I've just finished watching the first season. Riveting!

I gave it a 4.5 It would have been a 5 except "they had to" announce the female lead was a lesbian. It wasn't called for as it has nothing to do with the program. And come to think of it, why does nearly every American show have to have a sex scene in it?? plus they are getting more graphic...

I'm usually the biggest prick when it comes to forced diversity in casting but the lesbian character didn't really phase me. I thought it added some nice tension since it seems Holden has a hardon for her and he's more than likely quits with his girlfriend. The other interesting aspect of her sexual preference is, it's possible the FBI in that era didn't allow gays and lesbians in their ranks.

As for sex in American shows, that's a staple that audiences like to see. I personally have no interest in watching people even kiss in movies or shows, but it's something that draws an audience. I seem to recall NYPD Blue back in the 90's pushing the envelope with respect to sex and nudity on tv and sex has been on the steady incline ever since. At least this series doesn't lean heavily on car chases and gunplay.

They could have at least made her bi, give the guy a chance lol What bothers me, why is he such an assholee at the end to the team and his gf? Why does Fincher always has to do that, make more or less realistic characters into compleate cartoonish sociopats by the end of the movie. Sure, i don't know for certain who made up 'young likable FBI agent who just wants to do good in this world overnight turns reckless selfish psycho because of a little success with the cases' twist in this show, but i have my suspicions... If not for lame "character development", this show would have been close to perfect for me. I still can't wait to see creepy moustache guy story to play out in season 2.

@lonegunman said:

I still can't wait to see creepy moustache guy story to play out in season 2.

Lol creepy moustache guy! Too funny.. Yes I'm looking forward to that too. Have to wait until next year. Damn!

I watched 3 episodes so far and I'm really enjoying it.

@MongoLloyd said:

Acting, writing, cinematography, directing, everything. Just f(` )cking great.

I won't say it's all that. I hate the dialogue between Holden and his girlfriend, so much that I mute my TV. They have ZERO chemistry. 7.5/10

His girlfriend has a certain kind of personality. She's just not particularly warm. I love their dialog because they're both students of human psychology so their discourse is all about trying to not only understand people's behavior, but also each other's. I actually anticipated Holden's breakup in the last episode and the way HE did it.

The creepy mustache guy is the BTK killer. I was reading that season 2 will mostly focus on the Atlanta child serial killings from 1979 to 1981 and will feature a lot of African American music to go with this era.

Solid TV show...

It's no Zodiac (solid film), but the TV format works better to show the process of developing these profiling concepts and to go through the various serial killers stories and to show character development.

@ausfem said:

... And come to think of it, why does nearly every American show have to have a sex scene in it?? plus they are getting more graphic...

They're more graphic but less sensual... TV shows in general don't do this kind of intimacy well... Anyway, I don't expect Fincher to be able to shoot straight sex, but yeah it's not just this series...

@drjekel_mrhyde said:

@MongoLloyd said:

Acting, writing, cinematography, directing, everything. Just f(` )cking great.

I won't say it's all that. I hate the dialogue between Holden and his girlfriend, so much that I mute my TV. They have ZERO chemistry. 7.5/10

Same here. When the gf is on, I just fast forward. Totally unnecessary to the plot. I'm thinking mustache guy is going to be the BTK killer.

He will be the bay harbor butcher.

I'm almost finished with the series. I've really liked it.

I just roll my eyes, in general, when discussing shows, and people getting bent out of shape because of a gay character. In this particular show, the gay character is not earth shattering. It's really not relevant to the story--unless, as someone else mentioned, they were trying to purvey that the FBI didn't want gay agents or workers back then. But get over it, people can't control who they fall in love with. Live and let live. If you're still that offended by it, then simply don't watch.

I, too, think the mustache guy is the BTK killer.

I take it that there's already been an announcement about season 2 and there will be one??

I don't think the mustache guy is meant to be ambiguous, lol. He IS the BTK killer. They are telling you this when they say the location is in Kansas. From what I read about season 2 they want to focus on the Atlanta child killings in Atlanta and want to feature a lot of African American music to go along with this era.

@MongoLloyd said:

I'm usually the biggest prick when it comes to forced diversity in casting but the lesbian character didn't really phase me. I thought it added some nice tension since it seems Holden has a hardon for her and he's more than likely quits with his girlfriend. The other interesting aspect of her sexual preference is, it's possible the FBI in that era didn't allow gays and lesbians in their ranks.

As for sex in American shows, that's a staple that audiences like to see. I personally have no interest in watching people even kiss in movies or shows, but it's something that draws an audience. I seem to recall NYPD Blue back in the 90's pushing the envelope with respect to sex and nudity on tv and sex has been on the steady incline ever since. At least this series doesn't lean heavily on car chases and gunplay.

In recent decades most of the sex scenes and relationships seem to deal with diversity issues, either promoting normalization of LGBT inclinations, examining bigotry against gays and lesbians or hate crimes, and so on. If the shows are well done, so the scenes flow normally and are part of the story, then I don't mind them, though I also don't watch TV to watch sex scenes or intimate relationships. But I don't like to watch patently obviously agenda driven TV shows, shows whose plots and content are really only vehicles for pushing diversity issues: social engineering dressed up as entertainment.
Some gay and lesbian people will claim my comments indicate "homophobia" on my part. But what they actually indicate is an aversion to agenda driven, TV.

TV shows used to imply relationships, but stop short of titillation, bedroom scenes, sex for the sake of showing sex, etc. And TV shows used to be reflections of society, instead of vehicles for promoting a progressive view of social engineering.
They used to be more focused on entertainment, less on behavioral and attitudinal conditioning. That was more honest, less contrived, and more enjoyable.

That said, I didn't find the lesbian relationship in this show to be objectionable, that is, it didn't seem contrived or an unnatural part of the story. My above comments are general in nature and not a criticism of this show.

@write2topcat said:

They used to be more focused on entertainment, less on behavioral and attitudinal conditioning. That was more honest, less contrived, and more enjoyable.

Yes, and even in period shows and movies, I see modern day progressive mores and even language used. It's absolutely ridiculous.