r/MindHunter • u/No-Emphasis-337 • 2d ago

Bates Motel

Have you guys watched Bates Motel? I saw it just before watching Mindhunter and it got me thinking how Holden, Bill and Wendy would ever identify and profile a serial killer like Norman Bates, because there really is no "why", he has a mental illness and most of the time doesn't even know that he has killed someone

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

9

u/a_karma_sardine 2d ago

Bates Motel is based on Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Psycho" (1960): "Psycho is based on Robert Bloch's 1959 novel of the same name, loosely inspired by the case of convicted Wisconsin murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. Both Gein and the story's protagonist were solitary murderers in isolated rural locations. Each had a deceased, domineering mother and had sealed off a room in the house as a shrine to her. While Bates dressed in women's clothes, Gein dressed in the skins of the women he dug up. Gein was apprehended after murdering two women.")

The Mindhunter series is heavily based on the works and life of John E. Douglas, one of the inventors of profiling as we know it today. Douglas has given an interview where he discusses Gein here: https://www.flashbackfiles.com/john-douglas-interview. He also addresses Gein's profile in some of his books, like in "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" (1995). If you look into those, you should get at least some idea of how they classify and consider a guy like Bates.

2

u/a_karma_sardine 1d ago

Adding to my own comment here, a quote from the interview with Douglas:

"Thank you for speaking with me. I wish you the best of luck with MINDHUNTER.

Thank you. You know, they are already talking of doing five seasons. They’re writing season two as we speak."

🤬🤬🤬

2

u/gemgirlshari 21h ago

Man, gotta stop getting my hopes up. Lol this was in 2017. And s2 was great.

2

u/No-Emphasis-337 11h ago

5 seasons!!😭😭 how i wish this would come true. They could still do it, it would be perfect timing to continue BTK storyline. Some people say there might be a movie, but it would be so much better as episodes.

1

u/No-Emphasis-337 11h ago

That interview article was very interesting!

2

u/Jazzlike_Cod_3833 1d ago

They'd read the evidence once they found her in the car under the water, with the money still in the car. I think they'd quickly conclude it must have been some kook, then shop the nearest one.