A.J. Cook Returns to ‘Criminal Minds’ for Paget Brewster’s Final Episode

While all of the petitioning from Criminal Minds fans couldn’t save A.J. Cook from being wrongfully fired from the series, it appears that we haven’t seen the last of Cook’s lovable character Jennifer Juneau. This spring, Cook will be returning to Criminal Minds for a single episode.

Last summer, the Criminal Minds fandom rightfully revolted against the brash, thoughtless decision from the “powers that be” to terminate Cook’s contract with the series.

While departing cast members is not uncommon in television or for this series (Mandy Patinkin and Lola Glaudini both left previously), Criminal Minds has been criticized for their obvious and ongoing trimming of female cast members. Unfortunately, J.J.’s character reprise does nothing but confirm the accusations.

Cook’s return is neither a sole character piece nor a welcoming return for her character. Instead, Cook will be returning for former co-star Paget Brewster’s final episode. Facing the same fate as Cook, Brewster’s character Emily Prentiss was given a smaller role in this season of Criminal Minds, only to be completely written off midway through.

As fans will undoubtedly be happy to see Cook return to the BAU, the fact that it correlates with Brewster’s final episode somewhat dampens any potential joy. Fortunately, Criminal Minds fans are not the only ones unhappy with the way the series had chosen to release select female cast members. Kristen Vangsness, who plays the lovely Penelope Garcia, had a few choice words about this when we talked with her last July.

“It certainly didn’t feel good and certainly doesn’t make you feel like, ‘Oh, everybody’s ok!’ It makes you very aware that it’s a job and if they need you, they keep you, and if they don’t, they fire you.

Not that [Cook’s] not necessary! But, someone made a decision that she was not necessary and that’s a bad decision – in my opinion. My job, I did not choose to be “whoever makes these decisions” and that’s their choice. It’s like you’re living in someone’s rental and they get to decide who stays and who goes — and it BLOWS!”

Perhaps it’s Vangsness’ sidekick-esque nature on the series or the fact that fans absolutely love her character, but Penelope Garcia seems to be the only female character that’s safe for any transition to the Criminal Minds “boys club” that appears to be forming. In fact, Vangsness will now be pulling double duties as her character will also appear in the Criminal Minds spin-off, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.

Even if it’s for a single episode and even if it’s brought on by the departure of another female cast member, it will be nice to see A.J. Cook return to the series. Of course, whether or not these calculated character dismissals will mark the beginning of the end of this series still remains to be seen.

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Criminal Minds airs Wednesday @9pm, on CBS

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Source: TV Line

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Steve Carell’s Final ‘Office’ Episode Airs in April

When it was announced last year that Steve Carell would be leaving The Office at the end of its seventh season, fans of the series began preparing themselves for the departure of Michael Scott.

Unfortunately, series show-runner Paul Lieberstein (Toby) revealed today that Carell’s final episode would not, in fact, be the season finale as everyone expected, but one month before, in April.

While this news will certainly shock fans that were relishing every last moment of Dunder Mifflin’s (now Sabre, Scranton) Regional Manager, Lieberstein, while speaking with Vulture, explained the decision behind Michael Scott’s early departure and what they’re looking to accomplish with this season’s final four Michael-less episodes:

“Steve will have a number of episodes that dramatize and lead up to Steve leaving. Then we’ll continue on for about four more episodes, and the spring will prove to be not about an actor leaving, but what happens in an office when a manager leaves and the chaos ensues and people vie for the job and are uncertain about their future.”

Of course, with Michael Scott gone, a managerial position opens up and viewers have been speculating who would be filling the shoes of the “World’s Greatest Boss.” While Lieberstein hinted that they’re “talking about guest stars” who could come in and apply for the position, the job will ultimately go to one of the series’ current characters. Currently, Darryl (Craig Robinson), Dwight (Rain Wilson), Andy (Ed Helms) and Kelly (Mindy Kaling) are all in the running.

Previously, we reported that Darryl was hinted at being the most likely candidate, but today Kaling gave an interesting pitch on why it might be good for her character to take over:

“People who aren’t necessarily qualified to be the boss are sometimes put in positions that management hopes they grow into. And the boss [doesn't have] to be the starring role. Most shows are about all the underlings. I could see a world where Kelly becomes the boss, and it’s not a show about Kelly.”

Even though hell might freeze over before Kelly is given the position of Regional Manager, Kaling’s statement touches upon an interesting topic. With Carell gone, The Office has to, on some level, reinvent itself. With one cornerstone character gone, the writers will have to find other avenues to sustain the series’ comedic stylings. Fortunately, it looks like they might just be doing it.

Lieberstein says:

“This time last year there was probably a lot of dread, but right now there’s a lot of excitement. We’re having the kinds of conversations we had in seasons one and two about, ‘What is the show?’ It feels like we … can really influence the show in a way we couldn’t last year. It feels really cool.”

Despite Lieberstein’s acknowledgment of the writers’ eagerness to persevere, viewers won’t know exactly what potential the series has without Carell until we see the story unfold for ourselves. While many might have their doubts about The Office, we shouldn’t count the series out – the perfectly executed transition from the first to second season most certainly proved that.

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The Office airs Thursdays @8pm, on NBC

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