Mindhunter (TV series)

Mindhunter is an American psychological crime thriller television series created by Joe Penhall, based on the 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker.^[2] The series debuted in 2017 and ran for two seasons. Executive producers included Penhall, Charlize Theron, and David Fincher, with Fincher serving as the series' most frequent director and de facto showrunner, overseeing many of the scriptwriting and production processes.^[3] The series stars Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv, and follows the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the late 1970s and the beginning of criminal profiling.^[4]

Mindhunter
Genre	Crime drama Psychological thriller
Created by	Joe Penhall
Based on	Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas Mark Olshaker
Starring	Jonathan Groff Holt McCallany Anna Torv Hannah Gross Cotter Smith Stacey Roca Cameron Britton Michael Cerveris Joe Tuttle Lauren Glazier Albert Jones Sierra McClain June Carryl
Music by	Jason Hill
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	19
Production
Executive producers	Beth Kono Charlize Theron Joe Penhall Ceán Chaffin Joshua Donen David Fincher Courtenay Miles
Producers	Jim Davidson Mark Winemaker Liz Hannah
Production location	Pennsylvania
Cinematography	Christopher Probst Erik Messerschmidt
Editors	Kirk Baxter Tyler Nelson Byron Smith Eric Zumbrunnen Grant Surmi
Running time	34–73 minutes
Production company	Denver and Delilah Productions
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13) – August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)[1]

The first season of 10 episodes debuted worldwide on Netflix on October 13, 2017.^[5][6] The second season was released by Netflix on August 16, 2019.^[7] In January 2020, Netflix announced that the potential for a third season was on indefinite hold as Fincher wanted to pursue other projects, but may "revisit [the series] in the future".^[8] In February 2023, Fincher confirmed that the series was officially over.^[9]

Plot

Mindhunter revolves around FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, along with psychologist Wendy Carr, who operate the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit within the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Together they launch a research project to interview imprisoned serial killers to understand their psychology with the hope of applying this knowledge to solve ongoing cases.^[10]

The first season takes place from 1977 to 1980, in the early days of criminal psychology and criminal profiling at the FBI. Cameron Britton has a recurring role in this season as notorious serial killer Edmund Kemper, who is the first to assist Ford and Tench in understanding how a serial killer's mind works. Other notable serial killers featured in the first season include Montie Rissell played by Sam Strike, Jerry Brudos played by Happy Anderson, Richard Speck played by Jack Erdie, and Dennis Rader also known as BTK, played by Sonny Valicenti.^[11]

The second season takes place in 1980 and 1981, with Ford and Tench investigating the Atlanta murders of 1979 to 1981, which included at least 28 deaths, mostly children.^[12] This is based on the real case of Wayne Williams, who was charged and convicted for the murder of two adult men but was never tried for the killing of the children and adolescents, causing mass outrage and questions over Williams's guilt as the children's cases went cold.^[13] The second season also features other infamous murderers, such as David Berkowitz, also known as Son of Sam, played by Oliver Cooper, William Pierce Jr. played by Michael Filipowich, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. played by Robert Aramayo, and Charles Manson, played by Damon Herriman.^[11]

Cast and characters

Main

• Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, a special agent in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit (BSU)
• Holt McCallany as Bill Tench, a special agent in the FBI's BSU
• Anna Torv as Wendy Carr, a psychology professor working towards tenure at Boston University who joins the BSU. She is a closeted lesbian.
• Hannah Gross as Debbie Mitford (season 1), Ford's girlfriend and a graduate student in sociology at the University of Virginia
• Cotter Smith as Robert Shepard (season 1; guest season 2), the assistant director at the FBI Academy overseeing the BSU
• Stacey Roca as Nancy Tench (season 2; recurring season 1), Bill's wife
• Joe Tuttle as Gregg Smith (season 2; recurring season 1), a special agent newly assigned to the BSU
• Michael Cerveris as Ted Gunn (season 2), Shepard's successor as overseer of the BSU
• Lauren Glazier as Kay Manz (season 2), a bartender and Carr's love interest
• Albert Jones as Jim Barney (season 2; guest season 1), an Atlanta FBI agent
• Sierra McClain as Tanya Clifton (season 2), a hotel worker who brings Holden's attention to the Atlanta child murders
• June Carryl as Camille Bell (season 2), a grieving mother of Yusef Bell, one of the Atlanta murder victims and the organizer of the Committee to Stop Children's Murders

