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EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Nichols is in negotiations to join the cast of CBS’ Criminal Minds as a series regular, the show’s first new regular addition since Joe Mantegna took over for Mandy Patinkin in 2007. Nicholson was originally tapped for a 3-episode arc, which will begin airing next week. CBS had said it would add a new female regular cast member this season following the departure of original co-star A.J. Cook. The character Alias alumna Nichols will play, FBI cadet Ashley Seaver, had been originally listed as a new regular but was eventually scaled back to 3 episodes. Seaver will first join the Behavior Analysis Unit when she is invited by Agent Hotch (Thomas Gibson) to consult on a case after learning her family history will bring a unique insight into the mind of a serial killer.
Meanwhile, I hear Paget Brewster has been asked to return to a status of a full-fledged regular on the show but will weigh pilot offers. Following the cast upheaval on the veteran CBS crime drama over the summer, Brewster was offered to return to the show this season as a regular but in reduced capacity, appearing in about 17 of the series’ 22 episodes. As part of the new deal she signed, Brewster was given a “pilot out,” meaning she could do a pilot for a new series while on Minds this season. Brewster has appeared in all 9 episodes of the CBS drama that have aired so far, and the network recently proposed a return to the original agreement. Brewster opted to adhere to her amended contract and take advantage of the option that allows her to do a pilot.
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Any show would be lucky to get Rachel Nichols as a regular cast member. She was brilliant on The Inside. I also loved her work on Alias. I wish her all the best. Still won’t get me to watch cookie cutter procedural dreck like Criminal Minds. Does anyone in the demo even watch this show?
Yes the demo do watch CM, average this season 3.7. Top ten show in both viewers and demo.
So A.J was sacked because CM is going the way of all shows and bringing in the younger, ‘hotter’ chick. I hate saying this as I am/was a huge fan (now basically just hanging on for Reid’s secret)but the show has been declining in quality since S5 started and, I’m sorry CBS/CM, but younger, hotter females are not going to make it any better – better writers are going to do that. Show needs to bring back the writers from earlier seasons such as Andrew Wilder.
Rachel Nichol’s is only 1.5 years younger than AJ Cook that’s not much, it’s less than two years so I don’t consider her a younger model, and I certainly don’t think she’s hotter than AJ. Rachel is maybe equivalent or slightly less attractive than AJ in my opinion.
Rachel Nichols is 30 years old, she will be 31 next month in January. She’s not all that young.
Nichols is both hotter and a better actor than Cook so this is a plus, not a minus, even if they’re replacing one with the other. Nichols is also an actor with more upside as she’s starring in an upcoming franchise movie and already starred in one such film. Cook’s biggest claim to fame outside of CI was arguably Final Destination 2.
Rachel Nichols oh This is the final straw for me. Why the hell didn’t they just keep AJ Cook like the majority of fans want. Paget get the hell out of there while the goings good cause CBS will probably just screw you over again next season.
As someone who directed Rachel Nichols, I found her to be not only extremely talented, but also as smart, sweet, and gracious as they come.
I suggest that everyone watch her first episode of CRIMINAL MINDS on Wednesday in which she is absolutely terrific — then you’ll see why CBS made her a regular.She and Paget have the makings of a wonderful relationship and make for a dynamic female duo on the BAU team.
It’s not necessarily about Ms. Nichols as a person it’s about how tptb have handled a longterm team member and the quality of the show. As somebody mentioned in this thread, the quality of the show has been declining in quality in S5 which is a shame because before this season the quality was simply remarkable. The energy of the team has changed and is ,imho, also declining. Like I said before let’s just hope that she doesn’t turn into a “Riley” but then again we’re just fans and what do we know
A.J. Cook is a strong actress. Go watch The Virgin Suicides. Rachel Nichols is a strong actress too. The point isn’t whether one actress is better than the other. It’s how this whole situation has been handled- which is very poorly. The manner in which the network/TBTB fired A.J. (and tried to fired Paget as well, remember this was their original intent) makes them look clueless, rude, antiquated and misogynistic.
