S02.E02: Episode 2

[Bort]

Quote

To glean insight into the elusive BTK killer, Bill and Holden interview the Son of Sam, who makes a startling admission.

Airdate: August 16, 2019

[Yokosmom]

Another good episode. The discussion with the survivor of BTK was very sad. I’ve read about that attack — I’m hoping that the real brother wasn’t as damaged. Absolutely loved the scene with Berkowitz. All the actors that they get for these serial killer in prison interview scenes go to town with their characters. Always a highlight.

[methodwriter85]

I loved hearing "Call Me"- nice nod to the fact that we're in 1980-1981 right now.

Edited August 17, 2019 by methodwriter85

[sistermagpie]

21 hours ago, Yokosmom said:

The discussion with the survivor of BTK was very sad. I’ve read about that attack — I’m hoping that the real brother wasn’t as damaged.

If you're interested, here's the real Kevin giving a victim impact statement at BTK's sentencing in 2005.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUCRS9DHKQ&feature=youtu.be

[Calvada]

"This guy doesn't go to church" a bit ironic, seeing as Rader was a devoted churchgoer, and his church membership was a factor in his getting caught.  

[HollyG]

Is the murder in the vacant house based on a real crime or is it completely fictional? (I haven't finished the episode yet but curiosity got the better of me)

Edited - It is fictional. The agent who inspired the character "Tench" are all ok.

Edited August 18, 2019 by HollyG

[Cheezwiz]

Gripping episode. They're really nailing the actors who are playing the serial killers - the guy playing Berkowitz was great.

I had never actually read up on the particulars of the BTK case and had always assumed his crimes were limited to single women - I had no idea that he wiped out entire families. It must have been terrifying living in Wichita in that era, and it took absolutely FOREVER for him to be caught. Decades of him disappearing and then resurfacing ((shudder)). How awful for the kid who survived.

The scene with the open back door was super spooky. I wonder where they're going with the murder story involving Tench's wife.

[dramachick]

It was so sad to watch them go over the details of the slaughter of the Otero family and then the conversation with Kevin who had such guilt for a situation in which he barely escaped with his life.

Bill and Holden were shook when Berkowitz said that he went out hunting every night and was always prepared for when he spotted his prey. It's unnerving how matter-of-fact these predators are.

I saw an episode of this show called "See No Evil" on ID, and they showed CCTV of a man walking through the aisles of of Walmart as he was hunting. It was chilling to watch how he didn't even pretend to shop but kept his eyes solely on the woman he was stalking and then followed her out of the store. On video, it was incredibly obvious what he was doing, but in real time nobody noticed him. Scary.

[Portia]

23 hours ago, Calvada said:

"This guy doesn't go to church" a bit ironic, seeing as Rader was a devoted churchgoer, and his church membership was a factor in his getting caught.  

Yes, and of course he was also dead wrong about this killer not having a relationship with a woman. The writers are really underscoring that our protagonists are continually learning...and having their expectations subverted.

[tennisgurl]

On 8/17/2019 at 10:38 PM, Calvada said:

"This guy doesn't go to church" a bit ironic, seeing as Rader was a devoted churchgoer, and his church membership was a factor in his getting caught.  

It certainly is interesting to watch how profiling essentially started, and how many mistakes were made along the way. One of the reasons that BTK was able to get away with his crimes for so long was because people were kind of looking for some kind of obviously oddball outsider who had no real family or connections to the community, when in actuality he was married with a kid, had a steady job, and was a notable community member and church goer. It really was a lot of trail and error. 

Another chilling episode. The guy playing Berkowitz really nailed it, especially his accent. Its just so creepy hearing these guys matter of factly talking about hunting people and killing them so brutally and senselessly. It was kind of funny how he kept insisting that he wasn't a rapist, just a murderer. Hey, I might be a remorseless killer, but I dont rape people! Thats just sick!

The poor brother, what a horrible thing to go through, I cant blame him for being so shook up years later. 

[festivus]

I loved when they were interviewing Berkowitz. The show just makes it so riveting, I doubt it's really like that. Great intense scene with interviewing the brother also and never really showing his face clearly. Loved that.

