Aahana Swrup
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution,’ the Paramount+ crime show, continues the ‘Criminal Minds’ legacy and storyline through a number of original characters scattered across the main and supporting cast. William LaMontagne Jr., the husband of the BUA agent JJ, is one such character who has stuck around with the franchise for a long time. His narrative comes to the forefront in season 1 of the revival project, when his appearances become more frequent and he becomes a consistent participant in the overarching plot. Nonetheless, season 2 saw the detective and devoted father once again exiting the central storyline. In fact, his character remains starkly absent from that entire season. For the same reason, actor Josh Stewart’s brief return to the show in season 3 episode 2, ‘The Zookeeper,’ is bound to raise questions about the fate of his character in the show. SPOILERS AHEAD!
An Aneurysm Spells Out Will’s Doom
In season 1 of ‘Evolution,’ Will’s last consistent storyline in the show, the character underwent a slight cancer scare after undergoing his insurance physical tests. Fortunately, it turned out to only be an inflamed thyroid, which was easily treated, allowing the detective to return to his regular life. Furthermore, he even survives getting shot at by Elias Voit later in the plot, thanks to his bulletproof vest that saves his life. Thus, everything was stable in the LaMontagne-Jareau house. Even though JJ’s husband never had a prominent physical appearance in the following season, their family life continued to go strong. Even off-screen, Will and Henry, the couple’s son, continue to remain crucial support systems for the BUA agent.
Season 3 finds the family in a similar dynamic, where JJ’s home life offers a much-needed escape and respite from complications at work. However, the bliss only lasts so long when a random weekday morning ends up bringing a grave tragedy into the family’s life. While in the kitchen, preparing breakfast alongside his wife, Will experiences an aneurysm and collapses to the floor. Later, at the hospital, his wife gets confirmation of his unexpected passing. As it turns out, there had been a spontaneous rupture of the ehyroid artery, which ultimately led down fatal roads. Despite Will’s faded involvement in the central plot, his demise is sure to affect the narrative in significant ways, especially when it comes to JJ’s character. Furthermore, the exit of a character that has been in the franchise for so long speaks to the show’s continuously evolving nature.
Josh Stewart Has Taken His Exit From Criminal Minds
Despite Josh Stewart’s long-running appearance on ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution,’ the actor’s exit from the franchise has been imminent for some time now. After Will’s prominent role in season 1 of the revival show, many fans must have expected his character to retain a recurring role in the series. Nonetheless, prior to the release of season 2, actor Josh Stewart took to his social media to inform the fans of his official departure. “No sadly,” He told a Fan on X (formerly known as Twitter), responding to their question about whether or not he would return for the next season. He added, “My days of playing Will LaMontagne Jr. are over. You guys (the fans) have been the absolute best.”
Similarly, the showrunner Erica Messer also discussed the matter in a conversation with TV Line in May 2024. She shared, “We tried to make it (the inclusion of a storyline for Will) 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.” Earlier still, the showrunner had also alluded to a possible health complication for Will, caused by his thyroid problem, asserting that he wasn’t “out of the woods.”
Therefore, it seems with season 3, the time had simply come for Stewart to make his exit from the show final and official, leaving no tangible hope for his character’s return in the future. Still, the actor’s career continues to flourish outside of ‘Criminal Minds.’ Fans can catch some of his recent work in the period drama show ‘Manhunt,’ in which he plays the recurring role of Wallace. Likewise, he also helmed the mystery thriller film ‘Lifeline’ as the lead, Steven Thomas. Stewart is also looking forward to adding notable projects like Marcus Dunstan’s ‘The Collected’ and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming ‘The Odyssey’ into his filmography. Thus, it seems fans of Will and his actor have plenty to look forward to!
Read More: Criminal Minds Evolution Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: Swimmer’s Calculus