The network’s disrespect for the fans, disrespect to the actors in considering them just ‘replaceable puppets’ (that’s hollywood for you) and disconnect with the fans = crappy shows, crappy pilots, clueless development, lame network programming.
Where are the sane, smart, creative people? Oh, right they’re over at cable.
I completely agree, this is not about Rachel Nichols and this is not a “AJ Cook Vs R. Nichols” debate.
I’m quite sure Rachel Nichols is a talented actress and she’s not to blame.
The problem lies with CBS and how they treated the cast and the fans of Criminal Minds.
Since they fired AJ Cook (and maybe P. Brewster will leave due to this whole fiasco), they had to bring in someone new.
And I would have preferred to see an older and more experienced character joining the BAU team, not a cadet.
But I have to admit I saw this one coming.
What were the odds of CBS bringing in an older woman as opposed to a sexy, young woman ? Yea, they were not good. It’s more ‘glamorous’ and I abhor this concept.
Once again this has nothing to do with Rachel Nichols as an actress.
I’m still looking forward to her first episode, but not because I’m interested in the story of that cadet.
I’m simply looking forward to this episode because it was written by Ed. Bernero.
Honestly I could care less if they get a new regular female cast member. I’m still ticked about AJ and Paget. I really do hope that Paget Brewster stays because they’ve already messed with this show enough. Losing Paget would definetely be the last straw.
Just watched the first episode of Criminal Minds with Rachel Nichols. She is cute, young, sexy and a good actress – exactly like A.J. Cook. They look so much alike they could be sisters. Why get rid of a great member of the team just to replace her with another gal almost identical? Rachel is probably willing to work for less money than A.J. Money is often the deciding factor in decisions like this. I’m willing to give Rachel a chance, but I really miss A.J. How about bringing A.J. back and have her and Rachel both on the show!
I love the show and it was one of the only ones that I still watched, but now, I barely watch, and when Paget is off, I won’t watch it anymore..call me radical, but a show is not just about history, it’s about characters too..
I really don’t like the idea of an inter-team relationship. One of the great things about this show is the mystery that surrounds the private lives of the team- with the obvious exception of Hotch. The fact that the team’s private lives is not really features has saved this show- it’s still a crime drama, not a soap opera.
I liked Rachel on last nights episode but I really think that her character seems underqualified for the BAU.
“following the departure of original co-star A.J. Cook”
“Departure”?! She was fired for “budget” reasons, and now they’re going to hire a blond replacement. Bastards.
Rachel being blonde is a big deal? Jeez. I’m tired of this “she looks like A.J.” stuff. She looks nothing like A.J., people will just find ANY excuse to trash Rachel at this point.
As a uk based fan I haven’t actually heard why AJ left/was let go. Same goes for what’s going on with the whole Paget thing? I really don’t understand why they would change a winning formula. anyone that can shed some light on it for me.
I struggled with myself to watch last night’s episode for the original actors. I really hated the new girl. I was actually begging the guy to kill her before the team got there. Very disappointed when Hotch shot him before he could. I’m sorry, I love Criminal Minds, but if they add this new girl, I will stop watching. She’s too typically perfect, with a touch of stupid. I can’t relate to her, and I plain out hate her.
So freaking true. I’m so hoping that this doesn’t happen. Unfortunately, that is what was hinted at last night.
I have no problem with the addition of Rachel Nichols. She seemes like she blended pretty well with the group last night. What I DO have a problem with is that CBS chose a new cast member that looks about as close to AJ Cook as you can get without it actually being her. That was their mistake. Fans will automatically hate Rachel and her character because she looks so much like JJ.
