‘Criminal Minds’ season 12, episode 13 review: Did Spencer Reid survive his arrest?
On Wednesday night’s new episode of “Criminal Minds,” we saw a tense situation like no other — and Spencer Reid was front and center for almost all of it.
Over the course of the episode “Spencer,” what we effectively saw was a case that revolved front and center around the popular character trying to figure out precisely what he was to do after he found himself locked up in a Mexican prison after he was found under the influence, and carrying with him a wide array of illegal drugs. All signs pointed towards him being a trafficker and a murder, but that’s not Reid. Unfortunately, he also didn’t have much in the way of a memory as to anything that he did. Let’s just say that this complicates things a little bit further, no?
There were several big moments that came about as we saw Spencer try to fight his way outside of the prison walls, and that includes the excellent “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” crossover where we got a chance to finally see some of these characters again after a significant layoff. It took an extreme amount of time to get back around, and they were useful in lending Spencer, Prentiss, and the entire BAU a helping hand.
Due to some clever maneuvering, what we ended up seeing here was the BAU using the dual citizenship of a key player, coupled with some specific laws, get him into their custody, where they could relieve him of his handcuffs. The problem here is that despite everything that they did for him, there wasn’t a way for the FBI to help him with a defense given that he was not in the country on business. He is going to find a different way to get help.
Why Reid was there in the first place – As many expected, he wants to be there in order to find the proper care for his mother, and the materials were there in order to do that. She’s still struggling, and all he wants is to give her the best treatment possible. It’s heartbreaking, but at the same time we do think that this episode is a rather fantastic testament to everything Reid is and the person he continues to be. That’s why it is so unfortunate — even terrible — that he is the person who has to suffer through all of this.
Overall – This was a heck of a great episode anchored by a heck of a great performance by Matthew Gray Gubler. There were twists and turns aplenty, and we do think that the story wrapped up in a way that was especially satisfying, and sets up the story for some big things that are coming up a little bit later in the season. Grade: A-.
Next week – What’s going to be coming up next for Spencer? If you head over here, you can get a little bit more in the way of discussion! (Photo: CBS.)