The Hunting Party Season 2: Melissa Roxburgh On Odell’s Death & Bex’s Grief

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for the first episode of The Hunting Party season 2, titled “Ron Simms”! The season 2 premiere of The Hunting Party has revealed that a main character has died, and actress Melissa Roxburgh, who plays FBI profiler Bex Henderson, is deeply saddened by their exit. The show follows Henderson and a team of experts – including agents from the CIA, FBI, and Army Intelligence, as well as prison staff – as they investigate an explosion at The Pit, a secret prison where the nation’s most dangerous criminals were held, and have now escaped.

In the season one finale of The Hunting Party, the team neared the shocking truth about The Pit and its disturbing experiments on prisoners. They pursued Eliza Coupe’s character, Jenna Wells – also known as “The Killer Chemist” – who, as a result of the experiments, developed a strange empathy that led her to adopt the identities of those she killed. The episode dramatically ended with Odell, played by Nick Wechsler, poisoned, leaving his survival uncertain.

With the start of season 2 of The Hunting Party, it’s been confirmed that the character Odell has died, leaving Bex heartbroken. ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns recently spoke with Melissa Roxburgh about the new season and asked her about the impact of this major character death at the beginning of the show.

Roxburgh shared that she was heartbroken to hear about Odell’s death, fondly remembering her experience working with Weschler on the first season. She described him as a wonderful person and a talented actor. She admitted being shocked by the decision to kill off his character, initially believing it was a plot twist because he was a main cast member and she expected him to survive.

There’s a possibility the character isn’t really dead, given how the show’s been unfolding – it could all be part of a larger conspiracy. However, if he is truly gone, it’s a big loss for the team on the show, and we’re all deeply saddened by the loss of the actor who played him.

Roxburgh explained that her character, Bex, deals with grief by emotionally shutting down and building walls around herself, especially after Odell’s death. She noted that even while dealing with difficult investigations, Bex has managed to get her daughter into college, suggesting a tendency to suppress her feelings. Roxburgh wonders if Bex will eventually reach a breaking point later in the season.

However, Roxburgh notes that the premiere of Hunting Party season 2 does offer glimpses of Bex’s grief, as she visits Odell’s grave and spends time in his now-empty office. She describes this as “inevitable,” explaining that Bex focuses her anger and pain through her work. For example, she attacks Ron Simms (Eric McCormack) after being held hostage, letting out some of her pent-up frustration.

Bex & Shane’s Dynamic Will Still Be Quite Complicated This Season

ScreenRant asked about the potential romance between the characters in the first season, noting it developed gradually. With Odell gone, that complication – stemming from his past with Bex – is removed. They wanted to know how this change might affect the characters’ relationship moving forward this season.

The show gets more complex when we learn Lazarus is a serial killer with a connection to Bex. This creates a new dynamic, though not a romantic one, between Bex and Shane, as they begin to connect. Bex carries a lot of hidden emotional weight, and Shane represents a source of light in her life. There’s a scene where she directly asks him about dealing with difficult emotions, and he encourages her to embrace positivity. While she doesn’t realize it at the moment, he’s becoming that positive force for her. However, their connection is complicated by their work, Bex’s difficulty with vulnerability, and a larger, unfolding mystery.

It’s probably really challenging for them to build a relationship, considering how unpredictable their jobs are and all the unexpected things that happen.

Melissa Roxburgh: They see a lot of dead people too, so not really romantic. [Laughs]

ScreenRant asked about Lazarus and her surprising early leadership role. They wanted to know how her taking control of the team will impact their search for both new recruits and those trying to escape.

I think the recent plot twist is huge because it’s not just about tracking down known criminals anymore. Now, the danger could be anyone, even people who seem completely normal, and we have no idea who to trust. You start to wonder about everyone, even powerful figures like the President. The arrival of Lazarus definitely complicates things, creating new obstacles for the team. She might end up being an ally, but so far, everyone is suspicious of her. Honestly, I’m excited to see where the story goes, and I don’t even know the ending myself – we’re only on episode nine!

Be sure to dive into some of our other Hunting Party season 2 coverage with:

  • Melissa Roxburgh reflecting on season 1 of the NBC thriller debuting to a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • Roxburgh offering a tease of The Hunting Party season 2’s twists and major guest stars
  • Roxburgh offering an encouraging update on Manifest‘s 2026 return
  • Roxburgh addressing Dory’s future on Tracker after Jensen Ackles returned for season 3 as her on-screen sibling

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2026-01-09 06:59