Netflix’s Mindhunter relationship shows the many shades of predators

Mindhunter Season 2 is out on Netflix. The relationship of the investigators shows the depths of layers at work in the everyday psyche.

The second season of Mindhunter, Netflix’s serial killer investigative drama, was released in early August. Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) is back as the most soothing serial killer it feels weird to sympathize with, as is Holden Ford (Jordan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCalleny).

Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) was the biggest contrast in nature versus nurture influences in regular daily predators and victims. Wendy does not kill people, she studies the behaviors of people who kill people. If she studied the way she kills relationships, she might notice some trends.

In a more accepting academic setting, she feels free to be herself, but only to an extent. She broke up with her manipulative older significant other in order to take the FBI job. Working with the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) was more important than becoming tenured.

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The comfortable academic life just did not meet her needs. She craved more than mindless speculation without application. She walked out of academia, and that wine date…and that relationship, and into Quantico. She asserted her growing confidence with the professor and they were close to a compromise.

However, that wine double date conversation killed any chances of the relationship continuing. She showed no compassion in walking out as she did. It was the first time in a long time Wendy felt independent strength. The FBI was a job to channel her energy into actionable outcomes. She had an avenue away from the staid college scene and she took it.

She moved from liberal and accepting Boston down to Quantico, a very much proper federal law enforcement scene. Wendy felt power like never before when offered the FBI job and she used it to get out of a relationship she stated was getting toxic. Wendy has almost ordered around by the professor and had to ask permission for the even trivial affairs.

Once she decided to at least pinkie toe the dating scene, she fell for the first bartender she met. Wendy could not decide in the end if she wanted Kay Manz (Lauren Glazier) to move into the spare room or if they were going to share a room. It was a sign Kay couldn’t read the room as well as Wendy, as was not as curious about inspecting life, and might not be who she said she was this whole time.

Wendy is a cold creature by heart who just come out of a submissive and unhealthy relationship. The most she ever opened up, her most vulnerable and sensitive moment on MindHunter, and Kay decided to avoid the question, saying Wendy was not asking the question the right way. An overheard conversation made Wendy believe she no longer knew who she invited in at all.

So she walked out again. Grabbed her coat and went out the back door, with not a note or nod goodbye. Since meeting Kay’s son was such a big deal to everyone, she would ensure it never happened. The bartender should have left it at that, but she was in love too.

Kay pulled a Mindhunter mistake. She went back to the scene of the crime. Buzzing Wendy’s apartment building was asking for relationship breakup murder. Wendy delivered the dagger, saying Kay was just a bartender with the relationship mind of bus stop magazines. Nevermind Kay’s goals to move up into a career closer to her son.

Just like Holden in the first season, Wendy tried to date outside her type. It was splendid until it wasn’t. Wendy is a creature of habit in the way she splits. Bill is a creature of habit in his house on his couch. Relationships are as hard as it is. Profilers looking at murders all day can turn morose once they make it home.

Maybe Wendy should have been there for the Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) interview. She could have learned a little about all love is just your expression of love. She could have applied that wisdom a bit more civility than Manson of course.

All three creators of the BSU contrast their relationships with the serial killers they catalog. When seeking a partner they assess quirks, hobbies, desires, kinks, and otherwise. The very methods of living and going about one’s day are charted. Wendy assessed kay’s living conditions and bartending gig life harshly.

Like Holden, Wendy whipped out the verbal knives to belittle the person they were leaving. Bill though, is still waiting on the couch hoping his wife comes back to the scene of Brian’s crime. In the third season, the Finch family may suffer the same fatal ending as the other two main characters.

Did you finish Mindhunter season 2? What are your thoughts? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!