I read the book by John Douglas (who consults to the show) some years ago...twice. Every now and then I get a memory or part of the book come back to me. This is very close to how I'd imagine the book made into a series - not a movie would look. For those that want a nicely tied up story each episode or answers for everything, you won't find it here.
The description is only partially right, this is about the development of the unit within the FBI that would eventually concentrate on serial killers and develop profiles for the offenders. For them to do this they had to interview thousands of serial murderers and find out how they clicked, their drivers and motivations. This was new ground with untested theories and often against the FBI's own protocol. So, mistakes were made, lines were over stepped and they didn't always get it right.
The two main characters play their parts well, I thought. Often bumbling about, arguing and unsure of what they are doing. I notice some reviewers mistake this for wooden acting and aren't able to like the characters, yet in my mind it works well. You have to remember this is set in the early 70s, so even the title 'serial killer' wasn't coined yet. Instead they called it 'sequence killer'. They were up against old thinking where even the mention of colloquial or slang terms for penis etc. were frowned on by the FBI.
It is unfortunate that some of the reviewers have treated this like a typical Hollywood cop or CSI show. Everything has to be laid out for them and they want some clever theorising and a nice tidy ending. Where as the story is in the journey, not the result. Hang in for the long haul, it's well worth it.
The only unfortunate piece for me is the lead's name 'Holden Ford'. If you are an Australian or NZer you will understand. Makes me cringe every time his name is said in full. Anna Torv makes a welcome member of the cast and gives it a nice air of sophistication.
It's a solid 9 for me.
