We open in Los Angeles, CA at an art gallery. We learn that Gideon and Reid are attending an LAPD conference on behavioral analysis and profiling. In the meantime they’re hitting up local art galleries I guess? Reid meets Lila Archer (played by Amber Heard) (!) and her artist friend Pinky Robertson. Also Pinky says to Gideon: “If I weren’t a lesbian, I’d jump your bones. I’ve always had a thing for middle-aged men. And you have these piercing, discerning eyes, that remind me of my father who was a shrink. And I’m like, God I am so hot.”

The next day, Reid and Gideon attend the conference. We watch actress Natalie Ryan get attacked by an intruder who is wearing motorcycle helmet to cover their head. Later, when her fiancé Jeremy Collins comes home, he is also shot by the intruder. Reid and Gideon are on their way to the air port with LAPD Detective Owen Kim, when Detective Kim gets a call about Natalie Ryan’s murder. Detective Kim asks Reid and Gideon if they want to do a lil drive by of the crime scene.

Detectice Kim recognizes the weapon- a 22 caliber gun, and informs Reid and Gideon that there have been two other killings linked to this gun. The first was Wally Melman (Wally), who was a move producer. The second Chloe Harris, another actress. No forensic evidence has been found at any crime scene, including this recent one. Detective Kim formally requests the BAU’s assistance.

The rest of the team flies out on their private jet (I guess that means that Reid and Gideon at least flew commercial?). The BAU believes the unsub is an assassin.

ASSASSIN TYPES

- Type 1: Political assassins (like John Wilkes Booth)

- Type 2: Egocentrics (looking for recognition and fame)

- Type 3: Psychopaths (ahem Vincent Perotta)

- Type 4: Suffers from a major mental disorder and is frequently delusional

Profile - TYPE 4

- No obviously links in victimology

- Meticulous – watches victims for a long time

- Kills are clean – no evidence left at the crime scenes

- No detectable signature of any kind

While the BAU and Detective Kim are talking it out, a man named Michael Ryer asks to speak to someone in regards to the investigation. He turns out to be Lila Archer’s manager. Apparently Lila received a newspaper article about the death of Natalie Ryan, and someone had written “You Owe Me” on it. Lila tells the BAU that she did not know Natalie Ryan well at all. She states that she auditioned for a part in Wally Melman’s latest movie, but Natalie Ryan got the part instead. Chloe looks similar to Lila and could’ve been a potential rival? The BAU realize that Lila has a stalker. They ask her if anything out of the ordinary happens. She states that she is left flowers on the 7th of each month. Red anemones- which are her favorite.

Lila runs out of the LAPD police station and Reid chases after her. He tells her that the unsub has been stalking her for some time and likely suffers from erotomania (oh hey girl!!). He tells her that they have now turned into an assassin who believes that by murdering people they are furthering Lila’s career. He warns her that these types of scenarios end 1 of 2 ways. Either the stalker will kill himself, or will kill the object of his affection.

Profile - A COMBO

- Type 4 delusional assassin

- Erotomaniac fixation on Lila Archer (erotomaniacs possesses the belief that a person [usually of a higher social status] is in love with them)

- In the United States at any given time there are over 200,000 people being stalked ????????????

- Single man

- Late twenties to early forties

- Loner

- Very intelligent

- Ample time to follow his victim and study her habits

Lila is given another note from her stalker that’s found by a PA on her show named Maggie Lowe. The note says: “I’ve always been so good to you. Why would you go to the police?” Lila gives the BAU the note, and they realize that based on the past tense of the word “be”, it likely means that the stalker actively knows Lila. Also Lila refuses to go into hiding? Like bitch just hide yourself!!

Elle and Gideon find Lila’s agent Michael Ryer murdered. They call Reid and tell him that he needs to take her home and get her to a safe house. Gideon specifically tells Reid not to tell Lila that Ryer is dead. Elle finds candid shots of Lila nude in Ryer’s office. She believes that Ryer was paying Joe Martinez (a paparazzi) off to keep these photos out of the press. He is a possible suspect and Morgan and Detective Kim go to interview him. At Martinez’s house they find so many photos of Lila everywhere. Morgan and Detective Kim are then attacked by the unsub on a motorcycle.

Reid escorts Lila to her home and goes over security measures with her. At her home he notices a very cool collage hanging on he wall. Lila gets in the pool and is ready to go for a swim. Because Reid literally hasn’t told her that her manager is dead. She also pulls him into the pool. And they make out. Reid is like “this is completely inappropriate” but they keep kissingggg. Also Martinez is hiding by the pool catching the whole thing on camera!

All of a sudden Reid is like- time to tell her that her manager is dead. Which she does not take well (understandably). Morgan and Elle arrive and arrest Martinez. However, Martinez is like “I’m a scumbag, but I’m not a murderer.” Which I guess… is valid? Lila is like: “Spencer why didn’t you tell me that Michael was dead?” And he’s like: “I know I wanted to.” And they’re having this whole conversation. And Gideon just walks in the background, hands in his pockets. And he goes: “I told him not to tell you. He was following my orders.”

Then Reid realizes that the collage painting is from the stalker. Reid and Elle take the collage apart, and find pictures in it that detail Lila’s whole life story, everything since college. Elle and Gideon find out that Maggie Lowe was the one who gave Lila the collage. Reid is still at Lila’s house with Lila. When he tells Lila that the BAU believes Maggie is the unsub Lila is like ????? Maggie then calls Lila and Reid asks Garcia to trace the call.

Maggie reminds Lila of a time when they were sexually intimate during college. Lila was like “Maggie that was only for a weekend” and Maggie is like “That was the happiest time of my life.” Garcia tells Reid that Maggie is calling from inside the house. Reid is like “How did she get in the house?” And Lila is like “She has keys.” Maggie points a gun at Lila and monologues. Reid tackles Maggie to the ground. She begs Reid to kill her. He says “We’re gonna get you help, you’re gonna be alright” BUT GIRL WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO CURE FOR EROTOMANIA SO HE IS LYING!!!

Anyways Lila and Reid say goodbye and it’s left open to the possibility that they might get together again… but… they don’t. Ever. Sorry.

Rating Criteria:

Criminal/Serial Killer: 18/20
Character development/ character arcs: 20/20
Forensics/Context: 15/20
Script writing: 15/20
Background characters: 20/20

Overall: 88/100

S1E18 - “Somebody’s Watching”

S1E19 - “Machismo”

S1E17 - “A Real Rain”