It's a classic setup, isn't it? In a lot of the procedurals I read, Reid's kidnapping isn't really about Reid. The unsub wants BAU attention, pure and simple. It's a taunt aimed at Hotch or the team's reputation, a way to prove they can breach the inner circle. The motive is external—showcasing power, luring the team into a trap, or forcing a negotiation on the killer's terms.
What hooks me more, though, is when the motive is internal to the team's dynamic. Think about episodes where his intellect or memory is the specific target—someone needs information only he can access, or wants to 'break' the human database. That shifts it from a random victim scenario to something deeply personal. It makes the rescue less about tactics and more about understanding what makes Spencer, well, Spencer. The aftermath often lands harder when that's the case, with the team grappling with having their most vulnerable member targeted in the one area he's supposed to be untouchable.
Honestly, the Maeve storyline still guts me. That was a motive wrapped in obsession, not towards Reid but through him. Different flavor, same devastating result.