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Criminal Minds

Somebody's Watching

Season 1, Episode 18, Aired Mar 29, 2006

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Reid finds himself in danger when he falls for a starlet in Los Angeles whose stalker has turned into a killer.

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Jason Olive

Parker Dunley
GUEST STAR
Ian Anthony Dale

Detective Owen Kim
GUEST STAR
Amber Heard

Lila Archer

Matthew Gray Gubler

SSA Dr. Spencer Reid
Lola Glaudini

SSA Elle Greenaway
A.J. Cook

SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau
Mandy Patinkin

Senior SSA Jason Gideon
Shemar Moore

SSA Derek Morgan
Thomas Gibson

Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner

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Fan Episode Reviews (21)

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Is this romance for Reid? If it is, it's a dangerous kind of attachment as the young starlet who is the object of his affection is the target of a very persistent stalker.moreless

8.5

"Great"

By Lady_Lancaster, Jun 01, 2011

Agents Gideon and Reid are in Los Angeles to conduct a seminar on the art of profiling for the LAPD. On their way to the airport, their escort learns of a murder in the area and asks them to stay and investigate. They agree and are particularly interested in the fact that this latest killing is part of a series and not just an isolated incident.

Meanwhile, a young would-be starlet named Lila Archer becomes the latest target when she receives notes which insinuate that the murders were committed for her benefit. The unsub, like John Hinkley, who attempted to assassinate President Reagan to impress actress Jodie Foster, is clearly delusional and the BAU are convinced that the killer will stop at nothing to make Lila his prize.

Reid, meanwhile, on guard with Lila at her home, ends up being reluctantly pulled into a swimming pool with her and shares what may be his first kiss. At the same time, photographs are being taken of the whole thing in true stalker fashion and Lila is surprised to receive a telephone call from a friend which Garcia traces to inside Lila's own home. The unsub is close and getting closer by the second.

A great plot twist in this one, I think you'll enjoy it immensely, and aside from everything else, it's great to see Reid being so sweet and awqward with a girl.moreless
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10

"Perfect"

By cavanagh15, May 19, 2011

I think without a doubt this episode has to rank up there with several of the perfect episodes of the season. The story arch was incredably written and I think the acting in this episode by Reid finnaly brought him into the spotlight once and for all. Reid always seems to be the background character, but in this episode he was the main attraction. I liked the casting of Lila in this episode, I thought her on screen connection with Reid was really well done. I never thought I would like an episode so much with such an incorrect profile, but the scenes near the end of the episode when the girl is talking to Lila on the phone was likely the best scene in the entire series so far. I dont know if I like it more then Plain Sight and Compulsion, but this is an episode that is certainly in the top three and I think the next episode is going to be very hard to follow up such an amazing episode. I hope Reid and Lila have small conversations in upcoming episode, though I doubt that they will...you never know though. Perfect Episodemoreless
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Reid falls in lurve with an actress who is being stalked by an unknown killer

10

"Perfect"

By qstevie, May 19, 2011

I really enjoyed this episode, mainly because Matthew Gray Gubler as Reid gets to shine. He manages to play the ultimate genius geek, ill at ease in social situations, even ill at ease in his own body it seems. It's an acting tour de force. Seeing him falling for the hot actress and she for him is a brilliant mix of wanting it to work out and knowing that it won't in some way.

The story itself is pretty basic - and I've obviously watched too many of these shows, because the killer was fairly obvious to me. But it's done in a good way, with plenty of wrong turns and red herrings. And Reid gets to be a hero - about time. It's good to see him not only spouting amazing factoids, but actually being a person and letting some of his guard down.

A great episode.moreless
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Very interesting Reid-centric episode!

10

"Perfect"

By amazing_race, May 19, 2011

This was another convincing and solid pepisode of 'Criminal Minds'. I really enjoyed having an episode centred around Dr Spencer Reid, especialy one that involved his lovelife. He certainl developed an interesting relationship with a Hollywood star!

The case was alsoo very interesting. It was full of action, with a stalker on the loose. However, I was immensely surprised that the stalker turned out to be a female, although this unpredictability was a great aspect of this episode!

Keep it up, Criminal Minds! I continue to highly recommend this show, and this episode is the prime example of why I do! Superb episode, and it really is one that you must watch!moreless
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Definatly OOC, but better than I originally anticipated.

