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.
Many fans simply dont like Will, despite his overall non-offensive personality. On Reddit, user u/Deep_Worldliness4783 started an r/criminalminds thread, thinking it was an unpopular opinion to point out how much they dont like Will. But they got quite a few people agreeing with them. However, lest this be mistaken for ship wars, they qualified their statement by saying they also arent a fan of the romantic partnership of JJ and Reid. They simply find Will to be annoying with a “weird vibe.” Some fans just do not like Wills southern accent, partially because they find it hard to understand.
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.
User u/Delicious_Stress1233 agreed with the original poster, writing, “He was a good husband and dad but overall weird and boring. I didnt care about him.” Many fans in the comments agreed that hes good in those roles, as hes often shown at home with the kids while JJ leaves for work, but they added that he seems to put more effort into the relationship than JJ. Perhaps its not just Will thats bothering them, but JJs lack of strong feelings for him that turns fans off. User u/the_scientist52 mentioned this, saying, “I just didnt see any chemistry between Will and JJ. I dont think he was a bad person but something about that relationship felt off.”
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.
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.
Little is known about Wills early life, other than his father, also named William, was a police detective for the New Orleans Police Department. His father died during Hurricane Katrina, which he refused to evacuate from while investigating a serial killer he was obsessed with. As an adult, Will followed in his fathers footsteps and also became a detective.
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 is first seen in “Jones” investigating the serial killer case that initially belongs to his father. The killer is believed to have suffered the same fate, but when evidence to the contrary arises, Will takes over the case using the work his father had done (and a single word carved on the wall of his fathers home). Will eventually calls in the BAU to assist him and they are ultimately successful in capturing the murderer. During the case, he and JJ are seen to develop an attraction towards each other.
Stewart got his start doing local theater at the Landmark Theatre in Sutton, West Virginia, and eventually moved to New York City to study at the T. Schreiber Studios. He was a company member of the 13th Street Repertory Theatre. He continued his theater in Los Angeles performing in Light Bulb and Beacon.
FAQ
Does JJ cheat on will in Criminal Minds?
Does JJ have a baby with Reid?
