NBC’s thriller series “The Hunting Party” opens dramatically with the destruction of a classified prison facility called The Pit, concealed within a decommissioned nuclear missile silo in Cheyenne, Wyoming. While initially attributed to a cooling system malfunction, the incident proves far more sinister.

The story centers on Melissa Roxburgh’s character, Rebecca “Bex” Henderson, a former FBI profiler now working in casino security. Her past comes rushing back when she learns that Richard Harris, the first serial killer she captured – whom she believed executed – was actually imprisoned in The Pit as part of mysterious research operations.

Bex’s extraordinary profiling abilities emerged tragically in her youth when, at age 15, she uncovered that her best friend’s father was responsible for murdering a dozen local girls. Her current investigation team includes former Pit guard Shane Florence (Josh McKenzie) and CIA operative Jacob Hassani (Patrick Sabongui).

The series reveals that Bex’s departure from the FBI stemmed from a disturbing incident involving her former partner, Oliver Odell. During a missing person case, Odell secretly tortured and immolated a suspect while Bex unknowingly stood by. Though they rescued the victim – whom Bex later adopted and who is now attending college – the event deeply affected her moral principles.

A startling twist emerges when Oliver appears as The Pit’s warden, surviving the explosion to deliver two crucial revelations: the number of escaped killers far exceeds official reports, and the incident was a calculated prison break rather than an accident. Someone orchestrated the release of these dangerous criminals deliberately.

The premiere establishes an intricate mystery surrounding the purpose of The Pit’s inmate research program and the identity of those behind the breakout. It weaves together immediate threats from escaped killers with broader conspiracies involving covert government operations and questionable experimentation on death row inmates.

The episode concludes with numerous unresolved questions, particularly regarding the secret program that diverted death row inmates to The Pit instead of execution. Oliver’s unexpected position as warden, given his disgraceful FBI exit, adds another puzzling element, while his warning to Bex hints at powerful figures working to conceal The Pit’s true purpose.

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