WARNING: Spoilers for Hunters season 1.
The alternative history premise for Hunters season 1 allows for numerous twists, but Amazon ultimately plays it safe with the final reveal. By introducing an elderly Adolf Hitler being alive in 1977, showrunner David Weil makes a clear statement about his structural approach moving forward, but it's not one that fans might expect. Here's why the Hunters season 1 finale damages the show's reputation and story while simultaneously securing the show's future storyline.
Hunters season 1 revolves around a vigilante squad formed by Meyer Offerman (Al Pacino). For almost the entire season, viewers are led to believe that he's a Holocaust survivor who seeks justice for war crimes. And when Meyer explains his motivations and personal history to 19-year-old Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman), Hunters season 1 essentially lays the groundwork for major twists, as Meyer reveals that he survived a Nazi concentration camp with Jonah's late grandmother Ruth (Jeannie Berlin). So, the big question throughout Hunters season 1 is whether Jonah will embrace the past and what appears to be his destiny, or perhaps take a different life approach. Meanwhile, Meyer proves to be a thoughtful individual, but one who acts quickly, and violently, when dealing with Nazis in America. In reality, though, Meyer is literally the man he claims to be tracking down: Wilhelm Zuchs aka The Wolf.
The Hunters season 1 finale, "Eilu v' Eilu," doesn't resolve the most obvious conflict (a Fourth Reich threat); however, it does conveniently wrap up numerous subplots and reveals multiple twists. One of them is that Hitler is living in Argentina with his wife Eva Braun (The Colonel) and their four identical sons. In the past, there have been theories to suggest that Hitler survived World War II and fled to South America, where he was planning to build a Fourth Reich. This was the subject of History Channel's Hunting Hitler series and is clearly an inspiration for Amazon's show. But other than an off-hand comment about a "General" being in charge, there was no evidence to suggest Hitler was even alive, to begin with. This reveal ultimately detracts from the rest of the story.
Hunters was, for the most part, an intriguing look into a world in which the Nazis were defeated during the war - unlike what happened with Amazon's other World War II-focused series, The Man in the High Castle - but the party survived and waited for the opportune moment to make their move, all the while infiltrating the U.S. government at the highest levels. Hunters tackled tough subjects and didn't shy away from the grittiness of it all. However, by revealing Hitler is alive, audiences forget about the rest of the story - which focused on developing a handful of characters - and are now only focused on Hitler.
Still, the Hitler twist does indeed set up a multi-season storyline. In Hunters season 2, Jonah and company will travel to Europe to investigate leads, evidenced by a group meeting at the end of season 1. But there's the thing: Hitler likely won't be part of the second installment, at least if Amazon continues to play it safe. Instead, the story will likely focus on European adventures and a religion-themed subplot involving Sister Harriet (Kate Mulvany), as teased by her phone conversation with a mysterious contact in the Hunters season 1 finale. Meanwhile, The Colonel will function as the Big Bad and perhaps inadvertently lure Jonah's team to Argentina for Hunters season 3 or Hunters season 4, if the show continues. So, moving forward in Hunters, audiences should expect plenty more "twists" that are merely red herrings.
More: What Hunters' Surprising Character Reveal Means For Season 2
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