Spencer Reid: Gorgeous Gray Matter

[Mislav]

On Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 6:41 PM, Unkempt said:

I bring this point up all the time on other forums, but it seems everyone always wants to blame Erica for "hating Reid."  Granted, I don't know anything about anything, but I've been wondering for awhile now if MGG is just ready to move on.  He doesn't tweet about the show as much, he doesn't seem as enthusiastic about it anymore, he's directing less, and he's on set less.  I mean....I have zero first hand knowledge of anything, but I do know how to read between the lines. 

I remember him saying he'd be with the show to the end, but that's when he was 24 and naive.  How was he to know back then the show would go on for 13 years or what his mindset would be at that point?  If he wants to leave CM to do other things, then I support him.  I'll watch whatever he wants to involve himself in, and I've certainly enjoyed most of his movies (that I've been able to see).

Not meaning to sound condescending, but it is kind of a writer's fault for not giving him much to do over the last couple of seasons. Even if they didn't expect Matthew to possibly leave the show at some point (which I still hope he won't do), they could have made sure there was some closure to his character; if not in case he might leave the show, then simply because he's been on the show for ten years already (I'm referring to the season when Spencer Reid's character became especially stagnant) and he deserved some personal storyline or development. If not a love interest, maybe just a good friend outside the BAU, or maybe making clear that he isn't looking for a relationship and is at peace with himself. It might not be completely their fault that he has been absent so much lately, but maybe he wouldn't be if he actually had something to do. Or his character could have had something to do while Matthew 0was still more or less focused on "Criminal Minds" and not all the other projects (thirteen seasons in, can you blame him)? And if he were to leave before the end of the show, fans wouldn't be as upset if his character arc seemed at least kind of complete, if he had something/someone outside of the team (except for his mom, little Henry and Derek). It is not that hard.

 

 

 

They finally gave him a story arc in season twelve, but it revolved around him being framed for murder, doing lots of things that were just out of character, and when it ended, it didn't really change anything about the character, except traumatizing him some more. Why not try making him happy for once? It is baffling. They have screen time for him, they are willing to give him a story arc from time to time-but only as long as nothing changes and we get to see him get hurt. Plus, he is a pretty popular character, and lots of his fans do seem pretty active on social media (although maybe not as much as some other, but still). I don't know. It just doesn't make sense.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Mislav

[BakerStreet]

Uh, they totally give him every time off he asks for to "make him happy". He get whatever he wants at Criminal Minds. 

He wasn't out of character, he was Reid in prison. 

I don't know what you are saying here.

[Fashionista7]

OOOOHHHHHH-HOO-HOO!!!!

DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!

I...get....CHILLS...when he said that.

Everyone looked at him like, what?

[Mislav]

On Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 3:04 AM, BakerStreet said:

Uh, they totally give him every time off he asks for to "make him happy". He get whatever he wants at Criminal Minds. 

He wasn't out of character, he was Reid in prison. 

I don't know what you are saying here.

Yeah, writing a few episodes without a certain character doesn't take much effort. Especially in a TV show that has actually changed cast members so many times already. Actually giving him a meaningful story arc does. What they should have done is give him some sufficient story arc/character development when he was still available full time. Rather than still not developing his character in any meaningful way AND allowing him not to be present any episode (and why should he be, when his character isn't going anywhere?).

 

 

Him not being able to find a common language nor staying out of trouble with any prisoners who confronted him (except for one guy who turned out to be working against him), despite his profiling skills and all those situation when he had to talk unsubs out of actually killing someone, him tampering with the drug supply (and thus endangering the health of at least several people, albeit evil people)... those things weren't out of character?

 

 

Not to mention a sheer ridicioulness of ime character going through all that shit: schizophrenic mother, his father leaving, getting bullied at school, being abducted and tortured, getting addicted to drugs, being abducted again and having his girlfriend killed in front of him, his former mentor (Gideon) getting murdered, his mother developing Alzheimer's, being framed for murder...

[Fashionista7]

3 minutes ago, Mislav said:

Yeah, writing a few episodes without a certain character doesn't take much effort. Especially in a TV show that has actually changed cast members so many times already. Actually giving him a meaningful story arc does. What they should have done is give him some sufficient story arc/character development when he was still available full time. Rather than still not developing his character in any meaningful way AND allowing him not to be present any episode (and why should he be, when his character isn't going anywhere?).

 

 

Him not being able to find a common language nor staying out of trouble with any prisoners who confronted him (except for one guy who turned out to be working against him), despite his profiling skills and all those situation when he had to talk unsubs out of actually killing someone, him tampering with the drug supply (and thus endangering the health of at least several people, albeit evil people)... those things weren't out of character?

 

 

Not to mention a sheer ridicioulness of ime character going through all that shit: schizophrenic mother, his father leaving, getting bullied at school, being abducted and tortured, getting addicted to drugs, being abducted again and having his girlfriend killed in front of him, his former mentor (Gideon) getting murdered, his mother developing Alzheimer's, being framed for murder...

