16 Thoughts I Had While Watching My New Favorite Show ‘The Hunting Wives’

Have you watched The Hunting Wives yet? I intend to ask this exact question in any social gathering I’m in for the foreseeable future. For the uninitiated, The Hunting Wives is a new Netflix thriller series about a bunch of Republican women in Texas who are fucking each other, and Brittany Snow as a northern outsider who enters their circle mainly due to lesbian reasons. It’s full of boots, bisexuality, booze, and…I can’t think of an alliterative synonym for murder, but there’s that too. To use a few more b-words, it’s bonkers and, furthermore, bananas. Everyone should watch it.

We published a full review, but if you’re still not sold, consider this: 16 stray thoughts I had while watching The Hunting Wives. This is not EVERY thought I had while watching The Hunting Wives, because that would yield a manifesto-length article. So please meet me in the comments when you’ve watched all eight episodes because I’m sure I have MORE I WANT TO SAY. (And on that note, there are spoilers for all eight episodes below.)


1. Why is she asking to borrow a pad when she’s in her own home?

I know Riese already covered this in her review, but it bears repeating.

do you have a pad? says Malin Akerman on The Hunting Wives


2. They sure are talking about each other’s boobs a lot.

"That dress. Those titties, hello!"

"That's why she doesn't show her boobies."


3. WHY ARE THE MARGARITAS THAT COLOR?

Again, covered by Riese but worth repeating. This was especially upsetting to my wife, who kept saying it looked like ectocooler.

"I'm so glad you could come."


4. This show would have ruined my life in 2011.

On that note, this show would have blown up on tumblr.

Margo and Sophie in The Hunting Wives with a gun


5. BODY SHOTS?

Margo doing a body shot off Sophie


6. Brittany Snow with her specific blonde white woman appearance could easily look Southern but she indeed does look like she’s from Boston, and I have a theory. I think it’s because of the nondescript length of her hair. It would need to be much shorter or much longer to make her look Texan.

Sophie in The Hunting Wives


7. The least realistic part of this show is the idea that someone could learn to drive stick for the first time and then be doing donuts in the parking lot five seconds later.

Margo and Sophie in a truck


8. Did they purposefully make Sophie’s husband annoying but not evil so we would not be too mad about her cheating on him but also still buy that she would be with him?

Sorry, I don’t feel like including a photo of him.


9. HEIGHT. DIFFERENCE.

Margo and Callie in The Hunting Wives


10. I would also have a panic attack if I realized I was horny for a Republican.

Sophie freaking out in The Hunting Wives


11. Forget all the explicit sex. The kinkiest moment on this show is Sophie masturbating in the middle of the day on her couch just to regular Instagram selfies of Margo.

Sophie masturbating on The Hunting Wives


12. Katie Lowes actually deserves awards for her performance on this show.

Katie Lowes in The Hunting Wives


13. DIRECTED BY CHERYL DUNYE????????

Yes, episodes five and six of The Hunting Wives were directed by Cheryl Dunye. This is the most shocking twist of the entire series.

directed by Cheryl Dunye


14. Between post-Margo Callie and post-Margo Sophie…this series’ depiction of the Dyke Crashout is unparalleled.

Callie crying in The Hunting Wives

Sophie screaming on the phone in The Hunting Wives


15. “Flashback hair” is one of my favorite TV tropes.

Pink low lights! Barrel curls! These two women were Different People in 2014, and you can tell by their hair.

sophie with pink hair in The Hunting Wives

Margo in The Hunting Wives with curly hair


16. Sometimes you sleep with a woman who then frames you for murder but she says she’s really sorry so you keep on sleeping with her, you know? This show gets that. And representation is important.

Sophie and Margo making out in The Hunting Wives

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Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is the managing editor of Autostraddle and a lesbian writer of essays, fiction, and pop culture criticism living in Orlando. She is the former managing editor of TriQuarterly, and her short stories appear in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Joyland, Catapult, The Offing, The Rumpus, Cake Zine, and more. Some of her pop culture writing can be found at The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Cut, and others. When she is not writing, editing, or reading, she is probably playing tennis. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram and learn more about her work on her website.

Kayla has written 1061 articles for us.

7 Comments

  1. yes the stick shift thing was INSANE, i’ve been taught to drive stick three (3) times and never did any of those times result in me being able to do literally anything, barely could i drive down the road or back out of a driveway after my stick lessons

    i thought there would be a twist with the husband because i was like; what’s going on with this man? you know? like he seems vaguely controlling but you’re not entirely sure, apparently in the book he was a sweetheart?

  2. I feel like this show is being sold incorrectly by comparing it to Big Little Lies and such. This is not prestige HBO television, the beating heart of The Hunting Wives is that it is what would happen if the Pretty Little Liars creative team (a stacked deck of TV veteran dykes and cinematic icon dykes) made their show about middle-aged MAGA Texans instead of teens in Pennsylvania, and didn’t have to concern themselves with being rated PG-14.

    Like Margo Banks? Nawwww babe, that is Alison DiLaurentis!

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