... right? Right? Right?" *sigh* The only things I'm enjoying right now are 1) talking to you guys here and 2) the tiny bits we get with Reid.

 

Since then there is a whole new generation of viewers and the younger set like the change to the action cops with guns format with ActionBarbie and love the cartoonish Garcia so the network may well rethink that view.

 

 

I have no idea what factors into the renewal process or what the numbers would have to be in order for that to happen, but new fans on Tumblr or not, the show's ratings have been in steady decline since S6: 14.11, to 13.20, to 12.15, to 10.88. It seems like a LOT of people bailed on the "season of JJ," so I'm surprised EM has been allowed to keep doing what she's been doing. 

[alexvillage]

I just can't get over the fact that this show actually said that JJ was chosen to take down bin Laden. I didn't see that, I fast forward through the episode, but even knowing how ridiculous the writers can be, I can only shake my head, while rolling my eyes and laughing, all at the same time. NOTHING in the history of shows - that I have seen -  has anything so absurd come up.

[Knittzu]

I can only shake my head, while rolling my eyes and laughing, all at the same time. NOTHING in the history of shows - that I have seen -  has anything so absurd come up.

 

 

I know, right? And I've watched a lot of ridiculous nonsense over the years! Vampire shows, time travel, space creatures, you name it. I sat through Sam and Dean outsmarting Lucifer himself and whatever the heck the X-Files was doing in their last few seasons. Absolutely nothing has been as absolutely absurd as the US government deciding the person most qualified to track down Bin Laden ... was the BAU's media liaison. 

[zannej]

I wouldn't say that JJ is a LOT better this season, but she's not as snooty all the time and she (at least in the last episode) is showing more signs of being like she was in earlier seasons.

 

I don't know if the writers really have a choice when it comes to her screentime, since I believe they are told they HAVE to use her more. I don't know if it was a contract negotiation thing, or if CBS is playing politics and doesn't want to be accused of sexism by giving her less screentime, or if its because she's Messer's favorite, or what the deal is, but she is far more prominent than the rest of the team. I think in some ways its not so much her getting screentime as it is the LACK of screentime, focus, and contribution that the rest of the characters get in comparison.

 

There's feminism and then there is radical femism/feminazi crap where they think women are better than men and should have more rights than men and that men are always wrong. After being called "sexist" it seems that they bent over too far trying to prove they weren't by going in the opposite direction and making JJ better, tougher, stronger, smarter, etc than the male characters.

 

AJ has a kid so I know it can't be that she just has more free time than the rest of the cast. I know Matthew gets modeling gigs and such and does side projects, but this is the job he's contracted for and if they wanted to give him more to do, he would have to work the other stuff around his CM schedule and not work his CM schedule around the show. Someone on another forum suggested that the screentime is divided by actor availability, but I disagree. I've been told by people who worked in the business that it doesn't work that way. If the script calls for the actors on a certain day/time then they need to make themselves available (unless they previously have something scheduled in their contract or through some negotiation to not be available on certain specific dates). I doubt that the show would put up with an actor demanding so much free time that they could barely be in an episode when they are getting paid over $100k per episode. So, I think it is on the writer's end (and then passed along by whoever is telling the writers what can and can't fly).

[normasm]

I would add to your treatise, Zannej, that feminism does not mean favoritism for females, just equal access. Radical feminism, to me at least, is not feminism, it's anti-male, or anti-human, not equality-based. JMO.

[JMO]

Not sure I believe this even as I'm writing it, but----do you think maybe the writers fall back to including  JJ in so many scenes simply because she is such a blank slate?  They can put her into virtually any situation, and have her behave however they need her to, because her character has been so incompletely drawn for the entire length of the series.

 

On the other hand, Reid's personality, and his fairly rich back story, may make him seem something of a 'niche character' to them.  I'm not saying they shouldn't have found a way to work with that (certainly, most of us have), but if the writers are interested in taking the easy way out, well, the easy way out is to ignore him. 

 

 

 

If the script calls for the actors on a certain day/time then they need to make themselves available (unless they previously have something scheduled in their contract or through some negotiation to not be available on certain specific dates). I doubt that the show would put up with an actor demanding so much free time that they could barely be in an episode when they are getting paid over $100k per episode. So, I think it is on the writer's end (and then passed along by whoever is telling the writers what can and can't fly).

 

 

I've often thought that this must be the ideal job for MGG, especially when his character disappears during much of the episode.  I'm sure there are days he has to wait hours to perform in only one or two scenes, but there are probably many days he doesn't have to go in at all.  Which allows him to work on all of the side projects he so enjoys, while CM foots the bill for his time. 

[Knittzu]

Not sure I believe this even as I'm writing it, but----do you think maybe the writers fall back to including  JJ in so many scenes simply because she is such a blank slate?  They can put her into virtually any situation, and have her behave however they need her to, because her character has been so incompletely drawn for the entire length of the series.

 

 

That's a really excellent point, and one I hadn't considered.

