Mindhunter (TV Series 2017–2019) Poster

(2017–2019)

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9/10
Brilliant Television
tkdlifemagazine13 September 2022
This fictionalized show about the development of 1970's police forensic psychology and profiling is brilliant. It takes a premise, which could have been a documentary, and develops it around fictional and real characters. The scripts and storyline is brilliant. The acting by the main characters, especially the two leads, is fantastic. The Direction by David FIncher and others is movie quality. The 1970's attention to detail is just stunning. The interweaving of the brilliant role outs of real serial killers is just amazing to watch. The people and the scripts surrounding Manson, the Co-ed Killer, BTK, the Son of Sam and more are just fascinating. The is a thoughtfully constructed show and one of Netflix's finest additions. I wish I had watched it sooner.
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10/10
Just get us Season 3
raysatish13 July 2020
I wanted to see something like Zodiac for a long time and couldn't find something and then my friend suggested to watch this and my mind is blown. David Fincher gives something that literally no other person could give. It has a perfect pacing and the pilot is for character introduction and the second episode is due character development. And from the 3rd episode the series starts in a full fledged way and boom you get what you are looking for it's one of the best and very-very enjoyable. Fincher is the MVP here and he does his job perfectly. It's so good that I'm ready to beg Fincher to start it's production ASAP.
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9/10
Great!
Supermanfan-1328 July 2020
Mindhunter is one of the better shows I've seen in some time! I've read some people think it gets slow at times but that's only because they're building the story and characters but it absolutely pays off. This series is so well done, from the acting to the directing to the writing to the etc, etc! Everything about this show is great!
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10/10
So disappointed there will be no season 3
koofasa16 July 2021
Today's choices for decent dramatic programming is very spotty so when I saw that Mindhunter was canceled I couldn't be more disappointed. This was an excellent show about the start of the FBI's profiling program. It was well made and acted and now it's gone. The first two season were great though so it is definitely worth watching. There were no story lines that required a third season to wrap up so you won't feel cheated when you realize season two is the end. This show was about the criminals and how they were profiled rather than the FBI agents who did the profiling. It is still a 10 star show even without a third season.
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9/10
Come On Netflix: We Need Season Three of "Mindhunter"
markkbranson22 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I've watched both seasons, the last one in three days. With the teaser(S) at the end of Season Two, there has to be a third season. Why? Well, I will explain:

First, this series is solid because of the acting across the board. I hadn't noticed in season one, but two of my favorites from the "Fringe" series are here: Anna Torv and Michael Cerveris. The others, particularly Groff (Holden Ford) and McCallany (Tench) are great as the FBI agents who founded the unit.

Second, the writing is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Charles Manson, as well as the other "serial" killers. The writing staff is superb in the way they have taken characters from our collective consciences and given then a character we begin the understand.

Third, there are too many shoes left to drop: What is going to happen with Wendy (Torv)? What is Tench going to do about his son? What is Ford going to do? And what about this one guy with a mask we have seen throughout this season??

I could go on and on, but Netflix has an obligation to us to bring some sense of closure to this series and it can't be left hanging like this. Come on Netflix; announce the third season coming in 2020!
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9/10
Brilliant!!
Rob133129 September 2022
Mindhunter is such a great show. Just read through the reviews to see what most people think about it. This is not your average cop show. It follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tech (Holt McCallany) as they attempt to understand and catch serial killers by studying their minds and psyches. This is the start of modern day serial killer profiling. It really digs in to why these monsters do the terrible things they do. I've read some people think it gets slow at times but that's only because they're building the story and characters but it absolutely pays off. Everything about this show is award worthy...the acting, writing, directing, cinematography, production, etc, etc.! One of its creators is David Fincher (Seven, Zodiac, Gone Girl, The Social Network, etc). It has the same feel of a lot of his work so if you're a fan of his then you'll be a fan of this show.
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9/10
It was one of the best series I've ever watched.
jack_o_hasanov_imdb9 August 2021
It was one of the best series I've ever watched.

Why didn't they continue?
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8/10
Fascinating, Suspenseful Drama Exploring The Origins Of Criminal Psychology And Profiling
gogoschka-122 January 2018
For those of you who came here looking for something like 'Se7en', because you thought, well, it's from David Fincher and it's about serial killers, I have bad news: this is not that kind of show. But if you came here looking for something more like 'Zodiac', because you thought, well, it's Fincher producing a show about people investigating serial killers, you might indeed find something you like. And if you appreciate long-form storytelling focusing more on human drama than on action scenes, AND you're a bit of a science nerd on top of that (and by that I'm also implying you don't mind watching a show where people are talking most of the time), then, my friend, you are in for a treat.

