Unlike other network procedurals, like “Bones” or “NCIS,” CBS “Criminal Minds” has mostly avoided any inter-team relationships between its main cast members for its 15 seasons. There is no center romance between a will-they-wont-they duo, but instead, the teams significant others are mostly minor characters off to the side. This has its benefits, but it also serves to make fans less invested in these rarely seen, less developed characters.
One of the longest-running BAU spouses is William LaMontagne, Jr., played by Josh Stewart. He and Jennifer “JJ” Jareau (A.J. Cook) meet in Season 2: Hes a cop on one of their cases in New Orleans and the two of them quickly start a relationship thats mostly off-screen — until her pregnancy convinces Will to move across the country to raise the baby together. JJ declines his Season 3 proposal until several seasons later when he nearly dies, and then they get married.
The only other romantic storyline for JJ is the one with her coworker, Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler). In the first season, they go on what is an attempt at a date, but it doesnt amount to anything until Season 14 when she confesses that shes always loved Reid. Fans have a lot of (mostly negative) thoughts about it. But while some fans hoped for JJ and Reid to get together, and many wanted her to hook up with Emily (Paget Brewster), few feel compelled by her relationship with her actual husband, Will.
| “200” | |
|---|---|
| Episode no. | Season 9 Episode 14 |
| Directed by | Larry Teng |
| Written by | Rick Dunkle |
| Featured music | “Blackbird” |
Will’s life is on the line
According to CBS, Will once had bombs attached to him and left for dead by unsubs in an episode of Criminal Minds. It’s a shocking turn of events, and it’s a memorable moment in the two-part finale of season 7. In episode 23 called “Hit,” a group of bank robbers called The Face Cards attempt to rob a bank in Washington, D.C. Will, who is a D.C. detective, shoots one of the robbers after they shoot his partner.
The members of the BAU try to play the bank robbers off of each other when they learn that the woman in charge, Izzy Rogers (Tricia Helfer), is working with an outside partner as well as Chris Stratton (Evan Jones) and Oliver Stratton (Seth Laird), two brothers. She even sends a text alerting police about the robbery, which is surprising.
Hostages start being killed, and Oliver also dies from his gunshot wound. Will ends up going inside during the tense moment to avoid the other unsubs from killing people inside the bank. He’s shot two times, but he has a bullet proof vest on, and he sustains a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The hostages are able to escape when Chris takes Will to find the woman who has gone left the main area. Will is then taken as a hostage, and he’s forced to leave with the bank robbers before the building explodes.
Did Will return to Criminal Minds?
Josh Stewart, in the role of Criminal Minds’ Will, was a recurring guest appearance, hence, after season seven where he almost died and later married J.J at the end of the season, the actor continued to appear in the show sporadically thereafter.
He appeared in cameo appearances during seasons eight, nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and in the series finale episode in season fifteen.
His last appearance was in the episode “Awakenings” after J.J was shot, and during the finale’s final sequence at Penelope’s party that Rossi threw.
Will reappears in “Sick Day”, where he is taking care of his younger son Michael after he falls ill. Later, JJ comes home after a traumatizing child abduction case, and Will notices that she was disturbed by it. To help her vent, he allows her to recount the whole story while he listens.
Will plays a major role in the two-part season finale “Hit” and “Run” (where it is revealed that he is still a police detective, but now works with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department). He shoots and mortally wounds Oliver Stratton after his partner is killed by Oliver, earning him the hatred of Olivers brother Chris. During the subsequent hostage situation at the Colonial Liberty Bank, in which three more people are killed, Chris asks for Will to enter the building. Feeling he is responsible for the deaths at the bank, Will accepts the call despite the protests of JJ and the rest of the BAU and calmly walks inside the bank, confronting Chris, who asks him his name. When Will states his name, Chris promptly shoots him twice. While a bulletproof vest protected him from one of the bullets, Will is hit in the shoulder and seriously injured. He is treated by two hostages before confronting Chris again, telling him that his partner Izzy Rogers was secretly planning behind his back. To convince him otherwise, Chris takes him to the gas lines, where they find Izzy setting a bomb. The bomb detonates, killing several hostages and allowing Chris and Izzy to flee with Will as a new hostage.
Will briefly reappears in “200”, where he informs the BAU about the connection between JJ and the FBI Section Chief Director Mateo Cruz when they both go missing. When they are both rescued, Will is seen with JJ at a bar with the rest of the BAU, and the two end the episode by kissing.
In “Theres No Place Like Home”, Will and JJ are taking care of a sick Henry when she gets called into work. Will becomes unhappy with JJs job and wishes she still worked at the Pentagon so she could have nights and weekends off. She offers to stay home but he tells her to go. While presenting the profile of a killer who strikes during tornadoes, Will calls and sends her text messages about an emergency concerning Henry. When she calls him back, Will tells her that he is at the hospital because Henry had a seizure. She makes plans to leave immediately but the weather has grounded all flights. She finishes the case and the episode ends with Will putting her on speaker phone so the two of them can read Henry a story at bedtime.
As the BAU attempt to track down George Foyet in “100”, Will and JJ take Henry to a pharmacy, where JJ finds out an important clue in the case. The clue helps the BAU find Foyets address in Washington, D.C., but they find him gone. After Hotchs ex-wife, Haley is killed by Foyet, Will is one of those attending her funeral in “The Slave of Duty”, where he offers Hotch his condolences.
FAQ
Is JJ cheating on Will in Criminal Minds season 9?
Who dies in the episode JJ?
