Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
4.2
While the serial killers on The Hunting Party have been horrific, learning the main characters’ secrets and how they relate to the Pit has been just as shocking.
The serial killer on The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 4 proved dangerous since he was a psychiatrist before, so he had horrifying medical knowledge to use.
Dr. Ezekial Malak had stepped up his game since his release from the Pit since he thought he had perfected his research and could kill his victims, bring them back to life, and gain knowledge of what they had seen in the afterlife.
Besides catching the weekly serial killer, tensions worsened at work, and the team had to bury that when Malak kidnapped Bex.
Will the secrets and lies feed this new drama or make it sink quicker? Let’s dissect this week’s serial killer and drama.
Dr. Malak Vowed Revenge After His Execution and Resurrection on The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 4
Each week, I become more convinced that the Pit’s experiments hindered these prisoners’ success and even impacted who they murdered upon their release.
Watching an actual execution was disturbing, but watching Dr. Malak being brought back to life was even more so.
It looked like something Dr. Rolf did on Days of Our Lives, so it didn’t affect me but changed Dr. Malak’s perspective about the afterlife.
He hated Dr. Dulles for resurrecting him and the chaplain for his naive views about life being better after death.
Since Dr. Malak now thought he was even more like God, it should have been no surprise that the first person he attacked was a chaplain.
Being a hospital psychiatrist before proved deadly because he knew the exact dose of Digoxin to administer to put them in cardiac arrest.
Doctor: Poor bastard had even more than the last guy.
Shane: Wait… last guy?
Doctor: That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? He’s not the first.
He got sloppy, though. Before, he only killed hospital patients, and now he’d moved on to random Chicago residents.
Initially, Dr. Malak only wanted to kill his patients; now, he wanted his victims to suffer.
Dr. Malak Thought He Created a New Psychological Finding With Near-Death Experiences
Dr. Malak thought his new psychological findings could accomplish more than Sigmund Freud. That was laughable since anyone who studied psychology knew how well-known Freud was.
Near-death experiences weren’t new either. Many people have had visions of white lights and their loved ones as their soul decides whether to cross over or not.
Dr. Malak took his crimes to a new level by killing his latest victims and shocking them back to life, forcing them to reveal what they saw when they died.
He kept repeating this torturous process until they died or were too weak to make any sense.
Until he captured Bex, Bex Henderson profiles these creeps for a living and was stronger than he thought. She refused to give in and wouldn’t let him taunt her with her daughter.
Bex turned the tables on him, taunting Dr. Malak that he never pleased his father, even in his dreams. That may have been dangerous since she was alone with him, but Bex seems proficient at taunting these killers and surviving.
Tensions Rose to New Heights When Dr. Malak Kidnapped Bex
While Bex, Hassani, and Shane have developed a fun rapport between them, Hassani and Oliver Odell throw accusations around as soon as Bex disappears.
Both men quickly blamed the other, and Shane had to remind them to focus on bringing Bex home.
Very rarely have we seen Oliver or Hassani fall apart, but they both fell apart with Bex missing. For Oliver, it was personal, and Hassani feared Dr. Malak would harm an essential team member.
With those two distracted, Shane and Jennifer Morales had the winning brain power and took the lead. Shane’s gut reaction to Dr. Malak taking Bex to her hotel room paid off when Morales confirmed that the hotel key had been used only minutes before.
During her rescue, Bex proved yet again why she was the brains of the mission. She didn’t need any men to save her. She’s a badass and held her own.
However, it was more than that. Bex refused to let that creep die and wanted him to pay this time for his sins. We respect that.
Those Secrets Affected Team Dynamics and Probably the Love Triangle
While some fans prefer the weekly serial killer aspect, the pull of this series is Bex’s life and how certain elements affect her. We wouldn’t have a show without that.
Those cliffhangers will significantly affect Bex. The day before, she had just told Oliver that she had him and Sam flash in her mind in her near-death experience.
Bex: In my final moments, I saw Sam, and I saw you. I’m sorry for pretending what we had wasn’t important. It was. I’m really happy you’re here.
While that moment initially seemed like they had turned a corner, Bex had tricked him into lending her his phone so she could assure Sam she was safe and plug in that tracking device.
That saddened me. I don’t want Bex to be as jaded as the rest of them.
She likely regretted it when she saw the correspondence from Sam to Oliver in his storage locker.
She probably thought they never communicated and gave that happy family fantasy another thought.
Naturally, Hassani found something more damming — coordinates to the Pit. What was Oliver really up to?
When Shane mentioned moving here to be closer to family on The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 1, I should have suspected his family was involved with the Pit.
That was an easy job for him, and he could also keep an eye on his father in the nursing home.
No wonder he didn’t want anyone checking in on Dulles. This gave Shane some layers, which he needed, but hopefully, it won’t affect his friendship with Bex.
Over to you, The Hunting Party Fanatics. What was your favorite part of “Doctor Ezekiel Malak”? Were you surprised by those cliffhangers?
Let us know in the comments.
Watch The Hunting Party Online
