Netflix thriller Mindhunter asks you to look past its ludicrous title

By Erik Adams | October 13, 2017 | 5:00am

TV Lists What's On Tonight

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, October 13, and Saturday, October 14. All times are Eastern

Top pick

Mindhunter (Netflix, Friday): Quick: From the title alone, what do you expect the TV show Mindhunter to be about? A literal translation, in which elite sportspeople are gathered on a remote island to stalk the most dangerous game: The human brain? A procedural about an investigator who uses psychic powers to climb into a suspects thoughts—so, basically, Thought Jacker from the closing-credits gag of Community’s “Basic Sandwich”? Or the true-crime book by John E. Douglas, the retired chief of the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit? It’s the last one, and the first two, David Fincher-directed episodes—which play like Fincher returning to one of his taut big-screen crime thrillers and spacing out the story beats in fascinating, hypnotic fashion—make up for any dumb joke you could make about the title. (For example: It’s also the name of a crossover event that put two of the ’90s’ most outrageously costumed comics protagonists in the paths of a Predator and a xenomorph.) And really, are you going to question the judgment of the guy who Thomas Harris based Jack Crawford on? Once you get over yourself and actually watch Mindhunter, Sean T. Collins has some recaps for you to read.

Regular coverage

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW, Friday, 8 p.m.): season premiere
Marvel’s Inhumans (ABC, Friday, 9 p.m.)
Jane The Virgin (The CW, Friday, 9 p.m.): season premiere
Z Nation (Syfy, Friday, 9 p.m.)
DuckTales (Disney XD, Saturday, 8 a.m.)
Halt And Catch Fire (AMC, Saturday, 9 p.m.): two-part series finale
Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.)
Gilmore Girls (TV Club Classic)

Wild card

Lore (Friday, Amazon): “Based on a true story” is the streaming subject matter du jour this weekend: Amazon’s adaptation of the popular horror podcast Lore also drops on Friday. According to our own spooky-story hex-pert Katie Rife, the nonfiction anthology is nothing to fright home about, but don’t let that creep you from checking it out. [Cryptkeeper laugh.]