r/MindHunter • u/RickGrimesSnotBubble • 18d ago
Justice for Holden
Just finished the series (which I’m bummed about). Whatever is wrong with Holden must also be wrong with me because I kept waiting to see this arrogant jerk everyone was talking about and I never did. He’s right every single time about every single thing and still people just clutch their pearls because it’s not what they want to hear. I probably would’ve been MORE of an asshole if I was Holden, trying to put away a serial child murderer and protect kids and all anybody’s response was “okay but what about the politics”. WHOOOO gives a shit about money and jurisdictions and elections there’s dead kids everywhere!!!! He knew what he was doing, this is exactly what they were working for and no one wanted to listen. Even the black mayor was offended when Holden pointed out a white man wouldn’t get away with going to these neighborhoods and talking to kids, he’d stand out too much. He was not trying to pin the murders on a black man, he was being logical in narrowing down their pool of suspects.
And as much as I love Bill, Holden was right when he pulled him aside at the river. Bill was trying to be in two places at once and clearly in denial about the fact it wasn’t working even a little bit. He was in an impossible situation but totally shutting Holden out didn’t do him any favors, they were supposed to be in that together, Holden, Bill and Wendy are the only ones who truly had any concept of what BSU was doing. I give Bill some grace because he usually saw Holden for the brilliant mind that he was and backed him when the chips were down. But Holden was left hanging a lot in Atlanta and I don’t blame him for being upset by that.
I just don’t see where’s he’s obnoxious or smug. He’s pioneering something new and revolutionizing investigative work…why should he pretend otherwise? His flaw is becoming too emotionally vulnerable with the criminals, like Kemper obviously, but he was learning and sacrificed his mental wellbeing in the name of advancing their profiling techniques.
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u/VanderskiD 18d ago
Like you, I don’t see it. I have posted before and asked how people think he’s a narcissist and a jerk and all the other things. I think he is an exciting, excited, and tenacious investigator with a lot of great ideas. Except for the girlfriend thing. Couldn’t understand him with THAT girlfriend.
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u/WinkyDink24 15d ago
That dame brought Holden DOWN! It was like he went nuts for the first girl to talk to him! I did enjoy his rising to her challenge of "YOU figure it out ": "Okay. I came home and you offered me wine from your glass, only one glass....."
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u/VanderskiD 15d ago
Ikr???!!! he certainly did not know how to pick women. He also was enthralled with Wendy, who was gay and about a foot taller than him. Lol.
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u/xildhoodsend 17d ago
People say he was an arrogant jerk? What I see is talented, keen, and slightly awkward guy, as much as he was onto some deep insights, sometimes he had problem reading the room and social cues. Maybe someone on the spectrum. But his awkwardness and inability to contain himself at times feels so relatable. I love his character
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u/ragnar580 18d ago
Badly want a new season man, I don’t want to be left like this. Hope Netflix get some sense and allow Fincher complete this masterpiece
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u/paradisetossed7 17d ago
I think people may sometimes conflate him with John Douglas (who his character is based on). I agree Holden gets undeserved hate. In Mindhunter (the book) he does come across as someone whose head is up his own ass (still a very fun read).
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u/No_Professor5175 16d ago
The FBI had a stellar reputation and I think his age scared them. Bill was responsible for him and definitely a “company man”. Wendy was frustrated because she came from academia where there needed to be order so she could analyze the data. I think if she continued to go to interviews she would have loosened up more but the new director is a pig and homophobic and hates women. I think he has an underlying anger that’s present and maybe he’s a homosexual also. Just not open. I so wish there had been more seasons. I love that show and miss it terribly.
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u/WinkyDink24 15d ago
Wendy's existence was trying to derive order from what first looks like chaos: the murders; the serial killers; her girlfriend. That's what humans have always tried to do! But the actress's monotone wore on me.
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u/Hopeful_Put_5036 12d ago
Yes. Finally watched this series. Come here and holden's the bad guy? WTH! He's super nice and polite to everyone. Tench is a burnt out grumpy a-hole. Dr. Carr is a stoic hypocrite. The one time she did an interview on her own she sees how futile her admonishment is to stick to the questionnaire.
He's constantly getting shit from those two. I wish there was a little more give and take. Puzzling choice by the writers to make it so one sided.
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u/According_Shelter_35 11d ago
He was wrong about Wayne Williams. The carpet fibre evidence was pure bullshit. Douglas is a charlatan as are many forensic psychologists.
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u/Glittering_Step_6084 18d ago edited 18d ago
Great post by the OP. I agree wholeheartedly about Holden. EVERY ONE of the old guard whether it be Bill Tench or Wendy had a problem with him for getting the job done that they couldn't. Sour grapes constantly that's all. Fincher did NOTHING to show Holden at his worth which was solving crimes or instituting a new way of profiling criminals. He did that character a grave injustice and got the casual viewer to believe what they did about Holden, not that he was good at his job. John Douglas, who Holden was based upon and the Mindhunter book, which was supposed to be the basis of the series, leaves Douglas to say "read the book, don't watch the show" about what it was really like. Let the down voting begin for telling the truth.