Netflix’s Mindhunter season 2, episode 8 recap

In episode 8 of Mindhunter, Holden Ford and company seem to find a key suspect, Brian Tench creeps everyone out and Wendy falls out of love.

Previously on Mindhunter, Agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) struggled to advance in the Atlanta child murder investigations and the city was upset. Episode 8 begins with a quick glimpse into the life of the BTK killer (Sonny Valicenti) eyeing a new family in Kansas.

However, things focus back on Atlanta, Georgia, where Sammy Davis Jr. (David Hayes) and Frank Sinatra (Nick D’Egidio) offer a $100,000 reward for capturing the Atlanta child murderer. They’re also throwing a benefit concert for the investigation. The local police are also monitoring the Sanders brothers, who are linked to the Klan. Don and Charles Sanders (Billy Slaughter) even mention killing kids on a wiretapped phone call.

Ford doesn’t think the murders are Klan-related. In fact, he wants to look for suspects who apply as security for the benefit concert, speculating that the suspect “couldn’t resist” applying for the job. Holden even tells Commissioner Lee Brown (Dohn Norwood) that they’ll either do this or wait for more bodies. Brown agrees reluctantly. However, he tells Tench and Ford that they can’t tell outsiders that they’re looking for a black suspect. A bit later, when Tanya (Sierra McClain) gives kids money for the arcade. Holden notes that the arcade should have job fliers, too.

More from Show Snob

• The Santa Clauses season 2, episode 6 recap “Wanga Banga Langa!”
• Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 1, episode 7 preview: Non-spoiler thoughts for Part VII
• Goosebumps season 1, episode 6 recap: “Night of the Living Dummy”
• Beacon 23 season 1, episode 3 recap: “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?”
• Upload season 3, episode 2 recap: “Strawberry”

The Sanders brothers

After Garland (Brent Sexton) and Tench know that Charles Sanders knew victim Lubie Geter. In fact, Geter had accidentally screwed up a paint job on Sanders’ truck. However, the Sanders brothers both pass the lie detector. Also, a new body is found as they are interrogated, which takes them off the likely suspect list. This Mindhunter episode also examines how tough it can be just to arrange for a security position at a city event. Ford needs approval from various districts, a signed work order, a PO number, and a vendor’s bid.

Feeling the pressure, Holden is annoyed that Tench isn’t available enough. However Tench angrily tells him about his son, Brian (Zachary Scott Ross), who was involved in a strange accidental killing (or possibly murder) of an infant child. When the latest body is found in the river, Holden realizes the child murder is switching his routine, aware that his other dumpsites are being monitored. Holden says they have to have surveillance on bridges, and Tench urges police to listen, despite their recent disagreement.

Watching the bridge

In so many words, Ford tells Atlanta FBI’s Jim Barney (Albert Jones) that they’re not only operating on fanciful theories. He ran experiments proving that “inner-city kids” wouldn’t get into a stranger’s car if the driver wasn’t black, even when offered money. Still, Barney’s skeptical of Ford’s profile of the killer. That’s not the only problem. After 5 weeks of surveillance, they’re out of money to fund the surveillance operation and have only 1 more week to produce results.

By coincidence, Ford end sup talking to a kid named Calvin (Raymond Seay), giving him money for the arcade. Calvin says, “I know what 19 dollars buys.” He says that he knew some victims and that 5 bucks buys Polaroid photos, implying a neighborhood pedophile. When Ford asks about a brick house by Lakewood he redirects him to a brown house “by the stadium.” Jim Barney notes how the victims are geographically connected.

Then, right when Ford admits he could be dead wrong, an officer monitoring the bridge calls in that he hears a loud splash. The splash leads them to stop a man in a station wagon named Wayne Williams (Christopher Livingston). An officer asks if he knows why he was pulled over. Williams oddly says, “I guess it must be about all those boys.”

Other events

Mindhunter pays a little more attention to Nancy Tench (Stacey Roca), who is considering selling their house. She also says she’s relieved that Brian isn’t her biological son, indicating that she finds him disturbing. Brian is also quite unresponsive to Bill, even when they head out for ice cream. When Bill tells him a fishing story, Brian is only interested in hearing about the fish dying. Bill admits out loud that he’s afraid of his son, to his face.

This episode also seems to end the relationship between Professor Carr (Anna Torv) and Kay (Lauren Glazier). What’s the problem? When asked about someone in her place, Kay tells her ex-husband (Jeremy Gabriel) and her son (Ryan Buggle) that it’s no one important. Wendy later breaks up with her, saying: “You’re a bartender who takes relationship advice from bus stop magazines.”

What are your thoughts on Mindhunter? Let us know in the comments!