Pen Pals | Burned | Rape & Revenge | Random Pics | Fan Fiction Links

Hunter is a very safe, comforting action show. Although the characters have their personal tragedies and miseries, it doesn't translate to the viewer so completely. Or at least, i don't feel it as acutely as i do with a show such as Man In A Suitcase for example. Rick Hunter was born into a mafia family, but took the route of policework. Nearly married once in the past, his fiance was killed. DeeDee McCall was married once, and her husband was killed. She's as reckless a cop as Hunter is, and although resistant to being partnered up at first, they suited each other perfectly. Once they've gotten familiar with each other, they are the sweetest thing on earth together, and i'm no shipper! I love friendships when they're true, and this one is just beautiful. They joke and bait each other, and they really care for each other when the chips are down.

The other major thing this show did was weird. I have never ever been a butt person. Faces have always been the thing for me - a guy can have any kind of body and if his face attracts me then i'm lost. So to find that Hunter's long long legs and beautiful butt were making me crazy? Weird!! I never knew i had a thing for long legs. But boy. Rawr! As one of my friends on Lj said so rightly, 'that man is one tall drink of water'. Yumm.

And then there's the final surprise, which is that Hunter supplied me my first slash pairing! I've always hovered on the edge of slash, being surrounded by (and sometimes beta-ing for) friends who are strong slashers, but i've never wanted to slash anyone from a show. Then along came Luitenant Finn (his first name is Ambrose! Heehee), and there we have it. He has a reputation for having two pistols on his holster, and he cares for Hunter a great deal, backing him up on his cases and trying to give him the benefit of the doubt (he's the first authority figure to do anything other than scream at Hunter for breaking the rules). Plus, you can't really get more canon when he leans in towards Hunter and says, "I love you Hunter..." Whoop! :D I've got seasons one and two so far, and am really hoping Finn sticks around for seasons three and four (which are due in the next few months).
[NB. i think the only thing Hunter ever did to break my heart was in season four's episode 'Silver Bullet', which i just found out about minutes ago, and i'm not going to talk about it in the hope it might just go away. :'( Bastards.]

The whumping in Hunter isn't gratuitous, unfortunately, but there are moments. They're done well, what moments there are, so that's okay, and Fred Dryer acts pain well. Mostly it's beatings, given we're talking about cops here. And he gets shot a couple of times. Here we go then...

Pen Pals

There are good resources online for Hunter, but in this case it was a bit of a bummer. The script i found for this episode made the final fight sound a lot more painful for Hunter than they filmed it. Sure he has bandaged hands after being virtually blown up, but he still punches the bad guy without a wince and comes out of the fight looking pretty much fine. That irritates me after i was misled by the script that calls for a little more vulnerability, but still - beggars can't be choosers.

The moment of the explosion is good, as it's his friend that is killed, despite him being a criminal, and he really does look distressed. DeeDee brings him a hotdog in the jail infirmary, and it reminds him of the guy that was killed, very sweet. Looking at the cops above for a second time, it also annoys me that you can see any visible damage on his hands from the bomb blast. Sure the damage could be on the palms, although then there's the matter of him not apparantly guarding them against his chest or anything. The adrenalin could account for that i suppose, but still. Grr.

In that respect i suppose Hunter is back amongst the 'american action show' bunch, with punches that don't exactly cause much damage and fights that leave the main character not much more than out of breath. But i guess you have to choose - a safe and comforting show with not so much whumping, or a show with ample and realistic whumping but tons of angst and affecting tragedy. There's room in my collection for both, i suppose!

Rape & Revenge

Melodramatic title, much? It's mostly very well done, with only some annoyingly cheesy 'DeeDee recovers' scenes that didn't carry very well. Darn pity Hunter wasn't the one that was raped, you ask me, but i guess that's a bit radical for the eighties! He gets shot instead though, so i cerpintly can't complain. DeeDee's still pretty wrecked when she comes into see him and says "you look cute" which is kinda sweet. Asks him what's under the bandage, and he says "a hole".

The recovery montage of clips includes scenes of Hunter recovering the use of his arm through physio, and is quite cool, but the best comes when he's at the shooting range going one on one with a tennis ball. His first clip never gets near it, and then he evens his breathing, reloads, and shoots the thing right into the air. Hunter's back!
Oh, and as a quick aside, god i love that bandage they have on him - with his arm all strapped to his side? McYum. Although i seriously must protest over the lack of ambulance scenes - is it so much to ask that we have footage of the paramedics finding him lying next to his car?? C'mon! Darnit, i can't write a missing scene every time someone gets hurt in this show. Well, i could, but... but... oh fine, i will then. Humphf.

Burned

There's a nice abduction scene in this one, when the mafia-types decide to have a word of warning with Hunter. He interrupts a beating on the street, only for them to turn on him and bundle him in a car. He's taken to a warehouse and given the warning, with some nice struggling and one gut punch. Then Bobby Sixkiller gets to knock him out! Yup, the guy on the left with the gun is Branscombe Richmond, who played Bobby in Renegade. He pops up with bit-parts in a few series, including this one and Magnum PI. The tag to this show makes you think there's more to the scene where DeeDee finds Hunter, but there's isn't. Only a few measly seconds. Definitely need to find time to write a missing-scene fic for that one.

Their skimping on the details of his being recovered is more than made up for by Finn's revelation, that i mentioned before. It's meant tongue in cheek, as he leans forward and says he loves hunter but blah blah blah follow the rules or else. Still a lovely moment, and the cheek between the two of them is darn sweet. DeeDee also has this perpetual expression on her face during that scene like 'you two are so flirting, sheesh, men'.

He loves him! HE LOVES HIM! Excuse me while i go squee in a corner!! Jeezit...  ::gallops off to breathe into paper bag::

Random Pics

Hover your mouse over the image to see what episode the cap comes from.

Hunter Fic Links

Well, there are a whole bunch of Hunter fics at the Hunter Forum, but sadly they seem to be comprised completely of DeeDee whumping and shipper-fics. The ship fraternity in the Hunter fandom is massive (can't blame them i suppose, seeing as it becomes virtually canon eventually). The first whump fic i come across will be linked here, no fear. If you know of any, please email me.

For lots more information on the show however, scripts and screencaps and all sorts of stuff, go to www.wonderfulworldofhunter.com. That site kept me going for weeks while i waited for my DVD's to arrive.

and finally, my hunter icons are heeeeeeere!