Mindhunter Gave Us A Groundbreaking Take On The Buddy Cop Genre

Mindhunter was a creative new take on the buddy cop genre that was canceled before its time. While Mindhunter was based on real events, it used considerable creative license in the making of the show, which made it more of a drama than the book it was based on. The Netflix series chronicled the birth of criminal psychology, before it was taken seriously by law enforcement.

Mindhunter is one of the best detective shows of all time, but the central characters were unlike most typical detective duos. The show centers on the awkward partnership between Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they interview killers in an attempt to gain insight that could stop future crimes. While Mindhunter‘s interesting serial killers took center stage, Bill and Holden were the best part of it.

Mindhunter Is A Genius Take On The Buddy Cop Genre

Most shows in the buddy cop genre are gritty action dramas, comedies, or a blend of the two. Like every genre out there, buddy cop shows tend to follow certain tropes, with mismatched characters, running gags, and clashes of ego paving the way. Mindhunter has all of these, but it is not immediately obvious because the show is an extremely disturbing slow burn.

Holden is the FBI’s innovative and overenthusiastic recruit, while Bill is jaded and would rather be with his family. Holden can be more arrogant than he seems, and Bill regularly has to rein him in, emphasizing how their personalities clash. That said, the two make a great TV detective duo, and the scene in which they work together to get their preferred plane seats is hilarious.

Why Mindhunter Feels So Different From Other Crime Shows

While there are some great gritty TV dramas for fans of true crime, most detective shows follow a very different format. Long-running crime series, like Law & Order: SVU and CSI, tend to be formulaic. The characters solve a different crime each episode, with law enforcement typically prevailing in the end. Mindhunter takes an extremely different approach to its dark subject matter.

Mindhunter does not showcase established crime investigation strategies, as it is about the invention of new ones. This means that trial and error is involved, with Bill and Holden regularly clashing over it. Many of the arrests feel unfair, with the wrong person being charged for the crime, while others get away entirely. This makes Mindhunter more realistic and less predictable than other titles.

Mindhunter Could’ve Changed The Crime Genre Forever

Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) taunts Agent Ford (Jonathan Groff) by touching his face in Mindhunter.

True crime and police procedural shows are increasingly popular, and Mindhunter explored this in a completely different way. Unfortunately, the Netflix show was canceled due to budgetary concerns after its second season, leaving its main storylines unfinished. Had Mindhunter been allowed to run its course, it could have ended by showing the success of criminal profiling and set a new standard for the category.

Bill and Holden were not the typical partners for a buddy cop show, but the best episodes of Mindhunter showed that they were learning to work together. The two irritated but looked out for each other, with Bill even covering for Holden’s recklessness. If Mindhunter had continued, it could have developed the duo further into something truly unique.