*My review of Mindhunter: Season 2- Episodes 1-3 was originally published on Film Inquiry. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a David Fincher film. A really long time.
After a stretch from 2007 to 2011 where the beloved filmmaker directed four acclaimed projects in a row (including, arguably, two of the best films of the 21st century in Zodiac and The Social Network), Fincher has been on an extended hiatus since 2014’s Gone Girl. Enticing ideas like a mega-budget World War Z reunion with Brad Pitt and a Strangers on a Train remake starring Ben Affleck fell through at various stages of production, and even though he’ll return to the format of the cinematic narrative with Mank, his upcoming biopic of screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it’s hard not to be disappointed by his extended absence.
But for fans of the director, Mindhunter has provided some much-needed comfort. The auteur’s second collaboration with Netflix (House of Cards started the fruitful partnership) is not exclusively a Fincher project, as numerous directors and creators have added significant contributions to the show’s critical and commercial success. Regardless of this collaborative truth, the show has certainly been marketed as a Fincher affair from the beginning, which makes sense to a certain degree. Even if it’s not the purest example of contemporary auteur television, Mindhunter is perhaps the most prominent example of a director’s visual and narrative aesthetic transferred to the peak TV medium.
It helps that, when examined as two seasons attempting to spin the web of a single story, Fincher has directed large chunks of this sprawling historical saga, rather than tackling disparate individual episodes throughout the season. Fincher was at the helm for the final two episodes of the first season, and he’s back behind the camera for the opening arc of Mindhunter‘s second season, setting the groundwork for what promises to be a compelling sophomore effort for the show.
Season 2 takes viewers back to Quantico, where the FBI’s newly minted Behavioral Science Division is on the rise at the bureau. Special Agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) is dealing with the aftermath of a frustrating and potentially department-threatening investigation, one that features the unique potential to destroy the progress of their critical work on the darker corners of the human mind. However, change is absolutely in the air in Virginia, as Unit Chief Shepard (Cotter Smith) is finally retiring, set to be replaced by D.C. insider Ted Gunn (Michael Cerveris). Despite the threat of a shake-up, Gunn seems eager to work with Tench, Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), and their team; simply put, he knows the essential nature of this work.
If you’re a regular viewer of the show, you’re probably wondering where Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) fits into this endeavor. Well, when this season begins, Holden is still in a hospital in California, recovering from his final, especially traumatic encounter with serial killer Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton). Holden suffered a panic attack, and the doctors warn him that it could absolutely happen again if the stress gets too intense.
Once Holden returns to Quantico (thanks to a little retrieval help from Agent Tench), the unit is able to start fresh. The team clears the air about the internal conflicts that arose near the end of the previous season, allowing Agents Ford and Tench, Dr. Carr, and Agent Gregg Smith (Joe Tuttle) to put aside petty differences and get back to work. Gunn is preparing the team for rapid expansion, and he’s prepared to give Holden whatever he needs to get the job done. An interview with Manson? Sure thing – just as long as the division gets their methodology down to an exact science.
From this starting point, the first three Fincher-directed episodes of the new season establish what I have to imagine will be the most significant narrative threads moving forward. Tench receives a file dump from a colleague involving the infamous BTK killer (the acronym stands for “Bind, Torture, Kill”), which leads him to Wichita, Kansas, for an expanded investigation into what’s quickly becoming a cold case. In Wichita, Tench finds a city rocked by uncertainty, grief, and fear, with only a few living victims able to shed light on exactly what happened. BTK is still out there – indeed, we see him at the start of nearly every episode- but for Tench, the case is hard to crack.
Though Wendy is more focused on methodology and finding specific examples of killers who connect directly to their practice, the interest of the FBI agents – and thus, the focus of the show itself – lies squarely in the realm of solving the most prominent and harrowing mysteries. Each interview, whether it’s Son of Sam (Oliver Cooper) or William Pierce (Michael Filipowich), leads them down a new rabbit hole of possibilities, often when they least expect it.
BTK remains a nagging threat, but this initial trio of episodes also finds Ford and Tench exploring two equally disturbing cases. On a trip to Atlanta to interview Pierce and William Henry Hance (Corey Allen), Holden connects with a concierge at his hotel, who brings him to three grieving, frightened mothers. They claim that their children have been murdered by a single killer, a devastating tragedy that has fallen on deaf ears with the Atlanta PD. Though he’s eager to help, it’s immediately clear that Holden is entering a world of racial tensions and barriers that he doesn’t fully understand.
Back in Virginia, Tench’s wife, Nancy (Stacey Roca), is a newly minted real estate agent, and in a shocking turn of events, the body of a young baby is found in the basement of her first listing. Bill remains on the periphery to allow local law enforcement to do their work, but if the status quo of the investigation doesn’t change, his interference may be necessary.
If any viewers were worried that Mindhunter‘s central conceit of killer interviews (I mean this in the literal sense) and cold cases would eventually grow stale, Fincher‘s opening act for Season 2 quickly dispels those concerns. The show’s rejection of conventional “show, don’t tell” screenwriting logic remains a dramatic godsend, allowing the disturbing details of these crimes to intensify the already suspenseful mood.
