The guy who plays Kemper in this does it so well. I really feel like at any moment he's going to just snap, but he is always so calm.
Television Mindhunter
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Yeah Kemper is brilliant.
Just watched episode 2, anyone know that creepy tune they play, they played it 3 times I think, when he was first walking through the prison to meet kemper for the first time, then another 2 times. It sound familiar, as in from an actual song but I'm not sure.
Holden's girlfriend annoyed me so much.
Good writing that. Do you want to know ending ?
Yeah she's dexter's sister levels of annoying.
I also think it's a bit on the nose with the scripts sometimes, like when they are coming up with the terminology. Anyone who's watched criminal minds would just be rolling their eyes the second they mention the organised/signature stuff. They aren't coming around to those terms, they are just being thrown in.
But it's enjoyable enough, I just wish it was more realistic and gritty like the book.
Yeah they took sort of a Mad Men-esque approach to a script that's supposed to be very unnerving and scary. That's what some reviews on Reddit say as well.
Finished it, almost cheered when Holden broke up with Bitchface. Possibly getting fired and having a breakdown is a better scenario than ending up with her.
Enjoyable first season and the Kansas killer should be interesting in the second season.
Enjoyable first season and the Kansas killer should be interesting in the second season.
Finished this last night.
Really enjoyed it. The pilot episode was so-so, which left me a little worried for the season ahead, bit it improved dramatically after that. Absolutely loved the scenes where they interviewed the serial killers; found them all quite gripping, actually.
The relationship between Holden and his partner, Bill Tench, was superb. Great chemistry between them. I can't say the same for the relationship between him and his girlfriend, however.
I Just found here so...bland. She just wasn't interesting at all. Not sure if it was the acting or the writing, but here character was just devoid of any sort of charisma or personality.
Overall though i loved the series and can't wait for series 2.
Really enjoyed it. The pilot episode was so-so, which left me a little worried for the season ahead, bit it improved dramatically after that. Absolutely loved the scenes where they interviewed the serial killers; found them all quite gripping, actually.
The relationship between Holden and his partner, Bill Tench, was superb. Great chemistry between them. I can't say the same for the relationship between him and his girlfriend, however.
I Just found here so...bland. She just wasn't interesting at all. Not sure if it was the acting or the writing, but here character was just devoid of any sort of charisma or personality.
Overall though i loved the series and can't wait for series 2.
I think it was the way she seemed incapable of a normal conversation that wound me up. Everything was either a sarky rebuttal or a sociological 'insight'.
Yeah, their interactions were just so weird. They were never just "normal" together. Now, that could be the writing/directing, or just the acting. Personally, i'd lean towards the writing and how the director wanted her portrayed, because i don't think she was a bad actress, pre se, but it really didn't work in my opinion.
Not for a second did i believe in their relationship.
Huge pile of boring shite. I like serial killer stories but I twice tried to suffer through the first ep and couldn't. Horrid. 1/10
How does it compare to True Blood?
It's a shame the first episode is so bad because I have no doubt it'll put a lot of people off.
Just finished it. Yeah the first episode was poor, but overall I felt the show turned into a solid 8/10.
I think it was largely carried by Holden* and Bill who were brilliant, and their interview scenes together were always the best scenes, and Kemper was fantastic when he was in it, but the majority of the other side characters, especially the female ones were really poor.
Still, I like the way they're going with it, I think it'll work a lot better now in the second season now that they've established the fundamentals and character building.
*I thought his surname was Holden up until like the 9th episode which made me hate the girlfriend even more for referring to her boyfriend by his surname.
I think it was largely carried by Holden* and Bill who were brilliant, and their interview scenes together were always the best scenes, and Kemper was fantastic when he was in it, but the majority of the other side characters, especially the female ones were really poor.
Still, I like the way they're going with it, I think it'll work a lot better now in the second season now that they've established the fundamentals and character building.
*I thought his surname was Holden up until like the 9th episode which made me hate the girlfriend even more for referring to her boyfriend by his surname.
What shows would people compare it to?
It definitely gives a Mad Men vibe in the way characters interact and the setting, but aside from the main two guys the characters aren't nearly as strong. Only the first season, though.
My thoughts exactly. I think there's a lot of potential in this series, and having read the book I know there's plenty of interesting material to choose from. Agree with the 8/10 rating as well.
Fecker you're making me give it a third try now.
I agree with everything you've said there, good write up!
agree the lack of follow up on Debbie's implied infidelity was random. Why have it in there at all? Their relationship was a well established plotline so it felt off that it wasn't addressed properly. Likewise the tuna Dr. Carr kept leaving for the cat.
