7 Things: Subtext Couples – #4

Emily & JJ (Criminal Minds)

Before this season, it’s unlikely that Emily and JJ would have been this high on my list. I don’t even know that they would have cracked the top seven. There has been subtext in seasons past, but the first few episodes of this season have been so slashtastic, they’ve left me completely verklempt. They’re like gifts from the subtext gods. In fact, three of my top seven subtext moments for the couple have come from this season alone.

In six episodes, they jumped from earthbound subtext to the slash stratosphere for me.

It’s a little bittersweet that Emily & JJ’s celebratory post just happens to fall on the day that Paget announced her permanent departure from Criminal Minds. The fact that she is leaving, though, does provide a prime opportunity for the writing staff to satisfy dedicated lesbians. More on that after the moments and video.

How It Started

No dramatics or fireworks. They start out as colleagues, off-screen where JJ was “just filling [Emily] in on protocol.”

Femslashers everywhere recognize the euphemism.

Here are my top seven Emily & JJ subtext moments – I won’t over-interpret. The beauty of these moments is how much they speak for themselves. – (MAJOR SPOILERS):

7 – Eye-Shagging & Kids (Episode 3.4 “Children of the Dark”)

The isolated privacy is intimate. The conversation is intimate. But the subtext lies in the way that JJ delivers her words of comfort and the way that she looks at Emily.

6 – Scrabble & Paris (Episode 7.4 “Painless”)

The question “How did you get by in Paris?” is one of the dumbest questions ever asked. Nobody “gets by” in Paris. But Emily’s response reveals one thing and one thing only. Somebody really missed her girlfriend.

5 – Breaking Through (Episode 2.15 “Revelations”)

Though Morgan has known JJ longer – and Emily hasn’t known JJ long at all – when Morgan and Emily find JJ in shock after a near-attack, it’s Emily who manages to break through to her.

4 – You Always Come First (Episode 4.1 “Mayhem”)

The team is split up and they don’t know who’s been hurt. When asked about JJ, the fear in Emily’s reactions is apparent. And, once they get to the same room, although two other teammates are standing right next to Emily, JJ only calls out one name upon seeing them.

3 – I Missed You (Episode 7.1 “It Takes a Village”)

Once again, it’s all in the delivery. Emily is deep and genuine. JJ sounds like she’s a half a second from proving to Emily just how good it is to see her.

2 – Comfort (Episode 3.9 “Penelope”)

Short, sweet and self-explanatory.

1 – Emily’s Death (Episode 7.6 “Epilogue”)

This scene is really beautiful and emotional. For the entire team. But right after Emily reveals what she experienced in death, the look in JJ’s eyes is so intensely sad that it speaks volumes.

AN INTERLUDE OF EXPLANATION

So, here’s how things were supposed to go with this list of seven things. I was supposed to make videos for all seven of my femslash couples to show the extent of their subtexty hotness. But my DVD-decrypting program was being a li’l fucker and I couldn’t extract the Popular clips properly. I also don’t have most of the subtexty moments from The Closer available to me, so I was left with a choice – half-ass two of the last three videos or just skip the videos on 7 through 5 and start with videos at subtext couple #4. So that’s what I did. And that’s why you now get video.

So, find a super awesome video for Emily & JJ below (with a special femslash intro containing couples 7 through 5, plus some of the rejects) –
(NOTE: Premiere was also being a fucker, so I had to use Movie Maker. Which means there are a couple of slight jumps. Best laid plans, eh?)

Also, in an effort to make sure this video doesn’t go missing from YouTube, I have made it Unlisted, so please feel free to post the link anywhere and everywhere to share it with other Emily & JJ shippers.

PS – The video looks much better on YouTube than the embedded clip, so I recommend moseying on over for optimal viewing.

So, now that we’ve explored the growing depth of the Emily/JJ relationship and acknowledged the sad news that Paget is leaving the show, let’s combine the two things into femslash ecstasy.

I think an affair with JJ would be an excellent way to send Emily off. It even makes sense. They’ve always been close, we’ve seen JJ conflicting with Will this season, and Emily and JJ have been closer than ever since Emily came back.

After the affair starts, there can be a whole bunch of guilt and Emily can leave because it’s the noble thing to do.

Now, I know that this is a ridiculous fantasy. However, JJ was the person who saw Emily off to Paris, the only person besides the team’s leader who knew that Emily was alive, and the only one she kept in some sort of contact with, even though she really shouldn’t have. It would actually be a very believable change in relationship.

Just sayin’.