Refresh my memory please, but when did he get abducted again? When it when Maeve died?

And don't forget almost dying from the strain.

[Mislav]

Just now, Fashionista7 said:

Refresh my memory please, but when did he get abducted again? When it when Maeve died?

And don't forget almost dying from the strain.

Yes, the episode where Maeve was murdered. Well, technically, he decided to go in there himself, but he was still tied up and held at gunpoint.

[Fashionista7]

2 minutes ago, Mislav said:

Yes, the episode where Maeve was murdered. Well, technically, he decided to go in there himself, but he was still tied up and held at gunpoint.

Thanks. I can't rewatch it. Anyway, you see the video I posted?

Again, don't forget the strain.

[Mislav]

1 minute ago, Fashionista7 said:

Thanks. I can't rewatch it. Anyway, you see the video I posted?

Again, don't forget the strain.

Yes, I always loved that scene LOL

And yes, I remember the anthrax.

[Fashionista7]

1 minute ago, Mislav said:

Yes, I always loved that scene LOL

And yes, I remember the anthrax.

Can you bring to watch that episode again? I know I can't.

Everyone looked at him like, what?

[Mariana]

26 minutes ago, Mislav said:

Yeah, writing a few episodes without a certain character doesn't take much effort. Especially in a TV show that has actually changed cast members so many times already. Actually giving him a meaningful story arc does. What they should have done is give him some sufficient story arc/character development when he was still available full time. Rather than still not developing his character in any meaningful way AND allowing him not to be present any episode (and why should he be, when his character isn't going anywhere?).

 

 

Him not being able to find a common language nor staying out of trouble with any prisoners who confronted him (except for one guy who turned out to be working against him), despite his profiling skills and all those situation when he had to talk unsubs out of actually killing someone, him tampering with the drug supply (and thus endangering the health of at least several people, albeit evil people)... those things weren't out of character?

 

 

Not to mention a sheer ridicioulness of ime character going through all that shit: schizophrenic mother, his father leaving, getting bullied at school, being abducted and tortured, getting addicted to drugs, being abducted again and having his girlfriend killed in front of him, his former mentor (Gideon) getting murdered, his mother developing Alzheimer's, being framed for murder...

Exactly!!! 

[Fashionista7]

26 minutes ago, Mislav said:

Yes, I always loved that scene LOL

And yes, I remember the anthrax.

Also, how long before she went missing/disappeared?

[ReidFan]

I have a love/hate relationship with Zugzwang. As a fan of the *actor* I love it, he gets to stretch so much as an actor. As a fan of the Reid character, I hate it. Hate what the poor guy is going through (yet again, they haven't tortured him enough)

[Fashionista7]

1 minute ago, ReidFan said:

I have a love/hate relationship with Zugzwang. As a fan of the *actor* I love it, he gets to stretch so much as an actor. As a fan of the Reid character, I hate it. Hate what the poor guy is going through (yet again, they haven't tortured him enough)

Same. Also, you saw the video I posted?

Edited February 2, 2018 by Fashionista7

[ReidFan]

39 minutes ago, Fashionista7 said:

Same. Also, you saw the video I posted?

yes. why? he says the B word. I know :)

[Fashionista7]

1 minute ago, ReidFan said:

yes. why? he says the B word. I know :)

Got me TURNED ON, despite the situation.

I don't turn on easily.

[Mislav]

12 hours ago, Fashionista7 said:

Can you bring to watch that episode again? I know I can't.

Everyone looked at him like, what?

The Anthrax one... I haven't watched it that many times, probably because I am not really interested in mass poisoning episodes.

 

However, I've actually watched "Zugzwang" at least three times and loved it.

[Unkempt]

On 1/25/2018 at 1:08 PM, Mislav said:

Not meaning to sound condescending, but it is kind of a writer's fault for not giving him much to do over the last couple of seasons. Even if they didn't expect Matthew to possibly leave the show at some point (which I still hope he won't do), they could have made sure there was some closure to his character; if not in case he might leave the show, then simply because he's been on the show for ten years already (I'm referring to the season when Spencer Reid's character became especially stagnant) and he deserved some personal storyline or development. If not a love interest, maybe just a good friend outside the BAU, or maybe making clear that he isn't looking for a relationship and is at peace with himself. It might not be completely their fault that he has been absent so much lately, but maybe he wouldn't be if he actually had something to do. Or his character could have had something to do while Matthew 0was still more or less focused on "Criminal Minds" and not all the other projects (thirteen seasons in, can you blame him)? And if he were to leave before the end of the show, fans wouldn't be as upset if his character arc seemed at least kind of complete, if he had something/someone outside of the team (except for his mom, little Henry and Derek). It is not that hard.

 

 

 

They finally gave him a story arc in season twelve, but it revolved around him being framed for murder, doing lots of things that were just out of character, and when it ended, it didn't really change anything about the character, except traumatizing him some more. Why not try making him happy for once? It is baffling. They have screen time for him, they are willing to give him a story arc from time to time-but only as long as nothing changes and we get to see him get hurt. Plus, he is a pretty popular character, and lots of his fans do seem pretty active on social media (although maybe not as much as some other, but still). I don't know. It just doesn't make sense.

