Rachel Nichols makes her debut on Criminal Minds the episode airing December 8.

As FBI cadet Ashley Seaver, she assists Reid, Prentiss, Hotchner, Rossi and Morgan as the BAU searches inside a gated New Mexico community for a killer targeting women.

It’s been hotly debated whether the casting of Nichols is meant to replace A.J. Cook, how long her character will stick around or what exactly her role will be. Stay tuned.

Here’s our first look at Rachel in “What Happens At Home” …

You can now follow us on Twitter to get instant updates @rachelnweb! Also, don’t forget to follow Rachel herself if you are not doing so already @RachelNichols1.

Check out the first stills of Rachel as Tamara in Conan, which will now be coming out in 3-D next year.

Rachel Nichols has signed on for a multi-episode story arc on Criminal Minds later this season. Might she be a permanent replacement for A.J. Cook, who bids farewell this evening?

It doesn’t look like it. Criminal Minds had planned to add a new female regular cast member in the wake of the Cook’s departure. That still may be true, but it won’t be Rachel.

The character Nichols will play, FBI cadet Ashley Seager, was originally envisioned as a new regular, but that changed, and Nichols will now appear in three episodes, reports say.

The premise for her arrival? Seager is invited by Hotch (Thomas Gibson) to consult on a case after learning her family history will bring a unique insight into the mind of a serial killer.

It will be interesting to see how the show handles JJ’s exit and who fills the void left by her departure. Will Morgan be developed more, for example, or will a newcomer be cast?

In any case, Cook will be missed. She was terrific in last week’s season premiere, and this evening’s episode, fittingly titled “J.J.,” looks like it will be a powerful one as well.

Source: tvfanatic.com