Real stories of Mindhunter: Season 2 premiere

Mindhunter is back for season 2 and just as great as we remember it from almost two years ago. But how much of episode one is true?

Mindhunter has finally returned with a second season on Netflix and the stories have only gotten juicier. Not only did the team get a new boss and a new lease on life, but they are dealing with personal issues as well this season. We know that the show is loosely based on real-life events and for this series we will be focusing on the fact vs. fiction in the show.

After the first season of the Netflix original series, we went over the real-life stories behind the characters from the show and this season we will take an even closer look by going episode by episode to confirm information that is presented.

BTK Killer

Going back to season 1 of Mindhunter, we got sneak peeks of the BTK Killer and his activities.

One of the more difficult murders to understand and catch, BTK was active from 1974 up until his capture in 2005. It is not clear how the show will tell his story over the course of the (hopefully) coming seasons, but we are getting a closer look at his life in season 2.

During the episode, Bill Tench is handed a file on BTK Killer, and our team is officially aware of him.  In episode one, we open on a scene that had the feel of a start to an episode of Law and Order as we’re taken into what appears to be the scene of a crime. Instead, it’s BTK Killer being caught by his wife using the bathroom door to choke himself.

According to their daughter Kerri, in her 20/20 interview from earlier this year, Dennis Rader’s wife, Paula, couldn’t have known about any of his issues. She never spoke out herself, but Kerri says that her mother would not have stayed with him if she had any clue. This scene appears to have been a creative liberty taken by the writers.

Ted Gunn

As mentioned above, the team gets a new boss in season 2 by the name of Ted Gunn (Michael Cerveris). He has a bold new vision for the team and wants to expand the department so they can become the first call for suspected serial murders, rather than being called in after the fact. He is very impressed by Holden but tells Tench that he wants him to be his blinders and keep him in line.

Is Ted Gunn based on a real person?

The short answer is no. However, he does represent a time of change in the FBI as they became more open to branching out and trying new methods during the ’80s, according to Den of Geek. There was no one person who radically changed the trajectory of the BSU, but an overall shift in the culture of the FBI itself.

New killers

The first episode also briefly introduces us to three killers that the team is planning to interview during the season. William Henry Hance, the first black serial killer for the team was the first name mentioned. The team also mentioned Charles Manson again, as well as William Pierce.

We get to meet them up close later on in the season, so we’ll save their breakdowns for then. For the time being, though I know you are aware of Manson, I will confirm that the other two were real killers at the very least. Hance’s case is particularly interesting, not for what he did but for what happened with his trial and sentencing.

While episode one served as more of a tease for what was to come, the next few episodes should prove to be much more interesting with regard to facts vs fiction in Mindhunter. Stay tuned!

Both seasons of Mindhunter are currently streaming on Netflix.