Honestly, if you’ve spent any time at all in the Criminal Minds fandom, you know there’s one name that brings out all the feelings. William LaMontagne Jr. For nearly two decades, Detective Will LaMontagne Jr., played with that unmistakable gravelly drawl by Josh Stewart, was the bedrock of normalcy in a show that was—let’s be real—anything but normal. While the BAU was busy profiling the worst of humanity, Will was back home in D.C., keeping the lights on and the kids safe. He wasn't just "the husband." He was the heart of the series' only successful long-term romance.
The New Orleans Roots of William LaMontagne Jr.
We first met Will back in Season 2, Episode 18, titled "Jones." He was a young detective with the New Orleans Police Department. He was investigating a case his father, the original William LaMontagne, had worked on years before. It was gritty. It was humid. And the chemistry between him and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook) was basically immediate.
He wasn't some polished FBI suit. He was a local cop with a thick accent and a soul that seemed a little bit tired but incredibly steady. That’s probably why JJ fell for him.
Most people forget that their relationship was a total secret for a while. In the Season 3 episode "In Heat," the team finally figures out they're together while investigating a case in Miami. It wasn't some grand reveal. It was just Will being Will—frustrated that JJ was keeping him in the shadows because she was afraid of how it would look to the team.
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A Legacy of Stability in a World of Chaos
What makes William LaMontagne Jr. so unique in the world of police procedurals is that he actually stayed. Usually, the "spouse" character in these shows exists to get kidnapped, murdered, or divorced to create drama for the lead.
Sure, Will had his brushes with death. In the Season 7 finale, "Hit & Run," he was literally strapped to a bomb in a bank vault. It was intense. It was the kind of episode that makes you yell at your TV. But they survived it. They got married in David Rossi’s backyard in a ceremony that felt earned.
Through eighteen seasons, we watched them raise Henry and Michael. We saw him transition from a NOPD detective to working with the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. He was the guy who understood the job but still valued the family.
Why the Recent Twist in Criminal Minds: Evolution Matters
Then came the reboot. Criminal Minds: Evolution brought a darker, more serialized tone. And with it, a lot of anxiety for Will fans.
In Season 16 (Evolution Season 1), we got hit with a cancer scare. It turned out to be a thyroid issue, and for a second, we all breathed a sigh of relief. But then came the bombshell. In early 2024, Josh Stewart tweeted—kinda out of nowhere—that his "days of playing Will LaMontagne Jr. are over."
It felt abrupt. It felt wrong.
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Fast forward to the 2025 season of Evolution, and the showrunners did the unthinkable. They killed him off. It wasn't a heroic shootout or a sacrificial moment. It was a sudden, devastating aneurysm.
The reaction was, well, loud. Fans weren't just sad; they were annoyed. After seventeen years of building this couple, having Will die off-screen or suddenly in the middle of a new arc felt like a betrayal of the character's legacy.
Josh Stewart: The Man Behind the Badge
You can’t talk about William LaMontagne Jr. without talking about Josh Stewart. He’s a West Virginia native, which is where that authentic southern grit comes from.
Stewart has this way of saying a lot with very little. Whether he was playing a villain in The Dark Knight Rises or a grieving father in Back Fork (which he also wrote and directed), he brings a specific type of vulnerability. On Criminal Minds, he played Will as a man who knew he wasn't the "main character," and he was okay with that. He was there to support JJ.
What Most People Get Wrong About Will
There’s this misconception that Will was "boring."
People say he didn't have enough screen time or that his character was secondary. But that’s actually the point. In a show where every character has massive childhood trauma or a secret dark side, Will was just a good man doing a hard job.
- He didn't compete with the BAU: He respected their skills but stayed in his lane.
- He was the moral compass: When JJ struggled with her identity as a profiler versus a mother, Will was the one who grounded her.
- The Southern Roots: His connection to New Orleans wasn't just flavor; it informed his sense of duty and his "old school" approach to police work.
Moving Forward Without Will
The death of William LaMontagne Jr. changes the DNA of the show. For the first time in nearly two decades, JJ is a widow. She’s a single mom. The "safe harbor" of the show is gone.
If you’re looking to revisit the best of Will, you should definitely go back to these specific episodes:
- "Jones" (2.18): The origin story.
- "Hit & Run" (7.23/24): The bank heist and the wedding.
- "200" (9.14): Where Will plays a massive role in saving JJ from her past.
- "Sick Day" (12.02): A quiet, powerful episode where Will helps JJ process a traumatic case involving children.
The reality is that Criminal Minds won't feel the same without that slow New Orleans drawl. While the show moves on into its nineteenth season and beyond, the shadow of Detective LaMontagne remains. He was the reminder that even in a world of monsters, you can still find someone to come home to.
Your Next Step: If you're feeling the void left by Will's departure, go back and watch the Season 7 finale "Run." It’s arguably the peak of the JJ/Will relationship and reminds us why we fell in love with his character in the first place. You can also follow Josh Stewart's directorial work to see more of his unique storytelling style.