Sure, I completely get that, but how do we know he hasn't been given that much to do because that's what Gubler has requested?  We already know that he's negotiated it into his contract to not even be on set at all for a good chunk of the season, so he might be totally fine with what's happening with his character.  It's not Erica's fault he doesn't want to be there.  It's popular among the fans to blame her for absolutely everything, but there's probably much more to the story than we are even aware.  We don't know if MGG doesn't want to be there because he isn't given enough material.  It could be that after 13 years, he's just ready to do other things.

Everyone who works on that set isn't blind to the fact that Gubler has fans.  Trust me.  They see the tweets and the facebook posts and MGG's numerous marriage proposals in his twitter mentions.  They know what they have in him....but it's hard to give him anything that great when his contract stipulates that he's only there part time.

Also, they gave him a prison arc because it was drama, and it gave MGG a chance to act beyond spouting factoids.  I'd like to see Reid happy, too, happy and stable lives don't make for exciting TV.  Plus, how do we know Reid doesn't have friends outside the BAU?  We know he plays chess in the park.  We saw that in a much earlier season.  I'm sure he meets plenty of people that way.  Who's to say his friendships aren't happening off screen?

[JMO]

I'm not sure whose fault it is that Reid doesn't have more to do on the show, especially now, in the later seasons when, as has been pointed out, he has a huge fan base.  I'm not one to look for the happy storyline for him, because I understand that drama springs from conflict, and MGG is more than capable of handling it.  But I don't know that it requires a full time commitment of the actor to achieve drama.  The writers have certainly had enough antecedent material from last year to build a thematic back story for him this year.  Technically, they have done that, with the nonsensical 100/30 day deal.  But in actuality, no.  Where's the PTSD?  Where's the alienation?  Or are we to believe that taking a month off every now and then can undo months of unrelenting stress and abuse?  The writers have taken him from a highly dramatic situation, and dropped him into something benign and, yes, boring.

So,.,,is it the writers' fault?  The showrunner?  The actor, and his contractual arrangement?

MGG is certainly entitled to utilize his time as he sees fit, but I am a firm believer in remembering your roots.  There are things I give my time to that no longer interest me, but that were once vital stepping stones to the things I now feel privileged to do, so I will continue with them for as long as I am asked, out of gratitude and respect.  MGG may not have ever actually needed CM to pay the bills, and he may always have had more interest in his other projects than in CM.  But, if not for CM, he would be doing those other projects without much of an audience.  I guess I can't begrudge him his time off (wait, yes I can!), but I wish he wasn't so determined to have it.

[Annber03]

I personally don't think Gubler taking time off means he's not as interested in CM anymore. I think it's more that he just likes to stay active in general-he likes being on CM, he likes doing his small indie films, he likes taking trips to odd places, so it makes sense he'd want to allow for the opportunity to get to do all of what he wants to do when and where possible. You can love your job on a show all you want, but thirteen years is a long time to work on a series and play the same character, and I totally get actors wanting to get some time off now and then to go do other stuff that interests them, and more importantly, make sure they can develop some variety in the types of roles they play as well. The rest of the cast may not take off a lengthy amount of time the way Gubler does, but they still keep active with other stuff, too-Vangsness has her theater work, Paget Brewster does stuff on the side, Aisha Tyler has missed an episode here and there because of the five hundred other jobs she seems to have :p, and so on and so forth. And of course, other shows have done the same thing with their actors as well. Obviously I'd love it if Gubler could remain in every episode, but I also get why he wants to juggle all his various activities and take time off as well.

As for storylines on the show, I too would love them to delve further into Reid's PTSS, too (and I think there's still opportunity to address it at some point as the remainder of this season plays out, or next season as well), just as I would've liked to see Emily and Rossi spend a little more time reflecting on Stephen's death earlier in the season (since they knew  him the longest of everyone), or touch on how Emily was recovering from her ordeal at the hands of Scratch, and so on and so forth. But we all know this show tends to be kind of weird in how they handle the aftermath of stuff the characters go through, and what's more, we know that's nothing new, either. That's been an issue since early in the show's run. I've seen some take issue with how Elle was written off the show, people have complained about how they handled Reid's drug addiction post-"Revelations", they went right on into "To Hell and Back" as though Reid hadn't just been infected with anthrax the episode before (and I don't recall the show ever mentioning it afterwards, either. At least they've actually alluded to his drug past from time to time), more recently, they took a year before addressing JJ's trauma over her ordeal in "200", etc., etc. This is just the latest in a long string of examples of that sort, really. 

