Spencer Reid: Gorgeous Gray Matter

[Danielg342]

Saving Grace was a cable show that ran from 2007 to 2010 on TNT, or in other words, it was a cable show. The dynamics of cable are far different than that of broadcast networks like CBS, essentially boiling down to the fact that a cable network has far less of a reach- or an available audience- than a broadcaster does. Broadcast networks accounted for 40% of all TV viewers in 2014 and reach an estimated 110 million American households, 15% more than the reach of TNT (which reaches 90 million homes). Furthermore, syndication deals in the U.S. typically favour broadcast networks selling to cable networks, so a cable show has fewer options when it comes to syndication (which apparently was what actually did in Saving Grace).

 

Likely, given all that, Saving Grace was getting the best TV numbers it could get- there just wasn't much of a chance for further growth, because cable just doesn't provide that opportunity. So Saving Grace needs auxiliary revenue streams just to turn a decent profit, so it's reasonable for the show to be cancelled if it doesn't produce those numbers.

 

On broadcast TV, none of that matters- the only thing that matters is the show's numbers. That's it. Since audience reach is essentially limitless for CBS, it can hold shows accountable for not producing the numbers it needs, since CBS has a much larger market available to it. TNT, on the other hand, is limited.

 

You may not think that matters, but it matters to advertisers. Knowing that you're going to have a better chance gaining eyeballs if you advertise on broadcast TV, advertisers are going to send their money there, forcing the cable networks to fight for the scraps. Saving Grace likely made as much money in viewership as it was ever going to get, but CM does have the ability to pull in far greater numbers than Saving Grace can and thus could produce much more advertising revenue in viewership alone. Sure, the network likely still pays attention to auxiliary revenue streams like DVD sales and international rights, but those numbers pale in comparison to what broadcast TV viewership alone could generate (as I said before, traditional TV viewership beats streaming by a factor of 17:1)- which is why CM's ratings still matter.

 

As for those ratings...CM isn't in danger. The ratings have slipped from good (2.0) to respectable (1.6), but it's still ahead of many other dramas, like Blue Bloods, Hawaii 5-0, Person of Interest and The Good Wife. Those would go before CM would.

[Bookish Jen]

I think him propositioning that girl for coffee was there to show he had moved on/was ready to start the moving on process. 

 

 

I don't know if you read the MGG AMA but he stated he wants Reid to feel like he doesn't fit in anywhere, work or social-wise which I find interesting because all of his fans seem to want the opposite for Reid.

 

I like to think he still socialises with those people at that park/chess place grass area but even if he doesn't, at least he has his fish to talk to (humor attempt).

[Danielg342]

"Oh Spencer with your mind so bright?/Won't you guide the facts tonight?"

[Noirprncess]

So, there is no OFFICIAL reason that Reid had been missing in the last few episodes?

[ForeverAlone]

So, there is no OFFICIAL reason that Reid had been missing in the last few episodes?

None whatsoever. Nothing from CBS or showrunner. And last week when Matthew did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, he very deliberately avoided answering that question. So it makes me very curious what was really going on behind this absence. Even if Matthew asked for a vacation, why ask for it, and more important, why did CBS give him one? It's extremely odd. 

[ForeverAlone]

I don't that's fair to state. There's over 800 questions and only twelve answers (not including the ones that were deleted).  It's possible he didn't even read the question. 

The reason I feel confident saying he deliberately ignored that question, is because the question about the Reidless episode was always at the top of the list of questions on Reddit. It had the most points, so it was placed really high throughout the entire AMA. I can't see how possibly Matthew could have missed it, when he answered other, more obscure questions from farther down. 

[ForeverAlone]

Reid's absence may be easily explained by fans, but the question was about why MATTHEW wasn't in the episodes. Since his absence had nothing to do with a storyline, it was an absence that came from outside. Even if the answer was as simple as Matthew requested the vacation and got it (of course, then CBS really should explain why they would pay him to take a month long vacation in the middle of the season). Because we honestly have no clue why Matthew wasn't at work, because no one from the show has addressed it. 

