THE HUNTING WIVES on Netflix (US) is a thriller series with a deliciously sapphic storyline and lots of steamy moments. It’s a total guilty pleasure to watch, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t also extremely well-made. Fingers crossed that a season 2 is already in the works. Read our full The Hunting Wives series review here!
THE HUNTING WIVES is a new Netflix (US) addition that has taken the streaming platform’s audience by storm. Season 1 has eight episodes, which may seem like a lot, but there are plenty of little twists and turns to fill all that runtime. Not least thanks to the sapphic romance (and steamy scenes) between the two female leads of the show.
It was a total treat (or guilty pleasure, if you will) to binge-watch this thriller series. The series is a Starz production that will be released on various streaming platforms all over the world. Based on the bestselling novel by May Cobb, which I have immediately added to my “want to read” list already.
Continue reading our season 1 review of The Hunting Wives series below. Find it on Netflix in the US now.
From Boston to small-town Texas
In The Hunting Wives, we meet Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow) just as she and her family move from Boston to Texas. And not Austin, TX, or another Big City. No, we’re talking real country Texas, where men wear boots and hats and everyone is carrying a weapon.
Sophie is dealing with her own past trauma as she tries to make Texas home for herself, her husband, Graham (Evan Jonigkeit), and their young son. She’s off to a tough start when a party hosted by her husband’s boss, Jed (Dermot Mulroney), turns out to be an NRA event.
Fortunately, she finds a friend before long as she runs into a charming socialite in the bathroom. Her name is Margo (Malin Åkerman), and she promises to take Sophie under her wing and show her the Texan way of life. As the two grow close, their intimacy quickly turns physical… of course, this seems to be symptomatic of Margo’s relationships.
Drippin’ with darlin’ and queer romance
Also, trust me, Sophie may be a fish out of water as a Boston woman surrounded by Texas ladies, but she can hold her own. Well, most of the time… alcohol is her weakness.
And so is Margo, but that might go both ways, as they find each other equally intriguing!
Not since Gina Gershon as Cristal Connors in Showgirls (1995) have I seen such an entertaining over-the-top diva as Malin Åkerman’s “Margo Banks”. She is charming the pants off whomever she pleases. Usually, Margo wants something specific, but with Brittany Snow’s “Sophie O’Neil” it seems to be purely a pleasurable transaction.
Also, I found it especially nice that some of the cowboys also had a thing for each other.
Still, as much as I like my gay boys, it was all about Sophie and Margot for me. Brittany Snow plays Sophie with so much nuance that soon you won’t be surprised at her ability to make bad decisions at every turn. Meanwhile, Malin Åkerman is breathtaking as Margo Banks.
She’s clearly the one you want in your corner!
Don’t sleep on Wanda Salazar
However much I enjoyed the steamy queer romance stories of The Hunting Wives (and yes, there are several), this is a thriller crime series. A woman has been murdered, shot down in cold blood, and we need to get to the bottom of this case.
Before we get that far, there is also a young woman who has been kidnapped.
Working both cases (sort of) is Deputy Wanda Salazar (Karen Rodriguez), and she is brilliant. Before the main storyline of The Hunting Wives has even begun, she’s put her own life on the line, which means she’s technically on sick leave during the investigation we do follow.
Fortunately, Wanda Salazar knows that she can’t depend on the Sheriff to solve a murder, so she stays involved. Her closest colleague, Flynn (Hunter Emery), also recognizes that Salazar’s talents are needed, so he keeps her informed.
Karen Rodriguez (Swarm, Shining Girls) is amazing as Wanda Salazar and ensures that I care as much about the crime as the steamy sapphics. Also in The Hunting Wives cast, you’ll see Madison Wolfe (The Man in the White Van) and Chrissy Metz (This is Us) in key roles.
Watch The Hunting Wives on Netflix US now
The Hunting Wives series was created by Rebecca Perry Cutter (Hightown), who serves as executive producer, series writer, and showrunner. As already mentioned, it’s based on the novel by May Cobb, which I have not read (yet!). Hopefully, we’ll be getting a second season, as there is plenty of story left to dive into.
The directors on The Hunting Wives series are all women, and each directed two episodes. The four directors are Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman), Jennifer Getzinger (Candy, The Morning Show), Melanie Mayron (Snapshots, Jane the Virgin), and Julie Anne Robinson (Bridgerton, Orange is the New Black).
The series was set up at Starz, but after the separation agreement between Starz and Lionsgate, the series moved to Netflix in the US. Netflix will hold the exclusive US rights for one year. Following this, Netflix may be able to renew the deal, or Lionsgate could offer the series to other streamers.
You can stream all eight episodes of The Hunting Wives season 1 on Netflix in the US now. Outside the US, The Hunting Wives will stream on Stan (Australia), Crave (Canada), OSN (Middle East), and HOT (Israel). Also, it could appear on other platforms in various countries, so check out JustWatch.com for your country here >
Will The Hunting Wives return for Season 2?
Creator Rebecca Perry Cutter has not given a definitive answer, but I would venture a guess that the enormous success of the series on Netflix helps. The showrunner has also said that she’s “very encouraged by the numbers and by the response” when asked to contemplate a season 2 of The Hunting Wives.
Fortunately, she also changed key elements of the novel it’s based on. This means certain characters can return for season 2. Smart move, Cutter, very smart move! Rebecca Perry Cutter is also quoted as saying, “…I’m feeling very hopeful, and even confident that there will be [a season 2], just because the fans are demanding it.”
And finally, “I want to give the people what they want.” She definitely managed this with season 1 of The Hunting Wives. In other words, I have complete confidence that she can do it again. Also, watching the core cast interact on social media in response to the success of The Hunting Wives, they are more than ready to continue as well.
Creator: Rebecca Cutter
Cast: Malin Åkerman, Brittany Snow, Dermot Mulroney, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, Evan Jonigkeit, George Ferrier
Official plot:
Sophie trades New England for East Texas and falls into a wealthy socialite’s magnetic orbit — where a clique of housewives hide deadly secrets.