And I think part of the reason for that problem has less to do with the writers' ability (or inability) to write about the aftermath and more to do with the nature of the type of show CM is. It's a procedural, and procedurals have a specific formula they've gotta follow for the most part. I don't really follow other procedurals the way I do this one, but those I know who do have talked about how this is a common issue in the genre in general. Sometimes this show has done an okay job of touching further on some of the stuff team members have been through, and even if they wait, say, a year before mentioning how a team member's dealing with an ordeal, yeah, it sucks they took so long, but it's better than not mentioning it at all, I think. And sometimes there's subtle moments in episodes that can help us fill in a few gaps along the way as well. 

But I just don't think that we're always going to get the kind of in depth exploration that we might get if this were a different type of show, on a different type of network. And in the moments when we are lucky enough to get that, while I do agree that they can still find ways to touch on how Reid's handling the aftermath of his prison stint even while taking into account the fact he'll be absent for a few episodes at some point during the season, at the same time, I can also understand where it'd be much easier to write an aftermath story if they know the character's there long enough to really properly delve into it. 

[Unkempt]

11 hours ago, JMO said:

I'm not sure whose fault it is that Reid doesn't have more to do on the show, especially now, in the later seasons when, as has been pointed out, he has a huge fan base.  I'm not one to look for the happy storyline for him, because I understand that drama springs from conflict, and MGG is more than capable of handling it.  But I don't know that it requires a full time commitment of the actor to achieve drama.  The writers have certainly had enough antecedent material from last year to build a thematic back story for him this year.  Technically, they have done that, with the nonsensical 100/30 day deal.  But in actuality, no.  Where's the PTSD?  Where's the alienation?  Or are we to believe that taking a month off every now and then can undo months of unrelenting stress and abuse?  The writers have taken him from a highly dramatic situation, and dropped him into something benign and, yes, boring.

So,.,,is it the writers' fault?  The showrunner?  The actor, and his contractual arrangement?

MGG is certainly entitled to utilize his time as he sees fit, but I am a firm believer in remembering your roots.  There are things I give my time to that no longer interest me, but that were once vital stepping stones to the things I now feel privileged to do, so I will continue with them for as long as I am asked, out of gratitude and respect.  MGG may not have ever actually needed CM to pay the bills, and he may always have had more interest in his other projects than in CM.  But, if not for CM, he would be doing those other projects without much of an audience.  I guess I can't begrudge him his time off (wait, yes I can!), but I wish he wasn't so determined to have it.

Now that's where I agree they've dropped the ball.  I'm with you in that I'm not sure if it's the writers or if it's MGG's time off not allowing it....or a combo of both.  Maybe they just had bigger plans for the season and couldn't fit it in?  But it's not realistic to go through something that traumatic, then just show back up to work like nothing ever happened. 

Still, though, I'm not privy to what happens behind the scenes, so I'm always hesitant to automatically blame the writers when it could be a case of their hands being tied.  I think it's fair to judge an episode when it's illogical and full of plot holes, but not quite fair to rush to judgment when we're not getting what we want from our favorite character.

[normasm]

I just wish the writers would write small things in for the character(s) on an ongoing basis. They don't have to be totally focused on Spencer to give us, say, the end of a conversation with JJ or Luke, where Reid is talking about on-going therapy, or a small bit of him talking to Emily about how the lectures are going, how he feels about teaching in the future, etc. He could say he's meeting new people, making new friends, it could almost be a throwaway that builds over time to a focus episode. I don't know if they will have a Reid-centric episode this season, but it still wouldn't hurt to give us a glimpse of him and his progress.

[Mislav]

13 hours ago, Unkempt said:

Sure, I completely get that, but how do we know he hasn't been given that much to do because that's what Gubler has requested?  We already know that he's negotiated it into his contract to not even be on set at all for a good chunk of the season, so he might be totally fine with what's happening with his character.  It's not Erica's fault he doesn't want to be there.  It's popular among the fans to blame her for absolutely everything, but there's probably much more to the story than we are even aware.  We don't know if MGG doesn't want to be there because he isn't given enough material.  It could be that after 13 years, he's just ready to do other things.

Everyone who works on that set isn't blind to the fact that Gubler has fans.  Trust me.  They see the tweets and the facebook posts and MGG's numerous marriage proposals in his twitter mentions.  They know what they have in him....but it's hard to give him anything that great when his contract stipulates that he's only there part time.

Also, they gave him a prison arc because it was drama, and it gave MGG a chance to act beyond spouting factoids.  I'd like to see Reid happy, too, happy and stable lives don't make for exciting TV.  Plus, how do we know Reid doesn't have friends outside the BAU?  We know he plays chess in the park.  We saw that in a much earlier season.  I'm sure he meets plenty of people that way.  Who's to say his friendships aren't happening off screen?

I highly doubt any cast members also requested a considerable lack of an actual profile work, consistently over the top unsubs, etc. (why would they, especially in a TV show about PROFILERS?) from the writers, but those are all the flaws we are seeing in later seasons. One of the current flaws, at least in my opinion, is also a lack of Spencer Reid-a lack of any meaningful story arc for him. But, yeah, that flaw among all the others might have been the actor's request, rather than the writers' fault, because...?

