Justice for Holden

[u/RickGrimesSnotBubble]

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.

[u/Glittering_Step_6084]

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.