Rossi has always stuck to the story of him leaving the BAU because he was tired of the bureaucracy and wanted to write books in Criminal Minds. Well, it turns out that there was another reason. We got that in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2, Episode 7.
Caution: There are spoilers from Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2, Episode 7 in this post.
The new episode saw Rossi “forbid” Prentiss from going to see Dr. Jill Gideon. Jason Gideon’s ex-wife was also an important part in setting up the BAU. She was also the only therapist Gideon trusted with his secrets, despite them supposedly being estranged. Prentiss knew that she would know more about the unpublished white paper, so she decided to go against Rossi’s wishes anyway.
It turned out that Rossi didn’t want to pull Jill in for one major reason. That reason was the one he really left the BAU because of.
Rossi and Jill had an affair in Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds: Evolution revealed that Rossi didn’t leave due to bureaucracy and books. It turns out that he and Jill had an affair, and that was the reason Jill didn’t want to come back to the BAU to help out with.
She shared that it had been nine years since Gideon’s murder. She has worked through that grief. What she couldn’t face was a mistake from her past. She didn’t make it clear if the affair with Rossi was only emotional or physical, but it was shortly after this ended that Rossi left the BAU. Jill was the one to end it and break Rossi’s heart, and she didn’t want to face him.
The two ended up coming face to face. Jill walked into Rossi’s office, which was once Gideon’s. She felt like maybe there would be something left of her late ex-husband here, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, there was Rossi, who was shocked to see Jill.
Will Rossi and Jill rekindle their affair in Criminal Minds: Evolution?
I don’t think I’m quite surprised to find out that Rossi had an affair with Jill. Rossi and Gideon were supposed to be best friends, but we know that that friendship didn’t last after Rossi left. There were times Rossi felt guilty for things that happened, and it’s possible that this affair was part of that guilt. Of course, the affair likely wasn’t written into the character back then, but it all tracks.
Rossi was married three times, and he remarried Krystal in Criminal Minds Season 14. Sadly, Krystal died between Season 15 and the first season of the revival due to cancer, which was found too late because of the pandemic. Rossi spent the first season struggling with the grief and anger of that loss. Now he is struggling with hallucinations of Voit.
Could Jill come in to help in more ways than just with the white paper? Could she help Rossi have the breakthroughs he needs mentally and emotionally? Could this lead to a rekindling of their relationship? Maybe that’s why they didn’t want to see each other again. The temptation would be too much.