Hunters (2020 TV series)

Hunters is an American drama web television series created by David Weil. It premiered on February 21, 2020, on Amazon Prime Video.[1][2][3]

Hunters
GenreCrime drama
Created byDavid Weil
Starring
Theme music composerTrevor Gureckis
Composer(s)Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Tom Lesinski
  • David Ellender
  • Jenna Santoianni
  • Win Rosenfeld
  • Nelson McCormick
  • Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
  • David Weil
  • Nikki Toscano
  • Jordan Peele
  • David J. Rosen
Producer(s)
Running time57–90 minutes
Production company(s)
Release
Original networkAmazon Prime Video
Original releaseFebruary 21, 2020 –
present

Premise

The series is inspired by a number of real Nazi hunters through the decades, but it is not meant to be a specific representation of any of them.[4] It follows a diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City who discover that Nazi war criminals are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S.[5] A parallel plot element is the discovery of Operation Paperclip, the U.S. government operation relocating many German scientists (many of them Nazis) to the U.S.

Cast and characters

Main
  • Al Pacino as Meyer Offerman, a Polish-Jewish philanthropist and Holocaust survivor who recruits and leads the Hunters
  • Logan Lerman as Jonah Heidelbaum, a young mathematics whiz who takes his grandmother's place on the Hunters
  • Lena Olin as The Colonel, leader of the Fourth Reich
  • Jerrika Hinton as Millie Morris, an FBI agent who stumbles onto the Fourth Reich and the Hunters during a murder investigation
  • Saul Rubinek as Murray Markowitz, Mindy's husband and the Hunters' electronics expert; a German-Jewish Holocaust survivor
  • Carol Kane as Mindy Markowitz, Murray's wife and the Hunters' signals expert; a German-Jewish Holocaust survivor
  • Josh Radnor as Lonny Flash, actor and master of disguises for the Hunters
  • Greg Austin as Travis Leich, a Nazi acolyte drawn into the Fourth Reich
  • Tiffany Boone as Roxy Jones, a member of the Hunters who specializes in counterfeiting and forgery
  • Louis Ozawa as Joe Mizushima, a Vietnam War veteran and the Hunters' combat expert
  • Kate Mulvany as Sister Harriet, a former MI6 operative who now works with the Hunters; a former German-Jewish child refugee
  • Dylan Baker as Biff Simpson, an Undersecretary of State in the Carter administration and secretly an undercover Nazi agent