Tusk. Another great end credits song which is a song that just totally sums up this time period for me. I loved it so much when it came out, I'd never really paid much attention the Fleetwood Mac before that. I was still a tween then.

[Clanstarling]

On 8/17/2019 at 7:38 PM, Calvada said:

"This guy doesn't go to church" a bit ironic, seeing as Rader was a devoted churchgoer, and his church membership was a factor in his getting caught.  

I think we'll see a lot of discussion that shows us how wrong they were in many cases - they only have a very small sampling at this point. And BTK was extraordinary.

On 8/18/2019 at 12:57 AM, Cheezwiz said:

The scene with the open back door was super spooky. I wonder where they're going with the murder story involving Tench's wife.

Creeped me out big time - especially when the cop asked if she'd left the door open at the house she was selling. Seems a strong indication that someone might be hunting her. If not, then they've just done a bang up job on scaring me.

6 hours ago, festivus said:

Tusk. Another great end credits song which is a song that just totally sums up this time period for me. I loved it so much when it came out, I'd never really paid much attention the Fleetwood Mac before that. I was still a tween then.

I don't think I particularly liked Tusk back in the day - though I loved Fleetwood Mac, but I love it now. I so strongly relate it to the first episode of The Americans, that I found it jarring here, despite being appropriate.

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I don't think I particularly liked Tusk back in the day - though I loved Fleetwood Mac, but I love it now. I so strongly relate it to the first episode of The Americans, that I found it jarring here, despite being appropriate.

Totally made me think Philip and Elizabeth did it and they were going to team up with Stan Beeman, I admit.

[festivus]

15 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I don't think I particularly liked Tusk back in the day - though I loved Fleetwood Mac, but I love it now. I so strongly relate it to the first episode of The Americans, that I found it jarring here, despite being appropriate.

I strongly relate it to The Americans too which I still think is one of the best pilots I've ever seen. I usually feel the same when a song is so strongly related to another show but I liked the use of Tusk here because for me it's one of those songs that brings me right to this time period. 

[AimingforYoko]

I'm greatly anticipating the look on Ford's face when they discover how wrong they are about BTK.

Speaking of faces, the look on Wendy's when the bartender said she "bats for the other team" killed me. A look of pure joy followed immediately by caution in case it was just a story to fend off the meatheads.

[spaceghostess]

Welcome back, Mindhunter, with your opening credits still too creepy/gross for me not to skip.

Really enjoying season 2 so far, although I don't remember Tench's wife irritating me half as much last season as she is now. Then again, Tench is also coming off as kinda (more?) dickish to me this time around.

I'm sure I already mentioned this in the season 1 threads, but I'm too lazy to check, so apologies if I'm repeating myself. I was 6/7 years old and living in southern Westchester County when Son of Sam was happening and it absolutely made an impression. We lived in Mt. Vernon, which shares borders with Yonkers (where Berkowitz lived) and the Bronx and my older sister was a teen running wild with her friends. She also resembled Berkowitz's "type". I remember them talking about rumors that he was stalking the local disco, not to mention the stories which still prevail that he was involved with a satanic cult that held rituals in Yonkers' Untermyer Park (which, of course, he probably never was--and I can say without reservation that the park is really lovely and nothing like the neglected--and yes, dangerous--dive it was back then.)

The Berkowitz actor was excellent and it was doubly eerie to hear such a familiar accent coming out of one of their interviewees. I think most people relate Tri-state (particularly NYC Boroughs/South Jersey) accents to Mob hitmen, rather than serial killers. Joel Rifkin is probably too recent ('89-93) for Mindhunter to cover, so Berkowitz may well be the only New Yorker we get.

Edited September 4, 2019 by spaceghostess

[jeansheridan]

I kind of love Tench this season. He is just such a mix of old school cop who can also keep up with new ideas. He is also smart about reading a room usually. He is a comforting form of paternal.

[HC87]

Just started, saw S2Ep1 a week or so ago. Berkowitz was great.....great job by that actor.

[sugarbaker design]

I loved the scene with the BTK survivor, esp the staging.  Survivor in back seat, cops up front, all 3 men looking ahead.  Survivor tells story, the horrific details, some of which he wasn't too proud.  I think talking to the back of the heads of the cops made it easier for him to tell the story.