Contributor: Bronzethumb
Written by Frank Spotnitz
Directed by Daniel Percival
The resolution of the first series of “Hunted” — and quite possibly of the whole show — was satisfying. That’s it, just satisfying. It wasn’t spectacular or pulse-pounding, but it did a good job of wrapping up the plot threads and not tripping at the final hurdle or feeling like a big letdown. It lacks the intensity of some earlier episodes but thankfully doesn’t get as numbingly confusing as the opening of the series. It was a satisfying conclusion to a plot, and that was all.
The operation is drawing to a close when Byzantium is ordered to kill Jack Turner, in order to keep him from exposing Polyhedrus’ dark secret. But when the plan threatens to kill one of the few innocent people in the Turner household, Sam’s intervention threatens to expose everything and put her own life in jeopardy. Stephen’s search for the truth turns up sordid details from his family’s past, and as the shadowy forces lurking at the edge of Sam’s life start to make themselves known, Keel and the rest of Byzantium must decide where their loyalties truly lie.
The episode can roughly be divided into the bits that exceeded the expectations of the audience and the bits that toed the line, doing the bare minimum of narrative work to keep people engaged. Much of what went on in the Turner household would fit into the former category, especially where it concerns Jack Turner. Everything he does has been telegraphed for several episodes, quite blatantly, but Spotnitz’s script deliberately strings out how it all wraps up — or unravels, as the case may be. It doesn’t build tension, but merely marks time until the climax.
Speaking of the climax, again it’s something we’ve been expecting, but the presentation, the direction and the brutal performance from Patrick Malahide make it work far better than most of the build-up. But then the episode moves to a second climax as the two main story threads of “Hunted” — the Turner operation and Sam’s mission — unravel from one another, and in a strange reversal, it’s the latter that disappoints. There’s no suspense to be gained by putting the life of the protagonist in danger, creepy opening monologue or not, and the episode’s attempt to make us believe Sam will die only serves to suck viewers out of the storytelling experience.
A few of the characters were well-serviced by the finale. Keel and Deacon have both been wrestling with the morality of their work over the course of the series, though the former had a subtler part to play, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to seem the both reach a resolution. And when Stephen Turner’s journey of discovery turns up some wholly unexpected information, Stephen Campbell Moore gives one of the best performances of the series and plays the part of the show’s moral heart with aplomb. The disappointment came from Sam; not Melissa George’s performance, but more the character’s lack of agency that made her feel sidelined for much of the episode.
But while the presentation had ebbs and flows, ultimately the various plotlines reached an interesting and satisfactory conclusion and won’t leave viewers very disappointed for sticking with the show after its troubled beginning. While it’s still unknown if, or in what form, “Hunted” will return, but this debut season earned a passing grade with its fresh take on the espionage thriller, it’s dark, complex storytelling, a strong visual style and great production values.
Score: 7/10