Hunters Season 2 Review: An Entertaining, if Uneven, Final Hurrah

Hunters Season 2 sheds its comic book tone while maintaining a Tarantino edge in a more streamlined narrative. It also finds a way to keep Al Pacino onboard despite Meyer Offerman, or, rather, Wilhelm Zuchs, meeting his demise in the Season 1 finale. 

Not many shows employ this storytelling device — breathing new life into a dead character through flashback scenes in every episode. However, when you have the Hollywood legend Al Pacino at your disposal, you do what you can to ensure he stays on. Does it work, though? 

JONAH: You don’t deserve to choose how this ends. You need to be held accountable for the crimes you’ve committed. 

While there are certainly a few new developments from Meyer’s Season 2 flashback plot, i.e., learning Meyer ordered Ruth’s murder, you could easily remove those scenes, and it wouldn’t affect the primary story. We see how Meyer brought the Hunters together, but these scenes would’ve better served the narrative in the first season. 

In a way, it detracts from the significantly more critical hunt for Hitler. That’s not to say it’s not a joy to see Pacino onscreen because it is. Meyer’s ultimate betrayal is, let’s face it, a necessary plot device to unlock Jonah’s true potential. While Pacino delivers some of the best work he’s done in a long time, it would’ve been more impactful to leave Meyer in Season 1. 

It’s jarring watching Meyer assemble a team to hunt Nazis, knowing what we know now. Everything he says and does is filtered through that lens. Sure, the scene at the shop with his sister tugs at the heartstrings a bit, but the writers ensure we don’t sympathize with him thanks to scenes like the Ruth reveal and him killing Nazi buddies, so they don’t out him. 

MEYER: Stones … do not die. Stones do not wither. Stones are permanent, like memories. 

Meyer aside, Season 2 delves into what makes us monsters. Jonah grapples with his morality, wavering between a cold-blooded Nazi killer and the sensitive young man we met in the first season. Logan Lerman churns out consistently engaging work, serving as our reliable anchor in this alternate history story. There’s not as much humor this go-round, but that’s okay, given the subject matter. 

Other stellar performers include Jennifer Jason Leigh as the caustic Chava Apfelbaum, whose entry into the Hunters universe included her removing a man’s eyeballs. Leigh mines the depths of Chava for nuance and vulnerability, digging past Chava’s defense shell to reveal a bitingly funny, badass human. 

Jerrika Hinton never disappoints and always delivers the acting goods. She’s a consummate performer. Millie Morris is a multifaceted, messy character, bolstered by Hinton with an abundance of heart, empathy, and wit. Tiffany Boone charms us as Roxy Jones. Her heartfelt work, complete with the moxie and grit she brings to the table, endears us to Roxy. Kate Mulvany is all razor-edge dark humor and stoicism as Harriet, but she softens her character’s edges this season, even finding love with Millie. We’re Team Milliet in this house. 

MINDY: You tried to bury us. But we were seeds. And we grew back stronger. And our branches reach toward the light of justice!

However, the best performance of the season comes from Carol Kane. Mindy Markowitz’s story last season with Murray and Aaron is as heartbreaking as it is heart-healing. All of that bubbles to the surface in the series finale during the televised trial of Adolf Hitler. Mindy testifies against the bigoted murderer and delivers a compelling, rightfully scathing monologue that tears your heart asunder. 

Kane is all fire and fury, searing heartache and painful vulnerability. She doles out visceral work here as a woman who lost everything because of a mass murderer. “You tried to bury us, but we were seeds” is equal parts haunting and hopeful. It sends chills down your spine and tears down your face. If Hunters doesn’t submit Kane for the Emmys this year for her moving performance, there’s no justice in the entertainment world. 

Season 2 feels rushed and disjointed in some places, with the writers ostensibly cramming as much plot as they can in eight episodes to wrap the story. While the pandemic presumably affected the episode count, the narrative would’ve benefitted from at least a few more episodes to flesh everything out thoroughly. For example, we vaguely know what happened in Spain. 

Secondly, the Lonny/Roxy storyline comes out of left field. We don’t see the buildup between them or much chemistry in Season 1. If anything, Joe seemed like the obvious partner for Roxy if the writers pursued the romance route, given their innate connection. It feels like pertinent puzzle pieces and much-needed context are missing, and we’re scrambling to fill in the blanks. 

Hunters Season 2 arrival is even more poignant, impactful, and relevant given today’s rampant antisemitism and bigotry. With the rise of fascist sentiments, David Weil gives us a highly entertaining, if uneven, romp that pushes the bounds of creativity, whether it’s the Harriet Sound of Music parody or the outstanding standalone episode, “The Home.”

Weil fights antisemitism with badass heroes who save the day. Folks, the only thing more satisfying than watching a fictional trial for Hitler that ends with him rotting in a cell would be the real thing. The last few episodes of the season are suspenseful, gripping, and masterful, with stellar acting across the board.

Udo Kier has the daunting task of portraying one of the worst men in history and knocks it out of the park. The scenes involving Hitler are brutal to watch, and the testimonies are gut-wrenchingly painful. However, we must never forget the survivors and put a stop to any detrimental conspiracy theories claiming the Holocaust isn’t real. Hunters takes a firm stance against bigots espousing antisemitism. 

Despite some narrative speed bumps, Hunters Season 2 grabs us and doesn’t let go for an eight-episode thrill ride. It wraps its story in a not-so-neat bow while leaving loose threads waving in the breeze for a potential continuation. This alternate history world Weil created brims with nuanced and intriguing characters, a captivating plot, splashy visuals and pulpy violence, and seamless cinematography. It’s an immersive world you don’t want to leave. 

Long live the Hunters. 

Stray Observations: 

• Danny Rohr’s book, Shalom Motherf*cker, is a delightfully meta nod to the title of Season 1 Episode 7. The book cover artwork boasts the same red “X” as the Season 1 key art. 
• Season 2 has an interesting color palette — there are a lot of yellows and reds (like the seasonal artwork). When the Hunters are in Buenos Aires, the women in particular — Millie, Harriet, and Roxy — wear yellow and red. 
• Is there anything better than Carol Kane planting C-4? 
• We are in dire need of a spin-off prequel series featuring Harriet and her journey from MI6 to the Hunters. We could watch her hunt Nazis with Chava and Zev. Make it so, David Weil and Amazon Studios. 
• The final scene in episode six is one of the most moving in television history. Jonah walking Hitler through the tunnel at gunpoint while the ghosts of the millions of Jewish folks he slaughtered line the walls is so powerful. 
• The Yiddish cover of Kelis’s “Milkshake” by Paulina Singer in the season premiere is an absolute banger.
• You could make a drinking game from how often the Hunters whip their guns out and point them at each other while simultaneously yelling.  
• “The Home” is a captivating standalone episode that blesses us with Wes Anderson visuals and Quentin Tarantino-level gore and ultraviolence. It’s glorious. 
• Travis is still out there! We need a sequel now. 

What did you think of this episode of Hunters? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hunters Seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Prime Video.

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