Recurring

• Cameron Britton as Ed Kemper, a serial killer interviewed by Ford and Tench
• Alex Morf as Mark Ocasek, a police officer from Altoona, Pennsylvania
• Joseph Cross as Benjamin Barnwright, a murder suspect in Altoona
• Marc Kudisch as Roger Wade, a Fredericksburg elementary-school principal
• Michael Park as Peter Dean, an Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigator
• George R. Sheffey as John Boylen, an OPR investigator
• Duke Lafoon as Gordon Chambers, an Adairsville detective
• Peter Murnik as Roy Carver, a Sacramento detective
• Happy Anderson as Jerry Brudos, a serial killer interviewed by Ford and Tench
• Sonny Valicenti as ADT serviceman / Dennis Rader (BTK)^[14][15][16]
• Zachary Scott Ross as Brian Tench, Bill and Nancy's adopted son
• Nate Corddry as Art Spencer (season 2), a detective investigating a murder near the Tench household
• Regi Davis as Maynard Jackson (season 2), mayor of Atlanta
• Gareth Williams as Redding (season 2), the chief of Atlanta police
• Drew Seltzer as Dale Harmon (season 2), Bill and Nancy's neighbor
• Dohn Norwood as Lee Brown (season 2), the Atlanta police commissioner
• Brent Sexton as Garland Periwinkle (season 2), a retired agent who assists the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
• Christopher Livingston as Wayne Williams (season 2)

Guests

• Lena Olin as Annaliese Stilman (season 1), Carr's former lover and head of the psychology department at Boston University
• Sam Strike as Montie Rissell (season 1), a serial killer interviewed by Ford and Tench
• Jack Erdie as Richard Speck (season 1), a mass murderer interviewed by Ford and Tench
• Oliver Cooper as David Berkowitz (season 2), the serial killer known as "Son of Sam"
• Robert Aramayo as Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (season 2)
• Michael Filipowich as William "Junior" Pierce (season 2)
• Corey Allen as William Henry Hance (season 2)
• Damon Herriman as Charles Manson (season 2); Herriman previously portrayed Manson in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
• Christopher Backus as Tex Watson (season 2)
• Morgan Kelly as Paul Bateson (season 2)

Development and production

The development of Mindhunter began in 2009 when Charlize Theron gave a nonfiction crime book titled Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit to David Fincher.^[17][18] In January 2010 the Mindhunter project was set up at Fox 21, which had optioned the book, along with premium cable channel HBO. Scott Buck was tapped to write the pilot.^[19][20] Fincher, who was mostly known as a director and producer in films, felt at that time that television was "completely foreign" until he worked on the political drama House of Cards, for which he co-produced and directed the first two episodes.^[17] When Fincher finally felt comfortable with television as a medium after doing House of Cards,^[17] Theron suggested playwright and screenwriter Joe Penhall as the project's writer,^[17][18] replacing Buck.^[20] In December 2015, Mindhunter was moved to streaming service Netflix,^[18][20] with Fox 21 dropping out of the project.^[20]

In February 2016, Netflix announced that the production of Mindhunter would be based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[21] Filming began in May 2016,^[22] and open casting calls were held on April 16 and June 25, 2016.^[23][24] Episode 9 of season 1 was filmed in Moundsville, West Virginia at the West Virginia State Penitentiary.^[25] The series was renewed for a second season before its premiere on Netflix.^[26]

The character of Holden Ford is loosely based on FBI agent John E. Douglas, on whose book, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, the show is based.^[27][28] The character of Bill Tench is based on pioneering FBI agent Robert K. Ressler.^[29] Wendy Carr is a fictional character based on psychiatric forensic nurse researcher Ann Wolbert Burgess,^[30][31] a prominent Boston College nursing professor who collaborated with the FBI agents in the Behavioral Science Unit and procured grants to conduct research on serial murderers, serial rapists, and child molesters.^[32][33] Her work is based on treating survivors of sexual trauma and abuse, and studying the thought process of violent offenders.^[33] The serial killer characters were modeled on the actual convicted criminals and their prison scene dialogues were taken from real interviews.^[34] Although not explicitly stated, it is implied that the ADT serviceman seen in several short vignettes throughout the first season is Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer.^[35][36] This is clarified in the second season.^[37]

The musical score was written by Jason Hill.^[38]

The second season was originally reported to consist of eight episodes;^[39] however, the season ultimately contained nine episodes. Shooting took place between April and December 2018.^[40] Directors for the second season were Fincher, Andrew Dominik, and Carl Franklin.^[41]