 

I wasn't surprised at any of Matthew's answers, because he has answered most of those same questions in previous interviews or fan chats. But he rarely answers anything deeply when interacting with fans, so this was more par for the course. Which of course raises the question why he would agree to do an AMA in the first place, if he didn't want to give fans a deeper window into himself. And since his absence from three episodes has upset many fans, this would have been a perfect opportunity to address it. Because I would honestly be SHOCKED if he didn't see that question when he was looking at his AMA.

Edited December 10, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[RearcherInReal]

Why do they care about demo? Because they do care about the people who like to buy things from Ads.

Anyway absolutely no actual static shows Morgan the idiot and JJ the Super Mom have some power to influence the ratings, but Reid did. What kind of idiots decided to ignore the only factor that could affect ratings.

[Reghan]

He was doing a voice over for Alvin and the chipmunks, that's why he was gone. Everyone is making it seem like a huge deal, but it's really not...

[missmycat]

He was doing a voice over for Alvin and the chipmunks, that's why he was gone. Everyone is making it seem like a huge deal, but it's really not...

No that is not why he has been absent from these episode.Matthew has done the voice of Simon before and has never had to miss an episode let alone 3 of them.

And yes people are making a big deal out of it because it is a big deal, because nothing like this has ever happened before and the fans weren't prepared for his absences. And quite frankly I am now glad he did miss them. It gave me an excuse not to watch and to be able to avoid having to deal with any sort of Garcia angst. Plus I am hoping that the reaction on social media has been a wake up call for CBS.Because imo CBS has just sat back for too long and allowed MESSer and her writers to either marginalize Reid or ignore him altogether.

[ForeverAlone]

That is not why he was gone. He likely did the voiceover work for Alvin and the Chipmunks several months to a year ago. He definitely was not doing any primary voice work in October. Maybe some redoes, but that is about it.

But yeah, his absence for three episodes is unprecedented for Matthew himself and the rest of the cast (aside from maternity leave, but that is another thing entirely). CBS likely paid him over $300,000 dollars to take a month long vacation in the middle of the season, and that is just very curious and eyebrow raising.

Edited December 10, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Cobalt Stargazer]

He was doing a voice over for Alvin and the chipmunks, that's why he was gone. Everyone is making it seem like a huge deal, but it's really not...

 

Except the movie is coming out on the 18th of this month, (saw the trailer for the first time last night) so who knows when he was done with his voice work.

[ForeverAlone]

If the voiceover schedule was the same as it was for the last Chipmunks movie, he likely did his voiceover work a year ago. Minimum of several months in any case.

[leela46]

Regardless of the reason for his absence, I'm skipping the Reidless episodes. I'll b back watching when Reid comes back.

[Old Dog]

I'm not watching the Reidless episodes either - and reading the reviews it seems I haven't missed anything. Lately it's only MGG that makes the show worth watching.

[Noirprncess]

So last night, Rossi made a throwaway statement about talking to "the kid". It's interesting that the show hasn't even addressed why he wasn't there. Just makes me wonder how many more episodes he will be gone.

[Bookish Jen]

"Oh Spencer with your mind so bright?/Won't you guide the facts tonight?"

Ah, yes, a lovely lyric from the holiday classic "Spencer, the Genius Reid-Dear" by Spencer, Hold My Earrings.

[ReidFan]

I did a copy and paste of the AMA he did at reddit. And I do believe it's quite possible he never saw the question about Reid's absence, because I didn't at first either (I went looking for it after the fact). My settings (and I'm completely new to reddit, so I had to have my son help me out) were probably different from those who said he deliberately evaded that question. His settings probably were too. The proof it was him that was posted was his official facebook page link. 

