(Season One, 2012)

I suspect the changing nature of television must be frustrating for content creators; used to be you tried to get picked up by the major networks, or, barring that, cable. Now you have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc., all proffering their own indigenous fare, and the competition is all that much steeper. Add to that the emerging penchant for binge-watching gulping down an entire series/season in a day or two and the simple fact that theres quite a lot of material out there too much for any single person to ingest I would guess youd have to have a pretty keen angle in order to get picked up these days. Hunted takes a cue from the Brits (well, its a co-Brit/Skinemax production) in offering us a series of only eight episodes, each one being almost an hour (as opposed to the forty minute hour dramas shown on broadcast). The series centers around one Sam Hunter (Melissa George, entirely the reason I was drawn to this), a spy who works for the private company Byzantium, who is nearly killed at the start of the first episode and returns to work only after a years hiatus hiding out to flush out her killer. Her team consists of Aiden, her former lover (Adam Rayner), Zoe (Morven Christie), Ian, the new guy (Lex Shrapnel), team lead Deacon (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Deacons boss Keel (Stephen Dillane). Their mission over the eight episodes is to infiltrate the home of shady gangster-turned-businessman Jack Turner (Patrick Malahide) and interfere with his desire to bid on the contract to build a massive dam in Pakistan, which apparently the teams client wants to do. Sam is chosen to insinuate herself into Turners mansion, which she does by thwarting a faked kidnapping attempt aimed at Turners grandson, Eddie (Oscar Kennedy), earning not only the boys affection but that of his father, Stephen (Stephen Campbell Moore). From there, the op is on. Theres a lot going on in the show, too much at times; besides a large cast, you also have each team member hiding some sort of secret (Keel is ill, Deacon is having a crisis of conscience, Sam is trying to recall some dark secret from her past, etc.), plus you have the backstory of Sams near death and the whole Turner clan history. Theres way more than enough here for eight hours, and the whole time I was watching, as layers of complexity and skullduggery were added, I kept thinking that the creators here were sowing seeds for multiple seasons, because you simply didnt need all the extraneous detail for this particular story. This comes crashing to a halt in the last episode, where there are numerous plotlines to tie up, and the whole thing lurches to a finish in a rather messy fashion. I suspect removing one or two layers of plot detail and depth might have served the show a little better. Which is a pity, because when Hunted is good which is often its very good. The Brits do this sort of clandestine ops team concept far far better than we do, and are generally sharper with the dichotomy of a team at odds yet needing to work together. All of the characters here are interesting and engage your attention, if not always your enthusiasm, almost at once. Even the people you dont like and its not very hard not to like Jack Turner are layered and complex and certainly worth

Hunted

watching. I was absorbed through all eight episodes, and actually held off from watching more than one a night, wanting to savor the drama, the tension, and the overall excellence of the show (only the finale disappoints, and then mainly because its too rushed and confused). Though there are too many characters in the show, and a few whose presence are simply unexplained (a young woman who tips off Stephen Turner in the final episode comes from nowhere, for example), each and every actor does a terrific job with his role. I cant praise anyone above the others every single performance is very strong, straight through the very large cast (even incidental roles are smartly cast and played). I would have liked a little more explanation of a few characters, or maybe fewer of them to give the core cast room to breathe, but I have to praise the casting and acting from top to bottom. There are some plot contrivances Sam is able to come and go at will in a mansion that seems unusually concerned with security, and she uses the Merlin trick of I slipped around the corner, no one can see me a little bit too often. But the series is generally sharply, if a bit densely, plotted. Im not sure how easy this is to view; the DVD set is rather expensive, prohibiting inquisitive buying-without-seeing, and Im not sure Netflix (or anybody) carries it. This show will likely be forgotten, which is a shame, because on the whole its rather well done and enjoyable. Id recommend it for any fans of the espionage or Brit TV genres, a worthwhile investment of your time, if only you can find a copy to watch. September 13, 2013