Sometimes your TV viewing schedule needs an injection of sexy, soapy fun — and based on the eight episodes that just dropped, Netflix‘s’ The Hunting Wives is going to bring all of that to our screens this July.
The new show, which stars Brittany Snow, Malin Åkerman and Dermot Mulroney, is based on the novel of the same name by May Cobb.
It looks like it’s going to be a rip-roaring good time, a mash-up of Big Little Lies, Desperate Housewives and a smidge of Friday Night Lights.
Here’s why the Watch With Us team is psyched for this new series.
It’s an Entertaining Red State Vs. Blue State Social Satire
Promotional image from ‘The Hunting Wives’ Lionsgate TV/Netflix
The Hunting Wives follows Sophie O’Neal (Snow), a lifestyle blogger from the Boston area (“Cambridge, just across the river,” she explains to a group of mystified Texans) who moves to East Texas with her husband and son. Although she’s not thrilled about the move — “I’m not good with Texas people,” she confesses to her husband in the trailer — she soon becomes fascinated by a friend group that calls itself “The Hunting Wives,” especially the Queen Bee, Margo Banks (Åkerman).
While the Texan women’s only point of reference for Massachusetts seems to be Harvard, they definitely know the lay of the land in their small town — in fact, they seem to run the place. They snicker at Sophie’s discomfort firing a gun for the first time, they have big hair and they go line dancing. Hunting Wives examines the cultural divide between so-called “coastal elites” and upper-crust Texans, but with a healthy dose of humor — and melodrama.
‘The Hunting Wives’ Is Scandalous, Sexy Fun
The Hunting Wives don’t just go hunting. They drink, take drugs and sleep around — with younger guys, with each other and even with each others’ husbands. The potential for drama is obvious — there are sure to be twists, turns, breakups and makeups for everyone involved. We can’t wait to see how the relationships evolve.
A Murder Most Foul
The Hunting Wives isn’t just about the secrets and personal drama of these women — things take a dark turn when a teenager’s body is found in the woods. A murder investigation makes all of the women focus on their secrets — some of which they’ll do anything to keep.
Murder in a small town is always juicy, dramatic territory, and we’re excited to see how Sophie’s newfound friendships get her involved in this investigation. Will she protect her new friends at the cost of justice?
The murder plot also raises the stakes of this larger-than-life show. Could Sophie, Margo or one of the other wives end up dying as they try to protect their secrets?
It’s a Summer Binge You Can’t Resist
After devouring Sirens, we’ve been yearning for a new summer show that hits some of the same points — the excesses of wealth, complicated female characters and high stakes that can turn dangerous at any moment. The Hunting Wives checks all those boxes.
It also features a similarly talented cast — we’ve loved Snow since Pitch Perfect. Åkerman, for her part, is a gifted actress who we feel has never really found her breakout lead role, despite having worked steadily for decades. As Margo, she has the potential to create an iconic character.
With eight episodes, The Hunting Wives feels like the perfect summer binge — as addictive and intoxicating as the powder the titular wives snort in the trailer, but without any nasty side effects.
The Hunting Wives is now streaming on Netflix.