 

The Alvin voicework was done ages ago, before the summer trip to Monaco/Europe. That's not why he was away from the last three episodes, but we've already gone over his October Calendar, to wit: the film festival in upstate NY, the sojourn in NYC, the trip to Colonial Williamsburg with Papa Gubler, the visit to Philadelphia, a stop in Vegas to do some charitable stuff, and to direct the Killers' music video, followed by the editing of same and ending with his annual Halloween celebration. I'd say that was a pretty full month.

 

He will be back next episode. The next one is "Entropy" which is the one guest starring Aubrey Plaza. Just gonna throw this out there.... One of the reddit questions he was asked was about working with Aubrey. He said it was 'like Jaffar and that parrot, I think his name is Iago, from Aladin" (the spelling mistakes are his). Got me to thinking about this episode and what we've been told about it so far: the disastrous date, Morgan and the 'helping PrettyBoy', the BTS photo that shows the restaurant is empty except for Morgan, the female (likely Aubrey's character) and Reid. So, the other patrons have been allowed to exit, leaving just Reid as Cat's hostage. And I'm left wondering if the whole thing wasn't a set up by her to test him. Test whether he'd be loyal/willing to help her. And I'm thinking she knows something about the Dirty Dozen thing and wants to trust him and let him in on it. Just speculating. I'll shut up now.

[Bookish Jen]

Well, it sounds like Matthew kept himself really busy while on his month-long break from CM, and good for him. However, it doesn't explain why Matthew and his character have been so marginalized by MESSer. We all know Matthew has a strong work ethic, is very talented and comes across as a very affable and professional sort, not the type to act like a total jerk on the set. In fact, I think he sounds like the ideal employee; I'd probably find him a joy to work with.

[Bookish Jen]

Ooh, I just had to add this because it is very Reid-related. A few months ago I told many of you my adorable nephew had his IQ tested and it tested at near genius levels. Now I just found out from my sister he wants Dr. Who books for Xmas. Auntie Bookish Jen is just popping with pride!!!!!!

[ReidFan]

Unless she's lying, and I doubt this, Erica Messer very much likes Matthew. He's often pictured with her, both all smiles, at events or behind the scenes at CM etc. I think her problem is she can't write Reid, not that she has any issues with MGG. *shrug*

 

 

another speculation from me..... it's been written elsewhere that there are three upcoming episodes (#s 16, 17 and 18) that are a mini-arc culminating in the (possibly temporary) exit from the show of Derek Morgan. (#18 was listed as being called 'Derek' in one place I frequented). Which would give Shemar Moore episodes 19, 20 and 21 off. Which would bring him in line with 'most episodes appeared in' with Matthew again. Maybe that's another reason CBS/MarkGordonProductions/whoever else is in charge was okay with Matthew being away for three. *shrug again*

[Bookish Jen]

Unless she's lying, and I doubt this, Erica Messer very much likes Matthew. He's often pictured with her, both all smiles, at events or behind the scenes at CM etc. I think her problem is she can't write Reid, not that she has any issues with MGG. *shrug*

 

 

another speculation from me..... it's been written elsewhere that there are three upcoming episodes (#s 16, 17 and 18) that are a mini-arc culminating in the (possibly temporary) exit from the show of Derek Morgan. (#18 was listed as being called 'Derek' in one place I frequented). Which would give Shemar Moore episodes 19, 20 and 21 off. Which would bring him in line with 'most episodes appeared in' with Matthew again. Maybe that's another reason CBS/MarkGordonProductions/whoever else is in charge was okay with Matthew being away for three. *shrug again*

Oh, I have no doubt Erica likes Matthew. As I mentioned I think he'd be a joy to work with and I bet we'd totally get along. But as so aptly put it, Erica doesn't get Reid. I have a feeling Erica can't relate to Reid and can't see beyond the tip of her nose so that must explain why Reid has become so one-dimensional.