In November 2019, a potential third season was reported to have been put on indefinite hold until Fincher finished working on his next film, Mank.^[42] Fincher planned to make five seasons.^[43] In January 2020, Netflix announced that the cast had been released from their contracts and that the series was on indefinite hold, as Fincher was busy with other projects. A Netflix spokesperson stated, "He may revisit Mindhunter again in the future, but in the meantime felt it wasn't fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own."^[8] In October 2020, Fincher confirmed the series was done for now, and a Netflix spokesperson said that a third season may be possible "maybe in five years".^[1] The next month, some of the reasons to suspend the series were fleshed out – cost (Fincher stated, "It had a very passionate audience, but we never got the numbers that justified the cost."), production (the second season showrunner was fired and eight of the scripts were rewritten), management (co-producer Peter Mavromates said of Fincher, "Even when he wasn't directing an episode, he was overseeing it."), and exhaustion (Fincher said, "I certainly needed some time away").^[44] In February 2023, Fincher confirmed that the series was officially over.^[9]

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
1	10		October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
2	9		August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)

Season 1 (2017)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Episode 1"	David Fincher	Joe Penhall	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
FBI special agent Holden Ford fails to prevent the suicide of Cody Miller in a 1977 hostage situation in Braddock, Pennsylvania. Upon Ford's return to the FBI offices, he is told that his "negotiation" was successful since he saved the hostage's life, and he is promoted to teaching. Ford takes an interest in another class delving into the minds of killers, taught by Peter Rathman. Ford, who is single and living alone, meets Debbie, a graduate student studying sociology. With Debbie's encouragement, Ford pursues further education in criminal psychology. Ford is referred to Bill Tench, head of behavioral science. Tench takes Ford on his teaching classes around the country, sharing FBI techniques with local law enforcement. In Iowa, local police take offense when Ford suggests that Charles Manson is a victim of his environment. As Tench counsels Ford to simplify his method, the two are approached by a local detective, Frank McGraw, seeking help in a brutal rape and murder case.
2	2	"Episode 2"	David Fincher	Joe Penhall	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
In Wichita, Kansas, Dennis, an ADT serviceman, demands a coworker hand over the empty cardboard core from a roll of electrical tape before he will give him a new one. Tench and Ford arrive in San Francisco, where Ford requests a conversation with Manson, imprisoned 30 miles away. Tench tells him gaining access to Manson is impossible, but local police suggest that Ford meet Edmund Kemper, "the co-ed killer". Tench has no interest in interviewing Kemper, so Ford goes alone. To his surprise, he finds Kemper to be highly intelligent and talkative. Meanwhile, an elderly woman in Sacramento is attacked and her dog's throat is slashed. Ford convinces Tench to accompany him during his next visit to Kemper. Kemper describes his hatred of his mother and how he began torturing animals. At home, Debbie wants Ford to meet her mother, and states her mother judges her boyfriends by their relationship with their own mothers. Shepard is infuriated to learn about Ford and Tench's interviews with Kemper, but allows them to continue their project, relocating them to offices in the basement.
3	3	"Episode 3"	Asif Kapadia	Story by : Joe Penhall Teleplay by : Joe Penhall and Ruby Rae Spiegel	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
The ADT serviceman stares at a house before getting in a van and driving away. Ford and Tench approach Dr. Wendy Carr, a social sciences professor in Boston, Massachusetts, for academic interest in the study. Their attempt to meet Benjamin Franklin Miller is declined. Another elderly woman in Sacramento has been attacked and her dog's throat slashed from ear to ear, but this time she was murdered. After an interview with Kemper, Tench posits that the suspect is white, in his 30s, and has a similar relationship with his mother as Kemper did. The police set their sights on Dwight Taylor, a man in his 30s with an abusive mother. After interrogation, Taylor confesses to the murder. Ford recommends the removal of certain words from the FBI's list of deviant words. Carr arrives in Fredericksburg as a consultant for the FBI.
4	4	"Episode 4"	Asif Kapadia	Story by : Joe Penhall Teleplay by : Joe Penhall and Dominic Orlando	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
Ford and Tench interview Montie Rissell, a serial killer who murdered five women in Virginia. Rissell shows no remorse for his actions and considers himself a victim. His methods of murder were blunt-force trauma, drowning, and stabbing. He is less sophisticated than Kemper in his technique and killed his first victim because she was a prostitute who did not resist his attempts to rape her. He later killed other victims for "talking too much". After being bribed with Big Red, Rissell reveals a hatred for his mother similar to that of Kemper. Tench and Ford are in a car accident. In Altoona, Pennsylvania, Tench and Ford join local police officer Mark Ocasek in investigating the murder of Beverly Jean Shaw, a 22-year-old babysitter. They initially focus on a former drifter and local welder, Alvin Moran, but Moran's alibi checks out. Tench reveals that he and his wife have an adopted six-year-old son named Brian who is nonverbal. Back in Fredericksburg, Ford invites Carr to a bar to meet Debbie. Carr secures $385,000 in grant money to fund their research.
5	5	"Episode 5"	Tobias Lindholm	Jennifer Haley	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
