Netflix is notorious for cancelling its best shows, but I’m still bitter about losing David Fincher’s chilling serial killer thriller Mindhunter after just two seasons. For as long as Netflix has been making original programming, it’s been cutting would-be classics short. If a series isn’t an instant hit like Stranger Things or Squid Game, then Netflix will scrap it.
There are a lot of Netflix’s TV cancelations that I still haven’t gotten over. Kaos and I Am Not Okay With This only got one season. Sense8 was a wonderfully original sci-fi extravaganza that deserved more love, and I miss Santa Clarita Diet with a vengeance. But out of all the Netflix cancelations, Mindhunter is the one that stings the most.
Mindhunter’s Premature Cancellation Still Hurts 6 Years After Season 2
Why, Netflix, Why?
Mindhunter was 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, Mindhunter was essentially Fincher’s follow-up to Zodiac.
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 was the perfect show for true-crime fanatics. Fincher had a five-season plan for Mindhunter, 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 of Mindhunter is 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 hit in 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 like Ted Lasso or The Mandalorian is doomed to an early grave. Massive hits like Seinfeld, The Office, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia would never survive today, because they needed a couple of seasons to find the right audience. Mindhunter is an egregious casualty of this problem.
Will Mindhunter Season 3 Ever Happen?
Probably Not
As much as I’d love to see Mindhunter season 3 finally happen, it seems like that ship has sailed. Fincher has moved on to other projects and the actors have been released from their contracts. There’s been a lot of talk about possibly wrapping up Mindhunter with a movie trilogy, but there hasn’t been any official confirmation.
