During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider,A.J.
Collider: When a show comes back, youre never sure what to expect.
Its really cool to have that balance of the two.
COOK: Yeah, thats why we were so interested in doing this.
Its nice that we have this opportunity to do the streaming version of our show.
COOK: It was this interesting dichotomy of, What?
Image via Paramount+
We dont do that here.
Its awesome that were doing it.
So, its fun.
Image via Paramount+
I like the edgier version of our show.
This isnt the last time were gonna do this, as a group.
We always knew that we were gonna do it again.
Image via Paramount+
We were thrilled to be doing this again because we were all so close.
We were already missing each other because of that.
It was so much fun to have everyone in one place, on a screen.
There was a lot of laughter.
You didnt really have to convince any of us to come back.
Im sure it also helps that its 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 thats 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 its such a compelling storyline.
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 shes 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 weve written that into the show.
That comes across in the performances, so its genuine.
This storyline, in particular, with this serial killer connection 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.
I think its cool.
Was that your idea?
How did that come about?
COOK: Its so unique and so bizarre.
Do you wanna just use your baby?
Or we can use a fake baby.
It just happened that way.
Nothing is a true marker of time like children because you see how much they grow.
I think its really cool to see.
People are gonna be really shocked when they see how big little Henry is and little Michael.
Theyre big boys now.
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 Ive been given here.
Im not only acting with my kids, but Im directing them.
Its just such a beautiful environment, on our set.
Thats 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: Id say as a director.
My oldest is 14 now, and hes just angsty.
But they both did great.
It was a lot of fun, and theyre good boys.
How did directing this time around compare to when you did it before?
COOK: I love directing so much.
But you surround yourself with really good people around the monitor, and youre like, Did that work?
I cant watch it.
It takes a village.
He gave me a big hug and made me feel really welcome.
So, both Matthew and Shemar made me feel very welcome.
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.
Ive grown up a lot since that first day, and Ive learned a lot of lessons.
Im so very grateful.
Do you hope he will return, if this continues?
COOK: That was actually one of my big things about coming back.
I didnt wanna come back, if he wasnt coming back because our characters are so close.
I understand that he couldnt 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.
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.
COOK: It does.
Ive walked up and looked into their offices, and theres just stuff everywhere.
Its like a serial killers lair.
Its a big, huge puzzle that they put together.
Its felt very serendipitous, at times.
Its a serialized procedural thats 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: Thats why I really love JJ.
Shes a working mom.
Shes just trying to do her best.
Thats definitely where we pick up with her.
The hive mind mentality isnt there.
Shes even more exhausted than normal.
Shes picking up the slack.
And then, Rossi is struggling.
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, thats what makes it fuller.
They become more relatable.
Now, theyre trying to figure out how to parent a teenager.
This is new for them.
Theyve never had to do this.
Thats very similar to my life too.
It mirrors a lot thats going on in my life.
As an actor, its been really lovely to get to really dive into that.
Criminal Minds: Evolutionis available to stream at Paramount+.
