Thanks to Tyler for the heads up.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What can you tell us about Jennifer’s decision not to return?
ERICA MESSER: I didn’t know she was pregnant until really the end of the calendar year, which was still early, although we had already broken the finale at that point. There was definitely some going back and having more finality to her character. We had already set up that the episode would be about Kate and her family and the horrific thing that happens with her daughter Meg being abducted. That was already in play, but what wasn’t in play was writing her out by any means. We went back into the writers’ room and discussed options of how to do that.
It felt like we had every opportunity to write to the truth of it: She’s having another baby. Although on the show she hasn’t had, physically, two babies, she does have two kids: She has Meg, who she’s been raising since she was an infant, and we wrote in that the character is going to have another baby. There was an opportunity there to write towards the truth. Jennifer wanted to be able to give this second baby everything she gave her first, and that’s taking time off to be a full-time mom. Because she’s due in July, when we would start shooting season 11, timing-wise there was no way for her to do both, to be able to give that baby everything she wanted to give that baby and still be on our show. We wrote to that, and that’s how season 10 ends. It’s a bittersweet idea of “life is full of choices and they define who you are.” She makes the decision to leave the team for a while. It’s really lovely and real, not only because it was happening off-screen, but because I know those things happen in real life too.
Are you leaving the door open for her to return for a potential 12th season?
Yeah, we left it open creatively. Hotch says, “You always have a place here,” and we believe that wholeheartedly off-screen as well. It was a great season and we had a lot of fun with her. One of the great things about our show is you can leave those doors open. We rarely kill anyone. That opportunity for paths to cross again is definitely open. Everybody is on board with that. Of course, no one has a crystal ball, so it’s hard to predict two years from now what’s going on—or a year from now. But it’s something we’d definitely creatively keep open.
Have you spoken with Jennifer about making a cameo next season, or are you moving on and thinking about what new characters you can introduce?
We’re moving on, and thinking about new ideas and characters and what we can play on with our mythology after 10 years. I really want to honor her wishes of being able to go home and concentrate on being a mama to two babies. I’ve been there; it’s a lot of work. I haven’t even approached that with her yet. But because we’ve left the door open, if there’s a massive case and we need to call Kate back, that’s something I’d love to be able to do.
What are you looking for in a new character for next season?
It’s such a big discussion with so many cooks in the kitchen. We haven’t really concentrated on that yet. Our season in the writers’ room will begin June 1, so that’s our work for the beginning of season 11. We have had a revolving door, and sometimes there might be fun in [bringing back someone] who’s come in that door and say, “Hey, do you want to come back and play for a little bit?” Which would be amazing because it’s always a fun thing when shows get to bring people back. It takes a lot of us getting together and talking about what we’ve seen and what we need. It feels like there’s nothing missing on our team. We’ve got such a great group. Our core group that everyone’s known and loved for so many years cover all of our bases, so anything on top of it is like a bonus. This might be a good opportunity to bring in a fun guest star for a while and maybe shake it up a little bit.
ERICA MESSER: I didn’t know she was pregnant until really the end of the calendar year, which was still early, although we had already broken the finale at that point. There was definitely some going back and having more finality to her character. We had already set up that the episode would be about Kate and her family and the horrific thing that happens with her daughter Meg being abducted. That was already in play, but what wasn’t in play was writing her out by any means. We went back into the writers’ room and discussed options of how to do that.
It felt like we had every opportunity to write to the truth of it: She’s having another baby. Although on the show she hasn’t had, physically, two babies, she does have two kids: She has Meg, who she’s been raising since she was an infant, and we wrote in that the character is going to have another baby. There was an opportunity there to write towards the truth. Jennifer wanted to be able to give this second baby everything she gave her first, and that’s taking time off to be a full-time mom. Because she’s due in July, when we would start shooting season 11, timing-wise there was no way for her to do both, to be able to give that baby everything she wanted to give that baby and still be on our show. We wrote to that, and that’s how season 10 ends. It’s a bittersweet idea of “life is full of choices and they define who you are.” She makes the decision to leave the team for a while. It’s really lovely and real, not only because it was happening off-screen, but because I know those things happen in real life too.
