The Paramount+ original series Criminal Minds: Evolution follows the familiar team of criminal profilers at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), as they hunt a threat unlike anything they’ve ever faced – an UnSub who’s used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers and guide them in reaching their full potential. This places the team in a position of having to hunt each of them down with very little information apart from their crime scenes, at the same time that they’re dealing with their own demons, personally and professionally.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, A.J. Cook (who plays Jennifer “JJ” Jareau) talked about returning to Criminal Minds, after 15 seasons on a broadcast network, for this new serialized iteration for streaming, the changes they’ve been able to make, how her own kids came to play her kids on the show, directing another episode this season, her hope that Matthew Gray Gubler will return in the future, and what she’s enjoyed about getting to dig deeper into JJ’s personal and family life.

Collider: When a show comes back, you’re never sure what to expect. With this, it’s really fun to watch something that feels like what it was, but also feels like something different. It’s really cool to have that balance of the two.

A.J. COOK: Yeah, that’s why we were so interested in doing this. We knew that, if we were gonna do a reboot, it needed to be something special, and it needed to make us all excited to come back and feel like we weren’t reinventing the wheel. It’s nice that we have this opportunity to do the streaming version of our show. I feel like we’re making the show that we wish we could have always made, without all the network parameters around it. It’s definitely given us the freedom to be a little more artistic and creative, and just push the envelope a little bit more.

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Image via Paramount+

One of the things that comes from being on a streaming service is that you can swear and use certain words that you couldn’t use before. After 15 seasons without being able to do that, was it fun to have that option available, or was it a little bit jarring for you to hear some of that come out of another character’s mouth at any time?

COOK: It was this interesting dichotomy of, “What? We don’t do that here.” It’s awesome that we’re doing it. Rossi is a little bit disgruntled and going through some issues when we first pick up the show, so the first time you hear him drop an F bomb, you’re like, “Uh oh, dad just swore around his kids.” We’re all super in it now, so it doesn’t even phase us anymore, but at first, it was this feeling of, “Are we gonna get in trouble for this? Is this okay?” Even as we were shooting it, part of you is thinking, “We’re gonna have to bleep this out or do a voiceover to change that.” So, it’s fun. I like the edgier version of our show.

When this show closed its doors in 2020, after 15 seasons, did it feel like that was it and that it was done, or did it feel like there was always this possibility that it could come back in some form?

COOK: The really interesting part about all of this is that, even when we wrapped, there were murmurings going around of, “We’ll do a reboot, one day. This isn’t the last time we’re gonna do this, as a group.” We always knew that we were gonna do it again. The surprising part, for me and for some of my castmates, was how quickly the turnaround was, and believe me, we were all thrilled. We were thrilled to be doing this again because we were all so close.

We saw each other every day for 15 years, and then the show ended, and COVID happened, and the world shut down, and we were all quarantined and couldn’t see each other. We were already missing each other because of that. So, when this first came up, we decided to hop on a big Zoom conference call, which was so much fun. It was so much fun to have everyone in one place, on a screen. There was a lot of laughter. We all just really, genuinely love being around each other, so it was not a hard sell, by any means. You didn’t really have to convince any of us to come back.

I’m sure it also helps that it’s a 10-episode order. What was it like to then add the new aspect of it being serialized?

COOK: Erica Messer is a genius. She came up with this idea in the middle of quarantine because that’s how our brains work. What did the serial killers do during quarantine, when they were locked down? How did they get through the day? I think it’s such a compelling storyline. It feels very real because we’re picking up in this world, with the landscape that we’re in right now. Everyone is trying to get back to real life. Everyone has been through quarantine, and people have lost loved ones. My character, JJ, is a mom and she’s exhausted. Erica has always been really good at writing true to life. We like to do that as much as we can.

Case in point, I have two kids, and we’ve written that into the show. I think what makes our show special is that we do like to mirror our own lives, so that it’s all very personal. That comes across in the performances, so it’s genuine. This storyline, in particular, with this serial killer network is beyond creepy. I love that we get to try serializing the show in this way. It gives more time to really see our heroes, our cast, struggle in their everyday lives. What they do for a living is not easy, and we get to see the veil pulled back a little bit on everyone’s personal lives, how they’re struggling, and how they’re getting through. I think it’s cool.

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Image via Paramount+

You talked about things being a little personal on the show, and you even have your own kids playing your kids. Was that your idea? How did that come about?

COOK: It’s so unique and so bizarre. How it happened is that I had Mekhai first, and they wrote this scene where I had the baby, so they just said, “Hey, are you interested? Do you wanna just use your baby? Or we can use a fake baby.” It just happened that way. And then, the boys became this really sweet part of the story, which I think is really cool for our audience who’s watched us, all the way through. Nothing is a true marker of time like children because you see how much they grow. I think it’s really cool to see. They’ve watched me grow up on screen, but to see the mini-me's growing up on screen, too? People are gonna be really shocked when they see how big little Henry is and little Michael. They’re big boys now.

This year, I directed again, and with this episode, I had to direct both of my children. I thought I might be a complete crazy person for signing up to do that, but it ended up being such a really cool experience. I kept having all these pinch-me moments on the day that we were shooting at J.J.’s house. What a unique and beautiful opportunity that I’ve been given here. I’m not only acting with my kids, but I’m directing them. It’s just such a beautiful environment, on our set. That’s why everyone was so excited to get back and do it again.

Do they pay better attention to you as a director, or as a mother?

COOK: I’d say as a director. My oldest is 14 now, and he’s just angsty. I told him, “You know, you’re actually gonna have to listen to me because I’m directing, and you can’t give the director a hard time.” But they both did great. It was a lot of fun, and they’re good boys.

