David Fincher has confirmed that Mindhunter season 3 will not happen. Set in the late 1970s, Mindhunter focuses on two fictionalized FBI agents who attempt to understand and catch serial killers by looking into their psychological state, ultimately beginning what would be known as criminal profiling. Season 2 premiered in August 2019, but the long hiatus led to speculations about any chances for a potential season 3.
In a recent interview with the French publication Le Journal du Dimanche, Fincher, who also directed several episodes, was asked about Mindhunter‘s future. Regarding the possibility of season 3, Fincher explained that the show is a costly investment for Netflix that is not worth the risk. Here is the quote below via GamesRadar:
“I’m very proud of the first two seasons, but it’s a particularly expensive series and, in the eyes of Netflix, we haven’t attracted a large enough audience to justify such an investment. I don’t blame them, they took risks to launch the series.”
What Were The Expectations For Season 3?
The potential for season 3 was questionable after Netflix said it was on indefinite hiatus, citing that Fincher was focused on other projects. However, even Fincher repeatedly remarked that season 3 may not happen. Nevertheless, the demand for the show’s future is unsurprising, given season 2 built up a potentially big storyline. Laced throughout episodes of Mindhunter since season 1 were insights into the “BTK Killer,” a notorious serial killer who taunted police with his crimes. It appeared that BTK would be the focus of a new season, but unfortunately, it appears this will no longer come to fruition.
Director Andrew Dominik also provided insight into Mindhunter‘s plotline and what season 3 would have entailed had it not been for the speculated cancellation. Detectives Ford and Tench were going to finally move out of the basement and reach out to Hollywood to make criminal profiling publicly known. One of the show’s appeals is the eerily accurate casting and performances of the actors depicting America’s most famous serial killers. Furthermore, the psychological drama undertakes a deep analysis of profiling serial killers while integrating real-life stories into the mix. For instance, season 2 investigated the Atlanta murders in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Mindhunter is one of Netflix’s most highly-rated shows, holding a 96 percent critical rating for season 1, while season 2 delivers a near-perfect 99 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, it seems the subpar viewership led to the Mindhunter‘s cancellation on Netflix, and production design and attention to detail to set up the period likely added to the high expense that didn’t see much return. This update means that Mindhunter joins a growing number of cancelled Netflix shows.
Source: Le Journal du Dimanche (via GamesRadar), Rotten Tomatoes