The Criminal Minds Character You Likely Forgot Amber Heard Played
"Criminal Minds" character Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) is sought after by several admirers throughout the show's 15 seasons. It seems that the ladies love a slightly awkward FBI special agent who collects PhDs like they are baseball cards. For instance, during Season 1, Episode 18 ("Somebody's Watching"), a bumbling Reid catches Lila Archer's (Amber Heard) eye during a chance visit to a Hollywood gallery displaying contemporary art. The Caltech graduate eventually becomes the actor's chaperone of sorts because her stalker decides to begin taking lives.
While Lila is unnerved by the situation, she wants to feel a sense of normalcy and shares a moment of intimacy with Reid. After their quick makeout session, the FBI agent saves Lila and defeats yet another unsub. Unfortunately for Reid and the actor, they permanently part ways. While opening up to his co-worker, Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Reid suggests he feels guilty about his brief romance with a stalking victim. Morgan assures him, however, that his behavior is not out of line.
"Some things you can't control, even with that big old brain of yours. No harm, no foul, let it go," says the supervisory special agent.
Fans shared their appreciation for Amber Heard's character
While Amber Heard exhibited her acting abilities for just a single "Criminal Minds" episode, Lila seems to be quite a memorable character. For instance, several fans shared their appreciation for Lila in the comments of a 2021 Reddit poll, which ranked Reid's romances on the "Criminal Minds" subreddit. A few commenters revealed they wished Lila had interactions with Reid outside of Season 1, Episode 18. "Even though its Amber heard, I actually liked the story with her and its such a shame they didn't explore it more," wrote Reddit user u/Afraid-Astronomer886.
"I really liked him with Lila since that was before he really starting gaining confidence and coming out of his shell, but she still saw who he was inside," added u/Silvinis.
"I will die on the Lila hill," u/Quinnie-The-Gardener chimed in.
The poll's original poster, u/TheFantasticXman1, also shared that they enjoyed Reid with Lila as the characters had contrasting demeanors.
Lila was also referenced in a separate "Criminal Minds" Reddit thread discussing Reid's romantic moments. "I loved him with Lila. I thought they had good chemistry and were a good a balance," shared the commenter, u/Flimsy-Ad-1012. Some Reddit users also shared their thoughts on Reid's other ill-fated romances, specifically his controversial almost-relationship with his co-worker, Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A. J. Cook). Quite a few commenters stated they were unhappy with JJ and Reid's behavior in later episodes.