Last Updated: February 2, 2020
Mindhunter season 2 wraps up Holden Ford and Bill Tench's investigation into the Atlanta child murders, but more serial killers surely await them in Mindhunter season 3. The Netflix series was created by Joe Penhall and based on the real-life experiences of former FBI agent John E. Douglas. Mindhunter recounts the efforts of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to compile a database of serial killers' psychological profiles and patterns - let by Agents Ford and Tench, and consulting psychologist Dr. Wendy Carr.
The ultimate goal of the BSU is to create methods for tracking down at-large serial killers by narrowing down the field of potential suspects, and in Mindhunter season 2 they get their opportunity. While Wendy continues the work of interviewing incarcerated serial killers, Holden and Bill set up shop in Atlanta to try and find the culprit behind the serial murder of the city's black children. Meanwhile, the killer known as the BTK Strangler still lurks in the background, claiming more victims even as the BSU tries to figure out what's driving him.
Here's what we know so far about Mindhunter season 3 - from potential storylines and new featured serial killers, to when the next season of the Netflix series could be released.
Mindhunter Season 3 Is On Indefinite Hold
Mindhunter executive producer David Fincher had previously said his goal was to have the show consist of five seasons. That made it a bit perplexing when season 2 came and went without a renewal announcement. In November 2019, it was reported that season 3 had been put on indefinite hold while Fincher made his next movie. However, in January 2020, a Netflix rep confirmed that Mindhunter's cast had been released from its contracts, and while the series isn't canceled, Fincher is too busy with other projects to start work on season 3 at this time.
Mindhunter Season 3 Release Date
With Mindhunter season 3 currently being in stasis, it's impossible to predict when season 3 might release, if it happens. Assuming David Fincher does eventually pick Mindhunter back up, fans still shouldn't expect to see a new season anytime soon after that, as season 2 premiered a whole two years after season 1's Netflix arrival.
Mindhunter Season 3 Story
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Mindhunter Season 2
Mindhunter season 2 focused on two cases that were active in the late 1970s and early 1980s: the BTK Strangler and the Atlanta child murders. The latter ended with the arrest of suspect Wayne Williams, though he was only convicted of the murder of two adults, and the other 29 murders remain officially unsolved to this day. The BTK Strangler, meanwhile, was first introduced in Mindhunter season 1 - played by Sonny Valicenti and credited only as "ADT Serviceman," since at the time his name was unknown. Unfortunately for the BSU, the BTK Strangler (whose real name was Dennis Rader) wouldn't be apprehended until 2005, long after Mindhunter takes place. However, we can expect more chilling vignettes into Rader's life in Mindhunter season 3.
The real-life Holden Ford, John E. Douglas, continued to work for the FBI and consult on serial killer cases up until 1996, and Mindhunter has so far only covered 1977-1981. Mindhunter season 3 will likely continue through the early 1980s and focus on other high-profile serial killers from the time, such as Ted Bundy and Joseph Paul Franklin, and also look at how the BSU's findings were put into practice by the FBI.
Mindhunter's three main characters are also all dealing with personal issues: Holden, with his stress-induced panic attacks; Wendy, with the breakdown of her relationship with Kay; and Bill, with his son's involvement in the killing of a toddler. Mindhunter season 2 ended with Bill returning home to find that his wife and son had moved away without him, leaving him with nothing but a bed, a couch, and a closet full of clothes. Whether this will convince him to take a step back from his work at the BSU, or lose himself in it even more, remains to be seen.