aj cook
Over 42,000 fans signed a petition to keep AJ and Paget on the show full time, but in the end, it didn’t save AJ’s job. On July 25, she tweeted, “Thanks for your undying support but it’s a done deal.I’ll be doing 2eps to wrap up JJ.Excited for what’s next and hope you’ll come along!XO”
The fan campaign, which included calls and faxes to Nina Tassler (the president of CBS Entertainment), sending files (like the ones used as case files in the show) and lipstick (telling CBS to kiss their fans goodbye) to CBS, did seem to help in Paget’s case, though. Instead of her episodes being drastically cut, as initially reported, she signed on for 10 out of 13 episodes, which works out to 17 out of a 22 episode season.
Yesterday, Paget tweeted: “So how do I thank 42,309 people.. It worked. Thank you, everyone. Thank you for helping and supporting me and AJ. Thank you for everything!” In her next tweet she went on to clarify that she was thankful, but still upset over AJ, and that this season would be her last. Whether that is her decision or CBS’s is not clear.
I have mixed feelings about this. I will miss AJ a lot, but at least we had a small victory with Paget. I still love the remaining characters, and plan to keep watching, but I’m completely displeased that they are bringing on a new female character. I don’t feel like the Criminal Minds women were replaceable and interchangeable.
In a way, I almost feel sorry for the actress coming in this fall, though. The fans don’t want her, the writers (who took a cut last year) don’t seem happy, and while I’m sure the cast will treat her well, they didn’t want the casting change either. Way back in season two, it took me a little while to warm up to Prentiss because I liked Elle so much. But Elle was only on for one season. We’ve spent all five seasons with JJ and four with Prentiss, so whoever is stepping up into the vacant spot on the cast is going to be in an awkward situation fan-wise. It’s going to be very difficult for us fans who fought CBS tooth and nail to remember that it’s not the actress’ (or the character’s) fault.
I feel a little better about about the casting fiasco knowing that Paget will be around the large majority of the time, and that AJ seems to at least have some sense of humor about it (Kirsten Vangsness tweeted a photo of the three Criminal Minds ladies with AJ wearing a shirt reading “creative reasons”), but it still stings.
And I can’t help but be angry at CBS. I still feel like they are sending a very bad message to their viewers, their female ones in particular. They cut three strong female characters from their fall line up (AJ off Criminal Minds, Liz Vassey from CSI, and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s show Ghost Whisperer got completely canceled), and reduced the role of another, then they decided to pay Charlie Sheen, who admittedly abused his wife, nearly 2 million dollars an episode for Two and a Half Men. They fire, reduce, and replace female presence on their network, then reward a man who abuses his wife? Not cool, CBS. Show women a little more respect, will you?
So what do you guys think? Do you plan to keep watching in the fall, or are you saying goodbye to Criminal Minds and/or CBS for good? Are you still planning to bombard CBS with protests even now that the deals are made (I know some people who are!), or are you resigned to the outcome? Give me your two cents!
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I’ve helped with this campaign as much as I could: petition, twibbons, mails to cbs, twitter trending and spread the word as much as I could. My top 3 characters in this show are Reid, Prentiss and Morgan. I adore all of them, but these 3 are my favorites. When I heard that at least Paget was getting more episodes, it brought a big smile on my face. But then I read that it’s her last season, and it literally broke my heart. I’ve always viewed her character as a role model. So yes, I am very sad. But I will continue watching, because I love all of them and I can’t give up on this amazing show. But it won’t be the same.I know it…
You know, it totally came as a shock to me when Paget said it was her last season, and I think it did to a lot of fans. And my heart ached a little too. I didn’t even know that was on the table, and it certainly dampened my excitement.
I completely agree with you!!!!!:(:(:(I can’t imagine CM without JJ and Emily…:’(:’(I HATE CBS!!!!!!!!:@:@But I’ll keep on watching the series ’cause I adore the other characters too!!!!Of course,it won’t be the same….How could they separate our beloved BAU team???????????????
Since it is Paget’s last year this will be my last year, then cbs will be deleted from my favorite channels list, deleted from my TiVo. Thank you Starz, HBO and Showtime for going into the series business!
If you really want to boycott CBS you can cross Showtime from your list, it belong to CBS too, that is why I will not watch Dexter this season.
I would love to have HBO, but I’m poor. LOL Luckily there are a lot of other networks to watch for people planning to boycott CBS.
I’ve never felt so disgusted by some cast changes. Paget and AJ don’t deserve such a bad treatment. This show won’t be the same again, even if I’ll keep watching for the other actors. I’m not enthusiastic about the new character, just like lots of people. I feel in advance so bad for the actress because things will be rude for her. It will always remind people who will keep watching the way AJ and Paget has been treated and in which context this actress and her character arrived. All of this is not her fault, she’ll see the consequences first. Too bad. Women are not interchangeable, both Emily and JJ are necessary to the show. I don’t think the fans would have done all thiz buzz if AJ and Paget weren’t important. It’s a shame, they’re ruining this show. Criminal Minds was perfect like it was.
I’m angry and sad towards Paget and AJ, they don’t deserve that, the show either. Does anyone knows Alex Kava ? As much as I love her books about Maggie O’Dell, a profiler, I love CM’s touching characters and the realism of the show. Bravo CBS because you ruined something to me. Maybe I just take it too heart but I can’t help. I’ve never been so upset by a cast changes and I watched lots of tv shows. Maybe that’s because CM is such a good show, I don’t want to see it end. Or maybe because it’s very unfair too. They’re great actresses and the chemistry between the actors and their characters is perfect. Or all elements of the whole story. Thanks for your article, it reflects well what I think.
I’m upset with the outsome, as much as I love the rest of the cast once A.J is finished so am I. I will be happier knowing i stopped watching with the entire cast intact. I will know longer watch CBS which is sad because I watched a lot of shows on that network.
“The entire cast intact?” …what about Lola?
I didn’t like losing Elle from the show, but I eventually warmed to Prentiss. Much as I hate to say this, I’m sure the same will happen upon JJ’s departure/death, though I will miss her.
…I know, There are worst things in this world to fight for. I usually don’t get “hysterical” for tv shows. But CM is my favourite show. I like it because in my opinion both cast and plot are well balanced. Every character has ghosts, but it isn’t a soppy soap. Every episode is thrilling but not absurdly.
I like all the cast, but my favourite is largerly Prentiss. I’m sorry for AJ, but i think that cutting off Prentiss at the end of next season will be THE mistake. The show will loose a lot of its highlight. Paget is an excellent actress and it won’t be easy to let fans bite the bullet. I won’t stop watching CM because Prentiss won’t be there anymore or dislike the new actress. I guess I’ll simply won’t like it anymore. Because it will become like any other ordinary detective show.
I have no idea if all this mess is due to Whitaker’s or Sheen’s pay, but I hope that the spin-off will be a flop.
Yea, sadly I will not be tuning into watch Criminal Minds this season. It is just too sad and depressing to watch as we say goodbye to JJ and then knowing that this is Emily’s last season…it is just too much. I love the men, don’t get me wrong but we need these women to balance it out. Emily was my favourite character, what a slap in the face that it always seems to be women who autmatically suffer and never men…instead they get pay increases. This was just harsh to fire AJ and cut back Paget’s episode count especially since they loved being on the show. I lost all respect for CBS and will definitley not be investing ANY of my time to their network. This whole thing continues to boggle my mind, this whole decision just doesn’t make sense to me, the ratings were doing so well. Well, I will be watching my shows elsewhere. I am really going to miss watching this show….was definitley the best show ever on tv…until now.