Last season there was uproar amongst fans of the hit CBS crime show Criminal Minds when it was announced that both A.J. Cook (Jennifer 'J.J.' Jareau) and Paget Brewster (Emily Prentis) would be leaving the show, not by their choice but as a direct move from executive producers who were shaking the cast up.
Now to the big Criminal Minds news of the weekend which totally back tracks on the big cast shake up, as it has been officially announced that Paget Brewster will be returning next season as Emily Prentiss alongside her co-star A.J. Cook, whose return was announced a few weeks ago. This unfortunately (or fortunately as some fans will see it) leaves no room for Rachel Nichols in the show, who many fans didn't warm to as Agent Ashley Seaver who seemed to be a J.J. clone rather than a completely new character. There had been rumblings for some time that Brewster would be returning, particularly after her last episode which was left very open ended. It will be interesting to see how they bring her back in to the fold and how the team will react to the necessary deception that took place. This offers up a wealth of stories for next season and I'm sure fans are just happy to hear that both of their favourites will be returning next year.
This casting shake up story has been discussed by us here at TV Overmind as an example of when the decisions by those at the top of a TV show food chain backfire completely and cause major disharmony with the viewers of a show. The reason why this one seemed so odd was that Criminal Minds is a show that is still doing well in the ratings and that a cast shake up like this normally happens when the ratings are getting stale or if the actor/actress in question wants to leave. Neither of these factors was present so it seemed like a move to either shake it up before it went stale or to try and entice new viewers with new blood. This second option would only really work if the new actor/actress employed by the show was a big household name and whilst Rachel Nichols is certainly not a new face she is also not a big draw name.
Now the only contract negotiations that need to finish to make the team complete are with Thomas Gibson (Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner), who is still in on going talks with CBS and hasn't officially signed on for next season. He has taken to Twitter to try and reassure fans that "to everyone asking about my coming back to CM...hoping to be there, still working on it, and I sincerely appreciate all your support!!". This is not iron clad but you would hope that after all the cast issues of season 6 that Criminal Minds executives would not want to rock the boat any more with another fan favourite.
So Criminal Minds fans are you glad that both A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster are both officially signed on for season 7? Any one sad to see Rachel Nichols depart? Let us know in the comments below.
Gkad Aj is back. So happy Paget is BAck. Relieved that Seaver will leave. Her character always seemed so lost.
Yay, Paget.
This is the best news. The seaver character was Boring and didn't even make sense being there. A cadet yet to graduate is recruited into an elite FBI unit.
I just hope both actresses got HUGE pay rises for the crap way they were treated and then begged to return. I had stopped watching after Paget's last episode. I will now catch up and look forward to the next season.
good to have jj back, could live without emily
Totally agree, prentiss is my all time fav, i was going to stop watching when she left!
So glad that the girls are coming back. It hasn't been the same without them. And Seaver was just a complete mismatch. Couldn't stand her. The team was great the way it was. No need to change them so lets hope everyone comes back to us, including Hotch.
i agree 100% with you!!!! Emily is one of my alltime fav characters!!! i am soo happy that JJ and Preniss will be returning!! i think that putting seaver in there was a big mistake cause if they were gunna put her in they should have juts kept JJ in cause she is just a big clone of JJ and i really hope that they bring Hotch back!!!
Yay….happy news! Both characters add dimension to the show. We need Hotch, too! I for one will not miss Seaver. I never warmed to her character and it was a mistake to hire a look-a-like which invariably invited comparisons!
SO GLAD THE GIRLS R BACK!!!!!!!! I am thrilled they are back, new girl can go: absolutely brought nuthin' to the table! If they get Gideon to make a cameo, THAT would be the best!!
Great news!! i´m happy, the girls back!!
Don´t care for R. Nichols, IMO she is awful actress.And her seaver character was ridiculous.
I couldn't be happier. Getting rid of two strong females like AJ and Paget and introducing a character that was totally unsuitable for the BAU was an idiot move. I'm thrilled that both AJ and Paget are returning and look forward to hearing that Thomas will also be back. They should know better than to insult the fans with this kind of lunacy. Finally we have a reason to look forward to season 7!
I can not wait for season 7 looking forward seeing Cook and Paget back on the set, but also glad to see Nichols go
Glad both girls are back now I can watch CM again. Nothing personal to rachel they just didnt do a good job with her.
OMGG <3<3 Soo happpy pagets back and a.j (: i love thiis show again!
I was about to give up on the show whn they took JJ an Emily out. Sorry about the other blonde they brought in but she just didn't cut it with me!! So glad the other two ladies will be back.
Glad Prentiss and JJ are returning.
Double the good that both AJ and Paget are coming back!! I actually made sure to "like" Criminal Minds on facebook just so I could say I wouldn't watch the show without the two ladies. There are plenty of male-centric shows on tv, and I've seen at least 2 or 3 pilot episodes this early summer/late spring of totally male casted shows. As a female I do like shows with strong female characters who don't just drop at the mention of any type of violence. Thank goodness CBS and CM pulled their collective head out of their butt and righted the ship, and surprisingly fast.
