Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of NBC’s ‘The Hunting Party’ follows Bex Henderson and her team’s efforts to catch the serial killer who escaped the secret experimental facility, the Pit, after a mysterious explosion. While they are a group of highly trained individuals who are experts in their fields, they are inevitably bound to encounter life-threatening situations. The team loses one of its members at the end of the first season, which leaves a vacuum that is filled in the second episode of the sophomore season. The mysterious Col. Eve Lazarus reveals that she will be taking charge of the mission now, but because she can’t be around all the time, she leaves Jonathan Peck to serve as the leader of the team. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Jonathan Peck is Eve Lazarus’ Eyes and Ears in Bex’s Team
At first glance, Jonathan Peck appears to be Col. Eve Lazarus’ lackey, whose job is to keep her updated about everything that goes on with Bex and her team. Since Peck arrived with Lazarus, everyone is suspicious of him, particularly because they don’t yet know who Lazarus really is and what she wants from them and the mission. Though Peck is supposed to be taking over Oliver’s job, no one wants him to get involved in their investigation, as they think that he will be nothing but an impediment. This is how they initially treat him, even as the case of Adrian Gallo turns up, and he asks for updates after they have already discussed the whole matter.
Peck, who still remains a mysterious figure with little to no information revealed about who he is and where he comes from, is not aloof to the icing out by Bex and her team. So, to assure them that he means well, he offers to help in Gallo’s case. When the team hits a dead end with the missing evidence from the investigation, he gives Morales access to the documents and records from the Pit, particularly concerning Gallo, which helps her get to the bottom of the mystery, which eventually leads the team to solve the case. With this, Peck tells Morales that despite what they think about him, he is there to help them. He asks her to give him the chance to prove that he is not their enemy, though he knows that it will take some time for them to warm up to him.
He also mentions that, because he had nothing to do with the Pit, unlike Oliver, he is not obliged to keep secrets about the facility. His only job is to make sure that all the missing serial killers are found, and he doesn’t care if some of the Pit’s mysteries are unravelled and secrets are spilled in the process. Later, he offers an olive branch to Bex, who thanks him for his help. He expresses condolences over Oliver’s tragic fate, and as a gesture of goodwill, gives his predecessor’s nameplate to Bex, believing that she’d like to have it. This shows that Peck is ready to move forward and build goodwill with the team. However, the question of trust still lingers, as his loyalties to Lazarus remain a main point of contention.
Luke Forbes Inhabits Jonathan Peck’s Mysterious Persona
Luke Forbes plays the role of Jonathan Peck in the second season of ‘The Hunting Party.’ The actor has previously appeared in titles like ‘Harlem,’ ‘Atlanta,’ and ‘S.W.A.T.’ Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Forbes became interested in acting at a young age. He remembers his first performance as MLK Jr. in a second-grade play, following which he took a long break from acting, focusing more on athletics. While he may have lost touch with acting, he did continue with other forms of art, like writing and music, and credited his school for providing “an excellent classical/liberal arts education.” He continued to consume art, and eventually came to a realisation that he wished to take it up as a career.
By that time, he had already finished university and considered his decision to move to acting “relatively late by industry standards.” He studied acting at the Maggie Flanagan Studio in NYC, and found great success in theatre, appearing in the Broadway production of ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ He also appeared in off-Broadway productions of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and ‘The Winter’s Tale.’ Additionally, he has worked with the Classical Theatre of Harlem, Infinite Theatre, Soho Rep/Royal Court, and Atlantic Theatre, among others. Apart from acting, he also harbors a love for building, particularly in constructing houses. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends and is an avid traveler. With his future projects, he continues to explore a wide range of characters, through which he continues to learn and grow as an actor.
Read More: Is Oliver Dead? Did Nick Wechsler Leave The Hunting Party?
