NBC’s THE HUNTING PARTY Season 1 stormed through ten adrenaline-packed episodes before landing a finale that left fans reeling — not because of a cliffhanger centered on a killer, but because of what happens to a central member of the team: Oliver Odell, played by Nick Wechsler.
The show, created by JJ Bailey with Jake Coburn as co-showrunner, follows an elite team of investigators tracking down escaped inmates from a secret facility called “The Pit.” Each fugitive is more lethal than the last — and in the finale titled “Jenna Wells”, that danger reaches a tragic high. The final moments end with a powerful, shocking twist that leaves fans questioning the fate of one of the series’ most beloved characters — Oliver Odell.
In episode 10, The team takes on the infamous “Killer Chemist,” but victory comes at a cost. After the chaos at Whitmore Industries and the takedown of Jenna (played by Eliza Coupe), there’s a brief moment of relief. But that calm quickly turns tragic.
Oliver, in the closing seconds of the finale, collapses suddenly. As it turns out, Jenna had managed to dose him with one of her deadly cyanide patches, the same signature method she used to kill her other victims. The patch, typically applied stealthily to the back of the neck, acts swiftly and lethally — and Oliver never saw it coming.
The moment hits hard. Bex Henderson (Melissa Roxburgh) rushes to his side, and in a rare emotional outpouring, she confesses something she had long kept buried. She tells the unconscious Oliver that she does think about him and their daughter, Sam, revealing that her feelings for him go far deeper than she previously let on. The vulnerability in her voice and the raw emotion in that scene show just how much he means to her.
Shane Florence (Josh McKenzie) races for help, but the episode ends before we see whether Oliver survives — leaving his fate hanging in the balance.
This heartbreaking cliffhanger doesn’t just raise the question of Oliver’s survival — it also redefines his relationship with Bex, which until now had been shadowed by distance and emotional walls. That final confession from Bex, delivered through tears, is a gut-punch that suggests her feelings were always there, just unspoken.
So, is Oliver dead? The show doesn’t confirm it. His collapse is dramatic, and the effects of Jenna’s poison are usually fatal, but THE HUNTING PARTY stops short of giving us a definitive answer. Whether Oliver survives or not remains the biggest mystery heading into a possible Season 2.
In a post-finale interview, Melissa Roxburgh shared her insights into Bex’s emotional state and her connection with Oliver. According to her, this moment is the clearest sign yet of Bex’s true feelings. She spent the season keeping Oliver at arm’s length, but in those final moments, her raw vulnerability shows just how deeply she cares.
Whether Oliver survives, however, is left hanging in the balance.
THE POSSIBILITY OF A LOVE TRIANGLE?
Should the show return for a second season, the emotional landscape could shift dramatically. Roxburgh hints that Bex could be at a crossroads — torn between Shane and Oliver.
While the chemistry between Bex and Shane has grown throughout the season, her attachment to Oliver is rooted in shared history and trauma. Roxburgh believes there’s more than just platonic love there. But whether that love can evolve — especially if Oliver survives — is the kind of drama that fuels great television.
One thing is clear: if Season 2 becomes a reality, it won’t just be about chasing down killers. It will be about dealing with the emotional wreckage they’ve left behind — and whether the team, and their relationships, can survive it.
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