Mindhunter ending explained: What happens to Holden and Bill?
Created by Joe Penhall and starring Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany, Mindhunter is a psychological crime thriller series, based on the true crime book by John E Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Executively produced by David Fincher, Charlize Theron, and others, Mindhunter was a critical and commercial hit and was praised for its raw and gritty portrayal, its plot, tone, direction, and performances.
The first season of Mindhunter deals with how the Behavioral Science Unit was created in the FBI during the late 1970s. It shows how agents Holden Ford (Groff) and Bill Tench (McCallany) come together to begin criminal profiling of the victims so that they can understand the psychology of serial killers.
The second and final season of Mindhunter primarily revolves around Ford and Tench trying to catch the perpetrator behind the famous Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 and 1981. The finale episode of Mindhunter sees Hord and Tench race against time to try and catch the perpetrator while Tench's married life crumbles and Ford is unable to find professional and personal satisfaction.
At the end of Mindhunter, Holden is unable to get Wayne Williams tried for the murders of the children and is left dejected when the case closes. Tench, on the other hand, comes back to an empty home as his wife has left him with their son.
Mindhunter ending explained
The final episode of Mindhunter begins with Holden Ford and Bill Tench finding a man called Wayne Williams on a bridge early in the morning. The duo has strong suspicions that he is the person behind the murders in Atlanta, because he is found when a massive splash sound is heard by an officer. He is out at 3:00 am without any motive, and gives an awkward reason that he is meeting someone called Cheryl Johnson for a singing audition.
Agent Ford even finds hair on the backseat of his car, some ropes, and gloves. But Williams says that it is his uncle’s car. Ford and Tench try their best to grill Williams and catch him, but he is clever. The duo has to let Williams go, disappointingly, due to a lack of evidence. Later on, it is revealed that the phone number that Williams gave to Cheryl Johnson is a dead end.
The next day shows that Williams lives with his dad, and the two agents notice that his car is now thoroughly clean. They question Williams at his home, and when Ford and Tench bring up the fake number of Cheryl, he simply says that it could be a prank. The detective also finds that Wayne’s talent scout flyer involves younger acts.
The agent duo of Mindhunter finds out that Williams rents the studio at “Hotlanta Records.” A person called Melvin at the studio tells the agents that Wayne does not have any music, his clients are mostly 14-15 years old, and Wayne has a lot of cuts on his arms. Later on, the composite drawing of the man seen with one of the victims, Lubie Geter, also looks like Wayne Williams.
Soon, another person, called Nathanial Cater, is found, and Ford calls Tench back to Atlanta, which further causes a divide in Tench’s home life and upsets his wife. However, Tench has to leave behind his tense family situation because he has to get a warrant.
Based on a few pieces of evidence, Tench, Barney, and Ford request 24-hour surveillance and wiretaps of Wayne Williams. It is soon revealed that Williams was a photographer for the Department of Public Safety’s arson investigations.
While the chance to put a tracer on Williams' car is ruined, the FBI monitors him closely and even brings in cars and planes. Agent Ford and Tench, on the other hand, try to discuss Williams’ motivations. While Tench thinks it is some kind of shame, Ford thinks it is narcissism. Eventually, Williams comes to know that the police are behind him, and a neighbor reveals that Williams was burning trash at 5 am.
Soon, Williams' house is searched, and a book is found on how to beat a lie detector test. A 1978 Plymouth Fury that looks like a police vehicle, and a police light, which leads to his arrest on the grounds of impersonating a police officer, is also found. The duo realizes that maybe Williams gained the victims’ trust by pretending to be from the police.
This leads to Williams’ name getting leaked and Wayne enjoying the fame and talking to reporters. A man called Wade comes forward to provide more information about Wayne. Meanwhile, the suspicious patch on Williams’ carpet at home comes back from the investigation, and it matches 14 victims.
Wayne tries to ease the pressure by creating a circus, taking the media to the mayor’s house, and beeping a horn to annoy him and proclaim his innocence. Later on, Williams is arrested for the murders of two adults, Cater and Payne, and not the children, and all other investigations are suspended. Barney tells Ford and Tench that there is a larger conspiracy in place.
In the final scenes of Mindhunter, the families of the murdered children are angry that Williams was not charged, and when Holden says that the cases are open, the parents say that the cases will now be closed. This is exactly what happens.
While Agent Holden Ford feels guilt over his unsuccessful attempt at getting Williams punished by the law, Agent Bill Tench returns to his home to find that his wife has had enough and has left the home, taking their son with her.
In the last scene, there is an unsettling clip of the BTK killer, dressed in women’s clothes and donning a mask. He also has mementos from his murders. He then makes a video recording with the mask on and puts a noose around his neck, before the screen turns blank.
Also read: Is Mindhunter being renewed for a third season? Viral poster debunked
What happens to Holden and Bill
In the final scenes of Mindhunter, it is shown that agents Holden and Bill do not have a conclusive ending. Holden Ford is overcome with guilt because Williams was not charged for the children’s murders in Atlanta. Bill Tench, on the other hand, comes back to an empty home because he and his wife had been having simmering tensions over their adopted son.
When Tench leaves for work during Memorial Day, his wife has had enough, and she leaves with their son, effectively showcasing that Bill’s family and married life are over. Therefore, both agents face personal setbacks at the end of Mindhunter.
Also read: The Rookie showrunner confirms the end of this one long-standing arc
All episodes of Mindhunter are available to stream on Netflix.
