If you’re a fan of Mindhunter (the show) then you’ve probably already heard that Netflix is delaying the third season for a stupid reason I won’t even mention. As you can tell I’m definitely not bitter. Okay, I’m a little bitter, but how could I not be?
Luckily for me and the other Mindhunter fans, there is a solution to this problem: we read the book.
For some silly reason, I’ve prevented myself from reading the actual book that the show is based on. Well, today I said, “Enough is enough!”, so I bought the kindle version on Amazon. I have to tell you it feels pretty great. I have zero regrets, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to read this book…oh wait, I can! I can give you two reasons why I’m excited to read this true crime book.
I’m Obsessed with True Crime & Crime Shows
I am fascinated by true crime and have been ever since my brother convinced me to watch a documentary about Jeffery Dahmer, called The Jeffery Dahmer Files.
I’m from Milwaukee, and anyone from Milwaukee knows who Jeffery Dahmer is. But, in case you don’t know, he’s known as the Milwaukee Cannibal who raped, murdered and dismembered 17 young men from 1978 to 1991. He was caught and sent away for life in prison, and he had only served 3 years when another inmate murdered him in 1994.
After watching that doc I started watching other docs and fictional crime shows like, Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU, Monk, Bones, etc. I also watched Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, Don’t F**k with Cats, The Killing, and of course Mindhunter. If there’s a good crime show or true crime doc out there then you can bet I’ve already seen it.
All of these shows got me thinking: how could anyone be so evil, and how did they get to be that way? Were they always evil and external circumstances triggered their crimes, or was it only external circumstances that lead them to commit such horrifying crimes? It’s the classic discussion of nature vs. nurture. There’s nothing I love more than having late-night discussions with my friends on this very topic!
The Show is Awesome
Mindhunter is intense and I realize it’s not for everyone. I have many friends who have tried to get into this show but couldn’t stick it out. I’m definitely not like some of my friends because I absolutely LOVED the show. I’ve already watched the two seasons that are available twice, and I’ll probably have to watch it all over again since Netflix is stupid and delaying the third season.
The show is set in the ’70s and follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathon Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany). Together Ford and Tench interview some of the most notorious killers in America. The two agents figure out early on that the best way to catch a serial killer is to get inside the mind of one. Their work ultimately leads to the creation of the Behavioral Science Unit and lays the foundation for criminal profiling.
This show is like the serious prequel to Criminal Minds. It feels more real and that’s probably because it’s based on the book, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, by the real FBI agents the show is based on, John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.
The book follows the true story of FBI agents John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, who started working at the FBI in the ’70s. They’re the actual agents who conducted interviews with serial killers, so they could get a better insight into their psychological motivations for killing.
I feel pretty good about this book, even though I haven’t started it yet. So far I have found that the book is almost always better than the movie or show, so I’m hoping that applies to Mindhunter. I’ll Just Read It and find out 😉
After I finish reading I’ll probably write a follow-up post to this with my thoughts/reaction, so please stay tuned!
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