 

 

As for absence, Spencer wasn't even absent much until the last three seasons. He was in almost every episode from seasons one to ten, if not all. That is plenty of time to do something with him. JJ was married and had a child by season seven finale, after all.

 

 

Yes, happy and stable lives don't make for exciting TV. But watching a character not do much over the last few seasons isn't better. Few arcs that they have given him may give Matthew a chance to show off his acting talent, but they don't change anything about his character, they don't develop him in any way. We aren't witnessing anything new. 

 

 

We've seen Spencer suffer before. We know that he is vulnerable, that he is emotional (albeit not necessarily sentimental...) We already know all of that. We've seen it done before, and done better. And if happy and stable lives don't make for exciting TV, why do they keep writing them for the characters? JJ is married and has two children, Derek had a son and got married (though that could have been written simply because he was leaving the show and they wanted to give him closure), Rossi found out he had a daughter AND a grandson and later started a relationship with one of his ex wives... come on. And it's not like I want to see Spencer get married and have children. But making him happy for once, and having him interact with someone outside of the BAU, something as simple as giving him a girlfriend or a really close friend, would actually be something interesting and new. For his character. 

 

 

Yes, lots of things may be happening off screen. Anything may be happening off screen. But that is not why I tune it to watch TV shows. Those things that may be happening off-screen would be more interesting to feature in the episodes than torturing Spencer every few seasons.

 

 

Plus, writers definitely have most of control over the characters, not the cast portraying them, which becomes quite clear once you scratch the surface. Notice how many JJ-focused episodes were written by Virgil Williams ("There's No Place Like Home", "Nanny Dearest", "Protection", "Sick Day"...)? Then take a look at some of his (older) Twitter posts about to show and writer chats, and say you can't at least suspect why. Also notice that most of the episodes where Spencer was heavily featured and had lots of things to do and is often heavily involved in actually solving the case at the end ("True Genius, "Alchemy", "Final Shot", "Persuasion", "Rock Creek Park", "Devil's Backbone") were written by Sharon Lee Watson? Yeah, I know that Twitter is... yucky. But it doesn't take much research to learn that the way a character is written/progresses mostly depends on the writers, rather than cast members. Because such things vary depending on who writes the episode. Or at least they did, until Sharon left, Matthew is no longer available full-time, and they got lots of new writers. Now Spencer is just... there.

 

 

Lastly, even if a lack of Spencer's screen time/character development is, at least in part, by Matthew's request, that doesn't make it better. Do I feel more comfortable holding the writers responsible, rather than Matthew Gray Gubler? Honestly, yes. I'm not gonna lie. But so far, I don't see any reason or proof to assign a blame to him, rather than the people who actually write the show.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Mislav

[Unkempt]

I hear what you're saying, but remember that we're not in the writer's room, and we don't work for that studio.  We don't KNOW what their process is other than what they've told us publicly (for instance, they flesh out a general outline for the season ahead of time, then assign writers).  We also know that the actors DO get a say in what happens with their characters.  MGG has stated publicly that he has approved of storylines for Spencer (the Maeve tragedy....yup, he was the one who gave the thumbs up on that) and put the kibosh on others (the drug addiction....MGG himself said he wanted to pretend like it never happened).  So, an actor would request less screentime....why?  You'll have to ask MGG since we know for a fact that he requested it.  It's in his contract.  That's been common knowledge for a couple of years now.

I'm not sure what the deal is for sure since I'm not in his social circle, but as an outsider looking in, it looks to me like he's been ready to move on since season 6, when he almost didn't re-sign (again, common knowledge).  That's when Spencer's screentime started to decrease.  MGG started working on more indie films and started doing more modeling work right around that same time.  There were VERY frequent photoshoots, and for a short time, he was the face of Aldo shoes.  He doesn't tweet about the show as much as he used to (unless it's a big Spencer episode or something he directed), he's directing fewer episodes, and he's not on set full time anymore (whereas the other actors are showing up...except Aisha, who has a dozen other commitments).  With the schedule they work, it's easy to see how he might burned out after all this time.  Plus, people as creative as he is tend to start feeling stagnant very quickly (I'm married to a TV director who used to change jobs every 2 years due to feeling stagnant).  I'm not saying MGG is 100% the reason, but I'd bet money the things I listed are at play here.

It's very popular in this fandom to blame the writers for absolutely everything, so I get why you're doing it, and it's hard to place any blame on MGG because he's so gosh darn cute and charming.  When it comes to TV, there's ALWAYS more to the story than meets the eye, though.  The folks BTS are not always totally to blame, but boy, do folks who love to armchair quarterback.

