Official Trailer:

We all have heard, read about serial killers. How does someone become a serial killer? Are they born or are they formed? What if we got to know how their mind works, how their wiring is? If we can profile their behavior, does it help in ongoing and future investigations? How we can stop a serial killer if we don’t know what drives them? As a line goes in Mindhunter series, you got to get into dirt with the pigs. What other best way than talk to the jailed serial killer convicts. That leads to the formation of behavioral unit within FBI in the late 70s and is the subject of the series Mindhunter, from Netflix. The unit came into formation even before the term serial killer was coined, rather I guess the unit is credited with coming up with the term.

Mindhunter is not a regular detective drama. Mindhunter shoots high and goes for a bigger canvas, and thankfully the series format works in giving us highly engaging drama. We get to learn about FBI with all its bureaucracy, survival, and politics. We get close to behavioral unit detectives – Holden Ford, Bill Tench, Wendy Carr, Gregg Smith with their ups and downs with interactions. Of course, the centerpiece, the interview sessions with jailed serial killers, I found them gripping, beautifully staged, with great cast. Then we get the ongoing investigation of serial murders and how the unit detectives help in narrowing down and catching the suspects. Casting is perfect, and not the right thing to say (😀) serial killers look so menacing, credit to the actors. Especially, Cameron Britton, who portrays the serial killer Edmund Kemper.

What struck me is the mood of the series that gets maintained through the two seasons, focused, detailed, and grim. First season focuses on formation of behavioral unit, it’s reason for existence, and successful closure of cases. In contrast, second series’ focus is on uncertainties, personal issues, and FBI politics. Even though modus operandi looks similar across 27 kidnappings (and possible murders), connection could be made only to two victims and the convict doesn’t match the profile put together by Holden Ford.  Things are left hanging, did they catch the right guy, is the real guy still out in the loose? Holden Ford fights his anxiety attacks, while Bill Tench must take care of issues in family front. Wendy Carr’s character is interesting since the drama is from 80’s where there is no equality for women (in work environment) yet which confines her to desk job even though her ambition is field work. Yes, Mindhunter does go for bigger canvas within a detective drama template.

First two seasons has done a good foundation with well-defined characters, and is all set for another two or more seasons, till we get to the BTK killer, Dennis Rader.