The longevity of a television franchise is rarely an accident of fate; it is the result of meticulous brand management and the strategic cultivation of character equity. For over seventeen years, Criminal Minds has maintained a dominant position in the procedural landscape, not just through its “unsub” of the week, but through the peripheral characters who ground the high-stakes world of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Among these, the character of Will LaMontagne Jr., husband to Special Agent Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, stands as a prime example of how secondary character branding can dictate audience retention and emotional investment.
As the series transitioned from its original run on CBS to the grittier, serialized reboot Criminal Minds: Evolution on Paramount+, the narrative handling of Will LaMontagne Jr. became a focal point for brand analysts and fans alike. Understanding “what happened” to Will is not merely a question of plot, but a study in how a brand manages legacy assets during a corporate and creative pivot.
The Character as a Strategic Brand Asset
In the world of television branding, characters are more than just roles; they are assets that represent specific values to the audience. Will LaMontagne Jr., portrayed by Josh Stewart, was introduced in Season 2 as a New Orleans detective. Over the years, his brand identity evolved from a guest-star romantic interest into a fundamental pillar of the show’s domestic “safety” brand.
Establishing the Archetype of the Supportive Partner
From a brand strategy perspective, Will filled a vital niche that the core BAU members could not: the “normalizing” force. While the show focused on the darkest corners of the human psyche, Will represented the resilience of the traditional family unit. His character brand was built on reliability, southern stoicism, and unwavering support. By positioning Will as the blue-collar counterpart to the high-level federal agents, the showrunners created a relatable entry point for the audience. This “domestic brand” allowed viewers to decompress from the horror of the crimes, ensuring the show didn’t become too monochromatic in its darkness.
The Emotional Anchor of the JJ-Will Dynamic
The “JJ and Will” relationship became a sub-brand within the Criminal Minds universe. In a genre where marriages often fail due to the pressures of the job, their partnership was marketed as a rare success story. This consistency became a “brand promise” to the viewers: no matter how horrific the case, the Jareau-LaMontagne household remained a sanctuary. This strategic positioning made any threat to Will’s character feel like an assault on the show’s emotional foundation, a tactic used effectively to drive engagement during sweeps weeks and season finales.
Rebranding the Procedural: The Transition to Criminal Minds: Evolution
When Criminal Minds was revived as Criminal Minds: Evolution, the brand underwent a significant transformation. The transition from a broadcast network (CBS) to a streaming platform (Paramount+) allowed for a “rebranding” of the show’s tone, pacing, and maturity. This shift necessitated a re-evaluation of all character arcs, including Will’s.
Pivoting for the Streaming Market
In the streaming era, the “case of the week” format is often secondary to long-form, serialized character development. To keep the Criminal Minds brand competitive with high-prestige dramas, the writers had to introduce more personal stakes. This is where the strategy for Will LaMontagne Jr. shifted. He could no longer simply be the supportive husband in the background; he had to be integrated into the central tension of the season to justify his “screen real estate” in a tighter, 10-episode format.
The Shift Toward Serialized Brand Storytelling
The “Evolution” brand focused on the toll the job takes on the agents’ private lives. By moving Will into a more central role, the showrunners leveraged his established brand equity to heighten the drama. The audience already had fifteen years of emotional investment in him, making him the perfect vehicle for a high-stakes subplot. This move was a calculated risk to increase “watch time” and social media discourse—two key metrics for streaming success.
Navigating Crisis: The Will LaMontagne Health Arc
The question of “what happened” to Will in the revival series centers on a major health scare that served as a primary narrative driver for Season 16. This plot point was a classic “brand stress test,” designed to see how much emotional pressure the audience could withstand before the “domestic sanctuary” brand was irrevocably broken.
The Narrative Pivot: From Supportive Spouse to Central Focus
Early in Criminal Minds: Evolution, Will reveals to JJ that he is concerned about his health, specifically mentioning he has been undergoing tests for what he fears is cancer. This immediately shifted his character brand from “the rock” to “the vulnerable.” From a storytelling perspective, this served to humanize JJ further, showing her in a position of helplessness that she rarely occupies in the field.
The strategy was clear: raise the stakes to the highest possible level. By threatening the health of a beloved legacy character, the show ensured that the domestic scenes were just as tense as the hunt for the serial killer Elias Voit. This dual-track tension is a hallmark of modern “prestige” branding in television.
Managing Audience Expectations through High-Stakes Tropes
The “cancer scare” is a powerful, if somewhat common, narrative trope. However, the Criminal Minds writers handled it with a specific brand of realism. It was eventually revealed that Will had an inflamed lymph node and a treatable thyroid issue rather than terminal cancer.
This resolution was a strategic middle ground. It provided the necessary drama to fuel the season’s emotional arc without the permanent brand damage of killing off a character who represents the show’s moral and domestic center. It allowed the brand to “have its cake and eat it too”—reaping the rewards of a high-stakes medical drama while maintaining the status quo of the family unit for future seasons.
The Impact of Actor Departure on Brand Identity
Despite the resolution of the health scare, the brand faced a new challenge: the real-world departure of the actor. In early 2024, Josh Stewart announced that he would not be returning for the subsequent season of Criminal Minds: Evolution. This news sent shockwaves through the fanbase and required a swift pivot in the show’s long-term brand strategy.
The Josh Stewart Exit and Character Finality
When an actor who has been part of a brand for nearly two decades decides to move on, it creates a “continuity vacuum.” For Criminal Minds, Will’s absence is not just a plot hole; it is a disruption of the “JJ Brand.” Much of JJ’s character development over the last decade has been tied to her role as a wife and mother.
The “what happened” in this context becomes a matter of off-screen transition. The show must now decide how to retire the character of Will. Will he be written off as being away on a long-term assignment? Or will the writers take the more drastic step of an off-screen death or divorce? Each choice carries a different brand risk. A death provides closure but destroys the “happy ending” brand promise; a divorce feels out of character for the established brand identity of the couple.
Maintaining Brand Loyalty in the Post-Will Era
The management of Josh Stewart’s exit will be a litmus test for the show’s creative leadership. To maintain brand loyalty, the writers must honor the seventeen years of history Will represents. If the transition is handled poorly, it risks alienating “legacy fans”—the core demographic that followed the show from CBS to Paramount+.
The strategy moving forward will likely focus on JJ’s resilience. By rebranding JJ as a “single parent” or a “widow” (depending on the narrative choice), the show can explore new thematic territories. However, the shadow of Will LaMontagne Jr. will remain a significant part of the franchise’s DNA. His journey from a local cop in New Orleans to the heart of the BAU’s domestic life remains one of the most successful examples of long-term character branding in modern television.
In conclusion, what happened to JJ’s husband is a narrative journey that mirrors the evolution of the Criminal Minds brand itself. It moved from the stable, predictable patterns of network television to the high-stakes, transformative nature of the streaming era. While the actor may be departing, the strategic impact of the Will LaMontagne character—as a symbol of stability, a tool for emotional engagement, and a pillar of the show’s domestic identity—will continue to influence how the franchise is branded for years to come.
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