Though romance is really a moot point in Criminal Minds, among the sordid tales of homicidal horror and heartfelt gems depicting the BAU’s found family, romantic relationships are briefly yet beautifully handled by the show. From the heart-warming consistency of Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook) and Will LaMontagne Jr. (Josh Stewart), to Penelope Garcia’s (Kirsten Vangsness) bumbling relationship with Kevin Lynch (Nicholas Brendon), every on-screen romance has its own special charm while also playing the instrumental role of keeping our characters sane.
Criminal Minds: Evolution dips into potentially romantic waters as Jill Gideon (Felicity Huffman) arrives and stirs up a storm in David Rossi’s (Joe Mantegna) office. As a veteran of failed marriages (and of reconnecting with ex-wives), Rossi hits familiar territory as a blast from his past waltzes into his office to give him an earful — talk about swoon-worthy hatred. Every beat of the two profilers’ budding relationship is painted with a shared painful history and a mature reliability, making us beg for them to be endgame. We are overdue for a win after all.
Rossi and Jill Have an Explosive Reunion in ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’
Evolution’s Season 2, Episode 7 teased how Rossi would react when seeing Jill from the moment he forbids Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) from contacting her. And when they do reunite at the beginning of the next episode, it is positively explosive. Muffled insults are hurled at each other behind the closed office door, with snippets of hateful accusations and guilt-tripping remarks being let out every time the door slightly opens. Much of their arguments revolve around the late Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), who was also Jill’s ex-husband and a co-founder of the BAU, alongside Rossi and silent partner Jill. Though his death was off-screen, only mentioned in Season 10 as the team hunted down his killer, it still made a profound and sobering impact on the characters. Jill unfairly blames Rossi for his death, claiming he should have protected Jason better by staying in the BAU. However, Rossi points out Jason’s wanton obsessive nature, and fires back defensively while still landing low blows. Now if that doesn’t sound like the beginning of true love…
It is difficult not to conflate this passionate hate with just plain old passion, especially considering all the skirting around the two did in the previous episode. With Rossi pedantically refusing to allow Prentiss to contact her and Jill claiming she had “broken his heart,” there are clearly unresolved feelings between the two, whether that be romantic or not. As such, the initial heated chemistry between the pair is really just them blowing off some steam, years worth of it. Their dynamics evolve throughout the episode, as suddenly as the anger between them was broiled up. Rossi in particular softens up and embraces his more protective instincts he reserves for loved ones, and Jill admits Jason’s death was not Rossi’s fault, eventually seeing eye to eye. This contrast in raging and tender chemistry speaks to the long history the two characters share, as their relationship gradually tumbles through the emotional reunion and a tentative spark is lit between them, making us shift around in hesitant excitement.
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Needs To Spark Romance Between Rossi and Jill
Even after the span of one episode, it is evident that Jill and Rossi could not be more perfect for each other. Both have experienced their fair share of life, earning emotional scars from their committed careers in their respective fields and the morbid consequences of loved ones’ deaths constantly plaguing them because of it. As such, their bond is far more mature and contains more profound depth than any of the others we have seen with the younger BAU members. Despite the burdensome lines that weigh on their facial expressions, there is still a spry youthfulness that they bring out of each other. From that first volatile contact to the later serene scenes at Jill’s house, vitality finally dawns on Rossi’s face as he is able to release the shame he carried with him from his early days. This sort of change is also present in Jill, as her muscles finally relax around him, letting go of the grief and loss she was ailed with. Though their body language mirrors each other here, Jill also does something that completely cements how similar and compatible these two really are.
As they lounge on the couch, indulging in nostalgia while building the initial steps of building a profile for the Gold Star killers, Jill abruptly reaches over and kisses Rossi. While we’re screaming, Rossi turns heel and escapes, naturally befuddled by conflicting emotions and loyalties, which serves Jill’s purpose. While the heart-racing kiss was a deception on her behalf, there are easier ways to get rid of someone, so there must have been an inkling of those kinds of feelings towards Rossi. Which is also confirmed by the palpable sexual tension in the room. But it is her belligerence and determination to protect Rossi and solve the Gold Star problem herself that likens the two. Ross has proved time and time again that he would sacrifice himself to ensure his friends and family’s safety, no matter how bull-headed the decision is, which is how he ended up in Elias Voit’s (Zach Gilford) bunker. Reflecting the behavior that we would expect from him, Jill reveals stubborn aspects of her personality that may directly conflict with Rossi’s mirrored traits, but this simply promises us a deliciously dramatic romance rather than raising any real red flags.
Rossi and Jill’s Potential Romance Is Well-Deserved
Criminal Minds loves bringing up the fact that Rossi has three failed marriages, and also loves destroying any romantic relationship he has in the most tragic and heart-breaking way possible.The poor man cannot catch a break. His first ex-wife asks him to euthanize her after her ALS deteriorates, and she eventually dies in his arms. His second ex-wife had hidden an entire daughter and granddaughter from him. And his third ex-wife also passed away from cancer just after they got re-married. Not to mention the strange romantic relationship he had with Chief Justice Strauss (Jayne Atkinson), that only ends in her gruesomely orchestrated death, once again. Jill may not have explicitly broken his heart the first time around, but she kicked off a trend that doomed Rossi’s love life to the hands of the grim reaper, leaving him broken and alone.
He divulges to Prentiss the true reason why he left the BAU. As Jill and Rossi became each other’s support system under the stringent tyranny of Jason, Rossi began conjuring up thoughts of “he is not good enough for her” that deeply disturbed him. Reuniting with Jill and fondly reminiscing over Jason eases both their apprehensive feelings surrounding his death. With Jill still single after all these years as well, it is clear their relationship all those years ago had some sort of significance that didn’t really allow them to move on properly. Instead, both characters find themselves married to the job, with only whispers of their previous heartaches managing to make an appearance through their Jason-like obsession.
Backed by a long-winding and painful shared past, which is conveyed through the grounded and compelling performances by Mantegna and Huffman, the two profilers have long since earned their shot at redeeming their love life. Coming back full circle to reunite with their first loves (which may have been platonic before but certainly isn’t now), would be a well-deserved happy ending and the beacon of hope us fans desperately need to see.
Criminal Minds: Evolution is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.