How did directing this time around compare to when you did it before?

COOK: I love directing so much. To be there from the ground up, building what the thing is gonna look like, is pretty exciting. They usually try to write us pretty light in the episodes that we direct, but this season, there’s only 10 episodes, so they can’t really write one of us out for a full episode. This year was a little more challenging, in that there’s a pretty strong J.J. storyline in the episode that I directed. I hadn’t had to act and direct, at the same time, that much before, so that was a bit of a challenge. But you surround yourself with really good people around the monitor, and you’re like, “Did that work? I don’t know. I can’t watch it.” It takes a village. It was definitely a little more challenging this time around, just because I had to wear multiple hats and still make the day.

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Image via Paramount+

How did the first day back on set for this series compare to the very first day you walked onto the set of the show, on day one of Season 1? How different do you feel, as a person and as an actor, now that than you did in those very early days?

COOK: It was a big difference between the first day of Season 1 and the first day of Season 16. The most memorable things for me, on that first day that I worked, which wasn’t the pilot because they brought me in for the first episode, was that the core cast had already worked together, so I was the new kid coming in. That can always be a little nerve-wracking, but I remember Shemar Moore, who I grew up watching on The Young and the Restless, was just super sweet. He gave me a big hug and made me feel really welcome. And then, there was Matthew [Gray Gubler], who was a big fan of The Virgin Suicides, directed by Sofia Coppola. I was in that movie, so he was excited to meet me because he was such a big fan of that movie. So, both Matthew and Shemar made me feel very welcome. They were lovely.

And then, flash forward to now and neither of them were there, this time. Instead of feeling like the new kid, it felt very different. It’s like a family reunion, getting the family back together again, and now we’re making our new people feel welcome. Now, I’m that person that’s been there for so long, so it’s so important to me to make sure that all these other actors feel welcome when they come join our set. It’s very different. I’ve grown up a lot since that first day, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons. I’m so very grateful.

Is it especially weird not to have Matthew Gray Gubler there, when he was there through so much of the series? Do you hope he will return, if this continues?

COOK: That was actually one of my big things about coming back. I didn’t wanna come back, if he wasn’t coming back because our characters are so close. Their banter is such a huge part of their relationship, so I was pretty bummed, but I get it. I understand that he couldn’t do it right now. We all would love for him to come back, at any moment, and he knows that.

I think he will come back, at some point, to play. It was weird, and it was a lot for me to wrap my head around. I wasn’t sure how that was gonna play, not having him on the show, but then I read the scripts and the story itself is just so compelling. From the first moment, it, we really take you on this cool, suspenseful, mysterious ride into the dark world of this network. So, I really miss him and I really hope he comes back, and he knows that. I think some things will be in the works. I hope it happens for Season 2.

Criminal Minds characters J.J. (A.J. Cook) and Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) looking at J.J.'s newborn son Henry

This storyline is so creepy and so disturbing, with a whole network of serial killers and not just one. Does it feel, at all, like you’re trying to solve a season’s worth of cases simultaneously because it is so much, all at one time?

COOK: It does. I say to our writers and Erica, all the time, that I don’t know how they do it. I’ve walked up and looked into their offices, and there’s just stuff everywhere. It’s like a serial killer’s lair. It’s a big, huge puzzle that they put together. It’s interesting because they have a broad idea, but when you’re in there and the creative juices are flowing, it’s been really cool, how all of these things about this story have just fallen perfectly together.

It’s felt very serendipitous, at times. There might be an issue with something, and then this other thing will present itself, and you’re like, “Oh, my gosh, this is even better than what we were thinking before.” It’s been a really cool experience, to walk down that serialized road, because it’s something we’ve never done before, and I feel like it plays really well. And then, moving forward, if we’re lucky enough to move forward, they have amazing ideas in mind, to keep this serialized. It’s a serialized procedural that’s just one big puzzle. I think the audience is gonna be really excited to tune in each week.

What are you enjoying about getting to dig deeper into her family and home life, after 15 seasons? Are you surprised that there are still things to learn about JJ? Is it bout her finding more of a balance between those two things?

COOK: That’s why I really love JJ. She’s very real. She’s a working mom. She’s not perfect. She’s just trying to do her best. That’s definitely where we pick up with her. We pick up with her when she’s exhausted, trying to work this job, that because of budget cuts and all these different situations, the BAU team has been broken up. The hive mind mentality isn’t there. What makes the BAU so incredible is this team of people that bounce ideas and thoughts off of each other. They’re starting solo, and that’s a tricky thing to do, when you’re used to having a whole group of people. She’s even more exhausted than normal. She’s picking up the slack. We also didn’t get Daniel [Henney] back (because he’s on The Wheel of Time), so we’re down a couple agents. And then, Rossi is struggling. JJ is being the woman and picking up the slack, trying to juggle, as best she can, but that takes its toll on a person’s psyche and on their relationships.

The divorce rate for people in this line of work is very high. The fact that this family is still standing and trying to get through the day is pretty impressive. Anytime we can dive a little deeper into the minds of our heroes, that’s what makes it fuller. They become more relatable. They’ve written in some really great personal storylines for all of us, so it’s a lot to play with. The cool thing about JJ this season isn’t a new story for her, but she’s always been able to juggle work and family life. What I think is really unique about this year is that they’re evolving, as a couple and a family. Her oldest isn’t a kid anymore and he’s starting to see things and hear things that they would normally be able to protect him from. Now, they’re trying to figure out how to parent a teenager. This is new for them. They’ve never had to do this. That’s very similar to my life too. It mirrors a lot that’s going on in my life. As an actor, it’s been really lovely to get to really dive into that.

Criminal Minds: Evolution is available to stream at Paramount+.