[missmycat]

Oh, I have no doubt Erica likes Matthew. As I mentioned I think he'd be a joy to work with and I bet we'd totally get along. But as so aptly put it, Erica doesn't get Reid. I have a feeling Erica can't relate to Reid and can't see beyond the tip of her nose so that must explain why Reid has become so one-dimensional.

I can't fault her for not being able to relate to him. There are characters I can't exactly relate to. What I can fault her for, is the fact she didn't even bother to make sure that the majority of her writers would be able to relate to Reid. So that they'd be able to write him well. For that matter she didn't even bother getting writers who would have been able to write for all the characters and write them well. But then again the *bleeping*  guest stars/unsubs have always been more important to MESSer and company than the regular cast/characters.

[normasm]

Unless she's lying, and I doubt this, Erica Messer very much likes Matthew. He's often pictured with her, both all smiles, at events or behind the scenes at CM etc. I think her problem is she can't write Reid, not that she has any issues with MGG. *shrug*

 

 

another speculation from me..... it's been written elsewhere that there are three upcoming episodes (#s 16, 17 and 18) that are a mini-arc culminating in the (possibly temporary) exit from the show of Derek Morgan. (#18 was listed as being called 'Derek' in one place I frequented). Which would give Shemar Moore episodes 19, 20 and 21 off. Which would bring him in line with 'most episodes appeared in' with Matthew again. Maybe that's another reason CBS/MarkGordonProductions/whoever else is in charge was okay with Matthew being away for three. *shrug again*

Actually, RF, it's #16 the Thomas Gibson-directed one, that is named "Derek." I agree that Messer doesn't dislike MGG, she just can't write or run the show to accommodate his canon character. 

 

It would be interesting if your theory about Moore missing the same # of episodes as Matthew were to happen. But I suspect that, if they are going to spend 3 consecutive episodes culminating in the departure of Morgan, it won't be temporary. It'll just be a proper send-off that SM deserves.

Edited December 12, 2015 by normasm

[ForeverAlone]

Exactly. Why go through the trouble of a dramatic arc if a character is only going to be gone for three episodes? Reid got basically one minute's worth of explanation why he was gone for three episodes. I think this exit is much more permanent. 

[Droogie]

It would be interesting if your theory about Moore missing the same # of episodes as Matthew were to happen. But I suspect that, if they are going to spend 3 consecutive epodes culminating in the departure of Morgan, it won't be temporary. It'll just be a proper send-off that SM deserves.

And here is where I have to whine a wee bit. I absolutely agree that Morgan deserves a proper, respectful send-off. I grieve already that he is leaving. But with three episodes devoted to him, that leaves four episodes remaining for the rest of the season. At some point we will be subjected to Rossi's love interest, and I feel certain that JJ will have a centric episode, or at least receive heavy focus, at some point.

So that leaves I think eight (?) episodes left this season (this series?) in which we might have some follow-up to Mr Scratch for Hotch and any sort of concentration whatsoever on Reid -- bc I don't know if I consider yet another botched attempt at romance for him (during which he may need rescued and if that happens, prepare yourselves, because you may hear me yelling/shooting a hole through my television) appropriate and sufficient focus after so many seasons of poor writing and neglect. Reid's arc coming as it is in the exact middle of the season leads me to believe TPTB will conclude anything further for him in remaining eps would be "too much."

Edited December 11, 2015 by Droogie

[ReidFan]

oh, just read about Entropy, there's a 'Young Spencer' in the cast list....so, flashback?

[ForeverAlone]

oh, just read about Entropy, there's a 'Young Spencer' in the cast list....so, flashback?

That's what it seems like. Intriguing possibility. If there is a Young Cat, it would mean that Reid and Cat do have some sort of history together. But if not, it is really curious how this will relate to the overall story. 

[ReidFan]

yep..... Now I'm afraid that the scene we saw pictures from will be the ONLY MGG Reid scenes in it, and the rest of the episode will be about the Dirty Dozen...and the 'Reid' in it will be Young Reid...

