The Netflix series Mindhunter threw us into the mind of a serial killer and then put us in limbo when we weren’t sure about season 3. Created by Joe Penhall and executive produced by Penhall, Charlize Theron, and David Fincher, it showed exactly how serial killer profiling began.
It feels like an extended version of what Fincher was doing with Zodiac, so exactly what I wanted out of a series, but we were left with questions after season 2, which wrapped back in 2019. So now, nearly five years later, we still want to know if there is hope for a season 3 of the show. And as of 2020, it wasn’t looking hopeful.
“Listen, for the viewership that it had, it was a very expensive show,” Fincher said in an interview with Vulture. “We talked about, ‘Finish Mank and then see how you feel,’ but I honestly don’t think we’re going to be able to do it for less than I did season two. And on some level, you have to be realistic—dollars have to equal eyeballs.”
Fincher didn’t think a third season was happening. He still had collaborations with Netflix that worked, Mank got him an Oscar nomination, and The Killer was one of his best films to date. Still, it does make me upset that the show just ended and we won’t know what was going to happen. But we might have hope for a third season if we turn to Holt McCallany.
Don’t give me hope, Holt
During press for The Iron Claw, Holt McCallany (who played Bill Tench on the series) talked about the cancelation with Awards Radar. “Did I want Mindhunter to be canceled after two seasons? Uh, no, but that’s not my decision. That’s my friend David’s (Fincher) decision. And if that’s David’s decision, that’s David’s decision. I understand, and I accept, and I move on. I remain grateful, and I mean this sincerely, for the opportunity to have made Lights Out, for the opportunity to have made Mindhunter, even if they didn’t last as long as I might have hoped, I still got to be there, and I’m proud of the work that we did. You’re talking about my two favorite projects. Let me prattle on just for five more seconds. I loved making those shows, and I can only hope that at some point in my career, there’ll be something else that I feel as strongly about as I do about those two television series, because not all series are created equal. Let’s face it. Most of them are pretty forgettable. I don’t think you can say that about Mindhunter. And for the boxing fans and for the people out there who really love the fight game, I think the same can be said for Lights Out.”
McCallany went on to talk about what he’s heard about Fincher’s thoughts on a third season and how he feels about it: “I’ve heard that David’s thought about it. I’m not saying it’s going to come back. But what I am saying is that if it comes back, I’m coming back with it. You can take that to the bank, but it’ll depend on what David wants to do. It’s been a few years now, so it’s probably unlikely, but just even that he would think about it is a hopeful sign.”
So as of now, no. There is not going to be Mindhunter season 3, but I am choosing to have hope.
(featured image: Netflix)
