“Mindhunter” season one premiered on Netflix in October 2017, and we still do not have a season two. This show was a massive success, and shortly after the premiere of season one, a new season was announced to begin production.

“Mindhunter” is a dramatized true crime drama that is based off the true story of the first FBI agents to study serial killers. This article is meant to be a recap and review of the first season and give some details on the next upcoming season.

The story mainly follows agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany). They travel across the United States educating local police departments on behavioral analysis in crime scene investigation. They also start to interview serial killers that are currently locked up in prison, most notably Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton). At this point in time (1970s) there was no real understanding on the psychology of a serial killer, and agents Ford and Tench want to change that.

What makes this show great is the use of storytelling and direction. Most police dramas are jam packed with action and are usually episodic.

In “Mindhunter” the writers and director have mastered the art of suspense through dialogue. Kemper is the first and most frequent serial killer to be interviewed by Ford and Tench. While his character is strangely likable in some scenes, being a fan of cop shows himself and offering Ford an egg salad sandwich for lunch during their first meeting. His dialogue in these said interviews are extremely disturbing with long shots of just his upper body to make the viewer feel extremely uncomfortable. His detail of the vile things he has done to women are extremely intense, and in all reality, he is just talking to Ford and Tench making the intensity noteworthy to say the least.

There are also a kind of duality presented in the show when it comes to sex and violence. Ford and his girlfriend Debbie (Hannah Gross) are frequently shown having sex in Debbie’s apartment. This accompanied with the sexual component of these killer’s fantasies really make an interesting and disturbing show.

We have not got a release date yet for season two, but we have some information about the upcoming season. Executive producer David Fincher has confirmed that season two will center on the Atlanta child murders that took place between 1979-1981, so there will be a minor time skip for this season. Wayne Williams was found guilty for these crimes, but always maintained his innocence, so conspiracy theories rose over his involvement.

Production for season two ended in December 2018, so more than likely we are going to see this season sometime this year. If you have not seen season one, I highly recommend it.

Jordan Boyer is a senior history major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at jtboyer@eiu.edu.