[ForeverAlone]

The child actor's profile says he typically plays between 4-6, so we are likely looking at pretty young Reid. This show typically doesn't do flashbacks for the hell of it, so this must be pretty important and related to the story in some way. Hopefully once the press release is published and we see the cast list, we might get a better idea of who is playing in the episode, and maybe what that could mean. And by that point, we will also have the press synopsis, which should be interesting. 

[ReidFan]

Now I'm wondering about the possible connection with the two clips Shemar posted... don't remember the exact words but doesn't he say something about there not being a statute of limitations on murder, so I'm wondering if there's a connection there. imdb doesn't even list Aubrey as a guest cast member there (yet) nor a 'Young Cat'. 

 

And this isn't the same child that played 'Young Spencer' in Memoriam (the Riley Jenkins murder episode) and Reid was 4 when that happened. (although obviously, since Memoriam was what, 7 years ago?, the kid would be way too old to be playing 4 year old Reid again).

 

I'm still stoked for this episode, especially with all the possibilities. O:-) (which should mean they're bound to disappoint LOL). But since Matthew was so stoked about working with Aubrey in this episode ('it was a dream. we were born to be on screen together. like Jaffar and that parrot from Aladin... i think his name was Iago.'-- from the reddit chat) I'm really looking forward to this one, and if it goes like I'm hoping, I'm even willing to rewrite my fanfiction to make it Reid/Cat instead of Reid/Loker O:-)

[ForeverAlone]

Based on what Shemar was saying in those video clips, Cat's father killed her mother. She was also likely threatening to shoot Reid, and Morgan was trying to talk her down, saying that if she killed him (presumably Reid), he will kill her, but if she stands down, she will live to testify against her father. 

 

The question is: did Cat know all along that her father killed her mother, and her game with Reid was about getting taken seriously enough to get him arrested? It certainly seems like it, but of course that raises the question of what the hell happened with that case in the first place where he got away with it.

[ReidFan]

Don't know if this is the right thread for this, but I wanted to share some Christmas cheer with my fellow Reidfans...this is my photo edit (I'm McCabeBabe on Facebook), one of 50 I made for the month of December for my Facebook group, but it was a really nice one and I wanted to share it with you guys too. Hope that's okay

 

Edited December 13, 2015 by ReidFan

[Bookish Jen]

Re: Matthew's claim that Reid doesn't fit in anywhere was an interesting comment. Maybe I like Reid so much because I don't really fit in anywhere either at times.

Re: Matthew's claim that Reid doesn't fit in anywhere was an interesting comment. Maybe I like Reid so much because I don't really fit in anywhere either at times.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Yes, Sheldon has punched his V card before Reid has (because I really don't see any evidence Reid has ever been in a relationship or had sex with anyone), and he's been in a committed relationship for the last five years. The difference between the way Sheldon and Reid's romantic lives are written is stark. 

 

So, open question.

 

What fuels the presumption that Reid is inexperienced and has never had a relationship? Admittedly, I've turned in the direction of fanfic for the exploration of his private life, as I've mostly given up on the hope that the show will ever do justice to his non-working hours, but as light-handed as the characters can be drawn, why is 'virgin' the first word that comes to mind re Spencer's personal life?

 

I don't mean that the way it probably sounds. He can be introverted, depending on the writing, and he seems like he'd have been a late bloomer socially due to his youth when he went to high school and then college. Having been bullied and tormented, he'd be slow to trust, and he tells Alex that he was worried Maeve wouldn't like him due to his 'weirdness'.

 

But.

 

I don't know how many of you watch The Big Bang Theory, but Sheldon's crippling assholism makes him seem like a much less likely candidate for a relationship than Reid. As distant, as insecure, as rude as Spencer can and has been in the past, he's not an asshole, and late bloomer or not, even introverts socialize, as Bookish Jen has pointed out.