The reason I absolutely love 'Mindhunter' is this: I'm the kind of person who always wants to know why we know what we know. Because we DIDN'T always know. Somebody had to make a start; someone had to make that first step, that first discovery and draw that first conclusion. Somebody had to be curious, probably persistent, maybe even daring in their quest for knowledge. The history of science is littered with warriors, some of whom we now celebrate and hold in high esteem - but we have a tendency to forget that many scientists also were tragic figures who had to fight against restrictions imposed by society and risked paying a high price - professionally and personally - for their fight against ignorance. And it's those aspects of science that I find so fascinating, and it's precisely those aspects that 'Mindhunter' is interested in; not the "showy", glamorous stuff, but the meticulous groundwork and the personal human drama inherent in the quest for knowledge. And if you, like me, have a morbid curiosity for all the darker aspects of human nature, it surely doesn't hurt that the particular branch of science whose origins this show explores is that of criminal psychology: the science which tries to understand how the minds of criminals work and what causes them to commit their crimes.

As you might have guessed, 'Mindhunter' isn't concerned with shoplifters or what goes on inside the head of someone who commits insurance fraud, but rather with criminals whose behavior is a tad more serious (like, you know, murderers who have a penchant for engaging in sexual activities with their victims' severed heads - stuff like that). And it isn't a documentary either; although the characters are based on real people and the show offers a realistic portrayal of serial killers, this is a dramatized account of events made for our entertainment. And entertaining it is, and on a high artistic level at that: the performances are fantastic; cinematography, editing and direction bear the clear trademark of the master filmmaker who produced and partly directed this (though it must be said that while Fincher appears to be the creative leader, the project was brought to him by one Charlize Theron who owns the rights to the book upon which the show is based and also serves as a producer, and the excellent teleplay was predominantly written by Jennifer Haley and the show's credited creator Joe Penhall).

To sum it all up: 'Mindhunter' is a show that takes full advantage of its format; this is long form storytelling as it was meant to be, and while it probably doesn't work for people with short attention spans, the patient viewer is rewarded with a fascinating, richly layered and suspenseful drama exploring the origins of criminal psychology and criminal profiling. Excellent stuff: 8 stars out of 10.

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
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9/10
What?? No Season 3?!
besss-0341828 January 2023
Well written, well cast, just well done. Why there isn't a 3rd season is beyond me.

I was a fan of Criminal Minds, so it was fun to think this is where the BAU started.

Having the story line based upon real criminals made this believable and interesting. (They didn't shy away from details, although a bit gruesome, was necessary to the plots).

The time period was well done, with the soundtrack truly adding to the atmosphere. The characters were not only believable, but you could empathize with them thanks to the great work of the actors in the cast.

It is criminal (sorry for the pun) that good productions like this eek out only 2 seasons while gossipy, glossy, air-brained 'reality shows' go on for 4-5 seasons or more. It's a travesty - this show was just too smart for the room.
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10/10
Please David Fincher read this:
pkhall14 September 2022
Mr. Fincher, Mindhunter is the greatest show ever created on TV. Please make another season. I know you're busy making a wonderful movies etc. But this show is just exceptional. Other than Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, I can't remember a TV series that has been so perfectly done as this. Your direction and the cast is so enjoyable. I have seen the series now seasons 1 and 2 three times and it just keeps getting better with each viewing. Hope you can find it within yourself to keep this going for many years coming. Every single actor that has played a notorious killer has been transformed into that person by your incredible make up team it is as if we are truly watching these people give their testimonies. It is very creepy that it is so believable, but that is just simply your incredible vision and direction. I think you probably the best modern day Director. Thank you so much again and praying for future episodes.
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10/10
Extremely good, but was sadly canceled.
Lukasmj15 November 2022
"Mindhunter" is probably one of the best series I've ever seen.

I find people's psyches extremely interesting anyway, which is why this series felt like it was made for me.

To see how serial killers are questioned here to really define their kind for the first time is just pure excitement.

The serial killers' costumes are also spot on.

Even in the 2nd season, which unfortunately turns out to be rather poor in most cases, there is not a hint of a reduction in quality to be seen here, but the series even steps up a notch.

I find the decision to cancel the series just cheeky without giving us a satisfying ending.

