The Checklist: Hunters (S1 Ep1) “In the Belly of the Whale”
Nazi Hunters, by definition, are good people. No matter that they are using sometimes nefarious means, questionable tactics, illegal weapons, and sometimes downright villainous vitriol, these hunters can essentially do no wrong if their ultimate goal is to kill Nazis. I guess that makes Hunters that much better. With only the simple story line of “folks try to kill hidden Nazis in America” to go on, I knew that Hunters couldn’t be that bad.
1- Do we get an eclectic group of killers for the team?
It’s still early but we do briefly meet the team of Hunters at the end. They seem to all have their own gimmick, if I can use a wrestling term, and you can be sure that they’ll be used in different ways throughout the series. Al Pacino is definitely the money and maybe the brains behind it all, but there are enough other people there that I’m expecting some well-done action scenes. Score: 1/1
2- Does the team recruit some fresh faces?
Most definitely. The entire story revolves around Logan Lerman’s character Jonah Heidelbaum dealing with the murder of his Safta at the hands of a Nazi scumbag. He then learns of the secret war being waged by Al Pacino’s team and is quickly accepted as a member of the team. It’s a great set up for any pilot episode. Score: 2/2
3- Do we get any team montages or what?
Sadly, we do not. This is the first episode, though, so I’m expecting to get one soon enough. It’s the type of show that pushes together a group of people who all have the same mission in mind so they better damn-well have a montage! Score : 2/3
4- These must be the worst Nazis ever, right?
Yeah, they’re pretty awful. The show opens with a guy at a classic BBQ with all the neighbors over having fun. A new acquaintance shows up with his wife and she instantly recognizes the man from his days being a super awful Nazi. Then then goes about executing the entire party…including his wife and kids. It’s a really wild scene and perfectly encapsulates what we will find in these hidden Nazi folks. Score: 3/4
5- Does this show have watchability over the course of a series?
I felt like the long runtime of the first episode (approx. 90 mins) helped to get the characters over and allow plenty of time to learn about all the horrible shit these Nazis have been up to since their arrival. It also gives us an opportunity to learn about what the Feds are doing. Jerrika Hinton plays FBI Agent Millie Morris. She is sent on what feels like a “wild goose chase” by her superiors but is bound to figures some stuff out based on her competency level in this first episode. I had a lot of fun with this first episode and I’ll certainly keep watching. Score: 4/5
Final Score: 4/5 80%: These scores really don’t mean much. The show seems like a good amount of fun. Killing shithead Nazis in 1970’s America is a cool concept and you can’t go wrong with the actors in the roles. I highly suggest you check it out.