And no offense to the new lady but I found her to be a JJ clone in looks, and took offense that the show seemed to be trying to appease fans with a look alike. It doesn't break my heart to see her go. May she find success somewhere else.
OMG!!! I hadn't heard this!!! This was once my fav show til they removed JJ and Emily. I still HATE Giddeon never returned!! I'm definately looking forward to season 7!!!!!
glad JJ will be back
Never understood the shake up with JJ leaving. The story writers did a VERY poor job with her exit, and I think an even poorer job with her two reappearances on the show during the season. I rather enjoyed the story line with Prentiss "leaving" the show supposively. Although some of the story of her past wasn't really cohesive with what they had let us know previously about her past. Whatever though. I like the story of Doyle and Emily, and am real excited to see how they continue or conclude it this season to get Emily back into the BAU fold. As far as the Ashley Seaver character goes. They actually had started a real interesting plot line on her. A daughter of a still living serial killer incarcerated for life, and she decides to join the FBI Behavioural Science Unit to catch men like her father. Would have like to have seen the story writers expand on that. A potential scene with Seaver visiting her father? How about a copy cat serial killer on the loose using her father's ruse and she has to try and catch him? Families of her father's victims finding out she is in the BAU and creating an uproar? Just from the little bit of the character they had formed their was good potential story lines. Yet they just told us that much about Seaver and then just let it go. Kind of disappointing. Oh wel…guess she is gone now…
OMG, OMG, OMG SO EXCITED TO HEAR THAT PAGET AND JJ ARE COMING, EMILY WAS MY FAV CHARACTER I WAS SO UPSET WHEN LEFT NOW SHE IS COMING BACK WOOO HOOO SO HAPPY LOVE CM LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO VERY HAPPY TO HAVE AJ AND PADGET back!!!! THE SHOW WAS NOT THE SAME WITHOUT THEM.THE CAST IS WHAT DREW ME TO THE SHOW IN THE FIRST PLACE.I DO HOPE NO ONE ELSE LEAVES OR IS REPLACED!!! RACHEL WILL NOT BE MISSED.THIS WILL AGAIN BECOME MY FAVORITE SHOW.MY INTEREST IN THE SHOW BECAME MUCH LESS WHEN AJ AND PADGET LEFT!
It is without a doubt, the best decision they could have made. Hopefully, the ones making the decisions in the future will keep the viewers in mind. Everyone in my family has watched this show since the beginning. However, after J.J. and Emily left we had all stopped watching. It was the only show that we watched regularly and religiously. So it was more frustrating than I can say when they "messed it up!!" They should also make sure that Aaron returns!! As for the new girl, I never thought her character fit. She was not a strong and seasoned enough actress to blend with the others.
I am thrilled that both A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster are back on the show. They were both dynamic woman. Not sad that Rachel Nichols woman is off. Wasn't thrilled about her.
love both of the ladies,so happy the are back especially paget Brewster.love her.they are so nuts to get rid of here.what they were thinking.so excited comes september with the new episodes
REALLY HAPPY TO SEE EMILY RETURN – ALMOST STOPPED WATCHING WHEN THEY LET JJ GO AND HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO GIVE IT UP IF EMILY HAD NOT RETURNED. WHY MESS UP A GOOD THING? IF HOTCHNER LEAVES THE SHOW WILL LACK A GREAT CHARACTER – DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN EITHER
grad for this love it. RACHAEL NICHOLS is the worst characters in CM'S on earth. '' JJ '' & '' BREWSTER '' ARE HART TO THE SHOW BUT '' JJ '' KEEPS THE BOYS GROUND IT.
Sooooooooooooo freaking glad JJ & Prentiss are coming back! <3
Excellent. I now can watch my favorite show again. I and some friends stopped watching when the ladies
…were "kicked out the door." Nice to see someone at the top was smart enough to see the error of their decision. Welcome back ladies. Welcome home.
This is one of the best cast of a show that I have ever watched. To send Prentiss and JJ packing was nothing short of dumb. As far as Seaver goes, it's sad that she came in at such a bad time, and it really wasn't her fault. She never stood a chance. She had to fill the shoes of two very huge favorites. All I can say is that I'm glad that the show came to their senses before they caused any real damage to their show, with their fans. They were about ready to lose me.. As it seems, they were about ready to lose period. You guys gambles, and almost lost. Don't do it again.
JJ and Emily really have always made the show worth watching for me. I loved the show with them in it. I chose not to watch Season 6 at all because of the shake-up which seemed unnecessary to me. Good to see them reunited this season. I did not like the Ashley character at all.
I'm back to watching Criminal Minds now that JJ and Prentiss are back. As for Season 6, stopped watching it after the first episode. Wasn't the same after the "shake-up", and the new character sucked big time. Basically, Season 6 doesn't exist for me.
So glad they're back – thanks to fan power!
love every member of the cast – rare these days on TV
Happy that Emily and JJ are back………wasn't the same without them. Also, what's happening to Thomas Gibson regarding his weight loss? Hope he is not ill, if not, ask him to gain a few pounds back. Enjoyed him since, Darma and Gregg.