I understand the hiring was financial, but I would definitely rather see another season of Mindhunter than the 100th Netflix miniseries with the same boring plot.
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7/10
Season 1 was fantastic, but.....
theroscoevine28 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Season 2 ground to a halt somewhere in the middle and never started, again. I was very disappointed. If it had been titled "Wendy's Broken Romance" or "Bill Tench's Crazy Kid" I wouldn't have watched it. They made BTK the central focus of the season, right from the outset, and then just let it fall. The Atlanta child murders, as heinous as they were, were introduced to the viewers under what seemed like a side plot and then quickly evolved into the main plot of the show, but then they dragged it out so long, had it been a rope, it would have snapped early on. They ultimately told very little story, very slowly, and with unnecessary side plots cluttering the whole bit. That's not even to mention the practical absence of the awesome serial killer interactions from season one. They did do a few interviews, but very few, and at least half weren't even conducted by Bill and Holden, and the ones Bill was involved in were corrupted by his rage at his unfortunate family situation which obviously distracted him throughout, and ultimately made the interview segments devolve down to the level of side plots when those segments were a principal factor in making season 1 as great as it was. It wasn't good. If I had known how it was to be handled, I'd have banked season 2 so that I could watch it and season 3 back to back. Watching season 2 by itself felt like a real non-starter. For what it's worth, I've already seen some compelling depictions of the madman that was BTK. I could just go watch those again.
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5/10
Starts off interesting, gets soapy, in season 2 they've lost the plot
joachimokeefe19 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The story of the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit, which apparently invented the term 'serial killer' back in the seventies. They start off interviewing all the hi-profile serial killers in jail, and we get to witness the mind games between a hard-bitten, chainsmoking career cop, an earnest rookie, and people like Charlie Manson, etc. These are the best bits, but once Dr. Evil from Aus**n P*wers joins the team, it starts to go off the boil.

Naturally there are girlfriends, wives, children but we know why you're here. you're sick of watching cheap serial killer documentaries on the Fr**V**w channels. What you want is authenticity.

The depiction of years gone by is quite subtle and the US-wide location jumps are interesting (together with the vintage airline stuff, cigarettes and all). Gratuitous sex scenes which add nothing to the story, dozens and dozens of vintage cars (30+ drivers in the credits) for which they must have trawled all the USA's vintage car clubs when the film unit came to town.

Drama? Character? Well, the actors do their best I suppose, but by the middle ofseason 2 Mindhunter gets completely bogged down in the Atlanta Child Murderer case. Completely. One of the main characters (Doctor Wendy) is just forgotten about. It really does bring home the tedium of police work. For several episdodes. Don't expect any variety or suspense after they go to Atlanta; it gets stuck in Serial Killer Procedureville and becomes just another cop soap, updated with gay and racial themes.

Worth a look, but bingeing is not recommended.
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10/10
Bring back this masterpiece
manTOman26 July 2022
Dont cancel this one cause man this is by far best criminal series for ages. This so well act and script is brilliant. No forced melodrama for long time American crime series is coming close to be as good as Brits are doing.
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10/10
A perfect 10
baunacholi-8615911 October 2019
Once in a while really AMAZING series appear on tv. Mindhunter is one of them. Every aspect of the show is a perfect 10 - the ultimate essence of noir crime. Intelligent, dark, disturbing. Why this show has not won every award possible is beyond me. The cast is top notch. Esp. Anna Torv's performance is outstanding. Cameron Britton who portrays Ed Kemper let u easily forget that it's a show. It feels so real, so raw. There are some more interviews with other suspects/killers, all let u peak into an abyss as cruel and dark as it can be. A twisted mind. If u are up for something truly unique and innovative in the usually rather stereotype crime bla, mindhunter is your antidote.
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10/10
One of the best series on TV
nickmalizia81731 December 2022
Mindhunter is one of the most brilliant shows ever made. I will admit the first couple episodes can be a little slow, but the pacing picks up tremendously and gets even better into the second season. The cinematography was some of the best I've ever seen. The suspenseful and thought provoking interviews with the serial killers was amazingly done. After finishing season 2, I immediately went out and bought the book that this show is based on and after finishing it I can say that the show was very accurate to what was touched on in the book. I was so sad when I learned that this show was canceled apparently due to low viewing. More people need to check out this fantastic show.
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9/10
Brilliant
grantss10 November 2018
(Updated after Season 2).

1979. Agent Holden Ford is attached to the FBI's Behavioural Sciences Unit, headed by veteran agent Bill Tench. A new type of killer is emerging, one that kills regularly and without apparent motive. Due to the lack of motive, it is difficult to profile and apprehend the perpetrator in a murder investigation. In order to reduce this knowledge deficit, Tench and Ford set out to question incarcerated 'sequence killers' and build up a database of their backgrounds, behaviours, drivers and motives in order to make apprehending such criminals easier in future.