Ford and Tench have to get inside the minds of murderers and psychopaths to do their jobs right; for better or worse, we’re put in this frightening position ourselves. Through its direct examination of both its heroes and its more unsavory subjects, Fincher‘s camera is constantly implicating the viewers, involving our curiosity and our repulsion in equal measure.
The show remains perhaps most impressive for its attention to the elongation of low-key suspense, for its ability to let the terrors described in each scene percolate until every viewer is suitably on edge. Ever the methodical and exacting filmmaker, Fincher stages an assortment of impressive setpieces where, devoid of any flashbacks or elaborate cinematic trickery, the sheer duration and the subtly increasing momentum of the scene become the most crucial aspects.
One of the highlights of the season thus far is a chilling scene with Tench, Wichita Detective Drowatzky (Jeb Kreager), and Kevin Bright (Andrew Yackel), one of the few people to survive an encounter with the BTK killer. Kevin, disfigured from the attack, sits in the back of the car so that Tench and Drowatzky can’t see his face; there’s also a loaded shotgun in the back, but the Wichita Detective insists that the young man wouldn’t hurt anyone (we mostly believe him).
Tench proceeds to go through his questions in painstaking detail, with Kevin’s blurry, out-of-focus visage recalling the horrific tale of a near-death experience. It’s a simple, direct encounter elevated by Fincher‘s shot choices and the concision of the editing, where the drawn-out, real-time relaying of this traumatic narrative becomes a source of vivid horror.
However, a new kind of tension this season comes from Holden Ford himself: once the show’s steadiest and most unflappable figure, Holden is now a wild card, a live wire who could disintegrate at any moment. Yes, he’s still capable of getting incredible information out of the most despicable of individuals, as their unusual encounter with Son of Sam demonstrates. But in the aftermath of the Kemper incident, the unpredictability of Holden’s mental, physical, and emotional state is almost as fiercely compelling as this season’s central narrative. He’s hanging on by a thread, and with Atlanta, BTK, and potentially even more danger on his mind, who knows how long he’ll keep it together.
I stopped myself from binging in order to write this early recap, but I simply can’t wait to see where Mindhunter: Season 2 goes from here. Just three episodes into this new season, I’m already reminded of why I adore this show so much. It’s gripping, intoxicating television, the rare piece of serialized entertainment that’s as engaging on a scene-to-scene basis as it is on a grand narrative level. And for those of us who have been patiently waiting for a new Fincher film for nearly half a decade, the chance to see his trademark style and immaculate attention to detail on this scale is a wonderful tonic.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a David Fincher film. A really long time.
After a stretch from 2007 to 2011 where the beloved filmmaker directed four acclaimed projects in a row (including, arguably, two of the best films of the 21st century in Zodiac and The Social Network), Fincher has been on an extended hiatus since 2014’s Gone Girl. Enticing ideas like a mega-budget World War Z reunion with Brad Pitt and a Strangers on a Train remake starring Ben Affleck fell through at various stages of production, and even though he’ll return to the format of the cinematic narrative with Mank, his upcoming biopic of screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it’s hard not to be disappointed by his extended absence.
But for fans of the director, Mindhunter has provided some much-needed comfort. The auteur’s second collaboration with Netflix (House of Cards started the fruitful partnership) is not exclusively a Fincher project, as numerous directors and creators have added significant contributions to the show’s critical and commercial success. Regardless of this collaborative truth, the show has certainly been marketed as a Fincher affair from the beginning, which makes sense to a certain degree. Even if it’s not the purest example of contemporary auteur television, Mindhunter is perhaps the most prominent example of a director’s visual and narrative aesthetic transferred to the peak TV medium.
It helps that, when examined as two seasons attempting to spin the web of a single story, Fincher has directed large chunks of this sprawling historical saga, rather than tackling disparate individual episodes throughout the season. Fincher was at the helm for the final two episodes of the first season, and he’s back behind the camera for the opening arc of Mindhunter‘s second season, setting the groundwork for what promises to be a compelling sophomore effort for the show.
Season 2 takes viewers back to Quantico, where the FBI’s newly minted Behavioral Science Division is on the rise at the bureau. Special Agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) is dealing with the aftermath of a frustrating and potentially department-threatening investigation, one that features the unique potential to destroy the progress of their critical work on the darker corners of the human mind. However, change is absolutely in the air in Virginia, as Unit Chief Shepard (Cotter Smith) is finally retiring, set to be replaced by D.C. insider Ted Gunn (Michael Cerveris). Despite the threat of a shake-up, Gunn seems eager to work with Tench, Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), and their team; simply put, he knows the essential nature of this work.
If you’re a regular viewer of the show, you’re probably wondering where Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) fits into this endeavor. Well, when this season begins, Holden is still in a hospital in California, recovering from his final, especially traumatic encounter with serial killer Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton). Holden suffered a panic attack, and the doctors warn him that it could absolutely happen again if the stress gets too intense.
