Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19 premiered with two episodes on Thursday, May 28. And though many fan-favorite characters are returning as the BAU investigates a series of dark new cases and races to catch another dangerous UnSub, one person will be noticeably absent this time around: William LaMontage Jr., played by Josh Stewart.
As Season 19’s premiere checks back in with everyone in the BAU, we see Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) helping JJ (A.J. Cook) and her sons move out of their house. Leaving a family home behind is an inherently emotional step, but as JJ takes a moment alone, grabs one final look at the inside the house, and recalls a slew of core memories made there, it’s clear she’s still processing a larger grief. And her husband Will’s absence is absolutely felt.
If you watched Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 18, then you saw what happened to Will. But if you need a refresher, have to catch up on the show, or are jumping into the Paramount+ series with the latest season, then you’re likely wondering “What happened to Will on Criminal Minds?” and “Did JJ’s husband die?” We’ve got answers below.
What Happened To Will On Criminal Minds? How Did JJ’s Husband Die In Criminal Minds?
Criminal Minds: Evolution shocked fans and characters alike in Season 18, Episode 2 by abruptly killing off Josh Stewart’s Detective William LaMontagne Jr. in a devastating twist. So what happened to Will? Why did the show write him off? And why did Josh Stewart leave Criminal Minds?
Will spent the majority of Season 18’s first two episodes away on a case, but towards the end of Episode 1802, JJ found him standing in the kitchen complaining of a migraine. “I just feel kind of weird,” Will said, holding his head. When JJ asked if he was OK, he replied, “Yeah, I just need a minute,” then collapsed to the floor, prompting a worried JJ to call 911.
Right before the episode concluded, BAU members who raced to the ER learned that Will suffered an aneurism and doctors found signs of a rare “spontaneous rupture of the inferior thyroid artery.” While everyone hoped he’d pull through, JJ walked into the hospital waiting room and emotionally revealed, “He’s gone. Will’s dead.” UGH!
Why Did Josh Stewart Leave Criminal Minds: Evolution? Why Criminal Minds Killed Will Off
Since Stewart’s character was introduced all the way back in Season 2, Episode 18, he and JJ got married in Season 7, and he’d been a permanent fixture on the series for nearly two decades, viewers were stunned by Will’s death and mourned him alongside Criminal Mind‘s characters.
Stewart confirmed in January 2024 that he wouldn’t be returning to the series as Will. And when asked about Will’s departure from the show in a 2024 interview with TVLine, showrunner Erica Messer explained, “We tried to make it work for this year and it just didn’t work out. We love Will, JJ loves Will… and that’s always a part of her world and her character.”
In a recent interview with UsWeekly, Stewart said, “I would have played Will and popped in and out of that show forever. I love playing that dude.” As for his departure from the show, he was surprised just like fans, but said, “It’s business. That is the way it goes.”
As we saw throughout Season 18 and at the start of Season 19, Will’s death and the grief and aftermath experienced by JJ will factor into the show. And in post-mortem interviews that followed the heartbreaking Season 18 episode, Criminal Minds: Evolution‘s cast shed some light on Stewart’s departure and what the show has in store for JJ.
Cook told Entertainment Weekly that the scene where Will collapsed in the kitchen “was filmed several seasons ago, long before Stewart’s decision to exit the show… We pulled it because it felt so wrong. We didn’t want to put Will in that position.”
Per EW, “In the wake of Stewart’s surprise departure, showrunner Erica Messer salvaged the scene for Thursday’s emotional sendoff. ‘We remembered, ‘Oh my gosh, we have this footage that we never used because we did not want to use it.’” Cook added, “I truly have such admiration and respect for Josh. We’ve known each other forever. We’ve done movies together. He and my husband are friends. He is so missed. But again, the show has to go on. We just had to do it.”
In an interview with TVLine, Aisha Tyler, who portrays Tara and directed the emotional episode, said, “That was a very seminal moment for the characters, for the series.” When asked about the impact Will’s death will have on the series, she explained, “[JJ’s] going to have to work through this incredible loss, and how does it affect her work, how does it affect her children… For anybody out there who has lost a loved one, it’s obviously very devastating, and then the question becomes, ‘How do I go on? Can I go on?’”
In addition to putting the team — and crucially, JJ — through the emotional ringer, Will’s death also briefly brought Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid back into the picture for the funeral.
So what does Season 19 have in store for JJ and her family now that Will is gone? Tune into new Criminal Minds: Evolution episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ to find out.
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