Attention, there are spoilers ahead.
If you’re like me, and you enjoy profiling and criminal minds, you should watch Mindhunters. Mindhunters follows Holden Ford, an ex hostage negotiator for the FBI. After witnessing a negotiation go south, Holden is dedicated and determined to figure out how criminals tick, get into their minds, and create a way to profile them so they can do their best to predict their habits, and prevent future crimes from happening.
Holden, played by Jonathan Groff (Kristoff from Frozen), was my favorite character throughout the show. After literally watching the kidnapper he was trying to negotiate with literally blow his head off, Holden stays strong and carries through, trying to make the best out of a bad situation.
At first, the FBI isn’t about Holden’s idea, his superior thinks that what he wants has too much science for the FBI, and that it may make them seem weak. But Holden insists that he has a good idea, and works with his partner Bill Tench to do lectures on behavior analysis that is already accepted by the FBI. On their travels, Holden decides to talk with serial killer Ed Kemper, unofficially. Why does he break the rules to talk to Kemper? Because Holden thinks talking to serial killers will lead them to properly understand their motives, and make the categories they need to properly profile criminals. Because of Holden’s interview, him and Bill, along with Wendy a psychology professor from Boston University, are given money to continue interviews like this and conduct a study to get into the minds of serial killers.
Holden is my favorite character. In everything he does in the first seven episodes Holden was doing what he believed was the right thing, was taking in the emotions and concerns of others, and was always concerned about making sure others were happy. He would make sure his girlfriend was sexually pleased during sex, make sure his partner was doing okay after a car accident that almost killed Holden (Holden said he was fine and was more concerned with Bill), and would go out of his way to drive Wendy to the airport when he wanted to bounce ideas and she was running late, saving her cab money in the process. Holden’s character was always true and honest and caring no matter what happened. Through all the intense interviews with serial killers, Holden did his best to not let it break him, and was always true to himself.
Then episode eight came, and my heart started to break a little bit. Holden was starting to go on a downward spiral, after seeing his girlfriend, Debbie, get out of the car of some guy he didn’t know. Holden was starting to become paranoid, he was unknowingly letting the job get to him, something Bill had questioned many times.
Then came Richard Speck. When they went to interview Richard Speck, you could tell that something was off with Holden, he took on the character of the killer, using words and phrases to get into his mindset. While doing so, he said something pretty explicit that I’m not going to repeat in this article. ON the airplane home, Bill suggests that Holden has that removed from the official transcript of the interview, so nothing negative can come back to him. Typically Holdent wouldn’t do this, but because he was on a downward spiral, he asked Greg, their transcript creator, to do so. So now, Holden is stuck in a rough spot. Not only is he unsure of what to do with transcript, but he’s having problems because of an elementary school principal. At this point, Holden’s realized that what they’re learning can be applied to regular people, and takes his shot at trying to apply it to a principal that teachers think may be kinda like a pedophile. After hearing from teachers, parents, and the superintendent, Holden suggests they be cautious when it comes to the principal, which leads to the principal getting fired. Holden doesn’t take this very well, especially after the principal’s wife finds his apartment, and scolds him for what he’s done to her husband.
Soon after Debbie breaks it off with Holden, or more or so Holden profiles that Debbie’s breaking up with him, at her request, and Holden seems lost. He had been changing himself for Debbie, wearing more relaxed clothing, losing the ties, and trying to be more nonchalant with things in general. So this break up really hits him, and when he gets back to work he finds out that he’s been ratted out, and that the actual tape of him saying the select choice words was sent to the internal investigation unit, and they aren’t happy. Not only does he have that on his shoulders, but he has to deal with Ed Kemper. What do I mean by deal? Well, Ed Kemper attempted suicide and put Holden as his medical proxy. So Holden flies out to see Kemper, where he almost loses his life.
Kemper, angry at Holden for not visiting him but also seeing him in the news talking to other people, is scolding Holden when the guards walk out of their window looking into the hospital room. Kemper threaten Holden’s’ life, saying he murdered the girls to keep them with him, and he could do the same to keep Holden is his life too. He embraces Holden, who shakes him off, runs out of the room, and collapses on the floor. Panic flooding through his body, starting to cry, he curls up in a ball, telling a nurse he thinks he’s dying. As this panic attack ensues, the season ends.
Honestly, that’s how I felt too Holden.
THAT’S ALL WE GOT. Not only did Netflix destroy my favorite character’s mentality and mind, but they’re making me wait a year to find out if he survives. Who’s Holden’s emergency contact? His mom that we’ve never seen, but know so much about? Debbie, who he had only recently been broken up with? Bill, his partner who has honestly been too hands off with Holden?
Let’s take a second to talk about Bill. He literally told Holden to do what ended up screwing hi over, and from what we saw in Holden’s interview he didn’t blame Bill, but what did Bill say in that interview? He told Holden he told the truth, does that mean he said it was his idea? Or did he just throw Holden under the bus? The world may never know… At least not until they release season two.
We feel like Holden and Bill in episode four after that finale.