The core narrative, characters, and themes revolve around psychology, investigation techniques, and the nature of evil, with no foundational reliance on identity politics or social justice framing. Casting aligns closely with the historical 1970s FBI context, featuring predominantly white male leads without race- or gender-swapping of established figures.

The primary progressive element is the portrayal of psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) as a closeted lesbian with a personal subplot involving her relationship, which represents a deliberate alteration from the real-life counterpart who was married with children. This adds incidental LGBTQ representation that remains secondary to the main plot and does not drive character arcs or themes.

Minor audience complaints reference 'woke politics' intruding on the story, but these are sparse and do not indicate centrality. Overall, progressive elements are minor and incidental rather than prominent or structural.