USA TODAY International Edition
A ‘slow burn’ can be worth the wait
Netflix’s Mindhunter tells the story of two FBI agents in the 1970s trying to understand the psychology of serial killers. Their work led to the science of criminal profiling.
It’s almost impossible to tell that’s where the series is going from its sluggish first two episodes, and Mindhunter doesn’t get near the heart of its story until the end of Episode 2. A main character isn’t even introduced until Episode 3.
Mindhunter is one of the latest “slowburn” series that have premiered recently, including HBO’s The Deuce and CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery. The Deuce, another ’70s-set drama, tells the story of the rise of pornography in the Times Square area but takes nearly half a season to get its on-screen cameras rolling. Star Trek: Discovery’s first two episodes act as more of a prologue to the series than a pilot.
Slow-burn TV isn’t new, but it is becoming more common for series to take two or more episodes to do their best work, partially a result of the changing TV landscape. In some cases (especially on streaming), creators expect their audiences to sit down and binge multiple episodes.
A long windup can be irritating or gratifying, turn off viewers or reward their patience. Introductory episodes can provide necessary background or end up as dull filler. A good series can overcome a languid opening, but it requires a certain skill to hold on to the audience until it gets to the good stuff.
This fall, three new series — The Deuce, Mindhunter and Discovery — have varying degrees of success revealing their true selves.
If you went in cold, you’d think The Deuce was about mobsters and prostitution in Times Square in the 1970s, considering it doesn’t get to the burgeoning pornography industry until halfway through the first season. To its credit, the story it tells about the prostitutes, pimps, gangsters and working stiffs before it gets to the porn is smart and moving. The Deuce feels more like a portrait of a specific time and place than a show about one aspect of it, and its documentary approach works well.
In contrast, Mindhunter’s first two episodes are listless before it becomes a tight, thought-provoking crime series. Sure, the buildup gives back story to its two male leads, but the series is immeasurably energized when psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) joins the team as a steady foil for Holden’s obsessive curiosity and Bill’s (Holt McCallany) rash anger. By Episode 3, things start to pick up, and it turns into the kind of “binge-able” show Netflix is known for.
Discovery, which just wrapped the first half of its first season (it will return Jan. 7), both benefits and is weakened by this slow-starting structure. Its first two episodes show off the series’ stellar special effects, grandiose themes and dark tone. But Trek finds its creative groove only when Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) joins the USS Discovery in the third episode and the majority of the main cast is introduced.
When early episodes obscure the true intentions of a series, it may be hard to wait, or not worth it at all. The Deuce played coy to its advantage, Mindhunter moved past its mostly irrelevant opening, and Discovery did a little of both. Each series rewarded the patience of its fans. Sometimes, once the smoke of a slow burn clears, a show’s true direction can catch fire.