As far as a love interest, after seeing last night’s episode, I actually think her and Reid would be adorable together! Reid is the only one in the cast who has had hardly any romantic storylines and I think it’s about time they give him a leading lady
I’m anxious to see how they make the transition from Rachel being a cadet to becoming a BAU member though. Just because she is a cadet, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s young. She could easily be in her late 20′s but just now starting out with the FBI, which would then make it a little more plausible that she transitioned so quickly. Plus, the fact that her father is a serial killer may cause Strauss to be a little more lenient in the requirements to join the bureau, seeing as how she has first-hand insight and knowledge into the minds of such psychopaths.
WTF is CBS thinking? Criminal Minds is a great show with a great fan base & the more they screw with it, the more fans they lose. I love the cast, but I do miss AJ. Used to be I only watched CBS….that has changed as of late.
Oh joy, a new cast member which is quite similar to the one CBS fired ..excuse me let go this summer. *Shakes head* I wish,and yes I am aware that this is unrealistic, that they’d just bring back AJ Cock and be done with the whole “Let’s shake the cast around” circus they’ve been doing and try to improve the quality of the episodes because so far the new season sucks lemons and dishes out one stereotype after the other. But since reality rarely fullfils ones wishes I guess I’ll continue to have more time to read.
For the sake of the actors still working on the show I just hope that this new addition doesn’t turn out to work just as well as the Riley character did on CSI
Just because Rachel is blonde doesn’t make her a lookalike or replacement. She looks nothing like A.J.
This is sooo stupid
Bring some whinny girl in to cry about her past?
Bring paget back!!!
Leave this great cast alone!
There perfect as is…
Huh? I live in England, what’s this about Reid having secret? All info gratefully received.
I think adding a agent onto the team whom has personally experienced living with a famous serial killer was brilliant. She played out the part of a PTSD servivor and the little things that are specifically remembered to a tee. I feel she will be a great addition to the team. As I, like many viewers were furios about AJ leaving, I am atleast glad they replaced her with another interesting and talented woman actress.
why did they get rid of AJ when they were gonna hire somebody else?? what happened to the budget cuts? I don’t hate her character but JJ was the shit.
I agree with the minority here: Rachel Nichols is not the culprit. She’s an actress. She got a job. She’s excited. It’s not like she stayed up late every night, plotting ways to screw over A.J. Cook. A.J.’s a great actress, and I miss her on the show, but no amount of ranting is going to change the fact that she’s gone.
As for Nichols, she’s a great actress in her own right, and doesn’t deserve to be criticized like that when her first episode hadn’t even aired yet.
To those of you that are saying you’re loyal fans: A loyal fan wouldn’t flip out about a bad decision made by the network and spew all sorts of hate to an innocent actress. Rachel Nichols is being caught in the crossfire of your emotions about A.J. Cook’s departure. Grow up, accept that people make stupid decisions, and enjoy the show that you supposedly love so much.
Change isn’t always bad. It’s just different. There wasn’t nearly this much backlash when Lola and Mandy left, respectively. Things change, people change, and networks are notoriously stupid. Big deal.
And finally, to Paget. I sincerely hope she stays on the show, even though I was incredibly skeptical when she replaced Lola. I quickly grew to love her as part of the team, and I’m hoping the same happens with Rachel. (The same thing happened with Joe Mantegna, but that’s a bit off topic.) But if Paget does decide to opt out and go with a new show, I completely understand.
Everyone just needs to chill out and appreciate the things that have changed, and the things that haven’t. If I pissed anyone off with this, tough. Sorry.
Thank you for posting this Kyle. Brilliant words. I just wish everybody would see it this way.
To be honest, I found her character a little desperate to join the team… I preffered JJ as she seemed to have more personality. I don’t like the romance between her and Reid either, it seems a bit sudden. Overall, I’m not too happy with her becoming a regular
I am not impressed. They got rid of AJ Cook to replace her with…another pretty blonde with a contrived backstory. CM has already explored difficult parent issues with Reid and they didn’t have to be so overt and self-referential about it. Now we get to re-tread the same ground with the writers hitting us over the head with ultra-obvious story arcs. I don’t know what they are thinking at CBS but it seems like they are attempting to dumb down a show which was already quite successful.