Season 2 of The Hunting Party careens into its endgame with a run of episodes that turn every shadow into a threat and every ally into a potential weapon. From attic‑dwelling phroggers and unhinged ventriloquists to a “cured” addict driven to vampiric extremes, the show’s monsters of the week are terrifying—but it’s Colonel Lazarus’s Graduate Program, and the betrayals it exposes within the team, that prove to be the real horror. Below are my recaps and reviews of “Byron May,” “Dylan Miles,” and “Nancy Albright,” three episodes that push the series past the point of no return.
"Byron May"
In the tenth episode of The Hunting Party Season 2, “Byron May,” the team faces a nerve‑wracking case of domestic horror that exposes a massive injustice. Between a disturbing new killer and a full-scale rebellion against Colonel Lazarus, the stakes have never been higher.
The investigation centers on Byron May, a terrifyingly patient serial killer who has escaped from the Pit and begun mimicking the crimes of the notorious “Eastside Ripper.” Byron uses a method known as phrogging—secretly living in the attics of his targets, studying their routines, and attempting to force twisted “friendships” on them. When his advances are inevitably rejected, he responds with brutal violence.
The case takes a tragic turn when the team discovers that Victor Rosa, the man currently imprisoned as the Eastside Ripper, is actually innocent. He was wrongfully convicted years ago as part of a calculated cover‑up orchestrated by Colonel Lazarus to protect the secrecy of the Pit. The tension escalates when Byron targets Victor’s son, Eric, insinuating himself into the boy’s life by pretending to have found a “lost” dog.
Driven by a need for justice, Bex, Shane, and Hassani openly defy Lazarus’s orders to keep the Pit out of the case. Bex becomes determined to clear Victor’s name at any cost, sparking a high‑stakes moral rebellion within the task force.
The pursuit culminates when Shane corners and kills Byron May. In a clever move to bypass Lazarus’s censorship, the team manipulates the crime scene so that local authorities discover Byron’s body, ensuring the forensic evidence will surface and exonerate Victor Rosa. Amid the victory, Shane uncovers a devastating personal betrayal: he actually failed his initial psych evaluation for the Pit but was recruited anyway because Lazarus is his mother—a revelation that shatters what little trust he had left in her.
The episode closes on a rare, poignant high note as Victor Rosa is finally reunited with his son. But the peace is short‑lived. The team’s open defiance has put them on an unavoidable collision course with Lazarus. In the final moments, we glimpse the full scope of her ambition: she is building a private “army” of weaponized killers through the Pit’s secret “graduate program,” preparing for a war the team is only beginning to understand.
“Byron May” is a strong installment that deftly balances the show’s “monster of the week” thrills with its overarching conspiracy. The phrogging sequences deliver some of the series’ most unsettling imagery to date, turning ordinary homes into arenas of quiet, invasive terror. The reunion between Victor and Eric offers a badly needed emotional win for a show that often leans into bleakness.
The revelation about Shane’s failed psych evaluation adds a fascinating new layer to his character, reframing him as an accidental pawn in his mother’s long game. Meanwhile, Lazarus finally crosses the line from “shady boss” to full‑scale antagonist. The idea of a “graduate program” for killers is a chilling setup for the finale and suggests the show is aiming for something bigger and more ambitious than a simple procedural.
Overall, I give this episode 8/10.
"Dylan Miles"
In the eleventh episode of The Hunting Party, an especially unsettling installment, guest star Kevin McHale delivers a skin‑crawling blend of comedy and horror as Dylan Miles. Between a gruesome ventriloquist grudge and a devastating betrayal in the ranks, “Dylan Miles” may be the season’s most shocking hour yet. Here is my recap and review.
The investigation centers on Dylan Miles (Kevin McHale), a disgraced comedian and escaped inmate from the Pit who commits his murders alongside a haunting ventriloquist figure. Seeking revenge against Jeff Miller (Jeff Dunham)—a successful rival who allegedly stole his routines—Dylan embarks on a twisted “Puppet Hunt.” After murdering a puppet creator who refuses to help him, Dylan uses the creator’s ledger to track down the real‑life people whose likenesses inspired his figures, intending to turn them into “wooden friends.”
The case culminates in a macabre standoff at a comedy club in Boulder, Colorado. Dylan forces Jeff onto the stage for a “final act,” unveiling a gruesome “human puppet” version of the comedian. Bex and Hassani arrive just as Dylan threatens to end the show in blood. In a sharp display of profiling, Bex de‑escalates the situation by appealing to Dylan’s ego, convincing him that the ultimate humiliation of his rival is a better punchline than murder.