 

It also fits in nicely with my "laziest writers ever" theory. Maybe there really is no pro-JJ conspiracy or shady behind-the-scenes dealings or anything dramatic at all.

 

If that's the case, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed; I was enjoying all the hints of real-life high drama on the CM creative/production team. But if I pull out my handy Occam's Razor... yeah, laziness does seem to be the most likely explanation. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Not sure I believe this even as I'm writing it, but----do you think maybe the writers fall back to including  JJ in so many scenes simply because she is such a blank slate?  They can put her into virtually any situation, and have her behave however they need her to, because her character has been so incompletely drawn for the entire length of the series.

 

On the other hand, Reid's personality, and his fairly rich back story, may make him seem something of a 'niche character' to them.  I'm not saying they shouldn't have found a way to work with that (certainly, most of us have), but if the writers are interested in taking the easy way out, well, the easy way out is to ignore him. 

 

It's an interesting suggestion, JustMyOpinion, and probably the likeliest one. But OTOH, most of the characters are fairly shallowly drawn, not just JJ. Hell, Reid's the exception precisely because of his personality and back story, and the writers didn't use to ignore him.

 

With that said, if it is a case of the writing staff being s bunch of lazy asses, then that just makes my case for them to be replaced even stronger. It doesn't have to be a conspiracy, although the idea is sort of perversely entertaining to me because it's Hollywood and, well, because it's Hollywood. It would be less glaring if it didn't seem to be only JJ who's benefiting from what is probably just laziness. That's what makes it seem like a plot, IMO, not that it being a plot is the true story.

[zannej]

I'm still going with the theory that, for whatever reason, the writers are being told to include JJ more. I wonder if they have a quota or something. Now, it could be CBS somewhat getting back at AJ by making her work longer hours, or it could be that they are trying to prove they aren't sexist, or maybe it was somehow in her contract so her character wouldn't be shoved in to a corner, or maybe Erica still feels like they need to make it up to AJ, or maybe its just that the head showrunners are women and they relate more to JJ than to the rest (since they just now introduced Kate and don't "know" her well yet). I sort of think that if they could really have their way, this would be a superspy filled thing with JJ as the female lead and everyone else being her sidekick.

 

I remember on the show The Profiler, that the lead actress actually complained when other supporting characters were given stuff and that she wanted the others dumbed down so that her character could be portrayed as the smartest. Robert Davi said that if she hadn't been a woman, he would have punched her. He read the stuff from internet fans and complained to the writers about how the supporting characters would not be so dumb. I was glad when they ditched the bimbo and replaced her with a better actress. 

 

That said, I don't think that AJ herself lobbied to have so much JJ focus-- at least I hope that is not the case-- but that she didn't want to be wallflowered and the writers are being forced to overcompensate.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Vibeology, it's interesting your take on JJ from way back. You see her as detached and doing her job. Although I came late to the show, as I back-watched, I thought of her as a very self-protective person. Someone who wouldn't let anyone too close. That was borne out when Will showed up as a retro-fitted love interest. She wouldn't have acknowledged him as a lover if he hadn't kinda swamped her. As long as she was in control, it was OK, but when Will started demanding to be seen or else, yeah, not comfortable.

Anyway, at the risk of needing to move this over to the JJ thread, I agree the character has dissipated in her ability to interest me because she seems completely self- centered, except when it comes to her kid.

 

I had to look up retro-fitted because I couldn't remember what it meant, normasm, and in between snorts of laughter I think it so fits Will and JJ. If AJ hadn't gotten pregnant and the pregnancy hadn't then been written into the story, JJ might not ever have married Will. When I'm feeling generous, I think that she was relieved when the relationship was made public, and the others already knew anyway, so it was her worst kept secret that she was involved with him. But I also think that if he hadn't been nearly blown up in ...Run, she would have continued to turn down his proposals. Acknowledging that there's a relationship at all is one thing; making things formal with a wedding is another, even when there's a kid involved. That's part of what makes her seem (to me, at least) so self-absorbed, that unless it's about Henry she can barely be arsed to look like she cares, much less talk as if she does.

[alexvillage]

I watched a couple of older episodes and the difference in JJ is staggering! I mean the character, going from a compassionate and helpful agent who could talk to people without mocking them to the total opposite, smug and arrogant. I know she always rolled her eyes at people and things, but maybe because it wasn't the JJ show yet, it was not so blatant. 

I also noticed that, even though I always bought that the actress had only two expressions, Mary Sue crying and bored, right now she has only one and I can finally name it: bitchface 

[Guest Accused Dingo]

I watched a couple of older episodes and the difference in JJ is staggering! I mean the character, going from a compassionate and helpful agent who could talk to people without mocking them to the total opposite, smug and arrogant. I know she always rolled her eyes at people and things, but maybe because it wasn't the JJ show yet, it was not so blatant. 

