I appreciate that Holden is no longer the central focus of the show, ceding more of the narrative to Bill. The Behavioral Science Unit (hereafter the "BSU") is now overseen by Ted Gunn (Michael Cerveris), who wants to expand and accelerate their work. He charges Bill with keeping a closer eye on Holden, who is being treated as a loose cannon after his last encounter with Ed Kemper. A trauma at home complicates things, putting Bill's relationships with his wife Nancy (Stacey Roca) and son Brian (Zachary Scott Ross) in jeopardy. Wendy also starts taking the lead on interviews alongside new hire Gregg Smith (Joe Tuttle), and begins a relationship with a bartender, Kay (Lauren Glazier).
As in the previous season, the BSU tends to come on to cases that are ongoing, and there are frequent detours with interviews, FBI internal politics, and other subplots. This season, there is more of a willingness to let storylines overlap, with Wendy becoming more prominent and the Atlanta case having a lot of lead-up before it seizes the national spotlight. However, its approach to the serial killer procedural formula hasn't changed. It still keeps the focus off of the grisly murders, only showing glimpses in photographs, and puts the attention on the psychology of the murderers and the members of the BSU. The individual interviews are still a highlight, but I wasn't as impressed with the appearances of Stan Berkowitz (Oliver Cooper) and Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) as I was with the lesser known Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. (Robert Aramayo) and Manson acolyte Tex Watson (Christopher Backus), or the show's first interview with one of the victims - Kevin Bright (Andrew Yackel), who escaped BTK (Sonny Valicenti).
The Bright interview happens in the second episode, one of three directed by David Fincher. It takes place entirely in a parked car where the camera never shows us Bright directly, because Bright has asked his interviewers not to look at him. Fincher manages to get some real, queasy intensity out of the very limited visuals, a stark reminder that his work has been unfortunately missing from movie screens since 2014. "Mindhunter" isn't a great substitute, but there are enough scenes like the Bright interview that I'm glad that Fincher is involved in the show, ensuring unusually artful handling of the sensitive subject matter. The Atlanta case is especially thorny, involving the deaths of multiple children, racial and social politics, and too much media attention. Holden and Bill team up with Atlanta FBI agent Jim Barney (Albert Jones), and try to enlist the help of locals like Camille Bell (June Carryl), the mother of one of the victims, who has become an outspoken activist.
At times it feels like the show isn't giving enough attention to all these different cases and characters. Even Holden feels like he's been downgraded to a supporting player at times. He develops an anxiety condition that's never explored past the first episode, and no time is spent on his personal life, which is odd since so much of the first season was about his relationship with Debbie. On the other hand, this season is clearly designed to part of a longer narrative, it makes sense that Bill and Wendy are getting more of the spotlight now. The BSU is still a work in progress, and so are many of the cases it will be part of. BTK, for instance, finally shows up on the BSU's radar, and continues appearing in little teaser scenes, but there's almost no movement on his actual investigation.
The cast remains very strong, with special kudos to whoever is casting the various serial killers. I appreciate the more cerebral approach to the cases, and attempts to show different perspectives and considerations in handling the investigations. Inevitably the stories get sensationalized, but I like that the show tempers the more lurid aspects in various ways. In the interview with Henly, for instance, the focus is on Gregg and Wendy's interview strategies. It also thematically ties into Wendy's struggles with her sexuality and the progression of Bill's storyline with his son. The interview with Manson is spent mostly debunking the popular narrative around him, though it also ends up adding a bit to his mystique.
All in all, this is a solid second season that's set up plenty more to look forward to. Little is resolved, but all the right questions have been asked. I do wish David Fincher would get another major project off the ground, but "Mindhunter" has benefitted so much from his involvement, I wouldn't mind him sticking it through to the end.
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