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Criminal Minds Season 6 Episode 2

JJ

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AIRED: Sep 29, 2010

8.6

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Episode Summary

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The BAU prepares to lose a member of the team. SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau attempts to reunite a family in Maryland whose daughter has disappeared mysteriously as she contemplates a job offer she cannot ignore.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

I must admt; I did shed a tear.:(

10

By amazing_race, Dec 09, 2011

This was teh culmination of five years of great performances on this great show for A.J. Cook, aka Jennifer Jareau. It was not the greatest of cases, overall, but seeing JJ caring for the family was realy sweet, particularly with the fact that eher time at the BAU was running out.

The case in itself had some strong points. It was cetainly very different from past episodes, as there weren't multiple victims to consider, but that was also a positive characteristic about this episode.

I did shed a tear when JJ entered that elevator and left the BAU for good. It was so sad, as she was certainly one of my facvorite team members, if not my overall favorite.

All the best to A.J. Cook in the future, and hopefully we will see her on or screens very soon, in another awesome role!

Can't wait for next week, but it will be without "JJ". :(moreless
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Bring JJ back! Now! Touching episode that filled me with tears. Fairytale ending for the victim, but we need one of these once in a while

10

By auyongjin, Dec 09, 2011

Give this show an nomination for best acting. I havent seen good acting like these in years. Instead of giving it to Two and a half Men and all of its sex crimes and horniness, why not give it to this show?

Very touching episode, crime committed was not that important (ultimately, no one died, and it was a bit far fetched).

JJ was stellar in her final acting scene, very mature, considering that she was about to leave the show. Touching final scene with Garcia, when Garcia was in denial about JJ leaving the episode. I loved the part when she said she could have put a virus into her file. I loved the part about Garcia saying that they might not get to meet when schedules crop up and they lose contact with each other. But the part that I loved the most was JJ hugging Garcia and telling her that everything was going to be ok. The motherly love that we would be missing from this show.

A fairytale ending in the end for the victim, but hey, we need these once in a while.moreless
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Why they did this to us?

1.0

By IgnatzNiemand, Dec 09, 2011

I don't want to say this was the worst episode ever of Criminal Minds because I remember the one that introduced the cast of a spin-off and that was worse.

Anyway, the case was lame, boring and almost obvious (either one of the guys did it, duh, and surely it won't be the obvious one) and that the girl was still alive and able to call for help after three days in the middle of the sea was unbelievable (to say the least).

But was pissed me most was the slow sugarcoated never-ending boring please-stop-or-I'll-blow-my-brains last fifteen minutes of JJ's departure. Go away, girl! We don't care if you are in the team or not! We want smart plots, brain and muscle action, psycho killers, not fifteen minutes of "We are gonna miss you, we are so sad" over a unbearable bland music background.

I hope next episode gets better. My patience has a limit, you know.moreless
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Sad episode...but poorly written. Where was JJ's grand exit?

7.0

By BrookePolk, Apr 10, 2011

Where in the heck was JJ's goodbye to Reid? You know, the Godfather of her son!?! I was a little confused as to why she did not have a heartfelt goodbye with him. Again, I will admit I LOVE Reid and MGG, but I thought that the writers leaving out that particular goodbye was strange. Reid has had a crush on JJ since the second episode of the first season. He asked her on a date. She was devastated when he was kidnapped by Tobias. She made him the Godfather of her son. So why would she not have a heartfelt, tear jerking, all out, sad goodbye with him, like she did with Garcia. Okay, I know I am going over board, but seriously that made me hate this episode.

Also, this might be the first episode where the entire team had the profile wrong. They thought it was the one stuck up, pompous jerk. When it was the quiet, shy, but seriously messed up guy. I can't remember another episode where they had so many wrong ideas. Also, to have JJ leave the show for such a dumb reason is just ridiculous. I'm a fan of some strange, far fetched, out there shows, but I never thought Criminal Minds was one of them. At least have JJ go out with a bang. She deserved better than what she got. I mean Elle and Gideon had better exits from the show and the writers only knew about there departure for a few weeks. The writers have known for months that A.J. Cook was being fired from the show. So why was her exit not more spectacular. I mean Elle freaking killed someone and most people thought Gideon had killed himself. So why was JJ's exit so pathetic. I don't getting it!moreless
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A catharsis for the cast, perhaps, but an insult to the intelligence of fans and a smack in the face to strong women everywhere.

4.5

By Finnegan77, Mar 12, 2011

First and foremost, as I am always a strong proponent of, it's about the case. Case first. Then characters. (But it's hard to tow that line this time, even for me.)

Basically, we have "Natalee Holloway: Maryland." Not much writing needed here – a young woman goes on vacation with friends, is abducted after leaving a club with some young men, including a very well-off, good looking one, who claim to have dropped her off at her hotel all safe and sound. Parents very much involved – sort of. I will admit it was much better than a documentary. Faint praise indeed.

Kudos, first, to Michael Welch and Christopher Marquette for their performances as the suspects. Well played. Second, hats off to the writers for remembering that our team are profilers, and using them as they should be used, not having them racing around, guns blazing, for once. The interrogation scenes were excellent. The not so twisty twist of having the "submissive" actually being the clever murderer? Good, but you've done it before in The Perfect Storm.

Parents are mad, but don't make any other contributions – that was a mistake. I'd like to have seen them insist on taking a role here, besides the refusal to leave the building. And, of course, the wife is blamed by the husband. A pattern emerges… but I'll get back to that.