Personally, while I love Spener, I'm an even bigger MGG fan, and I'd love to see him branch out beyond Spencer.  I haven't been able to catch all of his films, but he has stolen the show in the ones I have been able to see.  He's also an amazing director, and I wish he could do it more and outside the confines of network TV.  If that means less time for Spencer, then so be it, if that's what MGG needs to be happy with his career.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Unkempt

[JMO]

My discontent stems from the fact that I am primarily a Reid fan, far more than an MGG fan.  I have enjoyed very little of the other things the actor has done outside the show, and unless he moves to something palatable (to me), I will probably not see him on screen again after CM comes to an end.  So I want some substance for the character of Reid, in an ongoing way.  Drama is fine, angst is fine.  Spouting facts in a robot-like fashion, not so much.  

[Mariana]

Well I don't blame the writers about MGG taking time off, he's in his right and the show runner and the network are in their right to give him that time off because, at this point, this show can't loose another original member. If you check social media people are still complaining about Shemar and Thomas they don't care about the reasons. 

I blame the writers about the cases, the unsubs, it fell like the same all the time for me since like season 11. God even this new story line feels like the one with Hotch and Strauss. So yes at this point I just wath ffr MMG if he leaves me too. 

Finally I don't think Reid fans blame Erica or the writers for him taking time off, yes we complain but it's about his story and how everyone can have a break but he just have tragedy in his life. 

[Annber03]

33 minutes ago, Mariana said:

If you check social media people are still complaining about Shemar and Thomas they don't care about the reasons. 

I feel like this is another thing people should keep in mind when they talk about how Gubler interacts on Twitter, and how often he promotes his time on the show and whatnot. I'm not on Twitter-I started to sign up once, but haven't finished the sign up process-but from what I've seen and heard about it, I know that some fans on there can be a bit...over the top. They're either harassing the cast for things they have no control over (like the whole Gibson thing, or some of the other cast changes that have happened over the years), or, in the case of Gubler himself, they're getting weirdly personal about this and that with him and his life in general. I honestly wouldn't blame him, or any of the other cast, if and when they lessen their activity on Twitter from time to time as a result of all of that. 

As for the show's writers, I don't follow them, so I can't comment on their motivations for this and that and why they write certain storylines and whatnot. They may have some personal stake in why things play out as they do on the show, yes, but I think there's a lot of factors involved in what happens on the show, things that even the writers may not always have much control or say over. We all know how much the network likes to mess with the show, after all, and no doubt that affects some stuff along the way as well. 

Edited February 4, 2018 by Annber03

[Unkempt]

Yeah, there's a certain sect of a-holes on twitter who like to harass MGG every time he dates someone.  One person even posted his home address online.  It's also important to keep in mind that while social media is a valuable tool, it's only a few thousand fans using it out of the millions of people watching the show.

I agree that the unsubs are over the top.  I don't like it either, but the network is happy with it.  Otherwise, that kind of thing would have stopped long ago.  Erica is running the show, but she answers to network suits who have the final say.  The suits can and do step in to veto or change things.  It was a network head who fired AJ and Paget back in the day, not Bernero (the showrunner at this time).  Bernero was just as pissed as the rest of us, from what I recall.  When a show has been on the air as long as CM has, it does tend to decline in quality, and the writers do have to change things up.

[Mislav]

If they ever give Spencer a girlfriend, who do you think would be the right actress to portray her? I don't really want to see Spencer with someone younger, but rather with someone his own age or a few years older. I've been thinking someone like Emily Swallow, or Amara Zaragoza (better known as Tamara Feldman). And I think his love interest could be a local detective who he meets while working on a case.

 

 

http://m.imdb.com/name/nm2646861/?ref=m_nv_sr_1

 

http://m.imdb.com/name/nm1299293/?ref=m_nv_sr_1

[ReidFan]

sorry but I disagree. He wants a family so he's gonna want/need/have an S/O still in child bearing years. (and I didn't check the links you gave above because I won't do their casting for them, All I want is someone who has good chemistry with Matthew. Too bad Aubrey's already been used on the show)

I also don't think someone in the same field is a good idea, but that's my personal bugaboo --an in-the-field law enforcement agent should never be involved with another in-the-field law enforcement agent for the safety of ALL (including the OTHER law enforcement agents!), One of the reasons I hated Hit & Run so much--   She should be smart, on perhaps a different kind of level/different field than his kind of smart--a particle theorist? a lawyer? a psychologist? whatever :) but not in law enforcement and not a general practitioner type (another Savannah) doctor.

[Mislav]

15 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

sorry but I disagree. He wants a family so he's gonna want/need/have an S/O still in child bearing years. (and I didn't check the links you gave above because I won't do their casting for them, All I want is someone who has good chemistry with Matthew. Too bad Aubrey's already been used on the show)

I also don't think someone in the same field is a good idea, but that's my personal bugaboo --an in-the-field law enforcement agent should never be involved with another in-the-field law enforcement agent for the safety of ALL (including the OTHER law enforcement agents!), One of the reasons I hated Hit & Run so much--   She should be smart, on perhaps a different kind of level/different field than his kind of smart--a particle theorist? a lawyer? a psychologist? whatever :) but not in law enforcement and not a general practitioner type (another Savannah) doctor.

