jemily is a nice ship & all, but its not canon and never will be.
Okay, Anon. Either youâre talking about Revenge or you havenât been paying attention. Jemily is just about as canon as Morcia and thatâs pretty canon. Just because nothing happened on screen (like blatantly making out or something) doesnât mean that there was never anything between Jemily. On the contrary, what we did see is exactly why Jemily is canon. Now I am going to explain to you why in a very long winded essay.
When Emily first arrived in 02x09 the team was (understandably) hesitant because they had just lost Elle. Hotch was worried her mother had pulled strings to get her the position despite Emily having an impressive resume including 10 years experience in the FBI, Interpol and CIA. (Although it is unclear whether the latter was on her resume for security reasons) It wasnât until 02x10 that Emily proved that she deserved to be on the team and could hold her own. However, even though she impressed Reid and Gideon the rest of the team was still iffy about whether or not she would fit in.
JJ was especially hesitant because she didnât trust Emily after 02x15 when JJ nearly shot Emily in the bathroom. She had asked how Emily didnât flinch in the field after coming off a desk job and Emily replied that she compartmentalized better than most. (This goes to the theory that her time in the CIA was, in fact, not on her resume because her field action wouldnât be in question if it had been common knowledge). You can tell in that scene that JJ doesnât entirely trust Emilyâs answer but she leaves it be.
After Emily resigns rather than spying on the team for Strauss, Hotch goes to her to beg her to come back int he beginning of 03x02. At this point she has proved to the team she belongs there and they need her. Emily agrees (cautiously) to join the team on the case. This is when the Jemily flirting really begins. Emily and Hotch arrive and the team is both shocked and happy to see Emily there. (Much to Straussâ chagrin) Emily asks âHow quickly can you catch me up?â and JJ replies âHow quickly can you sit down?â with a wink and a smile. At the end of 03x02 Emily takes a pretty big blow to the head and when JJ gets to her she lays a gentle hand on Emilyâs shoulder and asks if sheâs alright. This is the first physical contact between the two but it is only the beginning.
At the end of 03x04 Emily shows interest in taking care of Carrie but Hotch tells her that they found her family and sheâll be going with them. Emily is visibly upset and on the jet JJ asks her if sheâs ever considered children. Emily shrugs it off but JJ says âI think itâs a good idea. You, kids. I could see itâ while she has the biggest grin on her face. Emily smiles back and looks longingly out the window. This interaction, albeit small, is when Jemily starts to shift from friends to something bigger. This is the first time we get to see Emilyâs longing reaction to something JJ has said. I believe this is about the time Emily realized she has some sort of feelings for JJ.
In 03x09 when they are at the hospital waiting to hear about Penelopeâs status Jemily have one of their most iconic moments. They are sitting next to each other and JJ is visibly worried and Emily looks at her in a way that says (I really care for you. See GIF) and takes her hand. Itâs the hesitation with the first contact that is key. Emily first turns JJâs hand over by touching her wrist and then JJ opens her hand to accept the gesture, signaling that she feels comfortable with an intimate gesture.
Now on to 03x17. This is the beginning of the Emily is visibly upset about Will saga. In the very start of the episode when they get to Miami and Will shows, Emily can be seen basically rolling her eyes to see him and the way JJ is trying to deny the know each other.
Later in that episode Emily brings up that Will is nice to look out to gauge JJâs reaction. JJ tries to play it off but that is the point that Emily realized whatever JJ felt for Will was real and Emily would need to back off. If one thing is for certain it is that Emily is a freaking martyr when it comes to JJ and she will always put JJâs feelings ahead on her own. At the end of the episode Emily tells JJ if she wants it, she should go after Will. This is Emilyâs way to test the waters and see if her theory that JJ is in love with Will is true.Â
When JJ does go after Will, Emily watches from the background. If your best friend is happy and goes after someone she loves, you would be happy too! If someone you are in love with goes after someone else, you would look at them the same way Emily looks. There is no reason for Emily to look upset unless she has feelings for JJ and is heart broken in this scene.Â
Thereâs a moment in 04x14 when JJ gets back and is wearing a new ring. Penelope comments on it, thinking itâs an engagement ring. JJ explains that is merely Henryâs birthstone and that she and Will both got one. Emily looks at her and rolls her eyes. Again, if your best friend just had a baby and has matching rings with her boyfriend youâd be happy for her. And yet, Emily is obviously peeved about it because wellâŚshe is jealous.
Fast forward to 05x10 when they are at Haleyâs funeral. Everyone is teary eyes when Hotch is giving his eulogy and the first person Emily looks over to check on is JJ. She is obviously concerned about how JJ is holding up and it is these little glances here and there that make Jemily so canon. It is in the way Emily looks at JJ. In this moment Emily is thinking what everyone thinks at a funeral, âWhat would I do if it were me that lost someone I loved?â and her first instinct is to look at JJ.