Speaking of mistakes. What moronic police officers! First we have the 'come on, she's dead,' guy who hangs around in the background to ask questions just so the BAU can explain things. THEN we have the fact that, although they apparently confiscated their cell phones, the brain-dead officers did not check them for evidence! Really? In all the time that you've held them you couldn't have gotten a court order for that? And, when, exactly, has the BAU ever even considered getting a court order for any of the 'intelligence gathering' that they've done? Utterly stupefying.

Kudos, also, to have Morgan NOT go ape-crazy on the suspect. A role-reversal for him. Almost like he's a real agent and not just a hot-head.

JJ finds the clue. Nice panacea to the fact that you're shoving this character (and actress) out the door – let's make her the irreplaceable one now that we've kicked her out. Tiny sops to the blood soaking into the floor. But I digress. Again.

Finding the girl alive was a nice touch. But I'll get to that later.

Now to character. JJ's 'offer she couldn't refuse.' Strauss' continued characterization as a manipulating harpy that has absolutely no control over anything that makes its way into her hands. The sudden alternate universe in which an employee of the FBI can be forced to take a job with the Department of Defense – or anywhere for that matter. I will not be able to suitably convey the utter disgust and disdain I have for the writers for displaying this swill with a 4.5 rating for the ep. I am appalled.

This episode should have been called, "No Strong Women Allowed." Besides the victim, not one woman is given any power over her own life. JJ is 'forced' to take a new job. Strauss is 'forced' to 'force' her. They are all victims, and I will not applaud any show for making a strong woman into a victim, and JJ is very much the victim here.

In the real world, JJ had options. First, she could decide to take her backlog of vacation/sick days in order to hit up HR and perhaps contact a lawyer. Second, if she is given the only option of transferring (to a completely different government agency!!!) or being fired, she could offer her two weeks notice and simply leave until they got the message that she could not be manipulated like this. We know she's not coming back, no matter what words of hope they gave Thomas Gibson to spout. A bullet to the head, while upsetting, would have been more respectful to the character.

Erin Strauss. Seriously, writers, take some classes in how to write a strong woman administrator. Her 'hands are tied' scenarios are getting ripe. And her smarmy, 'more time with your family' is false on the face of it.

JJ's decision to 'take the high road' is a mirror of what actress AJ did this summer. Her choice. Perhaps that makes her stronger than someone who simply rants and raves and pouts. She was 'laid off' as so many in the regular workforce can sympathize with. But that isn't what they chose to do to JJ, so, they all flail their hands helplessly in the air, sigh, and cry, and wish it weren't so. Please.

The deliberate attempts to parallel the victim with JJ (you caught the name, right?) leave me with bile choking my throat. JJ didn't 'save herself,' she simply let the waters close over her head. The elevator doors close because it was 'above her pay grade' and she sighs and moves on. Yeah, I get it, that's what happened to AJ. JJ deserved better.

Perhaps this was an attempt to let the cast and viewers say good-bye. All it did for this viewer was to stoke the fires of anger as the women fall like ninepins and the illogical, unintelligent excuses continue.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Thomas Gibson	Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner
Joe Mantegna	Senior SSA David Rossi
Matthew Gray Gubler	SSA Dr. Spencer Reid
Shemar Moore	SSA Derek Morgan
Paget Brewster	SSA Emily Prentiss
A.J. Cook	SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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J. Downing	Det. Mathias	Guest Star
Rya Kihlstedt	Patty Joyce	Guest Star
Gil Bellows	Jeff Joyce	Guest Star
Jayne Atkinson	Section Chief Erin Strauss	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

JJ (A.J. Cook) tries to reunite a family...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
While Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) helps JJ ...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
As Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) helps JJ (A....

© 2010 CBS Corporation
JJ (A.J. Cook), Morgan (Shemar Moore), P...

© 2010 CBS Corporation

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Chris Marquette (Jimmy Barrett), Michael Welch (Syd Pearson), and Joe Mantegna all starred together in Joan of Arcadia.
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QUOTES (4)
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- (Reid grabs a bottle of antacid from Prentiss' desk and takes one)
  Prentiss: Again with the dairy?
  Reid: I can't help it. I love dairy.
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- Prentiss: I don't think it's about the case.
  Garcia: Do you know something?
  Prentiss: Do I know something?
  Garcia: She just repeated the question. You always say that's a sign.
  Morgan: Do you know why JJ's in there?
  Prentiss: I have no idea.
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- JJ: Jean Racine said, "A tragedy need not have blood and death; it's enough that it all be filled with that majestic sadness that is the pleasure of tragedy."
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- JJ: I'm thankful for my years spent with this family, for everything we shared, every chance we had to grow. I'll take the best of them with me and lead by their example wherever I go. A friend told me to be honest with you, so here it goes. This isn't what I want, but I'll take the high road. Maybe it's because I look at everything as a lesson, or because I don't want to walk around angry, or maybe it's because I finally understand. There are things we don't want to happen, but have to accept. Things we don't want to know, but have to learn. And people we can't live without, but have to let go.
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NOTES (4)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Czech Republic- February 28, 2012 on Prima family
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- This episode marked the final appearance by A.J. Cook in her role of SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau as a series regular in Season 6.
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- The songs heard in this episode were "Studio 54" by Piel, "The Getaway" by Tracy C, and "Let It Be Me" by Ray LaMontagne.
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- The original title of this episode was "Memento Mori."
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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