Criminal Minds season 13: Should JJ lead the BAU for good?

Based on the way in which Criminal Minds season 13 recently went on hiatus, all signs point towards us seeing a rather-different version of the BAU for the immediate future. Emily Prentiss took the fall because of the accusations fired against the team by Linda Barnes, and with that the future of the character remains in doubt.

We’ve already written a little bit about whether or not Paget Brewster could return to the show, and we do personally hope that she will. Without Prentiss, the show’s just not the same! One of the golden eras of the series especially was during her first go-around with the franchise and we were settling into a nice groove with her this season.

For now, though, we do want to pose a different question: Could JJ become the new leader for the rest of the season? Should she? There is some merit, obviously, to her having this role. For starters, she’s been with the BAU for a long time and has been through everything, both good and bad, that a member of this unit could. She’s seen a lot of horrific stuff and overcame some substantial obstacles. (Just remember that “JJ” episode.) She’s still strong, and she’s still standing. We also love the prospect of getting to see AJ Cook in more of a leadership role. We know that she is a fantastic actress and we think that there’s something rather intriguing that could come from getting to see her within this setting.

What could we explore with her as a leader? There are a few different things, whether it be her communication with her colleagues to how she plans out and strategizes before arresting UnSubs. There’s also intrigue that surrounds seeing how people like Garcia, Reid, and Rossi react to her being in charge. The BAU is a family and obviously they respect her; yet, we could still see communication errors getting in the way.

Related – When is Criminal Minds returning to CBS?

Even if Prentiss comes back, we would say that there still could be value in keeping JJ in charge. Maybe after her suspension Emily has to work her way back up, or maybe JJ just does such a great job that there’s no way to wrestle the position away from her. Either way, we’re excited to continue to explore this new team dynamic and to see Cook in the spotlight for a little while.

Do you think JJ should keep her present position for the remainder of Criminal Minds season 13? Be sure to sound off right now in the comments!

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