After the explosive revelations of Season 1, the Task Force is no longer just "catching killers"—they are fighting a shadow war against the architects of the secret prison. The Season 2 premiere introduces us to a new kind of threat: a man who doesn't just kill, but something more. Here's a recap and review of The Hunting Party, "Ron Simms."
The premiere episode centers on the hunt for Ron Simms, played with a terrifying, cold sophistication by Eric McCormack. Simms, a Texas DMV employee, gets upset when he's turned down by women that he hopes to get to know, but when they turn him down, he becomes the boogieman and drugs them to stillness until they die. During the explosion of The Pit, Simms escapes.
Simms resurfaces in Texas, where he kidnaps a high-ranking Department of Justice official in broad daylight. The twist? He isn't looking for money. He’s looking to show that he's changed from the person that he was before, but that doesn't turn out the way that he had hoped when she ends up dead.
The team tracks Simms when he's using a dating app, but when they try to trick him, he pulls a fast one and kidnaps Bex instead. Simms gets Bex to change her opinion of him after the documentary still portrays him as a serial killer. With Bex and the Task Force back, but she’s on a short leash, that is, until Oldell's boss, Colonel Eve Lazarus, a former inmate of The Pit, takes over the Task Force and relieves Mallory of her duties.
"Ron Simms' clearly signals Season 2's focus, emphasizing an overarching conspiracy connecting the team and inmates over individual "Killer of the Week' episodes. Eric McCormack delivers a chilling performance, shedding his usual warmth to embody a polished yet deadly figure, making Simms a dark reflection of the agency. With the team back in action, Melissa Roxburgh's Bex shows a tougher, more seasoned side, aware she’s being used as a pawn.
The introduction of Kari Matchett as Col. Lazarus, a former inmate of The Pit, raises the stakes and adds layers of intrigue, even if her true background remains a mystery for now. However, at times, the show leans a bit too much on Hassani’s remarkable ability to hack into "unhackable" satellites in seconds— a detail that can sometimes lessen the realism of an otherwise tense manhunt. The Hunting Party has really come into its own, steering clear of the usual "sophomore slump." It’s grown into a gripping, high-stakes thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If the season continues at this thrilling pace, it might just become NBC's highlight of the year. Overall, I give the season premiere an 8/10.
What did you think of the season premiere of The Hunting Party? With Col. Lazarus in control of the task force, how big a threat is this to Bex and the team? Leave a comment.
You can catch The Hunting Party on Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.
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