Recurring

Guests

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [7]
1"In the Belly of the Whale"Alfonso Gomez-Rejon[7]David WeilFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
US undersecretary of state Biff hosts a barbecue, where a guest is shocked to remember him as a senior Nazi, leading to Biff killing all present, including his own family. Jonah witnesses the brutal murder of his grandmother inside their Brooklyn home, and subsequently vows to find the truth of her death. He meets Ruth’s old friend, Meyer Offerman, while sitting Shiva for Ruth. In Florida, an elderly NASA scientist is killed in her shower. Jonah, who is a code-breaking prodigy, sees just a few clues in Meyer's home, but uses them to find Ruth's killer — a toy-shop owner who was a murderous guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp and the killer of Ruth's younger sister. The toy-shop owner gets the upper hand, but Meyer arrives and kills him.
2"The Mourner's Kaddish"Wayne YipDavid WeilFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
Meyer brings Jonah into the Hunters, who are initially reluctant to have him involved, though he quickly gains some acceptance by breaking a code in the toy maker's correspondence. Jonah learns that Ruth was a major part of the Hunters, having built their extensive archive of historical files and more recent interviews. FBI agent Millie, investigating the death of the scientist, starts to uncover the Nazi links. Travis, a deadly American born Nazi working for The Colonel, who is leading the Nazi underground, is sent to Florida to learn who is killing their members. The Hunters track down a record producer who used to be the murderous Pied Piper of Buchenwald concentration camp. The Hunters find seemingly innocuous messages the man is secretly broadcasting, but Jonah messes up and the man is killed before they can learn more.
3"While Visions of Safta Danced in His Head"Wayne YipNikki ToscanoFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
The Markowitzes discover a code in the Pied Piper's broadcasts, suggesting that tragic events in America's past, including the Watergate scandal and the assassination of RFK, were part of a Nazi plot. The messages suggest the next big Nazi-managed event will take place on July 13, 1977 in New York. Jonah's friend Bootyhole, who was working in the comic book store instead of Jonah, is killed by Travis.
4"The Pious Thieves"Nelson McCormickMark BianculliFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
The Hunters find a huge collection of Nazi stolen treasure hidden in a bank in New Jersey. Jonah finds letters written by Ruth, explaining the deepening affection between her and Meyer while at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
5"At Night, All Birds are Black"Dennie GordonDavid J. RosenFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
At Auschwitz concentration camp, a doctor known as The Wolf is disappointed when Ruth will not work with him, so he does tortuous experiments on Meyer in retaliation. Half the Hunters go to Alabama to pursue a Nazi doctor who experimented on prisoners during the war, while the others go after Tilda, a Nazi propaganda film director now working as a political consultant. Millie continues pursuing her own leads on the presence of Nazis in America. Unknown assailants beat up Millie. Sister Harriet rescues a Nazi from the others and drives off.
6"(Ruth 1:16)"Millicent SheltonZakiyyah AlexanderFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
The day of the Markowitz' daughter's wedding, Murray recalls how they were taken, with their young son, to be sent to a concentration camp, where an officer killed their son. Flashbacks show that Sister Harriet was secretly sent to England, with other young German girls, to hide out during the war. She arrives at the wedding, revealing that she has tied up the Nazi, who she had realized was the man who killed the Markowitz boy. Millie breaks up with her live-in girlfriend, fearing she will be attacked too. Travis breaks into Meyer's mansion and is able to burn many of the files the Hunters are using to track Nazis.
7"Shalom Motherf***er"Nelson McCormickEduardo Javier Canto & Ryan MaldonadoFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
Meyer admits that he is Jonah's grandfather. Millie, despite knowing that the recent victims are Nazis who murdered millions, is hellbent on charging Offerman with murder, misleading a judge in order to get a warrant to arrest Offerman. When Jonah solves the final piece of the Nazi music code, the Hunters discover a Nazi plot to sneak a shipment of a biological weapon through the port of New York by causing distractions with the New York City blackout of 1977 and bombing a crowded subway car. Murray and Jonah save the passengers, but Murray Markowitz is killed trying to disarm the bomb.
8"The Jewish Question"Michael UppendahlDavid Weil & Charley CaslerFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
Mindy Markowitz kills the man who murdered her son after burying Murray, who she was surprised to find out wanted a Jewish funeral when he finally died. Meyer tells Jonah why he and Ruth never married: at Auschwitz, Meyer chose to shoot a series of eleven prisoners in order to stop the Wolf from shooting Ruth, ignoring her pleas to let the Wolf shoot her instead. The Hunters find Nazi and NASA scientist Wernher von Braun via Nazi Hunter Simon Wiesenthal, who is diametrically opposed to Meyer's team killing the Nazis rather than bringing them before legal tribunals.
9"The Great Ole Nazi Cookout of '77"Nelson McCormickNikki ToscanoFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
The episode begins with a review of the reasons given for bringing over the Nazis to the United States in the first place, so that the USSR would not be able to recruit them for their government and space program. The Hunters attack the Fourth Reich's bunker, destroying it and the corn syrup carrying their pathogen before it can be released. During a struggle, Jonah has the chance to kill Travis, but is talked down by Millie, who arrests Travis instead. Meyer manages to capture the Colonel who suggests that the pathogen isn't the Fourth Reich's only plan. A struggle ensues, causing Meyer to crash the car into the river.
10"Eilu v' Eilu"Michael UppendahlDavid WeilFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
Meyer is rescued from the wreck by Harriet while the Colonel is killed. Jonah begins a search for Wilhelm "The Wolf" Zuchs, the Nazi doctor who tortured Meyer and Ruth thirty years before. From clues, Jonah discovers Ruth's files which lead him to capture a surgeon he believes to be the Wolf who Meyer executes. However, Meyer doesn't recite a prayer he'd sworn to Ruth he would if he ever caught up to the Wolf, leading a horrified Jonah to put the pieces together and realize that Meyer is actually the Wolf. Zuchs confesses, explaining that he had killed the real Meyer to take his identity and escape the Soviets while later undergoing plastic surgery (from the SS surgeon he just now killed) to complete the transformation. Having lived a Jewish life for thirty years, Zuchs insists that he regrets his actions and that a visit by Ruth a year before inspired him to bring the Hunters together as penance. Despite a vision of Ruth attempting to talk him down, Jonah kills Zuchs and reveals the truth to the other horrified Hunters. Harriet, after having consulted with an unidentified woman, suggests to the remaining Hunters that they continue their mission in Europe. Mizushima is kidnapped and taken to Argentina, where he discovers that The Colonel is alive, her identity is Eva Braun and she is living with Adolf Hitler and four identical Aryan-looking boys.

