Netflix is notorious for cancelling its best shows, but I’m still bitter about losing David Fincher’s chilling serial killer thrillerMindhunterafter just two seasons. For as long asNetflix has been making original programming, it’s been cutting would-be classics short. If a series isn’t an instant hit likeStranger ThingsorSquid Game, then Netflix will scrap it.
There are a lot of Netflix’sTV cancelations that I still haven’t gotten over.KaosandI Am Not Okay With Thisonly got one season.Sense8was a wonderfully original sci-fi extravaganza that deserved more love, and I missSanta Clarita Dietwith a vengeance. But out of all the Netflix cancelations,Mindhunteris the one that stings the most.
Mindhunter’s Premature Cancellation Still Hurts 6 Years After Season 2
Why, Netflix, Why?
Mindhunterwas cancelled six years ago, and I still haven’t forgiven Netflix for it.The story was just getting started when the streamer axed it in its second season, and it still had a ton of fascinating real-world history to draw from. As a true-crime thriller digging into the dark history of serial killers,Mindhunterwas essentially Fincher’s follow-up toZodiac.
The series revolves around a trio of FBI agents who essentially create the concept of a serial killer as they examine the disturbing behavioral patterns of real-life murderers like Charles Manson and the Son of Sam. It wasthe perfect show for true-crime fanatics.Fincher had a five-season plan forMindhunter, but he didn’t even get halfway through that plan.
Mindhunter’s Cancellation Was A Symptom Of A Larger Industry Problem
TV Shows Don’t Get A Chance To Build An Audience These Days
Netflix’s premature cancellation ofMindhunteris symptomatic of a bigger problem within the television industry. In the streaming age,the market has gotten so oversaturated that new shows need to arrive as an instant hitin order to survive. It’s why so many networks and streamers are looking to familiar I.P. to develop new shows, because they have built-in fans.
This means that any show that isn’t an immediate cultural phenomenon likeTed LassoorThe Mandalorianis doomed to an early grave. Massive hits likeSeinfeld,The Office, andIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiawould never survive today, because they needed a couple of seasons to find the right audience.Mindhunteris an egregious casualty of this problem.
Will Mindhunter Season 3 Ever Happen?
Probably Not
As much as I’d love to seeMindhunterseason 3 finally happen, it seems like that ship has sailed.Fincher has moved on to other projectsand the actors have been released from their contracts. There’s been a lot of talk about possiblywrapping upMindhunterwith a movie trilogy, but there hasn’t been any official confirmation.
