The art of a good crime procedural is not so easily replicated. Classics such as Law & Order are remembered for their gripping portrayal of detectives and lawyers, but there are just as many series that have fallen through the cracks. To be truly successful, procedurals need to have a solid set-up that can deliver the same formula week to week. Criminal Minds became popular because it added psychology to the mix. NBC has shown that this art is not dead with the latest take on the genre.

The 2025 series The Hunting Party has delivered on the promise of a good procedural, though not everyone may agree. Critics and fans are divided on the merits of the series, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The Hunting Party has garnered an 18% critics’ score and an 83% audience score. When there is such a large divide of opinion on a show, that typically means it’s worth a watch.

‘The Hunting Party’ is Reminiscent of the Golden Age of Procedurals

Right out of the gate, The Hunting Party has a concept that measures up against the greats. The story is straightforward with little room for interpretation, which is where procedurals like to live. The series follows FBI Agent Bex Henderson (Melissa Roxburgh) at a low point in her life. Working security for a casino, she gets recruited to the world of psychological profiling. Her talents are specifically required because a super-secret prison housing serial killers recently suffered a breakout.

The Hunting Party compels audiences to suspend their disbelief with the idea of The Pit, a prison where the worst criminals are kept in secret and experimented on. This is the joy of these types of shows, which have a history on network television. One of the more heightened serialized programs on a network was Prison Break, which joyfully explored government conspiracies with no hint of subtlety. This may explain why critics and fans are divided on the issue of The Hunting Party.

While not exactly reinventing the wheel, The Hunting Party is a classic good-versus-evil tale as Bex races to capture a different serial killer week-to-week. Shows like these are tailor-made for appointment television, which regrettably has become a thing of the past. NBC is one of the last bastions of an era gone by, where viewers can tune in and not feel like they’re missing anything. There is still a place for programming like this, and The Hunting Party doesn’t take it for granted.

In addition to a weekly villain, the series also weaves in overarching mythology to keep viewers engaged. It uses the fascinating field of psychology — like Criminal Minds did — as a touchstone for fans as well. Psychoanalyzing killers is one of the reasons why true crime has become so popular, and The Hunting Party is ready to deliver the same thrills. The first season is only 10 episodes, which means fans can catch up quickly to Season 2.

The Hunting Party airs on Thursdays on NBC and is available to stream the next day on Peacock.