Top 10 Times Spencer Was the Best Character on Criminal Minds
#10: Becoming a Godfather
"Memoriam"
Top 20 Times Spencer Was the Best Character on Criminal Minds
Reid and JJ have always had a very special relationship. They’re the best of friends and she’s the only person that ever calls him “Spence”. So it’s really no surprise when JJ asks him to be godfather to her son, Henry. After a particularly harrowing experience putting together hazy pieces of his past, Reid still manages to show up for his best friend in the hospital after she gives birth. In this moment we get to see just how much Reid and JJ really love each other. Many believe that Morgan and Garcia are the best best friends on this show, but we argue that Reid and JJ give them a run for their money.
#9: Undercover
"Entropy"
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When a ring of hitmen is targeting the BAU, Reid goes undercover as a husband looking to kill his pregnant wife to flush one of them out. But Cat has her own trap set for the team. What happens next is a 30 minute battle of wits between two geniuses. Watching Reid go head to head with a fellow mastermind over the fate of the team keeps you on the very edge of your seat. The power goes back and forth between them, and just when it seems like Reid may have met his match, he turns the tables on Cat one more time. Reid called it at the very beginning. He always wins.
#8: Sleight of Hand
“Derailed”
Reid is a man of many talents, but he’s not necessarily the first guy on the team you think of when you need someone for a one man rescue mission. Elle is taken hostage along with other passengers on a train by a mentally ill man who believes the government is spying on him. When the rest of the team wants to storm the train, Reid insists on going in alone. He may not have the physical prowess of the others, but Reid uses his own magic to resolve the situation - literally! He uses a magic trick to remove a “chip" that the man believes is in his arm. It’s Reid’s kindness and compassion that wins the day.
#7: Playing Chess
“Zugzwang”
Reid might not have Morgan’s outgoing personality, or Hotch’s strong but silent demeanor. But all of us Dr. Reid fans swoon at his understated charm. So we were all excited when Reid found someone else that could appreciate him just as much. Unfortunately, it was tragically short lived. When Maeve is captured by her stalker, Reid pulls out all the stops to get her back. He even gets himself captured and plays along with the stalker in order to try to free Maeve. Unfortunately the stalker kills her anyway. Even though Reid is unsuccessful in trying to save her, we get a lot of great character development out of this moment.
#6: Taking Down a Shooter
“Elephant’s Memory”
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When the rest of the team want to open fire on a teenage boy threatening them with a gun, Reid handles the situation with more of a delicate touch. The boy is out for revenge on the kids that once ruthlessly bullied him, and when the jig is up, he’s willing to go down in a hail of bullets, but Reid isn’t having any of that. Feeling a certain level of empathy with the killer, Reid risks his own life to save him. He stands in between the boy and his team's guns to talk him down. No one is dying on Reid’s watch.
#5: Anthrax Scare
“Amplification”
One of the best things about Reid is just how protective he is. He’s always putting others’ well-being above his own. When Reid is exposed to a new, more powerful strain of anthrax from a secret lab, Reid wastes no time in putting himself in mortal danger in order to solve the crime and prevent anyone else from getting hurt. Reid locks himself in the lab, keeping Morgan out and refusing to come out himself until he both finds a cure and the bad guy. Even when he starts showing symptoms, Reid stays, against his friends’ wishes and, as usual, saves the day.
#4: Slaying Past Demons
“300”
Some people don’t handle being taken down and arrested by Reid as well as others. You remember that episode where Reid and Prentiss go undercover in a cult to discover if the leader is taking advantage of the underage women there? Well, in the show’s 300th episode, Reid is held hostage by the same cult, and they are out for revenge. He is forced to help free one of their leaders from custody to save Garcia from being killed. Naturally, his super brain is always at work though, and he comes out on top in the end.
#3: Reid vs Tobias
“Revelations”
Reid’s super brain strikes back yet again when he’s captured by a new serial killer with multiple personalities. Reid is physically beaten, emotionally battered, and shot up with drugs. Yet through all that he still manages to keep his wits about him and send a cryptic message to his team letting them know exactly where to find him. Who knew Reid would hold up so well under torture? But then again we should know better than to underestimate him. This is another classic badass Reid moment.
#2: Passing His Gun Qualification
“L.D.S.K.”
Even in this early episode of the show, Reid was already surprising us. After failing his gun qualification for field duty, Reid is pretty let down, but he proves himself more than ready to take on armed bad guys when he and Hotch find themselves held hostage. Hotch can’t get to his weapon, so he creates a scenario where Reid can reach it without tipping off their captor. He single handedly takes out the bad guy and saves himself and Hotch in the process. No one can deny that he passed his gun qualification after a slick move like that.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Nerd Brain Power, “The Angel Maker”
Reid Cracks the Code
The Star Puzzle, “Risky Business”
Solving the Unsolvable Puzzle
Reid Just Being Reid, “Sense Memory”
True Friendship
#1: Spontaneous Profile
“Damaged”
There are many moments throughout this show where Reid’s intellect saves the day, but this one might just be the best. When Reid and Hotch are stuck alone in a cell with a death row inmate who plans on killing them as a backwards way to stay his execution, Hotch's response is to stand up to his intimidation. But Reid has a better idea. He creates a profile on the spot to convince the killer that he sympathizes with him, and that he will be spared, buying them enough time until the guards return. We bet it would have been awesome to see Hotch pummel that guy, but watching Reid simply talk their way out of the bad situation was even better.
