Next month, the limited docuseries Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer will premiere on Hulu. Ahead of that, the first episode was screened at the Tribeca Festival, giving me a chance to essentially get a sneak preview.
Mastermind features Dr. Ann Burgess, who is a renowned clinical nurse specialist — and who has been instrumental in helping law enforcement understand the psychology of heinous criminals. After getting her start by teaching officers about what rape really is, Burgess eventually found herself working for the FBI’s behavioral science unit. By the way, if any of that sounds somewhat familiar, it may be because Burgess was also the inspiration for a fictional character on Netflix’s Mindhunter.
After briefly meeting Burgess and her family in the intro, we quickly jump into the work she’s dedicated her life to. Along the way, we learn of her and the BS unit’s — which, as you can imagine, occasionally stood for something else among unimpressed FBI agents — efforts to learn about the psychology of violent criminals and find patterns that they can leverage to help catch fugitives and, hopefully, reduce the number of victims. Moreover, as we see, Burgess’s ability to truly empathize with those affected helped her unit gain critical information while also changing the stigma that surrounded (and continues to surround) victims of certain crimes.
As part of this exploration, we hear recorded interviews with serial killers, giving viewers a chance to step into Burgess’s role in a way. Among these recorded interviews are those conducted with Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and many more. Ultimately, the episode culminates with the introduction of the Ski Mask Rapist as the BS unit works to apply what they’ve learned to catch the criminal before their spree turns even more violent.
The ending point of this inaugural ep happens to leave us on a bit of a cliffhanger. In turn, when the credits rolled, I really wished that Hulu’s “Next episode starts in…” countdown came up, but alas. Well, since it’s about true events, I suppose I could just Google more information — but, the point is that I was hooked and ready to continue a binge.
I should also mention that, although the show covers serious and upsetting topics, it’s not graphic (at least not in what we screened). Still, those sensitive to these discussions may want to skip this one.
Overall, Hulu’s Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer is an engaging series in a number of ways. While the true crime elements may be what most viewers come for, hearing about the life of Burgess and her impact on the field was most fascinating to me. It seems that, at age 87, Burgess is finally getting some of the recognition she clearly deserves. Personally, I truly hope to learn more about Burgess and her life’s story in the subsequent episodes of the docuseries.
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer debuted at the Tribeca Festival and all three-episodes will arrive on Hulu July 11th.