How Some Criminal Minds Fans Really Felt About Agent Todd
For a show that ran for 15 seasons, "Criminal Minds" had relatively little turnover in its cast over the years. Compared to other long-running shows, like "Grey's Anatomy," "ER," and "Law & Order," the CBS crime drama managed to avoid the cast list shuffle experienced by its contemporaries. With the exception of Mandy Patinkin and Lola Glaudini, the big name departures didn't begin until the show's 11th season. By the end of the series' run, three actors of its original seven-person main cast were still members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).
Though the show's original cast was mostly static, the characters brought in either as replacements or new additions, like Dr. Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Kate Callahan (Jennifer Love Hewitt), didn't last more than a season or two. Other characters were meant to be short-term, like Jordan Todd (Meta Golding), who joined the team in Season 4 while J.J. Jareau (A.J. Cook) was on maternity leave. Though Todd only appeared in eight episodes, she definitely drew a few strong opinions from the fan base — many of them steeped in unfair stereotypes.
Todd may not have been a favorite on "Criminal Minds," but her temporary status meant she was never destined to be. All things considered, in hindsight — some viewers came down a little hard on Agent Todd.
Jordan Todd stirred some strong emotions
Jordan Todd first joined "Criminal Minds" in Season 4's fifth episode, "Catching Out," and remained with the team until the season's 13th episode. During her tenure, Todd struggled with the emotional toll of the BAU's cases. Though she came from the FBI's counterterrorism unit, she had a challenging time facing crime scenes with murdered children and slaughtered families. Todd opts to return to counterterrorism in "Bloodline."
Redditor u/thezestywalru23 began a discussion on the platform, asking fans what they thought of Jordan Todd. As is typical for the internet, the strongest and most common opinions came from viewers who did not like the character. Those responses ranged from finding the character "annoying but beautiful" to "arrogant" — both takes that seem fed by the show's misogynistic presentation of the character.
On the other end of the spectrum are viewers who either didn't remember the character or didn't have an opinion due to Todd's brief work with the BAU. One commenter shared that though the character was not their favorite, they liked Todd, especially the realistic way the character struggled with the horrors of BAU cases. This take seems to at least recognize Todd's humanity. If nothing else, Todd presents as an agent with enough emotional intelligence to recognize when a job is demanding too much from her mental health. She dips from the team early because she was always intended as a bridge to JJ's return, and as a result she's never shown in the most flattering light.
It's reassuring to note that at least some subset of fans recognized that she was being given short shrift, and that her decision to leave may actually provide a positive and empowering example of people prioritizing their own mental health and personal lives.