Amber Heard’s Criminal Minds Character, Explained

The police procedural TV series Criminal Minds began airing in 2005 and every episode follows FBI agents as they crack new and fascinating cases. Season 16 of the beloved show, which is also considered a reboot called Criminal Minds: Evolution, is available to stream on Paramount+. No matter how many episodes are made, fans come back time and time again thanks to the engaging characters and riveting cases.

What sets Criminal Minds apart from other similar TV shows are the beloved characters and the talented celebrity guest stars. Jason Alexander, Tim Curry, Mae Whitman, Aubrey Plaza, and Luke Perry are just a few actors who have starred in one episode each of the show. Back in season 1, Amber Heard played an interesting character on Criminal Minds. There’s a lot to know about her character and the engaging plotline of this memorable episode.

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What Is Criminal Minds About?

While there are TV shows similar to Criminal Minds, many would agree that this procedural series is the best of its kind. Every episode follows the members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, which includes Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin).

Criminal Minds is the perfect TV show to binge-watch because of the relationships between the main characters. It’s a great example of a workplace drama where the characters get to know each other in high-stress and difficult situations. They are each intelligent, hard-working, and determined to do the best job that they can.

Who Did Amber Heard Play On Criminal Minds?

Amber Heard played Lila Archer in the season 1 episode of Criminal Minds called “Somebody’s Watching.” Lila is an actor who wants to date Reid. Reid and Gideon begin working on a case involving multiple murders that seem to be connected to Lila. It’s always fun to see Reid and Gideon collaborate, and Heard does a great job as her Criminal Minds actress character who is innocent but compelling. While sometimes TV shows have a great pilot but are otherwise bad, fans would agree that most episodes of Criminal Minds are of equally high quality. Even though it’s a procedural and follows a formula, the characters and situations are still engaging enough to keep viewers interested.

Every Criminal Minds episode begins with a major death or crime that the main characters have to get to the bottom of, and this one is no different. Reid is hired to stay at Lila’s home and make sure that she is safe after her manager, Michael Ryer (Peter Jacobson), is found dead. After it’s clear that Reid and Lila are interested in each other romantically, Reid lets her know that Michael has been killed. This is a smart moment of necessary tension since Gideon didn’t think that Reid should explain that to her. Maggie Lowe (Katheryn Winnick), who is revealed to be the killer, pulls a gun at Reid and Lila, but they are able to get away.

While some TV shows continue past a perfect would-be finale episode, there are many episodes of Criminal Minds that prove why it’s still so popular, even 16 seasons in. Amber Heard’s Criminal Minds episode “Somebody’s Watching” is so entertaining and gripping because of the Hollywood setting. TV Tropes points out that the episode features many tropes commonly seen in pop culture. This includes the “Casting Gag” that Lila had a small part in a movie, just like Heard appeared in Friday Night Lights.

What Are Amber Heard’s Most Famous Roles?

One of Amber Heard’s most famous roles is Mandy Lane in All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, which is one of the best horror slasher movies. She also played Mera in Aquaman, Justice League, Zack Synder’s Justice League, and the upcoming 2023 movie Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Amber Heard’s Criminal Minds episode aired in 2005, which was right around the time that she became a more familiar face. While many think of her as someone who stars in movies exclusively, she does have some TV credits, including Criminal Minds and Hidden Palms.

While Aquaman fans wanted Blake Lively instead of Heard to continue playing Mera, Heard seems to love starring in these DC films. In 2020, Heard told Comicbook.com more about why she wanted to star in Aquaman. She said of the director, “He’s a perfect example, Zack [Snyder] is a perfect example of a nerd.” She then added, “You know, I got into this project on The Stand because of another true, die hard nerd, which is Josh Boone, who connected all of us on this project as he was adapting the book for Stephen [King}. And I think it’s just a good rule of thumb to follow, especially in this genre which I love. It’s like follow the nerd, the nerd passion is where you want to be.”,

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