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Mindhunter season 2 is one of the best seasons of TV I’ve seen in a while

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Really fucking good. Even better than season 1 which was really good. The likeness of some of the serial killers they have on this show are done so well, it amazes me. It’s been super compelling so far, dark, really well acted, and the shots and sets and scale of it all is done so well. Fincher is the GOAT for true crime related TV and movies. He’s just on a whole other level.

Just finished up episode 8.

Anyone else watching?
 

Ornlu

Banned
Really fucking good. Even better than season 1 which was really good. The likeness of some of the serial killers they have on this show are done so well, it amazes me. It’s been super compelling so far, dark, really well acted, and the shots and sets and scale of it all is done so well. Fincher is the GOAT for true crime related TV and movies. He’s just on a whole other level.

Just finished up episode 8.

Anyone else watching?


Wow, that's a big stamp of approval. Season 1 was awesome. Hyped to watch this now.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
I liked part 1. No real complaints about it, but I wasn't blown away at all.

Getting a little hyped for S2 now after this.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Season 1 started off as a little bit of a slow burn, but once it got going around episode 4 or 5 it didn't look back. Season 2 starts off right out of the gate IMO and is much tenser and even more compelling. There's one side plot I don't like, but it's not a huge deal, because it least it ties directly to the plot and has purpose in character development.
 

kunonabi

Member
I'm on episode 3 and yeah it's great. My only real complaint so far is I wish they would give Anna Torv more to work with than a boilerplate gay angle that serves no real purpose.
 

Renoir

Member
damn season 2 is out.. cant wait to binge on this. Lots of good shows lately.
the Boyz, Euphoria, Chernobyl, now this. this is good, im liking this.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Finished it. It was very good. For those who don't know
While the Atlanta Child Murderer has never officially been caught and other suspects have been brought up besides Wayne Williams, one of the victim's brothers came out recently with a story about what happened when he was 7. He was leaving an apartment to go home and a man stepped out and blocked him, so he turn around and way and the man followed him and he had to bang on a neighbor's door and it scared the man off. He says he is 100% certain that the man was Wayne Williams.

Another thing that Mindhunter didn't get into that you can look up on your own time if you want:

Fox Island. It was basically an entire island dedicated to a child prostitution ring that had member ties to Atlanta, and really it had ties to various states and cities in other countries like Amsterdam. It was massive, they brought young kids to the island to be prostituted for sex for a lot of prominent people, some of them pastors/priests and even rumors of law enforcement officers being among the people who participated. It's fucking sick they had homes set up where men would go in and have sex with boys, and they also filmed and photographed the boys and the sex and sold it on the black market making a lot of money, it was an international crime ring.

Many investigators think it had ties to the Atlanta child murders. Mindhunter didn't touch upon it. I don't blame them for it, likely too circumstantial.
 

G-Bus

Banned
Yes it's good. Wife and I taking it slow. Could easily binge it in a night or two but I want this to last.
 

JimiNutz

Banned
Mindhunters is so fucking good.
I've only seen the first episode of season 2 but it I can't wait to watch more today. Loves me some serial killers and some psychology.
 

June

Member
I thought Season 1 was very bland even though it got a lot of praise, and I'm a fan of Fincher. Can't help but feel Season 2 will only be a repeat of that.
 

Mahadev

Member
Imo it was much, much worse than season 1. The drama with the son felt forced, boring and pointless, the romance with Wendy was even more pointless and felt like it was only there to put Anna Torv on screen and fill up air time, I mean, can anyone even explain to me what the fuck what the point of all that story arc and how it connected to the show?

Also the main story arc of this season had less "mindhunting" than one episode of the first season. They had pretty much determined his profile in the fourth episode when the story arc basically begins and from then on it was politics, drama with the son, drama with the Wendy's girlfriend and... that's it. It all felt so flat and uneventful even the ending, only the first couple of episodes were good imo.

I really don't know how Netflix does it but they manage to fuck up almost every good show either in the second or third season and then it just goes downhill from there. I hope Mindhunter doesn't follow that recipe.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Well season 1 had something similar with Holden, I really don’t see how it was any different it was just to develop the characters. Carr’s didn’t have a ton of screen time so I didn’t mind it much.

I don’t agree though with the main narrative.
The Atlanta child murders case was different than season 1 because in season 1 they established the basis for psychological profiles and in this season they discovered new subjects that put everything they knew to the test. Almost like science when a new discovery challenges an accepted scientific theory. They were very sure their profiles are accurate and when the Atlanta child murders happen they have to see if it stands up and adjust accordingly. The whole season was about that really, having to adjust what they know in the fly and learn that they didn’t know everything and there are different breeds of killers even they weren’t aware of. I think it gave a whole other element than just spending the entire season visiting new killers one episode after the next, that format would’ve gotten stale IMO. I liked how they sprinkled some of that in but focused on one major case and how it would alter their perception of killers based on their knowledge of profiles to that point. It gave them insight into the racial aspect of criminal psychology, something they didn’t really explore yet.

