• JJ (A.J. Prepare dinner) and the remainder of the BAU collect for Will's funeral within the newest episode of Legal Minds: Evolution.
• The episode additionally options the return of fan-favorite Spencer Reid, performed by Matthew Grey Gubler.
• Prepare dinner speaks to EW about her longtime TV husband's huge loss of life, the reunion between JJ and Reid, that slap from the late Linda Lavin, and extra.

It’s onerous to say goodbye.

Within the latest episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, a grieving JJ (A.J. Prepare dinner) grapples with the funeral of her longtime husband Will (Josh Stewart), a staple since season 2 of the unique CBS drama. The detective and father of her two boys (performed by Prepare dinner’s sons Mekhai and Phoenix) suffered an aneurysm after a thyroid artery rupture following a well being scare.

Will’s kitchen collapse, it seems, was filmed a number of seasons in the past, lengthy earlier than Stewart’s resolution to exit the present. “We pulled it as a result of it felt so improper,” Prepare dinner tells Leisure Weekly of the scene. “We didn't wish to put Will in that place.” However within the wake of Stewart's shock departure, showrunner Erica Messer salvaged the scene for Thursday’s emotional sendoff. “We remembered, ‘Oh my gosh, we have now this footage that we by no means used as a result of we didn’t wish to use it.'”

Although Stewart’s exit took the crew unexpectedly, there’s nothing however love there. “I actually have such admiration and respect for Josh,” Prepare dinner says. “We've recognized one another endlessly. We've carried out motion pictures collectively. He and my husband are pals. He’s so missed. However once more, the present has to go on. We simply needed to do it.”

Additionally within the episode: Matthew Grey Gubler’s grand — albeit temporary — return as Spencer Reid. Prepare dinner talks about calling up her outdated pal to ask him to return, the “superb line” of reuniting JJ and Reid, getting slapped by the late Linda Lavin, and extra.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your preliminary response while you discovered about Will’s destiny?

A.J. COOK: It took all of us unexpectedly after we discovered that he wasn't going to be coming again. It took some time for us to course of that and to determine what was subsequent. I believe if we have been nonetheless on CBS with our authentic format, we wouldn't have taken this route as a result of we've gone seasons with out seeing him. It was extra procedural again then. However with this new format, an enormous a part of the present is the private lives of those characters that we love a lot. After a lot deliberation, we do what we at all times do on this present: we write to life. You don't get to decide on when somebody dies. Life occurs and it blindsides you. And I believe that's why this hurts so badly. We have been all so in opposition to it, however we didn’t have a say. So how can we transfer ahead with out feeling like we’re in a jail of how we are able to write for JJ? We wished this household secure and guarded so badly that after we initially wrote in that most cancers storyline, we hated it a lot … imagine me, if we had Josh coming again, we wouldn't have shot such a brief little factor like that. We’d've milked it.

Not solely does the late and nice Linda Lavin seem as Will’s grieving mom, however she slaps you squarely throughout the face. What was it like sparring together with her? And have been these slaps actual?

What an honor to be slapped by Linda Lavin. I needed to swear at that girl, OK? Twice! She is so vigorous and giving as an actress. And living proof — one second you're doing a scene with an individual, the following you discover out that they've handed away. You'd do something to return in time to make it not so. However she was such a drive. It's one of many nice honors of my life that I received to behave together with her earlier than she handed. There was such an ease between the 2 of us. We have been on the identical wavelength so far as how we method scenes. She didn’t slap me. We simply made it look actual good.

Matthew Grey Gubler makes his long-awaited return. What was the environment like on set that day?

It felt like a homecoming. It was actually great. I used to be so pleased that he got here again to do that with us. Once we have been within the conception of this episode, Erica and I saved going again to the thought of Spence having to be there. It will really feel like an enormous piece of the puzzle is lacking if he couldn't be there. I referred to as him up and I used to be like, “Hey, bud, what are you doing? Do you wish to come do that?” And being the gracious human that he’s, he agreed. After I advised him what was occurring [with] Will, he was like, "Are you kidding me? I’ll completely be there." It was a brief look, however so impactful. It meant the world to me and to our solid and I do know it meant lots to him, too.

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I did wish to contact on that. I already know some of us shall be sad with the minimal display screen time between JJ and Reid. What are your ideas on individuals nonetheless using that ship so a few years later? You’ve spoken about feeling bizarre about that as a result of they’re besties.

That’s what I used to be going to say. And having him come again at her husband’s funeral the place these characters have mentioned that they love one another? It was a superb line. We didn’t wish to give off that vibe in any respect. We wished it to be like, that is your finest buddy exhibiting up for you in your time of want. In order that's why it was a delicate factor. It was like, can we hug? Can we not hug? What are the individuals going to assume? It's so polarized relating to [the JJ and Reid shippers]. Everyone seems to be allowed to have a fantasy and assume what they need. We have been very cautious about that. And Erica did let the general public know that sure, he's coming again, however I believe her quote was, "He's a small half in a extremely huge episode," which is true. However you may’t please all people. We do our greatest.

A whole lot of of us don’t notice that your sons play your TV sons. This was a really heavy episode. What sort of conversations did you will have previous to filming? Was it troublesome to shoot?

This was an enormous a part of the choice making in all of this, too. My boys are extremely smart, very emotionally steady, well-grounded people who grew up on this set. They comprehend it's performing. However I can see how these traces would look blurry to the outsider trying in. What individuals don't see is that once they name “minimize,” Matthew Grey Gubler is flipping my youngest son round his head. It was so joyful. It was such a juxtaposition. We have been all celebrating being collectively and having enjoyable. Additionally, as a mom, I'm not against youngsters feeling huge feelings. They need to. You possibly can't defend your little one from huge feelings and the what-ifs of life. I believe that's a disservice to them in a means. My children, they get it. We had among the most stunning reminiscences I'll have in my lifetime [during] that two week stretch of capturing that episode. There was a lot pleasure concerned in making this episode although it got here throughout as so unhappy. However they know Josh rather well, and my husband is pals with Josh. However yeah, it was completely one thing that I had to consider and talked to the youngsters about. They usually have been like, “Mother, are you critical? We’re good.”

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What is going to the remainder of JJ’s arc appear like this season as she navigates this grief?

It's going to be messy. Grief shouldn’t be fairly. There's so many layers to grief and we're going to the touch on quite a lot of them. And I’ll say that she is going to discover therapeutic and luxury in essentially the most surprising locations with essentially the most surprising individuals. How’s that for a carrot dangling?

Or a Cheeto dangling.

A Cheeto, yeah.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.

New episodes of Legal Minds: Evolution drop Thursdays on Paramount+.

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