 

I'm genuinely curious and not trying to back anyone into a corner, and while I agree that the show has done a terrible job of giving him something outside of work, Reid is in his thirties. What are you seeing that I'm not?

[ForeverAlone]

The few times we have seen Reid around women, we have seen him being extremely socially awkward. He is written in such a way that you would expect him to be a virgin, and what we know of his background would support the idea of him being sexually inexperienced. He doesn't really go on dates. He definitely was that way at the start of the series, and we have seen nothing that would point to him being in a REAL relationship (meaning one where he actually spends time with her) with a woman since then. He never even met Maeve until shortly before she was murdered, and his extreme social awkwardness about meeting her doesn't point to him being experienced with dating. While there was a possibility of a coffee date with Dorian, we have seen nothing to indicate it actually happened. We have seen nothing in canon that would suggest he has been in a real relationship with a woman, or ever had sex. At some point, they may decide to retcon and say he's been in a relationship with Dorian all this time (though I doubt it, because if they wanted to suggest that he is in a relationship, they could easily have hinted at it by now). There are definitely people who make it into their 30s as a virgin, so it is a distinct possibility.

 

My entire point is that when it comes to CANON, there is nothing to suggest that Reid is experienced in the way of relationships or sex. 

[ForeverAlone]

I think everyone could have their own interpretation of Reid's flustered reaction to JJ mentioning Lila. Mine has always been that Lila never called him again, and it was an embarassing subject for him (which is why I think JJ brought it up in her somewhat snarky way-to sort of tease him about it).

We do know a lot about Reid, but we have seen comparatively little of his private life and what he does when he is not at work.

Edited December 20, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Danielg342]

I'd disagree that Reid is the most well-drawn character- I think Hotch takes that title, since we know about his private life, we know about a few of his interests, we've seen him with romantic interests, we know his professional background, we've seen some of his working relationships outside of the BAU, we've been privy to his thoughts, his fears and his ambitions.

 

Some of it I don't really agree with (Morgan kept on saying that Hotch loves being in the field- that might have been true about his younger days but I think he's far more comfortable as a desk jockey now), but Hotch is the best developed out of the entire team. He's also the only one whose character has had a consistent, well-planned story that stretched through multiple seasons (his relationships with Hayley and Jack). No other character can lay claim to something like that.

 

As for Reid, we've been privy to some things about him, like his days as a young prodigy, how he was often bullied for it (Alexa Lisbon springs to mind), how he's earned so many degrees, how he uses his mind and his vast array of knowledge to overcome the many insecurities he has, mostly out of being unable to reconcile how illogical human interactions can be.

 

...but, as ForeverAlone has said, we know so little about his private life- i.e., what his interests are, what activities he'd engage in when he's not at work, what kind of friends he'd make (if he'd bother making any kind of friends at all)...that kind of thing. We can fanwank a lot of stuff, but that doesn't mean the character is that well-drawn, because fanwanking isn't established canon.

 

Furthermore, a lot of stuff about Reid- like a lot of the characters, the writers have thrown in quite a bit of stuff that is contradictory, and not just in the Messer days. In "Tabula Rasa", Reid name drops Siouxise and the Banshees, an underground British rock band from the '70s, but in "The Performer", Reid somehow doesn't know what "Twlight" is. Then there's the "technophobe" Reid freely using computers in S1 and somehow not being able to understand what Twitter is.

 

I mean, don't get me wrong- it doesn't stretch the credulity that Reid would have a preference for books instead of computers and likely wouldn't be too in tuned with popular culture, but come on- he lives in Washington, he's surrounded by movie posters and billboards and other signs of popular culture, there's no way he'd not be aware of "Twilight" or Twitter. My father, who follows very little of North American team sports in general and couldn't name drop players like I could, was aware of Barry Bonds and his steroid problems (even though my dad thought his name was "Steve", but I digress). I wouldn't expect Reid to know Edward Cullen, but he'd know just from seeing a poster or a trailer about "Twilight" that it's a vampire story.

