The Hunting Wives on Netflix: Twisted Secrets, Southern Glam & That Jaw-Dropping Ending Explained

The Hunting Wives on Netflix is a scandal-packed thriller you can’t miss. Learn about the ending, cast, and why it’s the next big binge after The Gilded Age.

Another Dark Hit Drops on Netflix

Think Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies, but with more wine, more secrets, and more murder. That’s exactly the vibe The Hunting Wives on Netflix delivers – and it’s already the most addictive new Netflix series of summer 2025. Based on May Cobb’s bestselling novel, this scandal-plagued thriller follows Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow), a former Boston PR gal turned Texas housewife, who falls under the spell of her neighbor, Margo (Malin Akerman). The show quickly surged to the top of Netflix’s charts as a buzzy guilty pleasure, proof that viewers love binge-watching these twisted southern soap operas. If you binged The Gilded Age and thirst for more high-society drama, or if you devoured sex-and-secrets thrillers like Big Little Lies, this new Netflix series is your next obsession. (Psst – we even have more Netflix series to watch listed below.)

What Is The Hunting Wives on Netflix About?

In a nutshell: boredom and privilege lead to murder. Sophie’s family moves from Cambridge, MA to sleepy East Texas for her husband’s job. Sophie, a teetotaler and rule-follower, suddenly meets the magnetic Margo – the glamorous leader of the local “Hunting Wives” social circle. Margo takes Sophie under her wing, getting her to don camo and carry a rifle, abandon sobriety, and even have crazy, hot sex with her. It’s an outrageous transformation: the conservative New England mom quickly starts partying, boar-hunting, and bonding with a clique of gorgeously dangerous women.

But it’s all fun until a teenage girl turns up dead in the woods. The victim, Abby (Madison Wolfe), was dating one of Margo’s posse. Shockingly, Sophie’s own gun is found at the crime scene – making her the prime suspect. Suddenly Sophie’s life is a true-crime nightmare: shunned by her supposed friends and framed for murder. What follows is an obsession with uncovering the real killer. Themes of obsession, secrecy and betrayal ripple through every episode, as Sophie peels back the idyllic veneer of her social circle. Fans have even noted the creepy, Amy Bradley missing–style vibe in the plot: a beautiful young woman vanishes without a trace (Netflix’s new true-crime doc Amy Bradley Is Missing is trending right now, too). Just like the real Amy Bradley case, The Hunting Wives thrives on that fear of a teenage girl lost – except here it’s wrapped in a pulpy Southern noir drama.

The Cast: Malin Akerman, Madison Wolfe & More

This sultry new Netflix series boasts a killer cast. Malin Akerman headlines as Margo Banks, the beautiful, bisexual “Queen Bee” of the Hunting Wives. Akerman (known for Watchmen, Billions, Dollface) is reveling in this return to edgy, soapy drama – and she owns the role of the manipulative, gun-toting seductress. Brittany Snow (Sophie) plays the innocent surrogate mother turned amateur detective, and their chemistry – sexual and suspenseful – is the heart of the show.

Also on board: Madison Wolfe as Abby, the sweet small-town teen with a big secret. Wolfe’s chilling breakout performance (we saw her in horror films before) really drives home the series’ creepy, teenage-mystery feels. We even saw her name trending alongside “Amy Bradley Missing” fans on social media, given both stories hinge on a vanished young woman. Other familiar faces include Chrissy Metz as Abby’s grieving mother Starr, Dermot Mulroney as oil-tycoon Jed Banks (Margo’s husband and gubernatorial candidate), Jaime Ray Newman as Sheriff’s-wife Callie, and Dermot’s Sweetbitter costar Evan Jonigkeit as Sophie’s weak husband. In fact, Netflix’s Tudum confirms the star-studded lineup: “Malin Åkerman (Dollface) as Margo… Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) as Sophie… Dermot Mulroney… Chrissy Metz… Jaime Ray Newman…”netflix.com.

The Hunting Wives Ending: What Just Happened?

Okay, spoiler alert for the final episode (Season 1) of The Hunting Wives Netflix drama – but we won’t ruin the entire journey. By the finale, Sophie finally unravels the mystery. It turns out her best friend Margo was the killer all along. Here’s how it goes down: remember that odd scene in Episode 1 where Margo claimed she “couldn’t use tampons”? Sophie never forgot that detail. In the finale (“Sophie’s Choice”), Sophie connects the dots: Margo couldn’t use tampons because she had been pregnant with Abby’s boyfriend’s child – an abortion she never disclosed. When Abby discovered the affair (and pregnancy), Margo panicked. She grabbed Sophie’s rifle and killed Abby, planning to pin the murder on Sophie to keep her life (and Jed’s campaign) intact. Sophie confronts Margo; Margo coldly admits it all – and tells Jed the truth, only to be dumped when he realizes just how many crimes she’s committed.