Any other shows people would recommend? Think I might start True Detective now I'm on this crime tip. New ep of The Deuce tonight too...
Yay! Watch True Detective so I can then bore you with my stooopid theories and irrelevant 'insights'!
Thanks.
I watched True Detective S1 a couple of weeks ago. It was moody and bleak in places but generally very good. Someone in the recommend a TV series thread recently suggested ‘The Night Of’ which was excellent.
There’s two that you’ve probably seen already but are well worth a watch if not - Luther and The Mentalist (though the latter went downhill big time and had its fair share of dud episodes).
Edit - Oh and Real Detective on Netflix is worth watching. It’s dramatisation of real murders narrated by a detective assigned to the case.
Isn't that the security lock on the door?
I liked the show. Thought Holden and Bill were excellent together and Kemper was one of the best acted characters on TV this year.
But it felt like the series changed tack halfway through. His relationship with his girlfriend at least had some substance early on but just lost total direction or meaning in the last 4/5 episodes.
Wendy was awesome at the start - smart, progressive and able to see through the bullshit and call it as it is. Then suddenly she's a shill for the establishment and rather than saying feck the beaurocracy - she's adding to it, stabbing her team in the back over a couple of swearwords.
Even Bill, who was always grumpy and cautious but did stick his neck on the line for Holden to start the unit off, turns into a bit of a dud later on.
I don't know if there was a change of writers or directors halfway through but the second half just felt less clever and nuanced to me.
No idea to be honest
So I've watched the first EP again since I couldn't sleep last night and aside from the beginning of the bar dialogue (that was acted so clumsily that you have to hope it serves some purpose) I don't really get the negativity about it.
Seems to me that they cover the ground work here, showing how the general mind set of the time and telling us how Holden gradually breaks free from it and eventually finds his thing. The gf, while a bit of an annoying know-it-all "at times", also does a lot to serve this purpose.
As for Tench, well that came a bit suprising. Maybe that was to show us how they'Ve grown apart over Holden's ego? Or maybe it's just a familiy man in damage control, not wanting to risk his job with further lies.
Seems to me that they cover the ground work here, showing how the general mind set of the time and telling us how Holden gradually breaks free from it and eventually finds his thing. The gf, while a bit of an annoying know-it-all "at times", also does a lot to serve this purpose.
Wendy isn't married to Ford and Tench, her concern is the integrity of the study (which she gave up a lot for), so I don't think it's out of character for her to act the way she did.
As for Tench, well that came a bit suprising. Maybe that was to show us how they'Ve grown apart over Holden's ego? Or maybe it's just a familiy man in damage control, not wanting to risk his job with further lies.
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I think it was this. He had a clear vision what he wanted to do, he invited Holden to help him with it, Holden took it and kept trying to make it his own thing, kept trying to solve murders with it which wasn't their objective, talking to the press, bragging, taking the credit, trying to evolve it into something it wasn't. Tench wasn't comfortable with that.
I'm on the 4th episode and I'm not getting any Mad Men vibes at all. There's very little about this that's stylish. I like the low-key direction and the pace. It feels like a slow-burner.
The scenes with Kemper are the best so far, there's a bit of creepy black comedy when he puts his hand on Holden's throat then gently touches him on the shoulder to reassure him.
I do wonder where the main characters are heading though. Clearly the creepy guy with the moustache in Kansas is gonna do some nasty stuff later on but it's gently holding my attention without being overtly gripping.
The scenes with Kemper are the best so far, there's a bit of creepy black comedy when he puts his hand on Holden's throat then gently touches him on the shoulder to reassure him.
I do wonder where the main characters are heading though. Clearly the creepy guy with the moustache in Kansas is gonna do some nasty stuff later on but it's gently holding my attention without being overtly gripping.
Kansas guy is
warning: actual spoiler
Fincher apparently wants 5 seasons
I started watching this without much expectation, without reading anything about it and honestly I have to say that I'm impressed. Very good show.
Yeah, seems they’ve planned this far ahead, next season is going to focus on the Atlanta Child Murders, which is a significant part of the book.
I didn't get the ending.
The real Kemper interviews are incredibly interesting imo. An extremely intelligent yet troubled individual.
Fecking huge too. Scary fella.
Didn't seem that huge in the interview
Just finished it. Thought it got better as it went along. The interview with Devier was a bit of a high point, and it was hilarious watching everyone around Holden getting very twitchy with his interview technique. Really looking forward to future seasons. That said, I really hope they don't spend too much time showing what the Kansas serial killer gets up to in lots of grim detail. The off camera descriptions and occasional nasty photograph are enough. In fact I think the series is nicely underplayed in terms of gory detail.
best tv show of the year so far.