New Netflix offering, just dropped last Friday. Produced by David Fincher, who also directed 4 of 10 episodes in the first season. I watched the first episode, looks promising. Wikipedia article. Trailer. Honestly, I clicked because I saw David Fincher's name. I'm not entirely convinced by the lead actor, but a part of it is that I remember him from Glee. I imagine there will be some inspiration and/or parallels with Se7en because come on, David Fincher. If his involvement alone isn't an endorsement to check it out then you must not be familiar with his work.

 

I watched the first four episodes last night. It's pretty interesting, and I find the acting by the people who play the serial killers gripping. I attended a lecture once by a criminal psychologist and this reminds me of that; it was the most fascinating lecture I've ever heard.

 

Yea the main actor is just not good enough to pull this off. This show reminded me of 22.11.63 and I kept imagining Franco playing the part and it would have been so much better.

Gonna stick with this because it's fascinating but it could have been so much better.

 

i don't know if it's the actor or how the producer wanted it to be done, but Holden character very strange. i can't quite puy my finger on why. The portrayal of the Coeds Killer however is eerily disturbing and fascinating.

 

Ed Kemper's actor was fantastic. Dude could pull off menacing and friendly in equal measures.

Holden's final three episode arc where he

Spoiler

gets too big for his britches and loses pretty much everything good in his life was infuriating to watch. Not to say it wasnt good storytelling, it just made me want to scream at the tv for him to get his head out of his ass when all the while he was pushing everyone away with his general-dickishness. Honestly have no idea where his character goes, moving forward.

 

Interesting, I found this show hard to watch - even though I really enjoyed it - because I felt the exact opposite.

Holden's no angel. He's getting arrogant towards the end for sure, but the entire conflict within the FBI stemming from where it does makes me want to scream. It's 1977, so I get it even though I don't understand it.

I also find it odd @KGB thought Holden's character was poor. I thought seeing the effect the serial killers and his work had on him throughout the show utterly fascinating, and he portrayed it really, really well. The evolution of his character throughout and how he portrayed it is what kept me going throughout.

 

The character was fine. The whole analogy to serial killers was actually a good idea.

But it was acted/directed piss poorly. He was supposed to experience a fundamental change to his character that arose from the growing success of his new method. Instead he came across as the same unsure person, who doesn't quite fit in in the environment he is in that he was at the beginning, but now has some random outbursts.

I was just unconvinced that all the later choices he makes come from any sort of solid character development. Instead happen just because the script says they have to. In other words he failed to suck me into the story and suspend my disbelief.

 

That's fine, it was definitely subtle (maybe too subtle), but for me that worked more than any overt 'development'. Things like the 'shoes', his growing pride in his work (verging on god complex) and his disillusionment towards basically everyone around him - and vice versa with those he's close to.

There's also that line we hear in the last episode as he walks out on the interview that can hint at a lot more/drastic development next season (which I probably won't like as much) - implying that he was holding himself back.

 

So I finished the season. Overall, I liked it. I actually liked Holden's change over time, going from, apparently, an obedient agent who had trouble standing up for himself to letting some of his uglier characteristics out under the influence of his experiences with the criminals he spent so much time talking to.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the season. The last three episode arc for Holden was a bit annoying, but I think it paid off in the end with the final scene showing how his arrogance can cost him.

I'd recommend it, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite show ever. That goes for True Detective Season 1. Mindhunters isn't for everyone, but its good enough.

A solid 3.5/5, maybe even a four.

 

I liked the show for the most part. The only thing I really didn't like was the interrogation with the tree trimmer guy. That confession was coerced.

 

I've seen the first three episodes, and I'm having a difficult time motivating myself to watch more. It just seems pretty boring.

 

That was the whole point. Holden went too far, people do not agree with him on his method, they start thinking he's acting rashly and not following the laws. He's becoming arrogant; he thinks he can prevent crime before it even happens by making psychological profile on everyone.

 

Minority Report: Birth of an Idea

 

I'm not sure how your system works. Is it coersion because (from memory) there was no lawyers present and he was brought in under false pretences?

Or are you not allowed to trick suspects into incriminating themselves?

 

It was coercive because the interrogator was suggesting answers to the subject, and the subject was simply agreeing with him.

E.g.:

Good: "Tell me what happened in the park yesterday."

Bad: "You killed her in the park because she was mean to you, didn't you?"

 

I can see how that could be a problem. Probably not even as effective either.

 

I've gotten to the final episode and am having trouble getting through the tree-trimming guy's interrogation. If, as a law enforcement officer, you feel the need to turn off the tape recorder and behave in a way that makes it hard to tell who's the suspect and who's the officer, you should just stop.

Overall I liked the show, but there's something wrong with Holden, and it doesn't feel like character development. It feels like there was something off in his head from the start and he just happened to land on the side of the angels.