[ForeverAlone]

The Twilight stuff all came out of The Performer, and that episode was completely ridiculous when it came to Reid canon, so I tend to just ignore most of it. Sure, I could buy he has never heard of Twilight (he is not exactly the target demographic for the book, and he's not THAT into pop culture). But also in this episode, we are supposed to believe that Reid only reads fiction books that aren't in English, and he has never heard of A Clockwork Orange. It is canon from multiple episodes over the years that he is a sci fi junkie so that claim is ridiculous. 

 

But yeah, the Siouxsie and the Banshees name drop is rather hard to believe from a guy who doesn't know the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song. And let's not forget the episode where he apparently doesn't have email AT ALL (which of course he does). Some things about Reid aren't consistent. There is nothing egregious about the writing of his background (unlike Hotch and Rossi, where we can't even get a consistent age for them). But it doesn't always add up if you consider every episode. I prefer his characterization in the early years, when he was reasonably technologically adept, an indepth sci fi geek, and rather socially awkward. I am not a fan of his technophobe characterization, regardless of if that is what Matthew wanted. It just doesn't match what we knew before. 

[Danielg342]

The thing about “Twilight” is that Reid has been shown to take the subway, and the subway would likely have posters plastered all over the place promoting “Twilight”...so he should have been aware of the name.

Which brings me to another strange thing about his character...the transit trip from Washington to Quantico is 2-3 hours long (depending on when you travel) and service isn't 24 hours. Since we don't know if he carpools with anyone (he'd likely have to), it seems rather weird that he'd spent anywhere between four and six hours just commuting. I suppose that leaves a lot of time for reviewing papers and reading books, but we've seen him spend time at home when he...well, probably wouldn't be able to during the week.

So I could buy that Reid would commute in Year 1, maybe Year 2...but by now he should have bought a car or found an apartment closer to work or something.

[ForeverAlone]

Well...the show gets the DC/Northern VA geography completely wrong and we are supposed to believe that they are closer together than they really are, and Quantico is a simple commute. I don't buy someone living in DC and commuting to Quantico anyway (at least by public transportation), particularly since the cost of living in DC would be higher and the commute would be ridiculous. I honestly don't know if the writers fully understand the geography, or if they are just creating their own. 

Edited December 21, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Droogie]

I often wonder if the writers know anything about Spencer, about DC. I think they happily make it up as they go.

As for Spencer not knowing Twilight, in spite of perhaps movie posters being posted about, I think of him as someone often lost in thought a good deal of the time, especially if he takes public transportation, so maybe he doesn't notice movie posters, etc. I don't think he is oblivious -- I imagine he notices patterns in people he sees and observes their behavior, but I could see him not really noticing posters on the walls.

As for knowing Siouxsie and the Banshees, I can buy that. He likely would've listened to some campus radio, and heard music on his dorm floors -- he knew Metallica, although they are admittedly more mainstream than SatB. I know Siouxsie and I can't name one character in Twilight. Granted, I know Twilight is a thing, but that's it.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Which brings me to another strange thing about his character...the transit trip from Washington to Quantico is 2-3 hours long (depending on when you travel) and service isn't 24 hours. Since we don't know if he carpools with anyone (he'd likely have to), it seems rather weird that he'd spent anywhere between four and six hours just commuting. I suppose that leaves a lot of time for reviewing papers and reading books, but we've seen him spend time at home when he...well, probably wouldn't be able to during the week.

 

Not exactly on-topic, but related:

 

Near the end of The Silencer when Garcia is talking to Alex, she mentions something about how Alex lives in 'the District' and how that couldn't have been an easy commute. We know that Reid has a car, because we saw it when he drove to where Gideon's body was found in Nelson's Sparrow, and I can see him mapping out the absolute best route to get to work, and depending on the hour, there may well be less traffic on the road to and from work. I don't know what traffic is like in Washington, but very early and very late here in NC the roads are usually deserted except for the occasional police car and now and then someone coming home from a night of partying.