Are you leaving the door open for her to return for a potential 12th season?
Yeah, we left it open creatively. Hotch says, “You always have a place here,” and we believe that wholeheartedly off-screen as well. It was a great season and we had a lot of fun with her. One of the great things about our show is you can leave those doors open. We rarely kill anyone. That opportunity for paths to cross again is definitely open. Everybody is on board with that. Of course, no one has a crystal ball, so it’s hard to predict two years from now what’s going on—or a year from now. But it’s something we’d definitely creatively keep open.
Have you spoken with Jennifer about making a cameo next season, or are you moving on and thinking about what new characters you can introduce?
We’re moving on, and thinking about new ideas and characters and what we can play on with our mythology after 10 years. I really want to honor her wishes of being able to go home and concentrate on being a mama to two babies. I’ve been there; it’s a lot of work. I haven’t even approached that with her yet. But because we’ve left the door open, if there’s a massive case and we need to call Kate back, that’s something I’d love to be able to do.
What are you looking for in a new character for next season?
It’s such a big discussion with so many cooks in the kitchen. We haven’t really concentrated on that yet. Our season in the writers’ room will begin June 1, so that’s our work for the beginning of season 11. We have had a revolving door, and sometimes there might be fun in [bringing back someone] who’s come in that door and say, “Hey, do you want to come back and play for a little bit?” Which would be amazing because it’s always a fun thing when shows get to bring people back. It takes a lot of us getting together and talking about what we’ve seen and what we need. It feels like there’s nothing missing on our team. We’ve got such a great group. Our core group that everyone’s known and loved for so many years cover all of our bases, so anything on top of it is like a bonus. This might be a good opportunity to bring in a fun guest star for a while and maybe shake it up a little bit.
Source:
If the Defence Against the Dark Arts position was real, this roll would have to be it.
ReplyDeleteThis is referring to Love-Hewitt right? I do not watch, and I'm not sure if another Jennifer is on the cast.
ReplyDeleteYes :)
ReplyDeleteI don't want them to have to add a new member to the team but I also don't want the team the way it's going to be in the first few episodes of the next season, with 4 man and 1 one woman, Garcia, seeing as JJ/AJ are also going to be away for a while on maternity leave. If they could get either Jeanne or Rachel to fill in for a few episodes as guest stars that would be great, or even Paget, but that'd be a little harder since Emily is in London heading her own team/department and she can't just leave everything behind for more than a few days, like she did when JJ was kidnapped, to go back to her old job. And then for season 12 they would bring JLH back again!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
ReplyDeleteI could work with Blake or Seaver or Emily coming back for an occasional appearance here and there, yeah (if they could make something work with Emily-presuming that international spinoff's a go, that'd be a perfect opportunity to draw her in somehow if the spinoff and the main series do a crossover event) :). I think at this point that's the best way to go if they need a seventh member, bringing back someone we've already gotten to know rather than starting over with another new member and their backstory. And if, in season 12. Kate wants to rejoin, then that's fine, too.
ReplyDeleteThe title of this article scared me for a moment as I thought it meant the show itself wasn't returning :p! But the way Erica's talking here, it sounds like season 11 is a go, so yay!
Yes, it's referring to her :). AJ plays a character named Jennifer, but among the cast, Hewitt is the only one with that name.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
ReplyDeleteLol :-)
ReplyDeleteNo problem :). Never hurts to double check this stuff.
ReplyDeleteCBS can't afford to lose one of their most solid performers (in terms of ratings it's still in the 2's, except for those two 1.9s and that 1.8 last week, and in viewers it's still above the 10mil, except for 4 out of their 23 episodes this season) that already has an established and loyal fanbase in both the US and across the globe. I'd like it a lot if one of the ladies we've already seen there returned for a little while, but I don't think that's going to be the case. I'm afraid they'll just go the Bones route with the intern of the week thing, but that works for Bones because they are Brennan's students and she can bring them to help her and while also learning at the same time (what I don't understand is how none of them has gotten their PhD yet after 6 years of internship), on CM that could't happen. The BAU is an elite team, they can't keep bringing in someone new every week.
