when I first started watching Mindhunter, I had no idea that it was based on true events and real people. I found out when I heard the name Edmund Kemper, which I recognized as one of America's most notorious serial killers. Just to be sure, I looked it up, and yup, this Edmund was the one I thought it was.
The series weaves its web around the main characters Holden, a young and ambitious FBI agent, and his colleague Bill Tench, who start out traveling around the country teaching regular cops the FBI methodology in the 70's, but soon enough they embark on a new endeavor, interviewing serial killers to find out what made them do the crimes they were in prison for. Not long into the series, they now call themselves criminal profilers for the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Criminal profiling has always fascinated me, so it didn't take long before I was hooked.
Not long after the two start out on their new mission, they are joined by psychologist Dr. Wendy Carr. Why the FBI agents have fictious names, even though they portray people during true events, but the criminals all have their real names, beats me. I guess they must have had their reasons.
We learn how they coined the term 'Serial Killers' and while they meet and interview killers like Kemper, Richard Speck and in season two, even Charlie Manson, they also manage to help solve a few violent murders along the way.
As the series goes along, they gain more and more knowledge about the mind of serial killers, and why they did what they did, and how they think.
What I love about this part is that these killers are not in any way seen as victims, which often happens. Yes, some had a bad childhood, but it doesn't seem like it's entirely why they started their killing sprees. There's still something called 'Free will', and the series emphasizes on this.
I quickly binge watched season one, and I'm now slowly getting to the end of season two, which is also its final season, since Netflix pulled the plug.
This series is something special, because we get to have an inside look into the mind of some of the most notorious, and evil killers that ever existed, while sometimes also seeing their human sides.
I'm sure they had those too, or they would have gotten caught sooner.
Of course, psychopaths and sociopaths aren't really known for their loving & sweet emotions...
Most of the men interviewed are also highly intelligent. Not all. But most.
Throughout the whole series, we see little bits and pieces of yet another serial killer...
I won't give away too much though.
What intrigued me and had my brain cells moving on overdrive, was the interview with Manson. Played by the same actor that played him in Once upon a time in Hollywood, by the way.
The fact that he's always said he didn't do anything (which was true) and didn't kill anyone, is something that had me dive into his history and that of the Manson family, many times in the past.
Holden also does an interview with Tex Watson in one episode, who's still doing his time for 7 murders. Among which was Sharon Tate.
When I watched Helter Skelter back way back when I was a teenager, then started reading about the murders, I had a time in my life when I would try to find anything I could about it.
The trials, the people, the victims. Watching this series has fueled all of this up again, so maybe it's time to look into it again, with different eyes.
You see, I always thought certain things didn't add up back then. And I still think this now.
The movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was also a reminder that not everything is always as it seems. Not that Charlie Manson was a Saint. Absolutely not. He was probably bat shit crazy, but was he really the way they portrayed him in the media?
Now, I am not completely unbiased, because I've never really liked Roman Polanski, and to me it was just such a convenient coincidence that he wasn't there at the time of the murders.
I might just dig into the whole thing again...
But I trailed off long enough here.
As a conclusion, Mindhunter, even though it was canceled, is definitely worth a watch.
The actors are all doing their jobs very well. Some are somewhat familiar, but others not at all.
But the casting director definitely made some great choices, and I wouldn't mind to see some of the actors again in other work.
As you see glimpses of the character's private lives, and 'normal' and not so normal people's troubles, there are also some characters who are seemingly innocent, but I can't shake the feeling that something is up with them. Maybe there is. I don't know yet. Still a few episodes to go...
But all in all, I really recommend you watch Mindhunter, and you might get an idea what I mean...
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