And I mean it was a real story and it didn’t happen so I didn’t think it felt forced to try to make some political statement. Things were really bad in Atlanta back then and it absolutely had a lot of racial lines drawn because if the murders and people did suspect the KKK. That’s all real.
 
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danielberg

Neophyte
Maybe i give it another shot but i once tried a bit of season 1 and around to the point where they meet that seriel killer and have a inteview with him i just couldn't anymore.... dude was the biggest eyerolling ego caricature ever to the point i wasnt sure if the show wanted me to take this dude serious or if they are really going for a scream>scary movie comedy transition.
I really didnt know... it was soo fucking bad and i dont care if its based on real world stuff.. it was just lol
 

Mahadev

Member
Well season 1 had something similar with Holden, I really don’t see how it was any different it was just to develop the characters. Carr’s didn’t have a ton of screen time so I didn’t mind it much.

I don’t agree though with the main narrative.
The Atlanta child murders case was different than season 1 because in season 1 they established the basis for psychological profiles and in this season they discovered new subjects that put everything they knew to the test. Almost like science when a new discovery challenges an accepted scientific theory. They were very sure their profiles are accurate and when the Atlanta child murders happen they have to see if it stands up and adjust accordingly. The whole season was about that really, having to adjust what they know in the fly and learn that they didn’t know everything and there are different breeds of killers even they weren’t aware of. I think it gave a whole other element than just spending the entire season visiting new killers one episode after the next, that format would’ve gotten stale IMO. I liked how they sprinkled some of that in but focused on one major case and how it would alter their perception of killers based on their knowledge of profiles to that point. It gave them insight into the racial aspect of criminal psychology, something they didn’t really explore yet.

And I mean it was a real story and it didn’t happen so I didn’t think it felt forced to try to make some political statement. Things were really bad in Atlanta back then and it absolutely had a lot of racial lines drawn because if the murders and people did suspect the KKK. That’s all real.


Holden's girlfriend was actually pretty influential to him in his job and more often than not talked about it with her and she interacted with other characters too, with Wendy on the other hand the story arc might as well have been a different (and extremely mediocre) show. As for the main story arc, like I said it just felt flat, I understand that it was real and maybe that was the problem because they didn't have enough material for it so they stuffed the season with crappy side drama from the characters. Maybe it should have been a couple of episodes then and not an entire season.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I wasn’t a fan of her side plot either, I just don’t think it was present enough to really be a detriment. I disagree about the Atlanta child cases though I thought it gave the show a more focused narrative and was super compelling because of all the angles it mattered. It was just big on so many fronts.
 

kunonabi

Member
I like the Atlanta arc but I think the weak resolution combined with all the other subplots basically being put on the back burner or not mattering makes the season feel sort of incomplete. The acting is still top notch and Tench continues to put the show on his back but the writers need to learn to use their time better.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I like the Atlanta arc but I think the weak resolution combined with all the other subplots basically being put on the back burner or not mattering makes the season feel sort of incomplete. The acting is still top notch and Tench continues to put the show on his back but the writers need to learn to use their time better.

I get it, but
the killer was never officially caught. Wayne Williams is suspected, but so are others, and it kinda parallels real life in where the case is still incomplete and many victims families feel unsatisfied that they never got justice.
 

TrainedRage

Banned
Loved it.
I thought the side plot with Wendy and her "friend" was a bit forced and unnecessary. How many times do we need to be reminded that Wendy is a powerful independent woman?
 

kunonabi

Member
I get it, but
the killer was never officially caught. Wayne Williams is suspected, but so are others, and it kinda parallels real life in where the case is still incomplete and many victims families feel unsatisfied that they never got justice.

that part is fine by itself it's just when you combine it with everything else the season as a whole feels off.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Terrible subplots with Wendy and Brian in season 2 dragged it down somewhat after a strong start. The Berkowitz interview in particular ratcheted the tension to 11, but the lack of interviews in the second half once the focus shifted to Atlanta harmed the pacing. We stopped getting followups about the other guy, too.

Still, cool show, and I'll look forward to season 3.
 

Kadayi

Banned
Overall I enjoyed it, but at the same time, it didn't quite hit as much as season 1. The ending to the series felt kind of abrupt and I kind of feel like Holden was under-used (we really had no personal life for him versus Tench and Carr). Also, they should have recast Brian between seasons because that kid was practically catatonic as far as acting went and not in a good way. Tench was boss though, that dude shoulders the weight of the world on his shoulders like Atlas.
 

Makariel

Member
Started watching over the weekend, now a bit more than halfway through. Not sure where they want to go with the whole Wendy-subplot and Brian seems a bit out of place. I also can't remember...
I can't quite remember if it was established in season 1 that Brian was adopted?
 