I don't think 35-37 years old is too old to have a child (or even 38-39, depending how long they will be together first)... and, after all, it's a TV show, they've done much less realistic things already. And I am personally not interested in actually seeing Spencer have a child on the show, though being with someone he could have children with would be nice, maybe revealing her to be pregnant in a final episode, but like I said, I don't think that age is too old. And I personally have no problem with Spencer being with someone of the same/similar profession. I think they would understand each other really well. People who are committed to similar things and have to deal with similar issues tend to develop a good chemistry.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Mislav

[Unkempt]

I think it's very easy for us to talk about how much effort something does or doesn't take when we're not actually doing the jobs ourselves.  When you write fanfiction, you're operating under zero constraints, and you can have all the creative freedom you want.  Writers in the writers' room don't have that luxury.  They're operating under numerous constraints (network, time constraints of each episode, the overall plan for the season, MGG's time off, just to name a few).  So, while something may not be hard to flesh out over on Wattpad, it's a different story in the real world. 

About the girlfriend thing - I really don't care about love interests on this show (I know I'm probably the ONLY person with this opinion, LOL).  I watch for the profiling, and the characters can sleep with whomever they want off screen.  It really doesn't concern me.  I didn't care about Lila or Maeve (sorry, guys...please don't throw things at me).  I do want Spencer to have an enriching life, but I'm not watching to see his personal downtime.  I don't mind hearing about it with throwaway lines here and there, but that's really it.  (That said...I did like the bartender he hit on, simply because she had the quick wits to recognize a girl in danger and help get her out of it...I will also say I teared up when Spencer held AJ's baby for the first time said he could get him into Cal Tech with one phone call....'cause a hot man holding a baby turns me into a drooling mess).

But I agree with Bakerstreet (love your screen name!), from what I've heard, they are giving Gubler what he wants.  He WANTED that storyline with Maeve (from what I've read, some of it was his idea), he wanted the time off, he wanted the drug addiction storyline to go away, just to name a few things.  I don't understand why people think he's so put upon.  They're actually catering to him.

[Mislav]

14 minutes ago, Unkempt said:

I think it's very easy for us to talk about how much effort something does or doesn't take when we're not actually doing the jobs ourselves.  When you write fanfiction, you're operating under zero constraints, and you can have all the creative freedom you want.  Writers in the writers' room don't have that luxury.  They're operating under numerous constraints (network, time constraints of each episode, the overall plan for the season, MGG's time off, just to name a few).  So, while something may not be hard to flesh out over on Wattpad, it's a different story in the real world. 

About the girlfriend thing - I really don't care about love interests on this show (I know I'm probably the ONLY person with this opinion, LOL).  I watch for the profiling, and the characters can sleep with whomever they want off screen.  It really doesn't concern me.  I didn't care about Lila or Maeve (sorry, guys...please don't throw things at me).  I do want Spencer to have an enriching life, but I'm not watching to see his personal downtime.  I don't mind hearing about it with throwaway lines here and there, but that's really it.  (That said...I did like the bartender he hit on, simply because she had the quick wits to recognize a girl in danger and help get her out of it...I will also say I teared up when Spencer held AJ's baby for the first time said he could get him into Cal Tech with one phone call....'cause a hot man holding a baby turns me into a drooling mess).

But I agree with Bakerstreet (love your screen name!), from what I've heard, they are giving Gubler what he wants.  He WANTED that storyline with Maeve (from what I've read, some of it was his idea), he wanted the time off, he wanted the drug addiction storyline to go away, just to name a few things.  I don't understand why people think he's so put upon.  They're actually catering to him.

Sorry if I got something wrong, but none of us have criticized the writers in the recent replies. We have just been discussing what could happen if they give Spencer a love interest. And I actually explained, a few posts above, why the time off is neither a big effort from the writers, nor a big gift, and I didn't mind the addiction storyline, nor the Maeve arc. And if writers are operating under such constraints, how come they are still able to write a few good episodes per season (such as "Entropy", "Devil's Backbone" and season twelve finale) while the rest is mediocre at best, and how come the episodes differ from writer to writer (or at least they did, until Sharon left and bunch of new writers were hired)? And even if it is not solely the writers' fault, they can't be blameless either, and in the end, no matter who is responsible, episodes that suck still suck.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Mislav

[Unkempt]

You can't expect every episode to be a grand slam, and I didn't say the writers are 100% blameless, but there are factors involved that aren't taken into account when complaining about how giving Reid a storyline (which they gave him half the season last year) "isn't that hard."  I think the problem is that this show has too many characters, and Matthew takes lots of time off.  I like Simmons, but was he really a necessary add?  Did we really need another team member?

I actually wanted the addiction storyline explored more than it was, which I realize is a less popular opinion than my not caring about his love life.  Opioid addiction is a massively timely topic (just check out how many ODs happen per DAY), and this is where I feel like a boat was missed, several times.  Do I want Reid passed out in a drug den?  Absolutely not....but it would have been nice to see him struggling more (not to mention, a heart to hear with a mentor doesn't curb drug cravings).  That's just something different from your run-of-the-mill romance.  Love interests happen in EVERY show ever, and they're generally irritating to me (I'm not a bitter person, I promise, LOL).

