Episode 1 of "The Hunting Party" kicks off with an eerie spectacle: a body being wheeled through the dimly lit corridors, accompanied by an incongruously joyful melody. The destination is room D12, just one of many cells housing treacherous criminals in a clandestine, subterranean facility tucked away in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As the scene unfolds, it becomes apparent that this underground labyrinth is a sprawling complex of incarceration.
Unbeknownst to two weary employees exiting after a grueling shift, a dramatic transformation is impending. A sudden explosion tears through the prison, reducing it to a chaotic rubble of concrete and steel. The shockwave reverberates, striking the departing workers, while the fate of the inmates and remaining staff remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Meanwhile, in Portsmouth, Virginia, we encounter Rebecca Henderson, affectionately known as Bex. A proficient casino worker, she quickly notices something fishy on the surveillance cameras—two individuals are gaming the system. This keen perception makes her the ideal candidate for an impending operation.
Bex's ordinary life is abruptly upended by the FBI, who whisk her away to J.M. Webb Air Force Base. The sprawling military installation is guarded by numerous personnel, but her contact here is the Attorney General. The grim news unfolds: Richard Harris, a convicted murderer of seven women whom Bex herself apprehended, has escaped from custody. He was supposed to meet his fate on Death Row, so clearly, something has gone terribly wrong. As it transpires, Harris is none other than the man carted away at the series' inception.
The aftermath of the explosion leaves the fate of the prison's inhabitants a mystery. However, given Bex's exceptional deductive skills and her history with Harris, she is entrusted with joining an elite team dedicated to capturing the escaped killers. Involving the authorities is out of the question, as the prison—dubbed "The Pit"—officially does not exist. The escapees' number remains unknown, but one thing is certain: Harris is among them, and he's on the run.Harris successfully navigates his way to Denver, Colorado, where news of his heinous actions swiftly reaches the team stationed at The Pit. They witness, in real-time horror, as Harris chokingly assaults another woman in the heart of the day. The squad promptly boards their jet, soaring towards Denver, yet grappling with uncertainty about Harris's next destination.
Joining Bex are Jacob Hassani and ex-prison guard Shane Florence, both convinced that Harris is making his way to the woman's abode. Bex, however, possesses a clearer perspective and heads straight to the diner, engaging with the locals, particularly a waitress who was acquainted with the abducted girl. This young woman, balancing her studies to become a vet with a part-time job at the animal hospital, unknowingly reveals where Harris is holding her captive. Realizing this, Bex tries to inform the others via radio but decides to confront Harris solo, without alerting anyone else.
As expected, Harris outmaneuvers Bex, luring her into a trap and getting doused in pepper spray straight to his eyes—a painful surprise. Fortunately, the other team members arrive just in the nick of time, but Harris has already slipped away. They collectively realize that Harris never abandons a mission halfway, a trait Bex traces back to Nicole Westin, a woman whom Harris failed to terminate.
Aboard the plane, the narrative unfolds deeper, shedding light on Bex's background. Passionate about joining the FBI since the age of 15, she serendipitously cracked her first case by uncovering her best friend's father as a serial killer. Ever since, she has demonstrated a natural aptitude for this challenging profession. Shane, on the other hand, transitioned to The Pit after his military service, revealing during the flight that the killers there underwent experimentations, though he refrains from elaborating further, leaving much to the imagination.The gang arrives to visit Nicole, with Bex delivering a fiery speech about her unwavering commitment to shield her. However, Hassani harbors a different plan—to use Nicole as bait to lure Harris into their trap, thereby recapturing him. It transpires that the experiments conducted at the Pit aim to apprehend serial killers before they commit murder. While some inmates have shown improvement, others have experienced adverse effects.
Before diving deeper into this revelation, the gang, struggling mightily to conceal themselves inside the house, waits tensely as Harris prowls around the residence, searching for an entry point. He eventually manages to break in, holding Nicole at knifepoint. In a chaotic scene, Harris is surrounded and behaves erratically. Hassani, acting decisively, shoots and kills him at point-blank range.
Following the commotion, the clean-up crew arrives to restore order, while Bex faces the daunting task of debriefing and calming Nicole down. Uncertain of her role, Bex is caught off guard by Nicole's probing questions. Nevertheless, the true nature of events becomes apparent when Shane and Hassani discover another girl concealed in the trunk of Harris' car. It turns out that Harris' earlier comments about "girls being gifts" were literal, intended for Nicole herself. In a surprising twist, Nicole is revealed to be the real serial killer. She collaborated with Harris in murdering the girls and pretended to be a victim to save herself.
Nicole was the one who trained Harris, and throughout this ordeal, she seemed poised to harm Bex. But Bex, acting instinctively, shoots Nicole at point-blank range. With Nicole incapacitated, the sound of a leaking kettle triggers haunting memories from the past.
Throughout the episode, we have borne witness to Bex's involvement in a series of particularly challenging cases, one of the most complex being intertwined with her former partner, Oliver Odell. His interrogation techniques bordered on brutal, as evidenced by a harrowing incident where Bex, forced to observe from afar, witnessed an unsuspecting individual being set aflame while bound to a chair. This harrowing spectacle marked a turning point for Bex; it was the final straw that ended their professional partnership.
Bex, driven by compassion, made the heartfelt decision to adopt Sam, an orphan from the very house where their paths crossed. She confided in Hassani, revealing her deep bond with Sam, whom she now considers her daughter. Intriguingly, Hassani, a father of four—including one daughter and three sons—presents Bex with an unexpected path back to the FBI. However, this journey promises trials far more severe if she is to join this elite task force.
When Bex discovers that her former partner now serves as the warden of the Pit, it throws her into a whirlwind of nostalgia tinged with trepidation. He reaches out to her, praising her as the finest agent he has ever worked alongside, and implores her assistance in recapturing the inmates who have recently escaped. Moreover, he is steadfast in his conviction that the explosion at the Pit was not an accident but a calculated jailbreak orchestrated by someone of significant rank within the system. Yet, the question lingers—whom?
