Is This The Criminal Minds Moment That Changed Everything For Reid?
The overwhelmingly popular crime drama "Criminal Minds" hit the screens in 2005, and it featured characters and personalities that audiences could relate to without having to do the dangerous work of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. One member of the team has long been a fan-favorite due to his awkward personality and quirkiness.
Dr. Spencer Reid (played by Matthew Gray Gubler) is the absurdly intelligent teammate who graduated from high school at just 12 years old and prides himself on being a book nerd. When Spencer first joins the Behavioral Analysis Unit, he is met with apprehension from his cohorts before he ultimately proves to be a valuable asset.
While Reid becomes well-liked by his peers and uses his impeccable memory and smarts to the advantage of everyone in the BAU, he struggles with passing the test required to have a firearm. This struggle causes his confidence to wane until he makes one move that changes everything.
Reid's pivotal moment comes when he is taken hostage
"L.D.S.K.," the 6th episode of the 1st season of "Criminal Minds," starts with Reid feeling deflated after he fails his firearms test. This leaves him with little protection out in the field if another agent is unable to come to his aid. Nevertheless, the team receives a briefing from JJ Jareau (A. J. Cook) and embarks on a case involving a sniper — or "long-distance serial killer," which the title acronym represents.
While working the case, the killer takes Reid and Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) hostage inside a hospital. Hotch sees the killer's true colors as an arrogant person and takes it upon himself to get on his good side by claiming that Reid has been nothing but a nuisance since he joined the B.A.U. This plan works, and thankfully, Reid catches on, so there are no hard feelings about Hotch kicking Reid in the ribs several times over.
It is while being kicked that Reid removes the gun that Hotch keeps strapped to his ankle, and when the killer points his own gun at Hotch, Reid quickly shoots him between the eyes — killing him instantly and saving the life of his fellow agent. Hotch later tells Reid that he's passed his firearms exam even though Reid admits he was actually aiming for the unsub's leg. Still, Reid is granted a firearm and joins the rest of the team with the confidence to defend himself and his fellow agents if needed.
The episode ends in classic "Criminal Minds" style with a quote from Shakspeare — "Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable."