Are you watching this Netflix thriller?

For those of you who don’t know, I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I was/am really interested in how the mind develops, how it can betray or be manipulated. Most people go into psychology thinking they will be in clinical or move on to psychiatry. I didn’t go that path (it’s hyper competitive) but as a psych student I was still exposed to really interesting psychological theories and perspectives. It certainly doesn’t take having a psych background to find movies or shows rooted in abnormal psychological development intriguing. CJ and I have a long-standing argument about which is scarier - the supernatural or serial killers. I’m of the mind that serial killers are real. They’re not just stories. Their crimes have real victims.
Ghosts… well, their existence is debatable from a scientific standpoint.

So I find a show like Mindhunter particularly intriguing, and to a certain extent, extremely scary. We just greedily consumed the second season of the show. If you’re into intense plots about serial crime, this show should be on your short list. The basic premise in Season 1 is that the old, simpler way of solving crimes (means, motive and opportunity) is no longer sufficient in the face of rising serial crime. It’s the late 70s and nobody has ever heard of a serial killer before. Investigators are witnessing more and more violent crime with disturbing, inexplicable and irrational behavior. A small group at the FBI begins interviewing convicted serial criminals, incorporating psychology, anthropology and sociology into their investigative techniques, so as to unravel and begin to categorize the sociopathic mind.

The show is based on a book by FBI special agent, John Douglas, who joined the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit where he taught hostage negotiation and applied criminal psychology at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia to new special agents, field agents and police officers from across the U.S. He created and managed the FBI's Criminal Profiling Program.

It’s good. REALLY good. And while Season 1 is just a tad stilted, Season 2 really demonstrates the show’s depth. The characters are developed more fully. The music is exceptional (and you know I love a strong score). And the crimes are IMHO more disturbing. The show expertly weaves real stories in with the fiction. For example, the focus for Season 2 is a series of murders in Atlanta of 25 black boys in the late 70s and early 80s. This really happened and almost all of their murders remain unsolved.

The show is directed by David Fincher, who is a master of making people shift uncomfortably in their seats. If you haven’t watched it, definitely check it out. If you have… TALK TO ME.

What do you love?
What do you hate?
What do you think of the situation with Tench’s son?!

Photos by Rose Colored Creative