Episode 3 of "The Hunting Party" kicks off in Billings, Montana, where a woman stands by the roadside, thumbing a ride to a camping site situated miles to the north. The fellow who eventually pulls over gives off a distinctly shady vibe, having surreptitiously observed her earlier in a nearby store.
Over at the Air Base, Bex is summoned to a meeting with Oliver Odell, whose suspicion cast a shadow over Hassani's credibility. Odell proceeds to portray her colleague as the type of individual tasked with "tidying up messy situations". Whether Jacob has any hand in the explosion or is entangled in this grand data scandal remains a mystery for now.
But let's shift our focus to the week's new case, one that revolves around a tempestuous young woman named Brenda Lowe. Notoriously unpredictable, she was initially convicted for the massacre of seventeen souls. Authorities suspect the death toll was higher, yet additional bodies were never recovered. The victims were horribly dismembered, and lo and behold, this very woman is the one we trailed at the episode's outset. Though positioned as a pivotal revelation, given the episode's title, it proves somewhat anticlimactic.
The world was led to believe Brenda perished in 2015, unbeknownst to them that the Pit had captured her. Prompted by this revelation, Bex and her team board a jet bound for Montana. En route, they watch video interviews featuring Brenda, who compares her actions to hunting hunters. Brenda hailed from affluence but, following the demise of her parents, retreated into social isolation. With her inheritance, she acquired vast acreage in Montana, aiming to rejuvenate the gray wolf population. However, her extended sojourn in the wilderness progressively eroded her stability.
Brenda, convinced that humanity is a malignant tumor deserving eradication, embarked on a path that led to her swift downfall. The team hastily converged on the campsite, only to discover the man's lifeless, blood-streaked body sprawled on the cold floor. This brutal act deviated sharply from Brenda's typical modus operandi, save for her extremist belief. Bex promptly contacted headquarters, seeking clarification amidst the confusion. To their astonishment, they traced Brenda's whereabouts to a payphone situated thirty miles away, from which she had dialed a number belonging to one Ron Goodman.
Upon reaching the destination, it became evident that they had stumbled upon a case of mistaken identity. Brenda was certainly not there to confront a football player; however, her reign of terror continued unabated. Armed with a sniper rifle, she remotely interrogated Bex and the others, her voice echoing with menace as she demanded to know their purpose.
It transpired that Brenda's cherished land had been deceitfully sold by her attorney, William, a revelation that sent her into a frenzy. His weekly letters, once her sole solace during incarceration, now felt like betrayal. Brenda's perception of reality shattered further when she noticed a Montanan officer, an unassuming ranger, reaching for his firearm. With cold precision, she squeezed the trigger before vanishing into the ether, leaving the officer gravely wounded but still clinging to life. The officer's captain bore the brunt of criticism, urged to step aside and allow specialists to tackle the situation.
Bex, seeking deeper insights, reached out to Oliver back at the Pit. Under her probing gaze, he finally unburdened himself, revealing Brenda's connection to the Eden Protocol, a meticulously structured behavioral program known as REP. The program's intention was to present inmates with an utopian vision, thereby disarming their defenses. For Brenda, the shattering truth emerged from William's lies about her land, the one constant in her turbulent world that now felt shattered beyond repair.
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Of course, the revelation of their meticulously crafted veneer shattering into pieces was the last thing these inmates had anticipated, considering they were supposed to remain confined behind bars. However, this unexpected turn of events has only made Brenda more unpredictable and erratic than she ever was. She eventually stumbles upon a group of children lost in the woods and brandishes a gun at them, holding them hostage in a chilling display of desperation.
Bex, hot on her trail, confronts Brenda in a tense standoff. She strips away Brenda's false facade of being a nurturing mother to her "wolves," revealing the truth that she never truly cared for them and instead used them as a conduit for her bloodlust and murderous rampage. Through a powerful monologue, Bex manages to chip away at Brenda's defenses, and with the combined efforts of her allies, they eventually overpower their target.
Upon returning home, Bex seeks out Hassani at the local bar for a heart-to-heart conversation. Earlier, Bex had noticed that Hassani possessed footage of Odell on his tablet, and she confronts him about it now. Hassani is particularly haunted by a mysterious two-year gap in Odell's history, a period during which there is no trace of him anywhere. Bex speculates that it could be attributed to rehab and his attempt to escape the cycle of violence. However, Hassani harbors a different theory. He shows Bex footage from the Pit, captured three minutes before the explosion, where Odell can be seen transferring files to a flash drive after receiving a call from a burner phone equipped with an encrypted SIM card.
Bex is reluctant to believe that Odell could be involved in such deceitful activities, but the evidence paints a concerning picture. While Odell may indeed be compromised, there appear to be even more powerful forces at play here. That very night, we catch a glimpse of Oliver Odell himself, sitting alone in a car, reluctantly handing over the flash drive to a mysterious woman, shrouded in secrecy and intrigue.
