Ask anyCriminal Mindsfan, and they will tell you thatDr. Spencer Reid is the show’s main character. Every season, he just gets more unique, relatable, and charming, which makes him stand out among other characters inCriminal Minds, or other similar shows, for that matter.
Other than being incredibly intelligent (like having graduated from high school at age 12), he is also a charming ball of intelligence, awkwardness, and s magic brain. These unique traits are among many other reasons why people love Dr. Spencer Reid, portrayed byMatthew Gray Gubler. With those traits combined, you have a special member of the FBI’s BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) that cracks cases wide open like he cracks peanuts.
After being in the show for 15 seasons, undoubtedly, he has uttered endless iconic lines that make fans fall in love with him just a little deeper. Here are some of his best quotes to help you recall why Dr. Spencer Reid is always a special character in our hearts — moments to remember after he announces his taking a break at the end of Season 15.
One thing to keep in mind is that Dr. Reid joined the FBI’s BAU unit when he was only 22 years old, making him the youngest to ever join the team. The show has been portraying his character as the ridiculously genius FBI agent — one of the reasons why he is so popular.
Through his own words, he confidently and precisely spits out genius facts about himself on the show’s first episode “Extreme Aggressor.” And if you were wondering, yes, he speaks at just the right speed that tickles your brain every time you hear him.
14“To get away with murder, you simply don’t tell anyone.”
It isn’t Dr. Spencer Reid if his answers are not straightforward. After finishing up a case where the unsub manages tohide his crimes for 30 years, the question naturally pops up: How did the unsub even manage to do so?
His iconic answer is then backed up when Prentiss adds, “And the only people he told were the people he killed.” This wraps up the obvious answer to the question, sealing shut the unsub’s case.
13“This is calm, and it’s Dr.”
This is probably one of the most famous Dr. Reid moments in the entire show. He swiftly corrects the Senator, who refers to him as Agent.
Although it is not exactly wrong to call him Agent, under this circumstance, however, it is quite triggering for Reid. He is being questioned in a courtroom regarding his team and his decision to handle a previous case. Reid inserts his authority to the Senator by correcting his title, in a way, to remind them that he isn’t to be messed with.
12“I never have any normal fans.”
Being a famously genius FBI agent comes with its own ups and downs. Some may see having fans as a flattering, good thing, but the same can’t always be said when it comes to Dr. Reid. His amazing track record at the FBI attracts people of many kinds, although due to the nature of his line of work, some of them are most likely unusual.
When faced with an unsub who apparently has done extensive research on Reid and Rossi, this thought becomes real when he sees the unsub using his knowledge of Reid against him.
11“I just keep getting PhDs.”
Father-son rivalry is so real, especially when the father is always absent in the son’s life. That pretty much sums up Dr. Reid’s dynamic with his absent father. When things got difficult with Dr. Reid’s mom, his father decided to pack up and leave — leaving Dr. Reid to his mother’s aid all alone.
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With his genius brain, naturally, Dr. Reid proves to his father that he is more than capable by getting a whole lot of PhDs. Dr. Reid has three PhDs, one in Mathematics, one in Chemistry, and one in Engineering. As if it isn’t impressive enough, he also has BAs in Psychology and Sociology.
10“Actually, it’s more like we’re looking for a needle in a pile of needles. A needle would stand out in a haystack.”
His social awkwardness always adds that bit of spice to every interaction he has with his team members when working on a case. His habit of missing social cues can sometimes be hilarious and annoying at the same time.
When Reid and his fellow team member Morgan are on a stakeout looking for a random individual that they know so little about, Morgan starts to get frustrated and says that they are looking for a needle in a haystack — the common idiom. But, in classic Dr. Reid fashion, he corrects the wrong idiom, which adds to Morgan’s frustration.
9“You’d be surprised how many killers do what they do because of their parents.”
During the pursuit of a five-member group named the Hitman Network, Dr. Reid decides to go undercover to meet one of the members, named Cat, in hopes of taking the entire group down. However, he walks into a trap and is held hostage.
After some serious conversation, Reid finds out that Cat’s only desire is to kill her father, with whom she has a horrible relationship. After succeeding in taking her into custody, Reid comes to the thought that horrible parents can turn lives upside down. In the Cat’s case, when she becomes a killer because of her hatred toward her father.
8“The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It’s actually safer to kiss.”
The perfect output of his Google-like brain and wit. When he meets an old acquaintance, he seems to be hesitant to shake hands with the man. So, he comes up with a very Reid response, a smart way of rejecting the handshake.
His social awkwardness, combined with his being germaphobic, prompts this interaction to be hilarious. The atmosphere of the room afterward is not something uncommon in the show since Dr. Reid often manages to come up with responses that are unhinged and genius at the same time.
7“Evil can’t be scientifically defined. It’s an illusory moral concept that doesn’t exist in nature. Its origins and connotations have been inextricably linked to religion and mythology.”
With his multiple titles in PhDs and BAs, his brain is rich with information and knowledge. Combining that with his experience in catching serial killers, it makes him come up with factual statements that get viewers thinking more about this world.
He sees evil every day in his line of work, and naturally, he hops on the debate about evil in the human mind. As he states, a lot of factors determine what being evil means, as it is only a concept.
6“Contrary to popular belief, decapitation is not that easy.”
The rare sentence comes to the surface when the team is investigating a series of murders where the victims are all decapitated. Maybe it was out of profiling matters; Dr. Reid’s quote is quite unusual, indeed.
A lot can be said about the unsub from the way they kill their victims, and this one is probably why Dr. Reid decides to state the fact. This indicates that the unsub has some knowledge to go about doing his chosen method of killing.
