Mindhunter (TV series)

Plot

Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mindhunter centers on FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, alongside psychologist Wendy Carr, as they work within the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Their project involves interviewing incarcerated serial killers to grasp their psychology, aiming to use those insights on active cases. The first season, spanning 1977 to 1980, includes appearances by killers such as Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, and Dennis Rader, known as BTK.

The second season, covering 1980 and 1981, follows Ford and Tench as they probe the Atlanta murders from 1979 to 1981, a string of at least 28 deaths, mostly children. This storyline draws from the real case of Wayne Williams, convicted for two adult murders but never charged for the children’s deaths, leaving many cases unsolved and sparking public anger. Other murderers featured in the second season include David Berkowitz, William Pierce, Elmer Wayne Henley, and Charles Manson.

Cast and characters

Jonathan Groff portrays Holden Ford, a special agent in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Holt McCallany plays Bill Tench, also a special agent in the BSU. Anna Torv appears as Wendy Carr, a psychology professor from Boston University who joins the unit and is a closeted lesbian. Hannah Gross plays Debbie Mitford in season one, Ford's girlfriend and a sociology graduate student.

Cotter Smith portrays Robert Shepard, the assistant director overseeing the BSU. Stacey Roca plays Nancy Tench, Bill's wife. Joe Tuttle appears as Gregg Smith, a special agent newly assigned to the BSU. Michael Cerveris plays Ted Gunn, Shepard's successor.

Lauren Glazier portrays Kay Manz, a bartender and Carr's love interest. Albert Jones plays Jim Barney, an Atlanta FBI agent. Sierra McClain appears as Tanya Clifton, a hotel worker. June Carryl plays Camille Bell, a grieving mother and organizer of the Committee to Stop Children's Murders.

Cameron Britton portrays serial killer Ed Kemper. Other cast members include Alex Morf, Joseph Cross, Marc Kudisch, Michael Park, George R. Sheffey, Duke Lafoon, Peter Murnik, Happy Anderson as Jerry Brudos, Sonny Valicenti as Dennis Rader (BTK), Zachary Scott Ross as Brian Tench, Nate Corddry, Regi Davis, Gareth Williams, Drew Seltzer, Dohn Norwood, Brent Sexton, and Christopher Livingston as Wayne Williams.

Development and production

The series originated in 2009 when Charlize Theron gave David Fincher the nonfiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. In January 2010, the project was set up at Fox 21, which had optioned the book, alongside HBO, with Scott Buck initially writing the pilot. By December 2015, the show had moved to Netflix, and Fox 21 left the project. In February 2016, Netflix announced production would take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Filming started in May 2016, with open casting calls in April and June of that year. The first season's ninth episode was shot at the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville. The series received a second-season renewal before its debut. Holden Ford is loosely based on FBI agent John E. Douglas, Bill Tench on Robert K. Ressler, and Wendy Carr on researcher Ann Wolbert Burgess.

The serial killer characters were modeled on real convicts, and their prison dialogue came from actual interviews. Jason Hill composed the musical score.

Reception

The first season received positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 79 out of 100 and a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critics consensus stated that Mindhunter distinguishes itself with cinematic visuals and attention to character development. It was ranked No. 10 on Metacritic's year-end list of the best TV shows of 2017. The second season was also acclaimed, earning a Metacritic score of 85 out of 100 and a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus describing it as a chilling second season that is unsettling and absorbing.