Just finished season 2. Not enough interviews with verbose psychopaths. The Atlanta plot was a whole lot of sitting around doing nothing. No clever dialogue, little intrigue. Much weaker than season 1. Still good, but not great.

The brian sub plot is dumb and forgettable. Yes we get it - the adopted catatonic kid is an evil, emotionless psychopath. Snore.
 
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isual

Member
i skipped the character development with the psychologist and just went to the main plot or interview scenes. definitely up there with season 1 of true detective.
 
Very good season indeed. But the Manson interview was so meh. I was expecting to be blown away.

I'm not American so I didn't really know about this Atlanta killer. I was so sad to know that those 27 murders were never really solved. I mean we know Wayne probably did it, but still. No one cared enough to get a closure :(
 

sol_bad

Member
I'm fine with the Brian subplot, it ties in to serial criminal psychology and whether they are born that way or not.

I enjoyed the second season, very good, I felt very sad at the end too.
:(
 

finowns

Member
I liked it but they really need to showcase Holden more he is by far the most interesting character. I rolled my eyes a couple times at the depiction of the black lady/ladies who continued to talk down to Holden all the while asking for his favor, it came off very unrealistic, but I guess they couldn't be bothered to write a character and just pulled the sassy, black, know it all cliché, if I was Holden I would be like f you guy's I'm going to study Manson; and Bill either prioritize your psycho kid, or this case, otherwise get out of my face!
 

Ornlu

Banned
I liked it but they really need to showcase Holden more he is by far the most interesting character. I rolled my eyes a couple times at the depiction of the black lady/ladies who continued to talk down to Holden all the while asking for his favor, it came off very unrealistic, but I guess they couldn't be bothered to write a character and just pulled the sassy, black, know it all cliché, if I was Holden I would be like f you guy's I'm going to study Manson; and Bill either prioritize your psycho kid, or this case, otherwise get out of my face!

Yeah I'm not sure what they were planning on doing with Holden this season...I'm on episode 6 and he seems quite differently portrayed than the 1st season. Wasn't he being built up as more of a "understands the killers because he knows deep down he could be one" character? This season he seems more blank/unreacting as if they want to portray him as autistic.

The ladies in Atlanta seem off. All veering off in different acting directions. You have the hotel receptionist who swings between apparently wanting to fuck Holden, to not believing anything he says/does multiple times in an episode. You have the "tiger mom" with the goofy glasses who is waaaay over the top antagonistic toward the one person who is apparently trying to help, with the rest of the moms consigned to weeping and more believable sorrow. I'm not sure if it's mixed direction or bad acting, but it just seems off.

The Tench subplot seems very forced and unrealistic to me as well, unfortunately. As soon as he starts having trouble in the family, every conversation is somehow referencing "born in behaviors" and how "some kids are just born bad", etc. Like it would be one thing if these type of comments were always there, and Tench suddenly starts taking issue with it, but I don't recall that being the case.

Not sure about the Wendy subplot yet; it could end up ok but so far looks kind of meh.

The music/sound effects used in the show to create tension and set the mood remain fantastic. The Manson stuff so far seems good. Son of Sam seemed well acted, but the makeup was distracting to me; I'm guessing they wanted to doll the actor up to try and look exactly like the killer?
 
That soda can really took me out of that scene. I don’t even have to say which one, you all saw it. Just don’t make it so obvious, ffs.
 

Orenji Neko

Member
Enjoyed it. I only temp resub to Netflix to catch the new season of a show I like, and Mindhunter Season 2 was definitely worth it to me. I do place the first above it though because I like the process of them interviewing the killers and developing the patterns to look for and this one was a lot lighter on that. I do get that the other side of the coin is a season focused on them putting this stuff into practice and the errors that arise with a newly emerging, but not honed enough science or study, or the people in the local law enforcement not really "getting" what it is they are trying to do.
 
Terrible subplots with Wendy and Brian in season 2 dragged it down somewhat after a strong start. The Berkowitz interview in particular ratcheted the tension to 11, but the lack of interviews in the second half once the focus shifted to Atlanta harmed the pacing. We stopped getting followups about the other guy, too.

Still, cool show, and I'll look forward to season 3.
I agree with this....it strayed too much into the detective tv show type then the getting into the mind of serial killers and profiling them

The subplot with trench’s kid felt like an attempt to give him more empathy but it destroyed the dynamic of the show as it spent too much time in this area

Wendy’s subplot didn’t really go anywhere
And if I’m being brutally honest the show really did not progress at all

Hoping season 3
they actually catch/charge and put a killer in jail
 

autoduelist

Member
I'm halfway through.

No way is it better than season 1.

