A question (answered) on Emily and JJ

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

This was over on Fancast

This season on ‘Criminal Minds,’ it appears that JJ and Emily have switched roles in regards to how they’re responding to the cases they’re taking. In the past, Emily was more controlled/compartmentalized and JJ more emotional. Is the switching of roles intentional or perceived? – Shawn

Responding on behalf of the show he created, Ed Bernero says, “I’m not sure we agree that their roles have changed. JJ, though she has always been ‘tougher’ than anyone else, was always the character more apt to display compassion, because it is part of her job to do the most interaction with family and with stressed cops. As far as Emily, we think she’s still the tough, controlled cop she always was, though as an only child she’s becoming much more used to operating within the family and caring about other people – i.e. the team.” Sounds like “perceived” to me, Shawn.

I'd have to agree on 'perceived'. I haven't seen a switching of roles. In fact, I've seen a lot of similarities among the ladies for some time now, unlike the fellas on the team. I think both women have had a lot happen on the job. Emily was probably a lot better at compartmentalization in the beginning (Revelations) because she didn't go through half the stuff she's been through since joining the team.

And hey, that answers any question about whether Emily has any siblings! =)

Comments

[artistic-angle.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen switching of roles either but yay for the ladies getting some sort of attention/thought. :) Thanks for posting.

[shelcha.livejournal.com]

your icon is epic.

[djan31.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I feel about the same, haven't really seen the roles switch. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of JJ, so maybe I haven't been paying much attention, haha.

[finnickodair.livejournal.com]

Your icon. It makes me lol. XD

[djan31.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! I was so torn between it and dancing Gubler, but it was just too funny.

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

Your icon is awesome!

[djan31.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Props to the person who made it, I'm not recalling a UN at the moment...=/

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

and I might be cracking up at how out of 8 comments in a post about JJ and Emily, half are focused on a Reid icon. lol

Me thinks this is why the PM feature was added to LJ. ;-)

[britt-m-89.livejournal.com]

madlori made it. I've been wanting to use it, but i wasn't sure if she wanted other people to use it.

[djan31.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah? I found it in an icon post, so I just assumed...

[britt-m-89.livejournal.com]

no I'm not saying she didn't want other people to use it, I just hadn't seen anybody else use it and I didn't know where to leave a comment. I like to give credit for the icons I use, so I didn't feel right using it unless it was okay.

[nebula99.livejournal.com]

I think that's a bit of a weird question. I don't think JJ has ever been particularly emotional - I think she's always been very in control, whereas Emily has had the role of the conscience of the team - questioning what they do and what she does.

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

I thought it was kind of weird too. Looking back, I know there was an episode in season 3 that JJ seemed rather inexplicably emotional Birthright. I kept feeling that I was missing something, maybe a plot arc they were planning on going with. If anything, I would have expected to see her as affected after North Mammon and Revelations.

As for Emily, I remember her start and the exchange between her, Hotch and JJ where her 'compartmentalization' ability is mentioned. But with all she's gone through since...I'd consider her subhuman if she didn't show some emotion. A telling scene of that change was at the end of Open Season, where she asks Morgan what makes them (BAU) different than the unsubs they hunt.

[artistic-angle.livejournal.com]

ITA on both ladies.

I also think it's a normal and human progression for people to start opening up and show feelings/emotions the more comfortable they get with others, especially when it comes to a job she hasn't been doing before. That's what I've seen on Emily at least.

[shelcha.livejournal.com]

I think Birthright was just JJ's episode to have a mini breakdown. To show that she was human and her job was as hard as the others.

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

I'm not so sure. I didn't really see her have a breakdown in Birthright, she was just rather emotional. I thought they did a terrific job showing she can be affected with North Mammon, the season before.

I'd have to check the timeline but maybe Birthright should have been a sign of JJ being pregnant? Not that there HAS to be a reason for her to show emotions, it just seemed (to me) that the focus was leading up to something we never saw realized.

[shelcha.livejournal.com]

I think Birthright was too early in the season for jj being in pregnant. It was during strike season, maybe the focus you were seeing was supposed to go somewhere that had to get dropped.

[shelcha.livejournal.com]

I think they were talking more about her being the one who deals mostly with the victims and their families. Doing more of the notifications and stuff of that nature. When it comes to herself she's pretty in control but she's very compassionate.

[nebula99.livejournal.com]

I agree that she's always been compassionate - but that's different from being overtly emotional. I still don't see that JJ has been "more emotional" - she feels things, yes, but she has rarely expressed that.

[shelcha.livejournal.com]

Well, the person asking the question was the one who called her emotional. Ed B was talking about her being compassionate and he said she was tougher.

[scarimor.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. And re. JJ - she wasnt particularly emotional before anyway, she's always been the toughie.

And hey, that answers any question about whether Emily has any siblings! =)

Great timing :)