Meanwhile, chaos erupts: Jill (Brad’s mother) goes on a murder spree of her own, but it’s all a red herring. Ultimately, Sophie clears her name – thanks to some lucky detective work (and Googling tampon trivia). She even gets out of jail. But the real jaw-dropper comes at the very end: Sophie’s run-in with Margo’s loose-cannon brother Kyle. He tries to kill Sophie, so Sophie floors the gas – running Kyle over. As his body slides off her car into the lake, Sophie panics and drives his corpse to a cliff. She dumps the body over the edge. Just as we see the meat-wagons pull up (they think she’s disposing of evidence), Sophie inadvertently answers a call on Kyle’s phone. It’s Margo calling – and Sophie is beside herself. Cut to black with Sophie’s heavy breathing.

Talk about a cliffhanger! That ending blew fans’ minds. Sophie has just iced the bad guy (Kyle) in cold blood, and Margo knows something crazy went down. We’re left with a million questions: Will Sophie face murder charges now? Will Margo get revenge? Netflix left it open-ended on purpose. As TIME put it, “As Kyle’s body goes over the cliff, viewers are left to wonder, is this an actual cliffhanger? Is a second season on its way? It’s up to Netflix now”. There are plenty of clues for Season 2: Sophie’s bloody car is a ticking time bomb, Jed’s political career is at risk, and Margo is definitely not done wreaking havoc.

Shows Like The Hunting Wives: What to Watch Next

Loved The Hunting Wives Netflix thriller? Hungry for more? Here are some binge-worthy picks (all Netflix-friendly!) that mix dark family secrets, high society, and mystery Netflix series to watch next:

• The Better Sister – This tense family drama (on Amazon) feels like Hunting Wives with the soap and suspense. Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks star as sisters whose lives unravel when a murder exposes dark family secrets. Netflix series to watch? Well, it’s a top streaming thriller in 2025 and sure to grip you.
• The Gilded Age – Don’t let the period setting fool you. This HBO drama shares Hunting Wives’ obsession with wealthy circles and hidden scandals. Think opulent parties and forbidden affairs – if you binged its last season, Hunting Wives is your next must-watch.
• Dept. Q – This Scandinavian noir (adapted from Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels) follows a scrappy detective solving cold cases. It’s darker in tone but has the cold-case puzzle element that Hunting Wives fans will appreciate. It’s on Netflix and definitely Netflix series to watch if you want more crime intrigue.

For more recommendations, check out our Top Netflix Thrillers 2025 list to fuel your next binge.

Will There Be a Season 2 of The Hunting Wives?

The Hunting Wives left us with a humdinger of a cliffhanger, so of course fans are wondering: Netflix, do we get Season 2? As of now (July 2025), Netflix hasn’t officially renewed the Hunting Wives Netflix series. But with its soaring popularity and big finish, a second season seems likely – especially since the showrunner loaded Episode 8 with loose ends. Netflix often gauges renewal on streaming numbers and fan buzz, and The Hunting Wives certainly has both. The source novel was a standalone, so any Season 2 would be original story, but the bones are there: Sophie on the run, Margo’s revenge, and Jed’s campaign fallout. Cast availability is also on side (Malin and Brittany have said they’d return), so all signs point to “maybe.” In the meantime, viewers can only speculate – and keep refreshing Netflix news.

Also Check out 7 Reasons to Love (and 2 to Rethink) Toothpaste Tablets

Conclusion + Call to Action

In short, The Hunting Wives on Netflix is the summer’s must-see thriller: equal parts twisty mystery, steamy suspense, and trashy fun. With stellar performances (Malin Akerman kills it as the femme fatale Margo) and that jaw-dropping finale, it’s already at the top of everyone’s Netflix series to watch list. If you’re a binge-watcher, don’t miss this one – and then hop over to those other picks like The Better Sister, The Gilded Age, and Dept. Q for more edge-of-your-seat drama.

What did you think of The Hunting Wives ending? Who’s getting your vote as the real MVP of the season? Drop a comment below or share your theories on this twisted Texas tale. Happy streaming!