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In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we examine David Fincher’s tragically incomplete Netflix series Mindhunter. Set in the late 1970s, the show follows FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, along with Dr Wendy Carr, as they begin interviewing imprisoned serial offenders in an attempt to understand patterns of behaviour, develop the science of criminal profiling, and prevent future violence. We discuss why Mindhunter remains one of the most frustrating cancellations in television history, how the show turns conversations into scenes of dread, and why its slow-burn tension is more unsettling than most on-screen violence. We also unpack our feelings on Holden (is he a narcissist?) the 1970s period details, the sickly yellow lighting, the motel rooms, the click of Dr. Carr’s heels, the Quantico basement, the rise of true crime culture, and the difficult question at the centre of the series: what happens to the people who spend their lives studying human cruelty?

Content & Spoiler Warning:

This episode includes discussion of serial murder, sexual violence, violence against children, child abduction, domestic abuse, coercive control, suicide, animal death, misogyny, stalking, racism, institutional failure, abusive parenting, trauma, and the psychological impact of investigating violent crime. We also discuss real crimes and real victims throughout the episode, including the Atlanta Child Murders, Ed Kemper, the Son of Sam, and other historical cases. And of course, we spoil both seasons of Mindhunter.

Palate Cleanser:

For something lighter after all that behavioural science and basement dread: The MCU, especially if you want a long, familiar, superhero-heavy reset. Also rewatching Stranger Things with someone who has not seen it before, because introducing people to things you love remains one of life’s great joys.

Recommendations:

• Tickled (and The Dollop episode on Tickled) - because of the tickling principal
• Look into My Eyes- about a principal who was doing sleep hypnosis on students, 
• Real Crime Profile, True Crime Garage, Mindhunter Companion - more podcasts discussing Mindhunter
• Mindhunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert Ressler and Tom Shachtman, and the many books by Ann Burgess, especially if you want more of the victim-focused and research-based side of this history.
•  For FBI agents and detectives, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, True Detective, and Silence of the Lambs, The Wire
• Se7en, Zodiac, Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fight Club - for more David Fincher masterpieces
• Minority Report and 1984 - For predicting crime.
• We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden to explore young sociopathy
• Inside the Manosphere, The Crash, Mean Girl Murders - more true crime docs
• The Cabin at the End of the World, Hamilton, and Frozen - because we all need more Jonathon Groff
• The Backrooms  -  because the BSU basement looks like the backrooms
• Interview with the Vampire  - for dangerous interview subjects
•  Dawson’s Creek, because Joey Potter’s dad was in Mindhunter!  .

Homework:

Watch The Black Phone.

We are continuing the basement series with Scott Derrickson’s 2021 supernatural horror-thriller, based on the Joe Hill short story. It is set in the 1970s, stars Ethan Hawke, and follows a child abducted by a masked killer and trapped in a basement with a disconnected phone that may not be as disconnected as it seems.

And remember, stay away from the Pacific Northwest (joking), don't hitchhike, store your glasses upside down to avoid dust, and don't trust strangers with record deals and modelling contracts.

 Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).