5.2

"Mediocre"

By StwbrryCSI, Feb 20, 2011

The OOC part was that they left Spence to watch over the girl. Did he even pass him gun test? The girl: Do you think maybe she just fell for him because he was there and he stopped her friend from killing her? Maybe.
It was also a little OOC for them to be in LA to begin with. And that there really weren't that maybe ppl in the confrence room where they were speaking.
Gidion was the only one who was compleatly in charcter. When that one girl was comeing onto him he kept his cool compleatly. Just like him.
One reacuring thing was that Gidion kept pulling Spence away from the girl. It was in character and hilarious.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- Lila's hair was pinned up in a bun in the scene where she was speaking to Maggie on the phone and when they were walking in the hall through the door. As soon as Maggie pointed the gun at the side of Lila's head and said to Reid, "I would never hurt her," Maggie stroked Lila's hair, which was suddenly down and no longer in a bun.
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- After Lila Archer pulls Reid into the pool fully clothed, Reid appears in Lila's apartment wearing a brown hoodie. In the next scene, he is wearing his wet shirt and tie again.
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- This episode reveals that Gideon is a fan of contemporary art and Reid was 12 years old when he was graduated from high school.
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- At the end of this episode, Lila tells Reid she will come see him if she ever gets to Washington. The BAU is located in Quantico, Virginia, which is considered suburban Washington D.C.
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QUOTES (15)
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- Lila Archer: I wish, um, things had been... more normal when we had met.
  Reid: Lila, believe me when I say this, I've never known a normal day in my entire life.
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- Reid: (as Elle stares at a very wet Reid as he tries to dry off his gun) I... I fell in.
  Elle: Yeah, sure. There's plenty of photos of that.
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- JJ: The media is calling Natalie Ryan's murder the biggest celebrity homicide since Sharon Tate.
  Elle: What does that mean for us?
  Hotchner: That everybody will be watching.
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- Joseph Martinez: Look, guys, look. Hold up. Every paparazzo's a celebrity stalker. If you don't stalk 'em, you don't get the shot. If you don't make the shot, you don't sell no pictures.
  Elle: Well, this one is going to cost you. (pulls film out of the canister)
  Joseph Martinez: Wha... No! (stops and glares at Elle) That's just wrong.
  Morgan: Tell it to your lawyer.
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- Lila Archer: (to Reid about the artwork on her wall) Photographic collage. I like it because it's like life, you know? You know, like, obscure, difficult.
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- Reid: Gideon, there are people actually taking photographs of us from the next yard.
  Det. Owen Kim: Yeah, welcome to LA.
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- Reid: (trying to coax Lila out of her swimming pool) Lila, I'm begging of you. Will you please get out of the pool?
  Lila Archer: Really, Spence, you should live a little.
  Reid: (scoffing) Live a little? I've known you 48 hours. I feel like I've already aged 10 years.
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- Garcia: (answering phone) Oracle of Quantico. Speak if you deign to hear truth.
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- Morgan: (mimicking Lila after she shares Reid's drink) You don't mind sharing with me, do ya?
  Reid: Shut up. (turns and walks away)
  Morgan: Go get 'em, lover.
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- Gideon: (the artist has just pronounced her picture 'boring') Oh, I don't think so. I mean nothing's just a picture. If viewed correctly - whatever that means - one can see world views, obsessions, manifestations of the subconscious.
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- Gideon: (after just been hit on by a lesbian photographer with daddy issues) We're leaving.
  Reid: We're still looking at the exhibit.
  Gideon: Now. (Reid turns to Lila and back to Gideon) Now. Now.
  Reid: I guess we're leaving.
  Gideon: Reid. Now.
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- Reid: Do I look 12 years old to you?
  Gideon: (deadpans) 14.
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- Parker Dunley: Spencer. Spencer Reid. Dude... dude. Look at you. You look just the same. Look at you, dude, nothing's changed. (to Gideon) Spencer was the only 12-year-old in our graduating class. (to Reid again) Just the same.
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- Gideon: Bernard Shaw once said, "An American has no sense of privacy. He does not know what it means. There is no such thing in the country."
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- Gideon: Diane Arbus once said, "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know."
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NOTES (2)
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- Matthew Gray Gubler received his first screen kiss in this episode.
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- The song at the beginning of this episode is "Hollywood Swingin" by Kool & The Gang featuring Jamiroquai.
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ALLUSIONS (5)
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- Reid: Type ones are political assassins like John Wilkes Booth. John Wilkes Booth is probably America's best-known presidential assassin (along with Lee Harvey Oswald). Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865.
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- Elle says the Hollywood media is talking about "the most famous murdered actress since Sharon Tate." On August 9, 1969, Sharon Tate and four other people were murdered by followers of Charles Manson. Sharon was eight months pregnant at the time.
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- Reid: In the case of Robert John Bardo, when actress Rebecca Schaeffer took a role where she had to have a sexual relationship with another character, it was enough to force him to snap and seek her out to kill her. Robert John Bardo killed Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, after stalking her for three years. He is currently serving life without parole.
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- Elle: Our unsub is having a fantasy love affair with Lila Archer, the way John Hinckley did with Jodie Foster. John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan in March 1981. It was claimed he did this after repeatedly watching Taxi Driver and developing an obsession with actress Jodie Foster. This led him to act out plot elements of the movie. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital.
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- In the opening narration, Gideon quotes Diane Arbus. Diane Arbus was an American photographer famed for her portraits of people on the margins of society - the poor, the handicapped, sex workers - and ordinary people in unusual settings. She often tried, usually successfully, to elicit expressions of extreme emotions in her subjects.
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