ReplyDeleteGood, I never liked that character!!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's cursed!
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, you're right about the show being important to CBS, and like you said, it's got a strong, loyal fanbase. I'm not surprised that the show would be returning, but it's still nice to be reminded it will anyway :).
ReplyDeleteI've never seen "Bones", so can't comment on how they handle the rotation on there, but you raise a good point about that possibly having a tough effect on the team if they did that. Their job is very intense and dangerous, they need a team they know can be stable and have people they know they can count on to be there week in and week out. So if the show does go the rotation route, yeah, you're right that that's something they would have to consider. Especially since they can't really have someone else staying behind with Garcia, since they need as many people in the field as they can (and with JJ out for who knows how long when the season begins thanks to her pregnancy, that'll make it even more imperative they have someone else out there). Guess we'll just have to wait and see how that plays out, if that's what they choose to do.
She and her husband both leave their shows. For those who Do not know. Her husband is brian hallisay who played Ben Hunter on revenge
ReplyDeleteAnyone who watches the show, knows after reading the title with the asterisks, who this is.
ReplyDeletePS. I am just about to finally watch the finale, and I know this is Kate (Jennifer Love Hewitt).
Until last week(s episode) I thought both pregnancies were written in, and that the "curse of this team member position" is broken, and another actor will not leave after just one/few seasons, but I have been leaning towards this option for a few days. That both women on the team being on maternity leave would not work, and that Kate/Jennifer most likely leaves. So when I read this title, I had conformation.
Really enjoyed the finale. I will miss JLove. I hope they bring someone back instead of someone new
ReplyDeleteI can't believe yet another character is written out of this show.
ReplyDeleteI know it's highly improbable, but I'd like to see Paget Brewster coming back because at least we know her character . I'm kinda tired to have to adapt to a new character every season .
ReplyDeletetbh I am not sad. I loved her in Ghost Whisperer but I just felt like she didn't really fit in the team or even the whole show. But I wish her of course best of luck :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that. Her character was boring and she not seemed interested to be on the show!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, Brian Hallisay didn't leave Revenge. The show itself is ending.
ReplyDeleteNo he was actually killed off, and very brutally
ReplyDeletethe key is always a good writing, they have it all to make it work without JJ and after she came back without outsiders. But the hard work needs to be done in the writers room
ReplyDeletethe defence against the dark arts position was my though too! LOL
ReplyDeleteOK. This maybe sounds weird but the worst for me was in the end. Actually, the scene felt long, the my sister on the beach story made me feel nothing. The best was when Hotch told her she always would have a place there. It felt real on both sides. An then... the most shocking thing happened: Hotch holding Kate!!!!
Hotch didn't hold JJ in 6x02 and that was really odd because he shook her hand instead. And he didn't hold Jessica either, and she was really needy, I mean, her father being sick and she was crying and she and Jack are the one family Hotch is close to. He was there for her but it was a bit cold too. He met Kate like 12 seconds ago and he is touching her?? Are you kidding me??!!
Next someone to not return in S12 is Garcia's Computer lol. For 10 yrs the computer has had it's share of things and witnessing the final of POI the computer decided it's time to leave the BAU and live it's life somewhere else lol.
ReplyDeleteLMAO, this image/idea is great :D. Garcia wouldn't handle the departure well, though-she loves her computers probably as much as she loves Morgan :p.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as sweet as the scene between Hotch and Kate was, I was a little surprised at him hugging her, too, for the reasons you noted! Maybe it's just something about pregnant women that makes him that much more affectionate-perhaps he thought of Haley a bit when observing Kate on that case?
ReplyDeleteFigured it be...Non of the original cast would leave so how bout a computer who happened to watch the finale of POI and decided it can do better with it's life lol
ReplyDeleteJJ/ AJ Cook is pregnant also. Wonder if that will affect her involvement next season
ReplyDeleteYes, he was killed off because the show is ending. If the show had been returning for season 5, he would have remained part of the cast in order to service the love triangle. But when the show was cancelled, they changed the final episodes to have Ben die.
ReplyDeletePersonally I want Paget to come back, I really loved Emily Prentiss so that could be amazing if she comes back.
ReplyDelete