Brilliant drama series, largely based on a true story, with the names of the main characters changed. (Interesting fact: the true-life character Holden Ford is based on, John Douglas, was the inspiration for the character of Jack Crawford in the Hannibal books and movies.).

Well-told, showing how behavioural science evolved as a means of identifying and apprehending serial killers. Quite fascinating, especially when you consider that as recently as 1979 nothing was really known about serial killers' motives or profiles. In 1979, the expression 'serial killer' wasn't even a term! (Bill Tench's real-life character coined it).

The individual cases are quite riveting, and show the new method of profiling in action. Also shows that, like with any new, revolutionary idea, hitting upon the idea is only half the battle - convincing others, especially those you rely on to follow through on your work - in this case prosecutors, superiors, other law enforcement officers - is the other half.

Good character depth. Each of the main characters is clearly drawn and brings their personality, issues and hang-ups to the job.

On that note, the only negative aspect initially is the character of Holden Ford. I often found him irritating - cold, over-thinking, nerdy and paranoid. The episode involving the teacher was the low point of the series and a great example of the downside of Ford's personality. Maybe that's the point - what makes him brilliant also makes him a dingbat.

Season 2 isn't quite as interesting as Season 1. While S1 showed them interviewing convicted serial killers, evolving their theories and processes and building their processes, S2 largely deals with one particular case. While it is reasonably interesting, and does show some of their newly-developed techniques in action, it largely involves old-fashioned police grunt work, so is nothing new and is even dull at times. I kept feeling like the story was going in circles without developing. That's how police investigations are, I suppose, so is quite realistic. Just not that exciting.

Season 1: 9/10. Season 2: 8/10.
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10/10
Can't Watch Just One Episode
boatsfra22 November 2017
Mindhunter is a 10 episode series on N'flix that hits a home run with me. First of all, David Fincher can do no wrong in my eyes, blending trance-like music with scenes that are unforgettable. He does this a few times and my goodness he's the master at it. Every scene, every line...well-constructed and nothing wasted.

Mindhunter gets into your head very quickly and not only for the content, but for the era it is held in. If you weren't born in the 70's, that's OK because the producers here have done a masterful job in recreating America in that decade. I honestly don't know how they did it scene after scene.

Mindhunter is a series where each character leaves an indelible mark on your psyche. The content is deep and makes you wonder. Don't forget to hug mom. I give it a 10 on the "bingeable" meter.
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9/10
I almost gave up one this one..
lkurs-6637914 October 2017
I almost gave up on this around the 2 episode. Something told me to hang in there, and I'l glad I did. If you're fascinated by the psychology and methodology of a serial killer, you should watch the entire series. It does start off slow, but well worth the wait. When it comes to "Mind Hunter," patience is a virtue!
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10/10
Flawless investigation Netflix series
UniqueParticle1 September 2019
I'm beyond fascinated by the study of the criminals as weird as they may sound so this hit the spot to me kinda like a delicious meal! The other thing is David Fincher the director of the pilot is one of my all time favorite humans/famous beings! Mindhunter has a wonderful tranquil ambient soundtrack throughout and immersive acting. It'll creep you out, intrigue you, and even make you wanna sympathize with many of the characters.

Also I'm rewatching for the second time, I originally saw when back in its prime and loving every bit again, I'm sure season 2 is just as good; I'll watch that soon. They're needs to be a lot more adult crime shows rated TV-MA, it's a million times better than most! Highly recommend to anyone that doesn't mind learning about monsters that did sinister crimes!
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9/10
Only a 9 because they left us hanging.
Trilby1625 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I object! Throughout the two seasons, there are snippets of a guy wearing a girdle and a mask doing creepy things with a doorknob-- WHAT IS HIS DEAL??? Why does the show not follow through on this? I'm very upset about it. Season 3, guys! And Tench's wife and creepy adopted son-- GONE? Not even a note? There's another season 3. What the hell.
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6/10
Season 1 was intriguing Season 2 was so so
mochteam25 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I liked the idea behind season 1 of getting into the minds of serial killers to find more serial killers. Season 2 started out as a continuation of that then jumps off into way too many directions.

It starts with them forgetting the main characters subplot of having panic attacks that affect his ability to do his job (they forget about it entirely halfway through the season).

Then it jumps to the 2nd subplot of the older agent (Agent Tench) and his future serial killer son and nonsupporting home maker wife that drags on scenes that you get tired of watching very quickly as it adds nothing to the story what so ever.

