The Hunting Wives: Netflix’s Surprise Hit Returns for Season 2

Netflix has scored a sleeper success with The Hunting Wives, the sultry psychological thriller, which premiered on the platform in July 2025. After launching quietly with little formal promotional campaign, the series became a fixture on Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 for six weeks, including time at the number one spot.

From Starz Castoff to Netflix Phenomenon

The show has an unusual backstory—produced initially for Starz, The Hunting Wives found itself without a home when the network split from Lionsgate Television. Netflix licensed the U.S. rights for one year, and the gamble paid off handsomely when the series premiered on July 21, 2025.

Created by Rebecca Perry Cutter (Hightown) and based on May Cobb’s bestselling 2021 novel, the eight-episode series follows Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow), who relocates with her husband Graham from Massachusetts to the fictional East Texas town of Maple Brook. There, she becomes entangled with Margo Banks (Malin Akerman), a charismatic socialite who leads an exclusive circle known as the “Hunting Wives”.

A Dangerous Web of Secrets

Sophie’s darker past—she killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence in Cambridge—adds another layer to her desperation to fit into this new world. As she grows closer to Margo, Sophie becomes consumed by obsession and seduction, eventually finding herself caught up in the murder investigation of a teenage girl found dead in the woods where the Hunting Wives gather.

The ensemble cast includes Dermot Mulroney as Jed Banks, Margo’s oil tycoon husband; Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, and Katie Lowes as members of the elite social circle; and Evan Jonigkeit as Sophie’s husband.

Critical Reception and Cultural Impact

The series earned a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 25 critic reviews. NPR praised the show’s pacing, noting that while it employs a familiar murder mystery structure, relevant facts emerge gradually rather than forcing viewers to wait until the finale for answers.

Viewers have been surprised by the show’s explicit content, which features considerably more nudity and sex than typical Netflix fare—a legacy of its Starz origins. In an interview with Vulture, Akerman revealed the creative team used Melania Trump as a reference for her portrayal of Margo Banks.

The show’s success extended beyond the screen. The week following the premiere, Cobb’s original novel saw a staggering 5,000% increase in sales across all formats compared to the previous year.

Season 2 on the Horizon

Netflix renewed the series for a second season in September 2025 as a global Netflix original rather than a U.S.-only license. The eight-episode second season will continue the original storyline from the Season 1 finale, with the main cast returning.

According to the Season 2 logline, Sophie and Margo begin at odds, but old secrets and new adversaries force them back together, raising the question: are they the hunters or the hunted?

The Hunting Wives demonstrates that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to success. What began as a discarded Starz project transformed into one of Netflix’s standout dramas of 2025, proving that compelling storytelling—even when wrapped in Texas glamour and scandal—always finds its audience.

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