In a rare departure from the Command Center, the episode sends Morales (Sara Garcia) into the field, leading a trio that includes Ben Jones and Jonathan Peck to protect one of Dylan’s potential targets. During a sudden confrontation with the killer, Peck takes a bullet meant for Morales. He survives, but his apparent heroism becomes his undoing.
As Morales cares for the wounded Peck, she notices a deep, distinctive bruise on his chest—the unmistakable signature of rifle kickback. This detail contradicts Peck’s insistence that he doesn’t use long‑range firearms. Suspecting foul play, Morales gains access to his laptop and uncovers footage of Peck leading the brutal assault on the Noah Cyrus convoy from earlier in the season.
The episode ends on a massive cliffhanger that reshapes the team’s internal dynamics. The footage confirms that Peck is a deep‑cover mole working directly for Colonel Lazarus. By placing Peck in the heart of the team, Lazarus has stayed one step ahead of their mission to take her down. As Morales realizes the man she trusted is actually her greatest enemy, the stage is set for a high‑stakes internal war.
“Dylan Miles” is a standout episode that leans hard into the uncanny‑valley horror this series excels at. Kevin McHale’s performance is nothing short of transformative, grounding a potentially campy premise in genuine danger and unease. The use of puppets as a psychological extension of Dylan’s trauma produces some of the most haunting visuals of the season.
It’s also refreshing to see Morales outside the Command Center, and Sara Garcia excels at portraying the slow, painful realization of Peck’s betrayal. The Peck/Lazarus connection is a masterstroke: turning a seemingly heroic moment into the catalyst for exposing a mole is the kind of sharp, character‑driven writing that keeps The Hunting Party at the top of its game.
Overall, I give this episode 8.5/10.
"Nancy Albright"
In the penultimate hour of The Hunting Party Season 2, guest star Jamie Chung delivers a chilling performance as Nancy Albright, a killer whose biological addiction has been twisted into something ghoulish. With the reveal of Lazarus’s "Graduate Army," the stakes have officially surpassed the breaking point. Here is my recap and review.
The investigation focuses on Nancy Albright (Jamie Chung), an escaped Pit inmate whose drug addiction has taken a quasi‑supernatural turn. Flashbacks reveal a horrifying origin: Pit doctors administered an experimental drug, M‑CAM+, designed to permanently block her opioid receptors. While the drug effectively "cured" her ability to feel a high, it did nothing to stop her cravings, leaving her in a permanent state of biological withdrawal.
Nancy’s solution is as creative as it is gruesome: the "Flashblood" method. Posing as a sponsor in recovery groups, she drugs vulnerable addicts, waits for them to reach a peak high, and then siphons their blood into herself to experience the sensation by proxy. The hunt reaches a fever pitch when Bex successfully intervenes just as Nancy is about to drain her latest victim, Lila, bringing the "Vampire" back into the fold.
While the field team hunts Nancy, tensions at the Command Center finally boil over. Under intense interrogation, Jonathan Peck breaks and confesses that he is the one who executed Pit escapee Noah Cyrus on behalf of Colonel Lazarus.
Peck’s confession reveals the true scope of Lazarus’s dark masterpiece: a secret lab where she is weaponizing the world’s most dangerous serial killers into a private, controllable paramilitary army. The team is horrified to learn that the "Graduate Program" is already operational; high‑profile killers like Dr. Ezekiel Malak and Amanda Weiss have already been processed and are being held at a secondary location for deployment.
The episode concludes on a profoundly heavy note as Shane confronts the reality that his mother is truly irredeemable. In a rare and moving moment of vulnerability, Hassani opens up about the loss of his own wife to help Shane process his grief and betrayal. This shared silence between the two men becomes the emotional anchor for a season otherwise defined by deception.
"Nancy Albright" is a masterpiece of psychological horror. By blending the tragedy of addiction with the cold machinery of Lazarus’s ambition, the show creates a villainous threat that feels genuinely unstoppable. Jamie Chung’s performance imbues Nancy with a desperate, frantic energy that makes her feel more like a victim of science than a standard slasher.
The "graduate" reveal, reintroducing Malak and Weiss as "soldiers," is a brilliant move that rewards long‑time viewers and sets a terrifying stage for the finale. And the evolving Shane/Hassani dynamic provides a grounded, emotionally honest friendship in a world overrun with monsters, keeping the audience deeply invested in the fallout.
Overall, I give this episode 9/10.
What did you think of these episodes? Which one was your favorite out of these, and are you ready for the season finale? Leave a comment.
You can catch the season finale of The Hunting Party Thursday at 10/9c on NBC and streaming on Peacock, and Season 1 streaming on Netflix.
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