It’s never a shock when critics and audiences disagree on the merits of a series, especially the first season. It takes time for a story to find its legs, and there’s real potential for the narrative or performances to fall flat. But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Netflix‘s recently added thriller series, one that, while taking the #2 spot on the Top 10 Streaming list, boasts a ridiculously large gap between its critics and audience scores—a 63-point difference, from 81% to 18%.
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The Hunting Party stars Melissa Roxburgh, Nick Weschler, and Patrick Subongui, and centers on the unfolding events after an explosion destroys a secret prison hidden beneath the Wyoming countryside. Imprisoned inside were the nation’s worst, most violent serial killers, and now they’re all free and at large. Bex (Roxburg), a former FBI profiler, alongside soldiers, spies, and special agents, is called back to duty to help track down and recapture these deadly criminals before they kill again. While there is an element of suspension of disbelief, the show itself is full of tension, conspiracy, and nuanced characters with actual flaws.
The Critics Might Have Gotten This One Wrong
There is absolutely a certain amount of cheesiness inherent to a show like The Hunting Party. Other shows with similar vibes, like The Blacklist or The Night Agent, also have the same level of camp amid the drama and action. And that’s generally a part of what makes the formula of these series so successful—the procedural, monster of the week structure, coupled with the utter lack of possibility or reality in certain situations. “This is bland and generic television, the stuff of ignored summer burn-offs or, much more commonly, pilots scrapped without going to series,” says Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter. But seriously, who doesn’t love falling into the familiar formula of a series like this? Familiar does not inherently equal generic.
Fans, on the other hand, have a much more charitable view of the series, whose second season is now airing on NBC. “The team is great, well-balanced, and has natural chemistry and camaraderie. Bex is a great lead, smart and badass, but not infallible, doesn’t take over, and there’s a lot of great teamwork. The first few episodes are a bit predictable, sure, but then it gets really quite good,” said one viewer. Another pointed out the critic, and occassionally audience, bias against network television in the era of streaming. Another viewer added, “This isn’t even a top show for me, but the takes are so bad I feel like I had to say something. It’s carefully planned, thought-provoking, and entertaining. I think that makes it pretty good.”
It definitely seems that The Hunting Party fills a niche that’s been empty for quite some time, and that the majority of critics’ ratings come with the notion that if a story employs tropes or isn’t quite high-brow enough, it’s not a story worth telling. And that’s not to say it’s a perfect series; there are definitely some issues with pacing and initial narrative development—issues that are present in 90% of first seasons.
Do you have a favorite moment from The Hunting Party? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
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