On April 23, 2024, a Facebook post by YODA BBY ABY claimed to announce a third season of "Mindhunter," a Netflix show about FBI agents delving into the psychology of murder. The post contained an image of cast members and text indicating the alleged new season would be released in October 2024. (Season 1 premiered in 2017, and Season 2 followed in 2019.)
The caption for the image stated:
MINDHUNTER SEASON 3!!!
This October, delve deeper into the dark corridors of the human mind with Season 3 of Netflix's "Mindhunter." Join the original cast as they venture further into the chilling psyches of notorious serial killers, unraveling mysteries more enthralling than ever. Brace yourself for an electrifying journey as "Mindhunter" returns, more gripping and intense—guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Based on the post's comments, several users appeared to believe the purported announcement. However, referencing one of the directors of the series, David Fincher, the captioned continued, "For entertainment purposes only. Not real. But it should be... David Fincher!! People clearly want this. Make it happen, Cap'N!"
In other words, no, producers of "Mindhunter" haven't announced a third season, as of late April 2024. The in-question post originated from a Facebook page that describes itself as satirical in nature. As such, we rated this claim "Labeled Satire."
YODA BBY ABY's introduction on Facebook reads: "I'm just here to eat frogs, lift rocks and be satirical. The page is 100% satire and fake news."
"Mindhunter" was a critically acclaimed show that Netflix put on indefinite hold in 2020.
At that time, Fincher, who directed most episodes, told Vulture he was no longer developing the show, in part, due to other projects. Also, he said the show was too expensive considering its viewership. "Listen, for the viewership that ['Mindhunter'] had, it was a very expensive show." He said he would only do a third season if his budget for production was higher than season 2's. "And on some level, you have to be realistic — dollars have to equal eyeballs," Fincher said.
Meanwhile, around the same time, a Netflix spokesperson said, while a third season was not planned, the door was open for the show's return. "Maybe in five years," the spokesperson told Vulture.
Since the announcement of the show being on hold, devoted fans have called for the show's return in articles and posts on social media. The post by YODA BBY ABY appeared to be an example.
In a December 2023 interview, one of the show's actors, Holt McCallany, claimed Fincher had indeed thought about bringing it back. McCallany told AwardsDaily:
I've heard that David's thought about it. I'm not saying it's going to come back. But what I am saying is that if it comes back, I'm coming back with it. You can take that to the bank, but it'll depend on what David wants to do. It's been a few years now, so it's probably unlikely, but just even that he would think about it is a hopeful sign.
However, Netflix has not confirmed the show's return. If it had, entertainment journalists would have written stories about the announcement and fans would have flooded social media with commentary. That was not the case.
The "Mindhunter" rumor was not the first satirical post by YODA BBY ABY that some Facebook users seemed to believe was genuine. Previously, posts promoted a fake poster for a "Die Hard" reboot supposedly starring John Krasinski, as well as a fake poster for a live-action reboot of the cartoon "The Emperor's New Groove" featuring Dwayne Johnson.
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.