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"CRIMINAL MINDS" Keeps its Audience By Greg Hernandez, Staff Writer/LA Daily News When Mandy Patinkin abruptly quit the CBS hit show "Criminal Minds" over the summer, there were many who wondered if the series would be able to continue without him as it entered its third season. Well, it can. Ratings are as high as ever, and one of the reasons is a solid ensemble cast that includes A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau - part of a team of FBI profilers from the bureau's Behavior Analysis Unit. A.J. (short for Andrea Joy) and I met for the first time last week after she helped announce the People's Choice Award nominations. I wondered how things are going post-Mandy, who has been replaced by Joe Mantegna. A.J. was surprisingly candid. "In the beginning, it was very stressful because nobody really knew what was going on, but it's been such a great transition. If ever there could be a great transition, this was it. Joe's fabulous, he really does feel like he's been there from the very beginning. He fits in so perfectly." The cast is currently shooting the 12th episode of the season and likely the last one for the year unless the writers strike suddenly gets resolved. "We are entering into the great unknown here and I really feel for our crew," she said. "Many of them live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to have a five- or six-month strike. I support the writers and I understand; I just want it to be over quickly." Like A.J., her television alter-ego also goes by her initials and she is happy with the direction the character is taking. "I like that J.J. has seriously evolved. She went from being a couple of lines per episode to really coming into her own. I love it whenever she gets to pull her gun out - that's exciting for me. Or when I get to put the FBI vest on and storm a building with everyone else. It's a lot of fun. She's badass now, I like it." |