Courtesy of Netflix
When last we saw Special Agent Holden Ford, he was in the midst of a hallway panic attack after receiving a hug from serial murderer Ed Kemper. Season 2 of Netflix’s hit crime procedural picks up from the season 1 finale. Back at Quantico, Holden’s partner Bill Tench gets surprising news when the head of their division, Shepard, announces his retirement. The new division lead, Ted Gunn, seems to be the polar opposite of Shepard: engaging, visionary and most importantly, supportive of the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU). And he wants to meet the wunderkind, Holden Ford.
Slight problem; Holden is on a 5150 hold in a northern California psych facility.
Courtesy of Netflix
As Holden’s life is his work and his work is his life, he calls Bill to sign him out. When the ward’s physician advises Holden he had a panic attack-and is basically a walking, timebomb of anxiety-Bill is not well pleased. Tench is old-school in certain ways; he believes Holden is self-sabotaging in multiple ways…and he’s not wrong. While the doctor advocates for a less stressful lifestyle, the audience can already tell Holden is itching to delve right back into the depraved minds of multiple murderers.
Upon their return to Quantico, Bill, Holden and Wendy find out that the fourth member of the BSU, Greg, was the one who sold them out to the office of professionals integrity. With trust very shaky between the four, it’s a relief when division head Gunn makes the OPI investigation go away.
Courtesy of Netflix
Gunn allocates actual funding, more personnel and a move out of the Bureau’s basement. It’s a huge show of strength for the BSU and Holden in particular plans to take advantage. His liberal use of Gunn’s first name (a brilliant, off-putting bit of acting by Jonathan Groff) proves that. As the methodology and analysis take on a more formal guide for the Bureau, the BSU finds themselves at the cool kids’ table for once. We’ll see if it lasts.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Mindhunter are currntly streaming on Netflix.
