How to make Hunted season 2, if renewed, even better (March Makeovers)
Let’s start with what worked well, just so that we don’t sound like some sort of naysayer ready to smash the show to pieces at every possible opportunity. The casting for the first season was gold, given that you had people from different walks of life, ages, and professions. Many of the Hunted team members proved surprising entertaining in a way that you wouldn’t expect. The real stars of the show, almost in spite of all of this, were all the kooky people we ran into along the way — the people who ratted out the teams on the run for money (hi, Mary Scott!), the family members, or some of the random folks who offered to lend a helping hand. The show was both sleek and homespun at the same time.
Also, once you get into those moments where teams were about to be caught, things ramped up and it was edge-of-your-seat entertainment. In particular, the capture of David & Emiley in the penultimate episode may be one of the best reality-TV sequences from the past year. This is a very good show despite some initial reservations. However, it’s also a flawed show, and there are several different things Hunted season 2 could do if it wants to raise the game and improve itself to the next level.
1. Clear rules – This is the big one that is all over the internet. We as viewers did not know some of the specific rules about how teams had to keep moving, how often they needed to visit an ATM, or the way in which the ending worked. The final one was close to a disaster given that Lee & Hilmar and English & Stephen both made it to the end of the 28 days, and still could’ve been captured near the end. You’re not ruining anything by telling the public about these rules. It only enhances the experience and adds to the creativity.
2. Embrace the contestants more – Whether they are good or bad at being out on the run, this is a show defined by the people who are off fighting for the grand prize. It’s okay to root for them and root against the Hunters, just because this is a fictional TV show. There were issues here and there with the show’s tone, and figuring out who it was meant to appeal to in terms of its audience.
3. Give teams opportunities to work together – One of the stranger parts of the show was how isolating it was, given that the teams never really had a chance to collaborate. What would be interesting would be if the show starts with some of the fugitives getting some contact info for some of the other teams, which could serve as either helpful or hurtful. There’s a chance that this would get them all collectively caught since it’s perfect Command Center bait, but if they can find a way to reach out while throwing off the hunters, there could be benefits to collaboration.
4. A new environment – This one isn’t so much a problem with season 1 as it is something that the show could do in season 2. Why not give us a new location? It’d be interesting to us to get the teams in a different part of the country, whether it be New England, the midwest, or even out on the West Coast. It films in the summer, so weather wouldn’t be an issue.
5. More episodes – We’re not saying that the show should expand significantly. They had about eight hours this time, so why not give up nine or ten? This could help to also feel the need for the show to dump on us with exposition, which they did during the pilot — which, other than Matt & Christina’s quick capture, was the worst episode of the show.
If Hunted season 2 does happen, what do you want to see? Share now in the comments! (Photo: CBS.)