Alternate title: Screw you CBS! We're going to make it perfectly clear that we're not happy!
A while ago it was revealed that the network, CBS, had decided to make some changes to the cast which ended with Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, played by AJ Cook, leaving the show and Emily Prentiss, played by Paget Brewster, being in a reduced number of episodes, as well as this being her final series. Fandom has raged over this for various reasons; the breaking up of such a great cast that works so well together, the sexism of removing/reducing the role of 2 of the 3 female team members and that being the 2 who are the most active and out in the field, the fact no one had any say or idea what was about to happen, the fact that it was for monetary reasons, etc.
The cast and crew feel the same and haven't even tried to hide it. When the news first broke they reacted just the same as the fans of the show. But in this weeks episode, JJ, they expressed their feelings again within the show itself and made sure to let us and each other know that they are not happy. I know some people might not like how meta it got but I did.
The whole situation is there in the episode, as plain as day. From JJ being forced to leave by a decision that Hotch or not even Strauss could change because it came from too high up the chain, to a subtle nod at Prentiss with the team asking if she knew anything, to the whole closing section of the show in which the writers (as Hotch addressing JJ), the actors (the whole teams reaction) and AJ (JJ's form which narrates the closing minute). There was even a nod to the clear sexism of the decision with JJ sarcastically telling Garcia 'There's plenty of big strong men around'.
Hotch's address to JJ when he was telling her she had to leave straight away was the writers addressing us, and the fact he said he was going to try and get her back gives me at least a little hope that maybe, just maybe, this might get sorted some day. But I suppose I should just be happy that she got a dignified exit.
I'm not going to get into the issue of women and female characters on TV, it's too long and rage inducing and I'm in a pretty good mood right now, but I will say I'm going to miss having a character like JJ on TV and I'm going to miss Prentiss when she eventually goes too.
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