Critic’s Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
4.6
The Hunting Party Season 1 finale went out with a bang. The writers decided to go big or go home, and let’s hope their idea worked.
Massive cliffhangers are always risky when a series hasn’t been renewed yet, though sometimes it helps.
Revealing several secrets and putting two main characters in danger was one way to go, since it forced Bex to evaluate her relationships on The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 10.
Before we dive into that, let’s discuss the weekly killer, how she connected to the Pit and tried to take over Bex’s life.
James Whitmore Was Dangerous Since He Thought He Created a Miracle Drug
James Whitmore was more evil than most of the serial killers in the Pit. He seemed diabolical that he would create a drug that affected emotional responses in his subjects.
GWB-45 decreased or increased emotional responses, and the military gained access to this drug. Such a scary thought to have soldiers on this drug.
Thankfully, Col. Lazurus proved her loyalty to Oliver and Bex, revealing how controlling James Whitmore became.
He sounded awful, and almost all the doctors and scientists in the Pit seemed evil. It also explained the bloody massacre in the Pit.
Jenna Wells was one of his subjects, and she was still unaccounted for.
Jenna Wells Dangerous Because She Thought She Was Someone Else
Eliza Coupe beautifully played the weekly serial killer, aka the killer chemist. She was cold-blooded and viciously dosed patients’ medication, never knowing when they would die.
It was frightening because she chose her victims out of jealousy, not because she had a bad life. She only wanted something they had.
Jenna Wells became even more deranged after being in the Pit since James Whitmore’s drug had an adverse effect on her.
She grew so empathetic, and it blurred reality, so she thought she was her victim and assumed their life.
She seemed like an everyday girl next door as she talked to people because she was versed at taking over people’s lives.
No one guessed she had moved on to spiking drinks and hiding bodies in closets.
There was a reason Jenna selected Anna, though, other than that she dressed well and was cute. She was scheduled to cater a party for Whitmore Sciences, and Jenna wanted to confront and murder James Whitmore.
I can’t say as I blamed the woman. He messed with her mind. She looked frightening with that knife at that cocktail party, and part of me wanted her to get her revenge, as long as no one else got hurt.
The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 10 Showcased The Team’s Growth in An Epic Showdown With Whitmore Sciences
That was an epic showdown! We knew Jenna Wells was important, but we weren’t expecting James Whitmore to claim her as his property and refuse to let her go.
His men were vicious against the team, and Hassani got hit. It was almost adorable how shocked Hassani was that Bex referred to him as a close friend as she negotiated with the last gunman for them to all leave alive.
You would think he’d know how much he mattered to them. Bex nearly fell apart from worry, and Shane was her safe place as they worried about their friend.
Oliver has evolved since the beginning of The Hunting Party Season 1. It showcased whose side he was aligned with when the Attorney General threatened to shut them down.
He also showed concern for Hassani, even though they had been rivals. They have become a team and a family; hopefully, we will see more of these dynamics.
Bex has always been the team’s heart, while Hassani has been its protector, and that’s why Bex looked so crushed that she didn’t know a vital source of information about him.
While that was pushed to the side as the team dealt with the Attorney General and finding Jenna Wells, could that secret affect their relationship moving forward?
Shane Was Desperate to Learn His Identity, But Wouldn’t Sacrifice The Team
While Shane was desperate to learn his identity, he didn’t cross any lines. He stayed the loyal, upstanding man we’ve grown to love.
I loved that he asked Morales for help and the friendship they formed. They’re the two new team members, and they support each other.
It was endearing how she teased him initially but agreed when she realized decoding that audio meant a great deal to him.
This episode tricked us. They made us believe that Shane would leave Bex in danger at the base to question Dr. Dulles about his mother.
I’m relieved that he didn’t and hope he’ll get the opportunity to ask Dr. Dulles more questions.
I’m curious about what he meant by saying she graduated from down there.
I wasn’t expecting Col. Lazarus to be his mom, but she has a lot of influence.
What did Col. Lazarus do at the Pit? We know she recommended Oliver for the warden job. Did she recommend Shane to work down there, too, so she could keep an eye on her son?
The Hunting Party Season Finale Proved that Oliver and Bex Were the Root-For Couple
While Bex seemed like she was in a love triangle with Shane and Oliver, the series showed that Oliver and Bex were the root-for couple. Angst and history were powerful things to contend with.
I appreciated that they finally discussed that night from their past and how it how it changed them. It showed that Oliver regretted it and hated that it cost him his relationship with Bex.
He understood that they couldn’t go back and was grateful they were still friends and that she showed up when he needed her.
Melissa Roxburgh and Nick Wechsler played angst so well as Jenna taunted Bex about how many times Oliver betrayed her.
You could see the torment on Bex’s face because every word was true, but she loved him even with his flaws. Bex wouldn’t let Jenna overtake her life or hurt Oliver, but Jenna was vicious.
That was some cliffhanger, and they better not leave it there. Bex realized, as all these killers played mind games with her, that she still loved Oliver.
She tried to leave their relationship in the past. However, she couldn’t erase her feelings ever since she saw a future with him and Samantha when she almost died from Dr. Malek in The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 4.
Nothing was more angsty than her confessing her feelings in those final seconds. He can’t die when they finally have a chance.
There were too many secrets revealed to end The Hunting Party here.
Do you think those revealing secrets and emotional cliffhangers will make NBC give The Hunting a second season? Are you rooting for Oliver to recover so he and Bex get another chance?
Sound off in the comments
The Hunting Party Season 1 streams on Peacock.
Come back tomorrow for our exclusive interview with Melissa Roxburgh as she discusses the emotional season finale and more.
Watch The Hunting Party Online
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