Varun Patel
The tenth episode of ‘Hunters’ picks up after a literally explosive ninth installment of the first season. Since the previous episode wrapped up a major resolution that the show had been building up to, many viewers might have been wondering what the season finale was going to be about. Personally I expected some form of aftermath or obituary-like premise since the possibility of a second season is unconfirmed.
Such kind of finales generally tend to be rather slow. However, the tenth episode turns out to be pleasantly surprising. What is even more shocking is the fact that it turns out to be more thrilling than the penultimate episode, which was extremely entertaining anyway.
‘Hunters’ revolves around a group of Nazi-hunters in 1977 USA. The show nails its period setting, with a narrative that is spun around actual historical events.
Hunters Episode 10 Recap:
The tenth episode of ‘Hunters’ begins with a scene set in 1976. Ruth spots a Nazi from her concentration camp-days while she is shopping with Jonah. Then, she visits Meyer to discuss that. The two meet after a long time. Ruth asks Meyer why he left and did not contact her. She asks him why he did not visit her when their daughter passed away too. After the opening credits, a boy is depicted running in the fields with a red ball in his hand.
Sister Harriet swims to Meyer’s car in the water body where it fell in the previous episode. She rescues Meyer and saves him. When Meyer regains consciousness, Jonah and he have a conversation. Meyer thinks Jonah should have killed Travis Leich when he had the chance.
Morris visits Leich who is in prison. She offers him a reduced sentence if he testifies in court about the Fourth Reich plan. Jonah reads his grandmother’s notes and finds out that one of them ends with the words, “matters of the soul.” This leads him to go through her cookbook as she used to use those words to describe her soup. He finds out the identity of the Wolf who is now a cosmetic surgeon, living under the alias, Friedrich Mann.
Biff, on the other hand, forges a Soviet passport. He chokes the man who makes it for him and takes his place. He successfully manages to enter USSR. A congresswoman visits Morris at her house. She tells her that she wants to create an official taskforce to bring justice to Nazi war criminals all over the world.
Jonah goes to Mann’s clinic and kidnaps him. Meanwhile, Leich emotionally manipulates his mother to arrange for a lawyer. He requests her to send a Jewish lawyer. Jonah brings the Wolf to Meyer’s place. Meyer kills him by stabbing the back of his neck with his dagger. Jonah asks Meyer why he didn’t say the Kaddish prayer before killing him. Meyer tells him that he is the Wolf!
He killed the actual Meyer Offerman at the concentration camp after the Nazis had lost the war. Having taken his place, he underwent cosmetic surgery. He tells Jonah that hunting Nazis gave him a purpose. Jonah kills Meyer. The team is shocked to hear of this. Joe leaves Offerman’s house and gets kidnapped.
A Jewish lawyer visits Leich in prison. Leich stabs the lawyer repeatedly in full view of the other prisoners. He wants to make a statement and earn the respect of the other inmates. He wants to recruit white supremacists to continue the Fourth Reich plan. Sister Harriet speaks to someone on the phone. The person at the other end calls The Colonel “Queen” and asks Sister Harriet how she will fool “Meyer’s bandits.” Seriously, what is Sister Harriet’s secret? Is she a Nazi? You can read more about that here.
The team meets once more. Mindy has left town to live with her family. So, its only Jonah, Loxy, Ronny and Sister Harriet. Sister Harriet tells the team about Die Spinne: a covert regime with 8 of Hitler’s top brass. She suggests the team focus on hunting killing these 8 people. So, the team decides to head to Eastern Europe.
Joe has been taken to Argentina. He is greeted by…The Colonel! She is still alive. She makes him sit down at the dinner table and calls…Adolf Hitler!
What Does the Episode’s Title, ‘Eilu v’Eilu’ Mean?
The title of the tenth and final episode of the first season of ‘Hunters’ refers to a concept from the Talmud. The Talmud is one of the principal texts of Judaism and is considered to be one of the most important sources of Jewish principles and religious law known as “halakha.”
“Eilu v’Eilu” is a part of the Talmudic phrase, “Eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chaim” which translates to “these and these are the words of the living God.” The phrase has a complex meaning whose true essence has been debated over considerably. A very diluted connotation of the phrase is the fact that two differing opinions can co-exist in the halakha if their aim is to establish the correct path of the Torah.
It must be noted that the phrase has been debated over considerably. Hence, many might not agree with the explanation stated above. Plus, I do not even come close to possessing the knowledge or authority to claim assured truthfulness regarding the above-stated, heavily watered down explanation.
Anyway, for ‘Hunters,’ the phrase might mean several things. It might be referring to the series’ toying with historic truth. ‘Hunters’ is a show steeped in history, and uses actual historical events to weave its narrative. A lot of the facts and events highlighted in the show actually took place in reality. However, the rest is a product of some extremely creative fictionalization. Hence, the title might imply the series’ writers asking viewers to enjoy the story as opposed to fretting over its historicity. It is a fictional tale, after all.
However, a deeper explanation could be the show’s omnipresent theme of the morality of the team of vigilantes taking justice in their own hands. Throughout the series’ ten-episode run, it has questioned the central characters’ willingness to kill Nazis in a cold-blooded manner. It has presented both sides of the argument: the fact that the war criminals committed some truly horrific things and need to suffer. On the other hand, the age-old wisdom of not taking law in one’s own hands is also presented. The title of the episode might be preaching the co-existence of both these schools of thought.
Moreover, this idea of the co-existence of various truths also resembles several other things revealed in the final episode like Hitler’s resurrection and Offerman’s identity.
Hunters Episode 10 Review:
The season finale makes ‘Hunters’ one of the smartest shows on television. The title of the tenth episode itself is a testament to that.
The fact that Jordan Peele serves as the executive producer adds a lot of promise and this episode justifies it. One of the hallmarks of ‘Hunters’ has been its ability to combine actual historical events with creative fictionalization. Moreover, its attention to detail has been quite impressive. This is one series that truly transports viewers back to 1977 and does not let its conventional premise make it feel any less fresh.
Perhaps, the fact that it takes time to find its footing can be justified with the reasoning that ‘Hunters’ is compelled to stand out from a large retinue of anti-Nazi stories. Moreover, it does not limit itself to being a senseless, swashbuckling joyride. Some truly deep themes run throughout the first season and come to complete fruition upon completion.
The plot of the tenth episode alone is enough to make it worthy of a compelling season finale. It sets up the second season juicily. In fact, the second season looks even more enticing than the first one did. Read this ending explainer to find out what the next season might have in store…
Read More: Hunters Ending, Explained