The third subplot which is even less needed is the lesbian love life of Dr. Carr. In this season she falls for a woman who is basically the female version of a male loser. Her relationship is full of pointless boring scenes only there to remind the audience that one of the characters is gay and the show is edgy.

Let me just say this I watched Agent Scully and Mulder go on all kinds of investigations for like 8 years and I don't recall any of the episodes being about either of their love lives. Just their partnership and their work. I don't get why this series has to have all this extra stuff without even establishing the man plot first. It's like the movie has ADD. One scene it's the main story, next scene it's the nagging housewife, next scene the lesbian bartender I mean give us a break and focus on the plot.

The main plot? I thought it was about the BTK killer but it switches to another serial killer named Wayne Williams. Why didn't I like season 2 is mainly because of this story even with the extra stuff thrown in there. Too many racial politics thrown in and stuff that reflects on what still goes on today with the current news and politics so it's really depressing. It seemed to lean away from the plot of meeting serial killers and learning about them to just focusing on one killer that whose story had and unsatisfying ending even worse it's based on real life so it's that much more depressing of a season.

The problem with the main plot is that it's supposed to show that thing FBI's Profiling Program is capable of catching a killer and well most of the episodes are spent with their profiling skills being ignored entirely. If this was a documentary about Wayne Williams it would be well done. If this was a show about the inner workings of serial killers and dissecting their behavior to prevent future crimes it wasn't so great to watch.
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5/10
First series good, second series dull
Stefanos_Christofi23 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The first series is interesting and informative and I binged watched it and wanted more at the end. Holden and Tench were great and you felt real tension when they were interviewing people such as kemper. Also the supporting cast were good and their characters added to the whole thing. At the end of the series I wanted more.

Bring on series 2 and some bright spark decided that we need to know about some fictional interpersonal relations and it is just extremely dull. I don't care and it detracts from what I do care about which is the serial killer stuff and the interviews.
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9/10
Enter the psychopath's mind
Vinicius813 October 2017
Two episodes in and I'm already hooked. Technically speaking, this series is very good (it's directed by David Fincher, of course it's good) and it stays true (so far) to the real-life crimes it was based on. I can't say the same for the characters, and how close they are to the people who really did this work, but considering their names are different and the book they adapted wasn't some sort of biography, most of their personal (love) lives must be fictitious or at least overtly dramatized.

You see, this series here isn't some kind of good cop, bad cop chase villains and shoot and explode a lot of stuff and at the end of the day (or episode) they go back to their wives and sleep like babies. No. There are way too many series like that, so search elsewhere if that's what you want, because you won't find that here.

Mindhunter is slow. Very slow. At first it might look like an simple thriller but actually it tells the story of two FBI agents in their pursuit to, as very precisely said by Holt McCallany's character, "understand how crazy thinks". But that doesn't come easily. Crazy is crazy. You gotta be crazy to understand crazy. But that doesn't stop naïve Holden Ford from interviewing the most despicable real-life psychopaths alive in America in the late 70's to develop the ideas that will become the tenets of the criminal profiling system.

As I said before, Mindhunter is directed by David Fincher, and as expected from his work, it's impeccable, both pacing and cinematography are top-notch. At the end of the episode you will be like "wait, that's it?" as the credits roll and the song keeps playing like the story is still going on. And somehow you are watching the next episode.

Writing and dialogue are great too. All very natural and haunting. Damn psychos could very much be the real ones. And that gets me to the acting, from what I've seen there's enough to say it's fantastic. The characters are brought to life by the actors. Also, the chemistry between characters Holden Ford and Bill Tench is incredibly real and sometimes, even through the bleakness of their work's nature, hilarious.

To finish off, I'll just say the biggest review cliché: Mindhunter is not for everyone. I know you know everyone says it, but it's truer in this case. If my review and the trailer got your attention, you gotta watch it. If it didn't, you'll probably hate Mindhunter. That's how it goes.
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8/10
How can we get ahead of crazy if we don't know how crazy thinks?
anniec6213 October 2017
I'm spoiled for good quality TV shows that are intriguing and make me think while entertaining along the way. So many shows I watch the first episode and can't even get through it because its so predictable or cookie cutter. I'm excited I've found a new one to enjoy. And even though it is set in the 70s, its very relevant for today. Crazy takes on many forms. Back then it was "sequence killers" prior to term "serial killer" being used. Today its crazy mass shooters. I love Ford's desire to learn. I've watched 2 episodes and looking forward to the rest. And BTW the soundtrack is amazing!
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