Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany in Mindhunter season 2, Netflix

The morbid fascination with gruesome murder and unsolved cases is ingrained in culture, but the 2010s made it grow into a popular obsession. Shows like Making A Murderer and podcasts like Serial turned ordinary people into armchair detectives. Even fictional investigations, like the recent Halloween remake and True Detective season 3, ingratiated these elements of 'true crime'.

Mindhunter did the same, but shook the common approach. The Netflix series, penned by Joe Penhall (King of Thieves), is based on the true-crime book co-authored by FBI agent John Douglas, who interviewed several serial killers in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

FBI agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) interviews serial killers to understand them better

Mindhunter approaches every subject slowly. Often the crime doesn’t need to be solved because the killer is behind bars. The question the series poses is Why? The fictional agents Holden Ford and Bill Trunch, loosely based on Douglas and agent Robert Ressler, chat with these killers to understand their motivations and how their minds worked.

Season two has taken its time, with director and executive producer David Fincher (Se7en, Zodiac) claiming the delay was due to the scripts not being good enough. But we don't have to wait for much longer. Here’s everything we know so far.

What’s the plot of Mindhunter season 2?

Where the first season was about the beginnings of serial killer investigations, season two picks up when a national interest in notorious murderers starts to spread across America.

This season will cover the harrowing Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 – 1981, in which 28 African-Americans were brutally killed. Wayne Williams was arrested for the murders, but he’s still steadfast about his innocence. The case has been recently reopened to give closure to the families, so this new focus in Mindhunter will have a strong relevance. Williams will feature heavily in this season.

Season 2 is set during the Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 - 1981

Other killer interviews include David Berkowitz, otherwise known as Son of Sam or the .44 Calibre Killer, who shot six people and led to one of the biggest manhunts in New York City history.

Bill and Holden will also pay a visit to Charles Manson, who's perhaps the most infamous killer of all. He created a cult (‘The Manson Family’) in the late ‘60s and murdered nine people including the pregnant actress Sharon Tate.

The ADT Serviceman (Sonny Valicenti) from season one is heavily implied to be the BTK Strangler

It’s still unclear whether the ADT Serviceman from season one – heavily implied to be Dennis Rader, the BTK Strangler – will return in more gloomy and fragmentary scenes. Since BTK wasn't caught until 2005, he’s unlikely to feature as a major plot point. But that makes his brief appearances all the more unsettling.

Who’s in the Mindhunter season 2 cast?

Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany return as agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench. Also returning is Anna Torv, playing psychology professor Wendy Carr - a much needed female presence in the very male, FBI environment.

Anna Torv returns as Wendy Carr

But the most intriguing addition to season two is Damon Herriman, who’s not only playing Charles Manson in Mindhunter but also in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. It’ll be interesting to see, after watching both, how much the character changes.

Damon Herriman plays Charles Manson in both Mindhunter and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

What’s the Mindhunter season 2 release date?

The horrifying investigations continue on 16^th August, with nine episodes dropping straight to Netflix. Obsessions don't get much darker than this.