Perhaps one of Spencer Reid's best traits, and the most obvious one, is his fiercely loving and protective personality. However, it's sometimes left him in sticky or dangerous situations. It's what tore into fans emotions during Season 8, episode 12, when the love of Spencer's life, Maeve, was killed and he was shot in the left arm while trying to save her. It's also what got him shot in the first episode of the fifth season, when Spencer was wounded protecting a doctor, and in the ninth season when he came to Supervisory Special Agent Alex Blake's defense.
And, perhaps hardened by seasons of trauma and experience, it's also what led Spencer to save SSA Jennifer Jareau by ripping through duct tape, drawing a gun from his sock, and shooting an assailant while the two were being held captive. In a Reddit thread, a user commented on how Spencer's macho moves are motivated by his personality. "I just love it when Spencer gets all 'I'm not gonna take any of your bullshit' and is all alpha. Like, he is definitely a sweet bean who must be protected, but every so often he becomes the alpha bean that will protect you, and I just can't," the user said, with another adding that this was particularly true after Spencer experienced prison. Another fan added that while Spencer has "always" been protective of his teammates, it's "particularly hot because it's unexpected."