I also noticed that, even though I always bought that the actress had only two expressions, Mary Sue crying and bored, right now she has only one and I can finally name it: bitchface 

 

 

AJ Cook was one of the reasons I started to watch the show in the first place.  I thought she was brilliant in the underrated Higher Ground.  AJ Cook was the best reason to watch the show and the show was amazing and should have gone on for seasons but hey difficult to watch topics (In her case childhood abuse and its ramifications of a teenage psyche) don't always register with the American public. So I disagree that AJ Cook cannot act; I think she is an amazing actress.

 

I do however kinda agree about JJ's character arc....but then I think that the only character who has gotten a good story arc is Hotch.  The problem is that AJ was written off the show by the higher ups against her will and against the writers and show runner's will and written back on after the her characters job was basically made obsolete.  The writers need to not only give a legitimate reason for bringing her back but say where she had been.   A lateral move wouldn't really work without some major writing footwork and back tracking.  What would (at least in theory) work would be JJ taking those classes Hotch brought up in North Hammon and becoming a profiler herself.    Did it work?  Personally I think it did...but I know I am in the minority when it comes to this and I am ok with that.

 

Do I think the writing of JJ has been a little....weird?  Yes.  But then I think the writing of all the characters has been a little weird lately.  

Edited November 10, 2014 by Accused Dingo

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Do I think the writing of JJ has been a little....weird?  Yes.  But then I think the writing of all the characters has been a little weird lately.  

 

As much as I agree with the assessment that the writing is often weird (weird, scattershot, inconsistent, pick your descriptor) it seems particularly so in JJ's case. They never explained why she decided to take the classes and become a profiler, particularly when she seemed so adamant when Hotch asked her if she ever wanted to do that. Aaron told her he thought that everyone wanted to be a profiler, and she said that she didn't. Grated, people change their minds about their career path all the time, but they generally have some kind of reason for doing so. And it isn't just that she became a profiler, it's that she became the profiler, without whom the team probably wouldn't be able to solve a single case.

 

Further, and this is an old topic, but Proof was on ION tonight, or if you prefer The One Where I Want To Slap JJ Until She Explodes. That she has the nerve to act like Reid is being mean to her because he's upset, and then to try to turn it into him being mad that his profiling skills failed? Shut up, Jennifer. That's what makes her seem so unpleasant to me, that this guy had a potentially life-threatening drug habit that he could have gone back to out of grief, and all she can say is, "You didn't..." when he asks her point blank if she would have let him while knowing the truth. I expect better out of the bestest, warmest, most empathetic mom in the history of ever.

[zannej]

I still liked the bit in Riding the Lightning when JJ introduced herself and said "My friends call me JJ. You can call me Jennifer". She was calm and cool even around that super creepy guy, yet I felt there was still just the right amount of tension. She had a type of subtle strength that tends to be underrated on TV now. I wouldn't have minded more if they actually showed Morgan teaching her some moves-- showed him doing the moves and her copying them. Or showed a DVD in her home about kickboxing or Brazilian jujitsu. If she is still actively taking some sort of martial arts class, I wouldn't mind either. Maybe she could mention that Henry was taking some sort of martial arts class as well. 

 

If they want to have her bond with Kate, maybe they can both go to the FBI gym together and talk about leg day or whatever day it is they focus on.

 

I suddenly remembered an episode of Star Trek: TNG where Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi were both doing some sort of aerobics exercise that involved holding on to each other's hands and doing sort of situps. It was a good teamwork thing. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoBoMvY0U10

 

But I think JJ would have to get to know Kate better first. The only woman on the team I ever felt JJ actually bonded with was Prentiss. She doesn't have very many meaningful scenes with Garcia, although they do get along pretty well.

 

Of course, maybe they could have Garcia at the gym with JJ.

 

Don't mind me.. Just randomly throwing out thoughts.

Edited November 11, 2014 by zannej

[zannej]

ForeverAlone posted this on another forum but I figured I'd bring it over here. Thanks, FA!

 

I'm just not going to comment on it, other than to say the one with Brad "the real FBI agent" was hilarious.

http://www.cbs.com/shows/criminal_minds/insider_blog/1003453/

[Cobalt Stargazer]

.............

 

Erica wrote that, didn't she?

 

No, I'm not kidding.

[ForeverAlone]

It was rather interesting that was posted on CBS's official website, considering they thought her character was so UNIMPORTANT they fired AJ before season six. Obviously they had a change of heart in more ways than one. 

[zannej]

I don't remember the one about her leading some counseling group for new moms.. When was that? And when the hell does she get enough spare time to do that? LOL.

[Old Dog]

Is that for real? Sickening.

[spinner33]

Sounds like they're trying to convince us why we should all like her?  Probably because there's so much hate out there for JJ right now.  JJ is actually driving fans away from the show because of how she's in every scene, doing everyone's job, and acting like she runs the team.  

 

I agree -- it sounds like it was written by Erica Messer herself, and considering it is posted on an official site, I wouldn't be at all surprised. 

[normasm]

That's really pathetic

[Knittzu]

How embarrassing for them, that they have to write actual propaganda to support their awful lead.