Episode 4 was painful.
-The long, extended scene in bars and the bowling alley. Seriously?
-the 4th wall practically caving in during extended discussions on race. Not as painful as S3 True Detective, but still over the top.
-this whole subplot about Tench's son seems forced. Also, it seems to me if you're working on the BTK case you'd let your coworkers know that a kid got tied up on a cross at the house your wife was selling.
-Holden has been reduced [so far] to the 'autistic detective' role [house, the good doctor, holmes, etc] and they've stripped out his love life to focus on bowling alleys.

S1 was amazing. Like, one of my favorite shows ever. This is good, because Fincher is a great director, but it's becoming clear Netflix is pushing writers to include politics in their shows. At least it's better than True Detectives S3. I've been warned away from Stranger Things S2/3 too, which is a shame.

I hope it gets better, still have half the season [1 a night with my wife]. I really do. At least The Wire and Breaking Bad were able to do their full runs before this decade fucked them up.
 
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autoduelist

Member
I just finished the season. It was mediocre. Bad at times, even. Which is sad because S1 was my favorite new show. It was well filmed and directed... it just forgot what it was too often.

They completely dropped Holden's homelife, which, as I said earlier, left him spinning around like The Good Doctor with everyone telling us how he needed to be kept on a short lease, while he didn't actually do anything crazy. Wendy's subplot was awful. You're telling me a zero chemistry relationship went nowhere? Shocker. Actually both her and Tench's subplots felt like they cut and paste the same conversation over and over again. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have Tensch's son do that so that we could experience all the stress of Tench's life falling apart should be fired.

Atlanta could have been good if they didn't keep hitting us with the race hammer. Endless. They literally turned a show about how the FBI learned to profile serial killers into a badly done propaganda piece on how bad racial profiling is... even when it catches the guy. Hey Holden, shouldn't you be chasing after some kkk people instead of bothering this nice serial killer? And worse, all this moralizing to the viewer just backfires, because everytime the STOP ladies or the hotel girlfriend rattle on about race, it just makes them look ignorant for not understanding serial killers rarely cross racial lines, no matter how many times Holden told them. The case itself was interesting enough, but the points they kept trying to hammer home didn't need to be said aloud every 5 minutes. show, don't tell.

The Manson interview was fantastic. They did both Manson and Tex well, and covered the two variant possibilities well, which i wasn't expecting [most just run with Bugliosi's Helter Skelter version]. As always, the interviews in general were the best part of the show. But then it was dropped. Just like the whole BTK plot. It was like they were halfway done writing the BTK season and netflix called up and was like, 'hey make sure you get some far right nazis and racism is bad stuff in there, ok? Kids loves that stuff.'

It still had the feel of Mindhunters, Fincher is a fantastic director, and the series has lots of room to grow, so hopefully s3 drops the moralizing and gets back to focusing on story. And by story i mean serial killers and profiling, not Tench refusing to move and Wendy inviting herself to baseball games.
 

Makariel

Member
Finished season 2 last night. Left us a bit "meh", not as strong as the first season overall, too many plot threads went seemingly nowhere. I found it good and building up nicely until the Manson iterview, then it just... continued but somehow went nowhere. I'm just trying to remember what actually happened between Manson and the last two episodes, but my mind is blank.
 

autoduelist

Member
Is this just a documentary on real killers? Like I don't understand the premise of the show.

Not a documentary, but rather a well done period piece on how the FBI learned to profile serial killers by interviewing serial killers. Very well acted, very well directed, especially the leads and some of the interviewees. Many of the episodes are directed by David Fincher [fight club, zodiac, etc] though the feel is more like a clean, crisp version of Zodiac.

During S1, in addition to the interviews, the main tension is with the FBI and LE itself, because at the time they face a lot of pushback and disbelief for thinking they can learn anything about crazy people, and so they have to prove themselves.

S2 falters and gets rid of all that and changes the tension to be Atlanta bueracrasy, racism, and homelife... none of which really works, tho still interesting.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Not a documentary, but rather a well done period piece on how the FBI learned to profile serial killers by interviewing serial killers. Very well acted, very well directed, especially the leads and some of the interviewees. Many of the episodes are directed by David Fincher [fight club, zodiac, etc] though the feel is more like a clean, crisp version of Zodiac.

During S1, in addition to the interviews, the main tension is with the FBI and LE itself, because at the time they face a lot of pushback and disbelief for thinking they can learn anything about crazy people, and so they have to prove themselves.

S2 falters and gets rid of all that and changes the tension to be Atlanta bueracrasy, racism, and homelife... none of which really works, tho still interesting.

That sounds very interesting. Glad to see Netflix still has prime shows for me to watch.
 
I just finished. I love Mindhunter but in no way was this second season better that season one.

A few things:

I did not like the whole babysitting Holden take.
Not enough mindhunting.
The actor who plays Tench knocks it out of the park again.

But even with this, it's still one of the better shows on Netflix.
 
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