At the start of 05x21 JJ and Emily can be seen discussing a possible match for Emily. Although JJ thinks he seems perfect for Emily, Emily shrugs it off because she is disinterested. Most likely because she knows in her heart that she would not be happy with him when she has such strong feelings for the woman she cannon have.Â
In 06x02 when JJ is getting ready to leave the BAU everyone is teary eyed when telling her goodbye, Emily especially so. She tells JJ that the problem is âYouâre too good.â as she wipes away tears. Another sign of Emilyâs feelings towards JJ. In the end of 06x02 when JJ is walking down the hall of the BAU one last time she it shows flashbacks to her time with the team and the first one it shows is of her and Emily. Emily is seen sitting down next to JJ on the jet while patting her leg, comfortingly. Another physical gesture.Â
Now for 06x18 when Jemily is basically all but confirmed. Iâm going to use 200 references since it happened during the same timeline as 06x18. Weâre going to start with the fact that JJ is on a covert mission in Afghanistan when she gets the call about Emily. At even the mention of Emilyâs name she is running to the phone and hops on the next plane home, leaving in the middle of a very important operation. Hotch says that he called in someone who knows Emily better than anyone and there is JJ. After they rescue Emily JJ is tasked with being one of two people on the team to know Emily is still alive. Although there was really no reason for her to know, Hotch is head of the team and it would make total sense for him to be the only one. The reason JJ had to know too was because Hotch knew that JJ would never recover if she believed Emily to be dead.Â
So JJ and Emily fly to Paris. On the way there, JJ concedes that Emily should get a tattoo to cover the brand Doyle left on her chest. This is a very important detail to the Jemily story. As a joke, JJ says it should be a blackbird and Emily nods and says âWell, I like the song.â It is simply an unimportant conversation but it proves to be key in 200, three seasons later. Also on the jet, Emily asks JJ why she didnât tell her that the State Dept ruse was a backstop for her mission in Afghanistan. Emily is obviously concerned about JJ at this point, knowing her job in Afghanistan is dangerous.Â
Now onto 07x01. When the team finds out Emily is still alive they are shocked save for JJ who is thrilled to have Emily back. When they are talking together coming out of Garciaâs office, Emily asks JJ how Will is taking her being back at the BAU with the long hours and JJ says âThatâs a long storyâ hinting that things have been rough in her marriage since her return. Emily asks how mad the team is at her deceit and JJ says theyâll get over it, but it is âReally good to see youâ as Emily wraps a loving arm around JJ and they trot off to the conference room.Â
Later in 07x01 when the team is in front of the tribunal and all except Emily are excused there is a small moment where JJ walks behind Emily and gives her a loving squeeze on the shoulder in support.Â
In 07x02 things are back to usual as Jemily walk down the hall together smiling and laughing, while basically holding hands they are walking so close. No personal space between them. Itâs the small things that count. I know I for one do not walk that close to my friends but I would walk like that with a partner.Â
In 07x04 Hotch asks Emily how she got along in Paris and she smiles and says she âplayed a lot of online Scrabble with some girl named Cheetobreathâ. Now remember, at the end of 06x18 when JJ gives Emily the envelope full of aliases she says that she doesnât know the names. In 07x02 when Reid gets mad at her for not telling him she confirms that she couldnât for Emilyâs safety. So wh/how did they play online Scrabble together? Remember that while Emily was in Paris, JJ was back in Afghanistan. So the fact that they kept in contact despite the idea that no one on the team should keep in contact with Emily is a testament to Jemily having some sort of relationship. Also after Emily tells Hotch about the Scrabble she smiles and looks at JJ with googley eyes again.Â
In 07x16 JJ and Emily are said to have been out âuntil sunriseâ when Reid was babysitting Henry. Yes, Penelope was with them but JJ and Emily are standing next to each other (again no personal space) when JJ asks Reid why heâs yelling and Emily rolls her eyes. Itâs a stretch as far as Jemily goes but it still says they go out and party together all night.Â
07x20 gives us another iconic Jemily moment when they come in to interview and unsub and are chatting about Will/Henry. They are completely ignoring the unsub and when he says âExcuse meâ JJ turns and shuts him down. âThe grown ups are talking, when itâs your turn I will give you permissionâ
At the end of 07x24 when JJ is walking down the aisle with Sandy Emily looks at her lovingly, again, in a way that implies so much more than just friends. And JJ looks at Emily in the same way.
Then comes the reception. Where there are multiple times that JJ is dancing with Will and looking at Emily instead. Emily looks at her with a forlorn look on her face because she knows she has to leave. She knows that she has taken a job in London in order to start over because it would be just too painful for her to stick around and watch JJ be with Will.
Now fast forward to 09x14, 200. This episode is the pinnacle of Jemily. Where do I even begin? Hotch makes the call and Emily simply says, âIâm on my wayâ. Never mind the fact she is head of the entire London office, she simply drops everything to go home to help find JJâŚno questions asked. At the mere mention of JJâs name she is on the next jet home (exactly what JJ did for her in 06x18)
JJ gets captured and goes through the torture of being water boarded, drugged and electrocuted. She is nearly at her breaking point when she imagines the only person in the world who could save her. She doesnât hallucinate Will or Henry or anyone else on the team. Itâs been a year and a half since Emily left and when JJ is at her breaking point, that is who she imagines. She imagines Emily coming to her and telling her to be strong. She has to be strong for Emily.
Now, letâs talk about Blackbird. Remember that unimportant conversation, the joke, about Emily getting a blackbird tattoo way back in 06x18? Well when JJ was asked to set up a distress code for Integrity she chose the word Blackbird because she knew in her heart of hearts that if anything ever happened to her, Emily would be the one to come running to her aid. When Kevin and Penelope get the word Blackbird they are perplexed until Emily shows up and knows, knows, it was meant for her. Who else in the world would know that was a distress code from JJ?
When the team finally gets to the warehouse the first thing JJ says to Emily is âI knew youâd come, I knew theyâd call you.â Another testament to JJ putting her life in Emilyâs hands. Trusting that Emily would be the one to crack the case and find her.Â
So yeah, Jemily is a good ship and all. And maybe they never kissed, maybe we never had an on screen sex scene. Maybe it was never scripted for them to be dating. But if you watch Criminal Minds and tell me that Jemily never had something together then you are obviously not paying attention.Â
As much as Derek is Garciaâs Chocolate Thunder and she is his Baby Girl, Jemily is canon.