Production

Development

On May 17, 2018, it was announced that Amazon Video had given the production a straight-to-series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by David Weil who was set to executive produce alongside Jordan Peele, Tom Lesinski, Jenna Santoianni, and Win Rosenfeld. Weil was also expected to write for the series as well. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Monkeypaw Productions and Sonar Entertainment.[5][8][9][10] On August 7, 2018, it was announced that Nikki Toscano had joined the production as an executive producer and would also serve as co-showrunner alongside Weil.[11]

Casting

On December 13, 2018, it was reported that Logan Lerman was in talks for a lead role in the series, Jonah Heidelbaum.[12] On January 10, 2019, it was reported that Al Pacino was finalizing a deal for a starring role in the series.[13] On February 7, 2019, it was reported that Jerrika Hinton, Dylan Baker, Lena Olin, Greg Austin, Catherine Tate, Tiffany Boone, Saul Rubinek, and Carol Kane were in various stages of negotiations to join the cast of the series.[14] Four days later, it was announced that Boone had officially joined the cast.[15] Josh Radnor was cast in March.[16] In April 2019, Kate Mulvany, James LeGros, Ebony Obsidian, Caleb Emery, Henry Hunter Hall and Jeannie Berlin joined the cast of the series, with Mulvany joining as a series regular.[17]

Reception

Hunters received polarizing reviews, with praise for its premise, messages, action sequences, and performances (particularly that of Lerman, Austin, and Pacino), but criticism for its story-telling, inconsistent tone, pacing, historical inaccuracies, and conclusion. The series has a 65% approval rating with 92 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.21/10.[18] Metacritic gave the series a score of 55 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[19]

The series has received some criticism from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum due to inaccurate use of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The scene depicting prisoners being forced to participate in a game of human chess was called out as "dangerous foolishness and caricature". The museum was also concerned that the show "welcomes future deniers".[20][21][22] Director of the USC Shoah Foundation Stephen D. Smith heavily criticized the show and concluded that "Amazon must not renew it for a second season."[23]

In a statement, series creator David Weil, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, responded to the criticism and spoke to wanting to tell a story about the Holocaust without borrowing from a specific survivor's real life or experience without their permission. He said, "It is true that Nazis perpetrated widespread and extreme acts of sadism and torture – and even incidents of cruel 'games' – against their victims. I simply did not want to depict those specific, real acts of trauma ... I did not want to misrepresent a real person or borrow from a specific moment in an actual person’s life. That was the responsibility that weighed on me every night and every morning for years, while writing, producing, and editing this show."[24]

References
  1. "Video: Amazon Original "Hunters" Debuts Tease for Upcoming Series Starring Al Pacino and Logan Lerman". The Futon Critic. November 1, 2019.
  2. "Amazon Prime Video Sets February 21 Debut for Al Pacino Conspiracy Thriller Series "Hunters"". The Futon Critic. January 3, 2019.
  3. "'Hunters' Canceled Or Renewed For Season 2? Amazon Series Faces New Controversy". International Business News.
  4. Midkiff, Sarah (February 24, 2020). "The True Story Behind Jordan Peele & Amazon's 1970s Conspiracy Thriller Hunters". Refinery 29. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (May 17, 2018). "Amazon Nabs Jordan Peele's Nazi Hunters Drama With Series Order, Sonar Produces". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  6. Joshua Satine - IMDb
  7. "Hunters – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  8. Maas, Jennifer (May 17, 2018). "Amazon Orders Jordan Peele's Nazi-Hunting Show to Series". TheWrap. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  9. Otterson, Joe (May 17, 2018). "Jordan Peele-Produced Nazi Hunter Drama Ordered to Series at Amazon". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  10. Jarvey, Natalie (May 17, 2018). "Jordan Peele Nazi Drama Picked Up to Series at Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie (August 7, 2018). "'The Hunt': Nikki Toscano Joins Jordan Peele's Nazi Hunters Amazon Series As EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  12. Petski, Denise (December 13, 2018). "Logan Lerman In Talks For Lead In Jordan Peele's 'The Hunt' Amazon Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood.
  13. Fleming, Mike Jr (January 10, 2019). "Al Pacino Poised To Make TV Series Starring Debut In 'The Hunt'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  14. Sneider, Jeff (February 7, 2019). "Exclusive: Jordan Peele's Cast for Amazon's 'The Hunt' Takes Shape". Collider. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  15. Petski, Denise (February 11, 2019). "'The Hunt': Tiffany Boone Cast In Jordan Peele's Amazon Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  16. "'The Hunt': Josh Radnor To Co-Star In Jordan Peele's Amazon Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. March 2019.
  17. Day-Ramos, Dino (April 11, 2019). "'The Hunt' Adds Kate Mulvany As Series Regular, 5 More Join In Recurring Roles For Amazon Original". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  18. "Hunters: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  19. "Hunters: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  20. Cordero, Rosy (February 23, 2020). "Amazon drama Hunters criticized by Auschwitz Memorial Museum". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  21. "Amazon's 'Hunters' Creators Fictional Holocaust Atrocities Following Criticism From Auschwitz Memorial". Newsweek. February 24, 2020.
  22. "'Hunters' Stars Ponder the Moral Question at the Center of Their Nazi Hunter Amazon Drama". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. Smith, Stephen.Shoah Foundation Director: Amazon Must Cancel ‘Hunters.’" Jewish Journal. 12 March 2020. 13 March 2020.
  24. Auschwitz Memorial Drags ‘Hunters’ For Historical Inaccuracies – Deadline
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