Once Holden returns to Quantico (thanks to a little retrieval help from Agent Tench), the unit is able to start fresh. The team clears the air about the internal conflicts that arose near the end of the previous season, allowing Agents Ford and Tench, Dr. Carr, and Agent Gregg Smith (Joe Tuttle) to put aside petty differences and get back to work. Gunn is preparing the team for rapid expansion, and he’s prepared to give Holden whatever he needs to get the job done. An interview with Manson? Sure thing – just as long as the division gets their methodology down to an exact science.
From this starting point, the first three Fincher-directed episodes of the new season establish what I have to imagine will be the most significant narrative threads moving forward. Tench receives a file dump from a colleague involving the infamous BTK killer (the acronym stands for “Bind, Torture, Kill”), which leads him to Wichita, Kansas, for an expanded investigation into what’s quickly becoming a cold case. In Wichita, Tench finds a city rocked by uncertainty, grief, and fear, with only a few living victims able to shed light on exactly what happened. BTK is still out there – indeed, we see him at the start of nearly every episode- but for Tench, the case is hard to crack.
Though Wendy is more focused on methodology and finding specific examples of killers who connect directly to their practice, the interest of the FBI agents – and thus, the focus of the show itself – lies squarely in the realm of solving the most prominent and harrowing mysteries. Each interview, whether it’s Son of Sam (Oliver Cooper) or William Pierce (Michael Filipowich), leads them down a new rabbit hole of possibilities, often when they least expect it.
BTK remains a nagging threat, but this initial trio of episodes also finds Ford and Tench exploring two equally disturbing cases. On a trip to Atlanta to interview Pierce and William Henry Hance (Corey Allen), Holden connects with a concierge at his hotel, who brings him to three grieving, frightened mothers. They claim that their children have been murdered by a single killer, a devastating tragedy that has fallen on deaf ears with the Atlanta PD. Though he’s eager to help, it’s immediately clear that Holden is entering a world of racial tensions and barriers that he doesn’t fully understand.
Back in Virginia, Tench’s wife, Nancy (Stacey Roca), is a newly minted real estate agent, and in a shocking turn of events, the body of a young baby is found in the basement of her first listing. Bill remains on the periphery to allow local law enforcement to do their work, but if the status quo of the investigation doesn’t change, his interference may be necessary.
If any viewers were worried that Mindhunter‘s central conceit of killer interviews (I mean this in the literal sense) and cold cases would eventually grow stale, Fincher‘s opening act for Season 2 quickly dispels those concerns. The show’s rejection of conventional “show, don’t tell” screenwriting logic remains a dramatic godsend, allowing the disturbing details of these crimes to intensify the already suspenseful mood.
Ford and Tench have to get inside the minds of murderers and psychopaths to do their jobs right; for better or worse, we’re put in this frightening position ourselves. Through its direct examination of both its heroes and its more unsavory subjects, Fincher‘s camera is constantly implicating the viewers, involving our curiosity and our repulsion in equal measure.
The show remains perhaps most impressive for its attention to the elongation of low-key suspense, for its ability to let the terrors described in each scene percolate until every viewer is suitably on edge. Ever the methodical and exacting filmmaker, Fincher stages an assortment of impressive setpieces where, devoid of any flashbacks or elaborate cinematic trickery, the sheer duration and the subtly increasing momentum of the scene become the most crucial aspects.
One of the highlights of the season thus far is a chilling scene with Tench, Wichita Detective Drowatzky (Jeb Kreager), and Kevin Bright (Andrew Yackel), one of the few people to survive an encounter with the BTK killer. Kevin, disfigured from the attack, sits in the back of the car so that Tench and Drowatzky can’t see his face; there’s also a loaded shotgun in the back, but the Wichita Detective insists that the young man wouldn’t hurt anyone (we mostly believe him).
Tench proceeds to go through his questions in painstaking detail, with Kevin’s blurry, out-of-focus visage recalling the horrific tale of a near-death experience. It’s a simple, direct encounter elevated by Fincher‘s shot choices and the concision of the editing, where the drawn-out, real-time relaying of this traumatic narrative becomes a source of vivid horror.
However, a new kind of tension this season comes from Holden Ford himself: once the show’s steadiest and most unflappable figure, Holden is now a wild card, a live wire who could disintegrate at any moment. Yes, he’s still capable of getting incredible information out of the most despicable of individuals, as their unusual encounter with Son of Sam demonstrates. But in the aftermath of the Kemper incident, the unpredictability of Holden’s mental, physical, and emotional state is almost as fiercely compelling as this season’s central narrative. He’s hanging on by a thread, and with Atlanta, BTK, and potentially even more danger on his mind, who knows how long he’ll keep it together.
I stopped myself from binging in order to write this early recap, but I simply can’t wait to see where Mindhunter: Season 2 goes from here. Just three episodes into this new season, I’m already reminded of why I adore this show so much. It’s gripping, intoxicating television, the rare piece of serialized entertainment that’s as engaging on a scene-to-scene basis as it is on a grand narrative level. And for those of us who have been patiently waiting for a new Fincher film for nearly half a decade, the chance to see his trademark style and immaculate attention to detail on this scale is a wonderful tonic.
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