In Altoona, the investigation into the murder of Beverly Jean continues. Ford, Tench, and Ocasek interview her fiancé, Benjamin "Benji" Barnwright. Benji begins crying profusely, alarming Ford, who believes that a man who would cry so easily in front of strangers could be putting on an act. The police speak with Benji's mother, who mentions Frank Janderman, Benji's brother-in-law. Ford questions Debbie's sexual history. Tench and Ford discover Frank's violent past, but decide he does not have the pathology of a serial killer. After interviewing Frank, the police discover Benji's relationship with Beverly Jean was not as serious as Benji claimed. With renewed interest, Tench and Ford interrogate Benji. The trio then interrogates Rose, Benji's sister, at her home, and notice bruises on her body. Ocasek warns Rose that if the FBI finds she had any involvement with the murder, she will lose her child. Later, Rose comes to the police station and admits Frank was not home the night of Beverly Jean's disappearance, finally admitting that Frank called her to Benji's house and she found Beverly Jean there dead. She admits to cleaning the scene while Benji and Frank disposed of the body.
6	6	"Episode 6"	Tobias Lindholm	Story by : Joe Penhall Teleplay by : Joe Penhall and Tobias Lindholm	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
The ADT serviceman is seen practicing knots in rope while his wife tends to their infant daughter. Shepard offers Carr a full-time consulting position at the FBI. In Altoona, Tench confronts Benji. Carr concludes that Beverly Jean was alive when Rose arrived; Rose noticed this and told Benji and Frank they had to kill her. The police conclude that Benji, Rose, and Frank are all accomplices. In Fredericksburg, Debbie and Ford have dinner at Tench's home. The prosecution only intends to seek full punishment for Benji, while offering pleas to Rose and Frank. Carr returns to Boston and asks her girlfriend Annaliese Stilman for her opinion on accepting the FBI's offer. Annaliese warns her about her career and having to stay closeted, but Carr decides to leave for Virginia, anyway.
7	7	"Episode 7"	Andrew Douglas	Story by : Joe Penhall Teleplay by : Joe Penhall and Jennifer Haley	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
Tench and Ford travel to Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, Oregon, to interview Jerry Brudos. Brudos admits to having a shoe fetish. Ford buys an extra-large pair of women's shoes for Brudos, which he uses to get Brudos talking. Carr begins feeding a stray cat in the laundry room of her new apartment building in Fredericksburg. Tench and Nancy talk about Brian's behavior at school. At their home, Brian's babysitter discovers a crime scene photo showing Ada Jeffries dead with a wooden pole inserted in her anus. The babysitter is too afraid to continue working there.
8	8	"Episode 8"	Andrew Douglas	Story by : Erin Levy Teleplay by : Erin Levy and Jennifer Haley	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
Ford is invited to speak at an elementary school and is approached by a teacher, Janet Ebner, who is concerned with Principal Roger Wade's behavior of tickling children's feet and giving them nickels. Ford becomes suspicious that Debbie is cheating on him. The BSU hires Gregg Smith. Ford asks Gregg to come with him to speak with Wade, whom he suspects of being a pedophile. Principal Wade insists that tickling is a positive experience for the children and turns discipline enjoyable. Gregg tells Shepard about Ford's latest investigation, and Ford is advised to drop the issue. Ford returns to Oregon to meet with Brudos, who is more talkative. Debbie invites Ford to an event held by her graduate class, where he catches her in a compromising position with Patrick, her project partner. Ford angrily leaves. He later receives a call from the school superintendent informing him that Wade will be fired.
9	9	"Episode 9"	David Fincher	Story by : Carly Wray Teleplay by : Carly Wray and Jennifer Haley	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
The ADT serviceman sits in the house of an intended victim. When the clock strikes midnight and the victim shows no sign of arriving, he becomes fed up with waiting, tidies up after himself, and leaves, frustrated. At the Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, Ford and Tench interview Richard Speck, who shows no interest in cooperating until Ford asks what gave him the right to take "eight ripe cunts out of the world". Tench recommends that Ford redact his unconventional comment from the interview. Ford and Debbie reconcile. Ford is confronted by Wade's wife at his apartment. Carr notices that food she has been leaving for the cat is no longer being eaten. The unit releases information regarding the murder of Lisa Dawn Porter, a 12-year-old-girl in Adairsville, Georgia. Police notice that the trees on her street had recently been trimmed, and focus on Darrell Gene Devier, who did the work. Carr is summoned by Shepard, who informs her that Speck has filed a complaint accusing Ford of "fucking with his head". The unit gives the redacted interview transcript to the OPR. Back in the basement, the team agrees to destroy the original tape, but Gregg decides to mail it to the OPR in secret.
10	10	"Episode 10"	David Fincher	Story by : Joe Penhall Teleplay by : Joe Penhall and Jennifer Haley	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
Kemper writes repeatedly to Ford, saying he would like to meet with him again. Devier agrees to meet the FBI voluntarily. Ford uses techniques he learned from his interviews to achieve a confession. The police celebrate, and after having too many drinks, Ford brags about the unit's involvement with serial killers. His boasts reach the press. Carr flies to Rome, Georgia, in hopes of preventing the district attorney from seeking the death penalty for Devier and compromising their work by making their profiling techniques public. Ford and Debbie break up. Ford receives an urgent call from Kemper's doctor, learning he has been listed as Kemper's emergency contact and that Kemper has attempted suicide. The unit learns that the OPR has received the recording of the Speck interview, and interview Ford and Tench. Ford visits Kemper in the prison medical ward, and Kemper says he could kill Ford if he wanted to. When Kemper rises from his bed and puts his arms around Ford, Ford flees in terror before collapsing in the hall in a panic attack. In Kansas, the ADT serviceman is seen burning sadistic drawings of women.

