Mindhunter just got Netflixed

It was the streamer's best original show. Now it's headed for the dustbin after only two seasons.

A scene from Mindhunter.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

To paraphrase an old Yiddish proverb, man plans and Netflix laughs.

This week, TVLine reported that Mindhunter has been "put on indefinite hold and cast members Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv have been released from their contracts." It's a familiar story for anyone who's allowed themselves to get attached to a Netflix original series over the past few years. Once lauded for its potential to reshape the TV landscape with niche offerings that didn't need to rely on traditional viewership metrics, Netflix is now changing television again. Only this time, it is leaving dozens of shows orphaned after only one or two seasons in a quest to hook restless viewers in an increasingly oversaturated and competitive market.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.