[ReidFan]

oh, I don't expect to see Reid's personal life onscreen in any sort of detail. I'd be happy just to know they acknowledge he HAS one. Right now, nada! He at least used to play chess in the park, etc. Now, the only off-the-job life he seems to have relates to his mother. I'd be satisfied with just mentions that there's actually some personal life happening --throwaway stuff on their way into the conference room kind of stuff. Don't need/don't want to see another Maeve-like storyline.

[Unkempt]

I'd be ok with that, too, RF.  I also fear that a love interest really would make him act out of character.  I remember initially HATING the Glenn and Maggie pairing in The Walking Dead (even though I love both characters individually) because it changed Glenn SO MUCH from being fearless and quick thinking to cowering in a corner during a shootout....'cause Maggie.  I don't want to see that happen to Reid.  I like that Reid thrives under pressure.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Unkempt

[Annber03]

Yeah, I don't need to see a girlfriend, if and when he gets another one, pop up in every episode or anything like that. They can handle the relationship the way they have all the other ones we've seen over the years, keeping it generally in the background and only having his girlfriend pop up every once in a while. Maybe we can see a nice little moment with them at home, or out at dinner or at a museum or something, at the beginning or end of an episode, just brief moments of that sort, and that can be that. 

As for who I'd pick, I honestly don't really have any particular actresses in mind. I agree with @ReidFan-so long as they have chemistry, that's the most important thing. I did like Maeve, and wished that storyline had gone a happier route, and I think she had a lot of the sorts of qualities that Reid would go for if and when he gets involved with somebody again. I don't know how easy it'd be to do that without essentially making a Maeve replica (which I wouldn't want), but I imagine there's a way it could be done. 

[Unkempt]

He has such great chemistry with Aubrey Plaza.  Too bad her character is a horrible, horrible person.  :D

[Annber03]

Agreed. That moment at the beginning of the episode, when Cat initially came off like a sweet, friendly person and they were chatting about books and the awkwardness of first dates and such, I would've totally rooted for that version of Cat and Reid to be together :). 

[ReidFan]

part of me would even have accepted her, if there'd been some sort of actual remorse/honest redemption of the character. But she's past that. 

and it's funny... I adore/love/am mad about Matthew. My son calls Aubrey Plaza his 'wife' he absolutely loves and adores her. It's hilarious to watch us watch Entropy together :D

[Annber03]

13 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

part of me would even have accepted her, if there'd been some sort of actual remorse/honest redemption of the character. But she's past that. 

That would've been interesting! Especially given Reid's ability to be so empathetic towards unsubs-could've made for some good conflicted feelings sort of stuff. I've seen some fans discussing in the past the idea of a team member getting involved with an unsub (or dating someone who was later revealed to be an unsub, though that would be tougher to pull off, because these guys are top notch profilers, so the unsub would have to hide their criminal element REALLY well in order to fool the team member in question)*...this could've been an opportunity for that, had they written Cat as you describe here. 

*(We have had Emily and Ian, but that was pre-BAU and her relationship with him was intended as an act, and Garcia and the guy who shot her...but she's not a profiler, so it made sense she didn't notice some of the same warning signs as a result.)

But yeah, ultimately, given all Reid's been through over the years, it's better he find somebody who didn't add a whole new level of messiness and drama to his life :p.

Quote

and it's funny... I adore/love/am mad about Matthew. My son calls Aubrey Plaza his 'wife' he absolutely loves and adores her. It's hilarious to watch us watch Entropy together :D

That's adorable :D. 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Annber03

[ReidFan]

Happy Valentine's Day (this year should be a much happier one for Reid than last year's in Mexico)

[Annber03]

Oooh, pretty!

I love the picture in the first one in particular. 

[ReidFan]

thanks.

my screencaptures from earlier this season :)

[senin]

Thank you !!! They are so beautiful... (should I say "he is so beautiful"?) 

[MMC]

Did you all see the Valentine's Day count down CM's social media was doing using the cast member. I know it's silly but I'm rather annoyed that they didn't save Reid for last. The top spot went to Alvez instead. I suppose I should be thankful though that it wasn't Simmons.

[Fashionista7]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM DR. SPENCER REID

[MMC]

21 hours ago, Fashionista7 said:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM DR. SPENCER REID

Loving the fact that this one with his character so far has gotten more likes both on twitter and Facebook, more retweets/shares as well as more replies than any of the other characters.

[ReidFan]

just hope TPTB are aware. 

[MMC]

39 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

just hope TPTB are aware. 

Me too Riff. Me too. After all we aren't just talking about him having gotten a little bit more than the others rather it was way more.

Edited February 15, 2018 by MMC

[Mislav]

"I don't guess. I profile, hard."-Dr. Spencer Reid, 2018