Season 2 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	"Episode 1"	David Fincher	Story by : Doug Jung and Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Courtenay Miles	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
The ADT serviceman's wife walks in on him performing autoerotic asphyxiation. Holden wakes up in the hospital and learns he now suffers from panic attacks. Tench, who, has been looking for him, retrieves him from the hospital. Shepard retires, and his replacement, Ted Gunn, gives his full support to the BSU and even does away with the OPR inquiry. Ford tells Carr about his panic attacks and says he feels much better, despite being told that he has a panic disorder; she advises him to be careful of the signs that may lead to another attack. At Shepard's retirement party, Shepard angrily reveals to Ford that he was forced to retire, as someone had to take the fall for Ford's mistakes. Ford suffers another panic attack on hearing the truth, unbeknownst to everyone else.
12	2	"Episode 2"	David Fincher	Story by : Doug Jung and Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Courtenay Miles	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
The ADT serviceman's wife gives him a pamphlet about overcoming sexual deviance. Tench begins to look into the BTK killer and with Ford's help, notices that he bases his actions on various other killers, including David Berkowitz. He and a local policeman meet with BTK's only known victim to have survived, who is traumatized. They interview Berkowitz and get him to admit to lying about hearing voices and demons, furthering their data on classifications of killers. Tench and Carr discuss Ford's panic attacks and agree to share information and look out for him. A body is discovered in a house that Nancy, Tench's wife, is showing as the realtor.
13	3	"Episode 3"	David Fincher	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Joshua Donen and Phillip Howze	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
While in Atlanta with Jim Barney to interview two killers (William "Junior" Pierce and William Henry Hance), Ford is approached by three mothers who ask him to investigate the seemingly related murders of their children. The body found in Nancy's realty house is revealed to be that of a toddler and to have been tied to a cross. Tench offers his assistance to the detective, as the nature of the crime scares the locals. Carr strikes up a romantic relationship with Kay, a bartender.
14	4	"Episode 4"	Andrew Dominik	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Jason Johnson & Colin J. Louro and Joshua Donen	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
Ford develops a politically controversial profile of the child murderer in Atlanta, which results in the FBI being removed from the investigation office. Carr goes on a date with Kay and reveals that she broke up with her previous girlfriend, who had been her professor, feeling there was a power imbalance in their relationship. Carr and Gregg interview Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. In the interview, Carr reveals that she is a lesbian, though the agents believe this to have been a ruse to get Henley Jr. to speak. It is revealed that Tench's son Brian was involved in the murder of the toddler.
15	5	"Episode 5"	Andrew Dominik	Story by : Pamela Cederquist Teleplay by : Pamela Cederquist and Liz Hannah	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
Carr's relationship with Kay heats up. Ford and Tench consult Kemper briefly to get some of his insight into the BTK case before interviewing Charles Manson. Manson denies any responsibility for the murders. Tench becomes upset during the interview and ends it early. Ford goes alone to interview Tex Watson, one of Manson's followers, while Tench flies home on a red-eye flight. Watson details how Manson influenced his behavior. He then details his role in the Tate murders. Carr, Ford, and Tench attend a dinner party at Gunn's house. Tench reveals to Carr what is going on at home. Another body is found in Atlanta.
16	6	"Episode 6"	Carl Franklin	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Courtenay Miles	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
As the situation in Atlanta gets worse, the FBI is officially sent to investigate and catch the murderer. With Ford and Tench in Atlanta, Carr and Gregg go to New York to interview Paul Bateson. The Tenches are concerned that Brian is age-regressing in response to his role in the murder of the toddler.
17	7	"Episode 7"	Carl Franklin	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Liz Hannah	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
Ford and Tench hit a dead end with their investigation in Atlanta. Ford suggests a new plan to lure the killer. Carr is disappointed when she is told by Gunn not to interview any more criminals, and to focus instead on her analysis. She invites Kay to move in with her, but Kay is upset by the dispassionate way Carr asks her and does not accept.
18	8	"Episode 8"	Carl Franklin	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Alex Metcalf	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
Ford is persistent with his profiling to catch the Atlanta murderer, and recommends that they watch the bridges in the area. An upset Tench attempts to reconnect with Brian, while Nancy shows strong signs of wanting to move. Carr overhears Kay having a conversation with her ex-husband in which she denies their relationship is important, and decides to leave her. In Atlanta, the FBI and the local police catch a potential suspect at a murder site.
19	9	"Episode 9"	Carl Franklin	Story by : Joshua Donen & Courtenay Miles Teleplay by : Shaun Grant	August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
The police and FBI focus their investigation on Wayne Williams as the primary suspect of the Atlanta murders, but find obtaining physical evidence to be difficult. While Williams is later charged for two of the murders, Ford has some self-doubt after APD decides to close all the child murder cases. Tench is stunned when he returns home to see that Nancy has taken Brian and moved out of their house without him. Ford watches a press conference concluding the Atlanta case, but he continues to be troubled knowing that he still could not solve the rest of the missing children's murders and bring closure for the families involved. The BTK Strangler is shown continuing to autoerotically asphyxiate, now surrounded by the drivers' licenses, photographs, and other trophies from his victims.

