The Hunting Wives Season 2: What We Know So Far

Some spoilers below.

Maple Brook, Texas, has a murder problem. In Netflix’s soapy mystery thriller The Hunting Wives, the Southern enclave becomes the scene of not one but multiple (four, by my count) homicides, each somehow connected to the titular gun-toting wives at its center. Most dominant amongst them is Margo (Malin Åkerman), wife of the oil tycoon and gubernatorial candidate Jed (Dermot Mulroney), with whom she shares an open marriage. That open door beckons in Sophie (Brittany Snow), who’s relocated from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Maple Brook with her husband, only to fall in with Margo and her MAGA-coded pack—and fall into a love affair with Margo herself. Eventually, the multiple affairs connecting these characters result in multiple deaths (who could have guessed!), setting the stage for a delicious finale cliffhanger...and a second season.

Here’s what we know so far.

Thankfully, none of the people depicted in The Hunting Wives are real. But their story is adapted from a 2021 thriller novel by May Cobb, which is itself inspired by some of Cobb’s real-life experiences in Texas. As Åkerman recently told Town & Country, “[Cobb] was on set a lot, she’s an executive producer of the show, and the book is based on people that she has met—not necessarily the murders, though. But we had a lot of discussions, and talking to May about who she met and hearing her stories of these different women was informative for our characters.”

She also added that “[showrunner] Rebecca Cutter and May decided to swap a few things from the book so that fans are surprised as well.” All of which is to say: Whether or not you’ve read The Hunting Wives before tuning into the Netflix series, you’re in for a twisty ride.

Yes, The Hunting Wives has been renewed for a second season. The original cast is reportedly also set to reprise their roles.

“I’m so excited to write these amazing characters again,” Cutter told Tudum, “and I can’t wait to take the audience on another sexy, twisted, batshit crazy ride through Maple Brook.”

The cast and crew certainly wanted a second season. In a pre-release interview with Decider, Åkerman shared that she was nervous for the series to drop on Netflix largely because she wants it to continue. “I think the nerves come from, for me, really wanting this to go for a second season,” she said, adding, “because I love everybody that I got to work with and it would be a dream come true to go again. So my nerves are around the fact that I just want and wish for everyone to love it so much that we get another season.”

In a separate interview with Collider, Snow also expressed her enthusiasm for a sophomore chapter. “I think the end [of season 1] is really interesting, and I know that we would deal with it in season 2,” she said. “There are a lot of questions that didn’t get answered because Rebecca wants to answer them in the next season if we get one.”

Before the series was officially renewed, Cutter told TheWrap, “I’m feeling really hopeful about the idea of a season 2. There’s tons of story left to tell, so put me in, coach. I’m waiting.”

Here’s the official logline from Netflix:

“At the start of Season 2, Sophie and Margo are on the outs. But soon enough, old secrets and new foes force them back together. As they play their dangerous games, the question arises: Are they the hunters or the hunted?”

Cutter has previously said that she plans to “do a little bit of a time jump—not a year, but a time” between seasons, she told Variety. She’s not yet sure what the ensuing story might look like, but one thing is for certain: Season 2 would center “the two engines of the show”—a “whodunit” and “the Margo/Sophie relationship.” Cutter continued, “The first thing I’m thinking about is, where are these two women at the start? Where are they at the end? What are the peaks and valleys of their individual power, of their relationship? So it’s tracking a course for that, and then figuring out what the crime engine is.”

As for the “crime engine” itself, expect another murder mystery. But don’t ask for any details yet! Cutter joked, “I don’t know whodunit yet or who got done!”

Those returning for season 2 include Brittany Snow, Malin Åkerman, Jaime Ray Newman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, and George Ferrier.

Karen Rodriguez and Hunter Emery (Deputy Salazar and Deputy Flynn, respectively) are also set to reprise their roles as series regulars. Branton Box, who plays Sheriff Johnny, will return as a guest star.

Additional recurring guest stars will also include Kim Matula (Saturday Night) as Nadia Kelly and Alex FitzAlan (Chevalier) as Lincoln Trout. Specific details about their characters are still under wraps.

Season 2 of The Hunting Wives will be released on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26, 2026). The season will contain a total of eight episodes.

First-look images arrived on August 20, featuring your favorite characters back in Maple Brook, Texas, and in costume.

The official trailer for season 2 arrived on October 20 and promises a tense season filled with drama, betrayal, and murder.

The trailer opens with Sophie trying to be better for her husband. “I want Graham to know that I can change,” she says while the couple appears to be in a therapy session. “Are you still dreaming about her?” Graham asks her in the following frame.

The clip also offers a look at what Margo gets up to in the upcoming season, which includes a potential continuation of her affairs with Sophie and Brad. “It’s classic Margo. She gets her hooks in you, and then she manipulates you until there’s no you left,” Sophie says.

Another murder has hit Maple Brook, and Sophie is among the people being investigated. “You’re a monster. I’m gonna make sure the whole world knows,” new character Nadia Kelly says in a heated moment. While it’s unclear who Nadia is referring to, Sophie and Margo do have something worth hiding. “Let’s wash off all of our sins from last night,” Margo tells Sophie as they bathe together in a hot tub. “I don’t think we can wash off what we did last night.”

Watch the trailer in full below.

This story has been updated.

Additional reporting by Lauren Puckett-Pope.