 

It doesn't bother me that he isn't/wasn't familiar with Twilight. I wish i wasn't familiar with Twilight, though, so if a fictional character managed to escape it, good on the writers for allowing it.

[Droogie]

Not to take away from what is being discussed, but I have an unrelated question:

When did Morgan first refer to Reid as "Pretty Boy"?

Because he is, indeed. And I can't remember when I first heard it.

[ForeverAlone]

We have seen Reid with that old, beaten down car twice, but we have also seen many examples of Reid taking public transportation or referencing it, so I think the assumption is that Reid takes the train to work everyday, and maybe keeps that car for long distance drives. But no, it would not be plausible for him to take public transportation from DC to Quantico on a daily basis.

 

Reid didn't really know Metallica though. In the pilot he selected the CD as the probable missing one, because it was the only empty case. And he selected Enter Sandman as a possible password after looking at the CD cover, because the song title probably was listed on the CD cover (though that was not the same CD that particular song was found on, but the director wanted a more colorful CD). 

Not to take away from what is being discussed, but I have an unrelated question:

When did Morgan first refer to Reid as "Pretty Boy"?

Because he is, indeed. And I can't remember when I first heard it.

I would have to rewatch some of the earlier episodes, but Morgan definitely calls Reid Pretty Boy no later than The Fisher King, part 1. 

Edited December 21, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Droogie]

I think early Reid was truer to canon, so it makes sense that that Reid would have known Metallica, because I think he was more hip and far less laughable, albeit possibly more awkward, than the Reid we have now.

But you are right -- he could have deduced the answer knowing nothing of the actual band.

[Old Dog]

Not to take away from what is being discussed, but I have an unrelated question:

When did Morgan first refer to Reid as "Pretty Boy"?

Because he is, indeed. And I can't remember when I first heard it.

I think it may have been in The Fisher King when he tried to persuade Reid to try to "get a bit of lovin;" but Reid told them he was going home.

[Danielg342]

I still think getting the clue, “Enter Sandman” requires some knowledge about pop culture. The single itself only reached #16 on Billboard, so while it was a huge hit for Metallica and in rock circles, it wasn't so ubiquitous that Reid would have heard about it without having at least listened to the radio or watching MTV.

Corollary to that, unless the UnSub in “Extreme Aggressor” bought one of the first copies of “The Black Album” (not likely due to his age), the sticker on the album cover would likely list “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters” as well as “Enter Sandman”. So Reid would have to know “Enter Sandman” was Metallica's biggest hit to make that connection.

Regardless, if Reid can name drop one of the biggest rock songs of all time but doesn't seem to be aware that “Twilight” exists, it still seems like a major contradiction. Sure, Reid may never read the books, but I would think, since he's such an observant fellow, that he'd at least be aware of the name, since “Twilight” was everywhere. Perhaps Reid is more of a rock junkie, especially the '70s and the '80s, and that is why he'd know “Enter Sandman” and not “Twilight”...but I still find it hard to believe.

[Droogie]

I agree. I think Reid knew Metallica. But I don't think it's too much of a stretch that he also didn't know Twilight.

He was clearly a younger man/boy when he first heard the music, since the topic at hand occurred in the first episode. But when the Twilight books came out, he was already onto other things, his life's work. He was in the BAU by then, hanging with Gideon -- I imagine he spent his spare time reading up on serial killers, typing "death" into search engines, and logging a lot of hours at the office. I can see that some pop culture passed him by at that time.

[Danielg342]

My issue with “Twilight” is that Reid straight up asked, “what's 'Twilight'?” as if the name never appeared on his radar screen. I'd think, at the very least, he would have seen the title somewhere.