Reception

Critical response

The first season received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the season has a score of 79 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[45] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 96% with an average score of 8 out of 10, based on 102 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads: "Mindhunter distinguishes itself in a crowded genre with ambitiously cinematic visuals and a meticulous attention to character development."^[46] The first season of Mindhunter was named among the best TV shows of 2017; it was ranked No. 10 on Metacritic's year-end list of the best TV shows of 2017 compiled from rankings by various critics and publications.^[47]

The second season was also acclaimed. On Metacritic, the season has an average score of 85 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[48] On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds an approval rating of 99% based on 70 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Mindhunter expands its narrative horizons without losing sight of the details that made its first season so rich, crafting a chilling second season that is as unsettling as it is utterly absorbing."^[49]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2018	Dorian Awards	TV Performance of the Year – Actor	Jonathan Groff	Nominated	[50]
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	Cameron Britton	Nominated	[51]
	Satellite Awards	Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series	Jonathan Groff	Won	[52]
		Best Drama Series	Mindhunter	Nominated
	Saturn Awards	Best New Media Television Series	Mindhunter	Nominated	[53]
	TCA Awards	Outstanding New Program	Mindhunter	Nominated	[54]
	USC Scripter Awards	Best Adapted TV Screenplay	Joe Penhall, Jennifer Haley, John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker (for "Episode 10")	Nominated	[55]
2020	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour)	Erik Messerschmidt (for "Episode 6")	Nominated	[56]
	Satellite Awards	Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series	Jonathan Groff	Nominated	[57]
		Best Drama Series	Mindhunter	Nominated
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Drama Series	Pamela Cederquist, Joshua Donen, Marcus Gardley, Shaun Grant, Liz Hannah, Phillip Howze, Jason Johnson, Doug Jung, Colin Louro, Alex Metcalf, Courtenay Miles, Dominic Orlando, Joe Penhall and Ruby Rae Spiegel	Nominated	[58]