Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Criminal Minds episode "Family Tree." Read at your own risk!
Criminal Minds is only a week away from its grand finale, which may be why it's laying the groundwork for where the team could end up. Two characters got some big opportunities in this episode, though it remains to be seen how it will shake out. Will Prentiss and JJ keep their roles within the team, or will the series finale show them moving on to bigger and potentially better things?
The episode opened with Prentiss getting a job offer that would certainly elevate her status from where she's presently at in the BAU: Director of the FBI. Prentiss was shocked by the offer, and admitted it was a lot to take in. There was no pressure to get an answer just yet, as there would be several months before the transition period really needed to kick off. Prentiss was told to keep the discussion under wraps, which she honored.
It was solid advice that JJ could've used, as she revealed to Penelope and Spencer a big offer that came her way, as well. Apparently, JJ had put in for a position change years ago, and a new gig had finally surfaced, which meant she was being offered the job. If she accepted, she and her family would be moving on to New Orleans, which was something that shocked both Penelope and Spencer.
Truth be told, Spencer took it better than Penelope. That may have something to do with his new relationship, and the fact that he more or less knows he and JJ will never be a thing after their long conversation. That's not to say he was thrilled to hear that his friend was leaving, but it certainly wasn't the crushed reaction Criminal Minds fans may have expected in the past.
Penelope spilled the beans to Simmons, Lewis, and Alvez, which was a little dirty after saying that she was way better at keeping secrets than Spencer. Her plan was to get the rest of the team in the know, so they could collectively "gang up on" JJ and convince her to stay on the team and not leave for New Orleans. So, expect to hear some push back and more discussions about this in the final episodes.
While it would be surprising to hear that two team members will be heading off for new jobs in the finale (especially since we were promised that no big changes would happen at the end), technically, JJ and Prentiss would still be fighting crime, just in new ways. While it would be nice to see the finale storyline work towards some form of fan service, it’s not like there will be any major impact on the story unless CBS is considering springing a spinoff on us with one of these characters at some point.
Criminal Minds is going out with a bang in its series finale, with the final two episodes set to air on CBS Wednesday, February 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for what may come from the finale, and for a look at what else is happening in the world of television and movies.
