Summary
The horrors of war and Hitler’s many atrocities are detailed in a gripping finale. This is solid filmmaking, although the show veers into the farcical from time to time. A great performance from Udo Kier and a haunting message at the end should appease fans of the series.
We recap the Prime Video series Hunters Season 2 Episode 8, “The Trial of Adolf Hitler,” which contains spoilers and explains the Ending.
Many historians and writers have tried to imagine over the years how “The Trial of Adolf Hitler” would actually play out if he had been held accountable for the war crimes that he had committed. The finale of Hunters Season 2 explores this twisted fantasy in grim detail, framing the episode almost like a psychological horror movie, as Hitler (Udo Kier) is given a ‘painfully’ fair trial and things seem to be edging in his favor. This somehow makes it feel more authentic though, the idea that even someone like Adolf Hitler could get away with their unparalleled sins, just because of our mistrust in the justice system. A notion that is exploited fully by the filmmakers.
Hunters Season 2 Episode 8 Recap
The finale opens a few months after Hitler’s arrest. News outlets inform the viewers that Hitler will be tried for his crimes against humanity in what will surely be the trial of the century, possibly the millennium. Dental records and fingerprints have been used to verify Hitler’s identity and a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his staged death are well underway. FBI agent Millie Morris is the only member of the Hunters team who has been named in the whole saga, but all the others are present at the trial in some capacity.
If you think this is going to be a simple, clear-cut trial then you are sorely mistaken, Hitler is given an established lawyer, while his supporters gather outside the courtroom to protest. There’s even a shady Judge with Nazi ties leading proceedings, which can’t be good. The Colonel and Travis (yes, it looks like he survived the gun shots) seem to be plotting something in secret as well. And we get glimpses of Nazi foot-soldiers planting explosives just to add to this overarching tension.
The trial starts off in the standard way. Individuals are questioned and the defendant, a nervous-looking Benjamin Kramer, continually objects to the prosecution’s interrogation tactics. From the off, Judge Mueller seems to be siding with Hitler, agreeing with Kramer’s objections and arguing in private that prosecutor Oliver Frankel must prove Hitler’s crimes. It’s utter madness, but it feels believable, everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even Adolf Hitler.
Mindy Markowitz (Carol Kane) is among the many survivors who give their testimony in the case. This allows for the show to explore the horrors of war in grave detail. It’s heart-wrenching stuff and then Hitler demands his lawyer cross-examines her, calling her a liar and an exaggerator. Thankfully, Kramer refuses. There are rumors that Hitler will be questioned and here, the show dips ever so slightly into the absurd, treading a fine line between credibility and farce. Frankel argues that if Hitler takes to the stand, he will inspire a new generation of Nazis, whilst Kramer thinks it legitimizes the trial, giving proper defense, something that the Nazis would never do themselves.
Frankel interrogates Hitler at the stand. Obviously, Hitler denies absolutely everything and states that he hasn’t been in hiding all these years, just vacationing. Hitler talks about the master race and his hatred for the Jewish community but manages to avoid incriminating himself. Frankel changes tactics and forces Hitler into a corner. The Fuhrer denies the crimes but believes his supporters are right to idolize him. He gets confused by the contradictions and is provoked into admitting everything, letting his anger get the better of him.
Hitler is found guilty of all his war crimes and is sentenced to life in prison. As the murderer is taken down, he slips a cyanide pill and is whisked away in an ambulance. Here, the Colonel’s plot kicks into gear and our Hunters reassemble to fight this planned escape. The ambulance driver shoots the other employees and drives Hitler to a hidden location. Jonah follows on a motorbike, while the other Hunters are situated in a car. The explosives from earlier are used to blow up a tunnel, forcing the Hunters to give up the chase, but Jonah continues on his bike.
In an undisclosed location, Adolf is reunited with his wife. She calls him an embarrassment and orders Travis to kill her husband on the spot. Travis turns on the Colonel and shoots her instead. He asks Adolf to anoint him as the new leader of the Nazi party, explaining how he has built a following whilst in prison. Jonah follows the enemy onto a rooftop and a shootout ensues. Jonah is shot and begins to cough up blood, although Joe is on hand to save the day. Travis disappears, leaving Hitler to be arrested once again. In prison, he is referred to as merely a number, which only angers the man further, a fitting end some would say.
Hunters Season 2 Ending Explained
The finale is inter-cut with a flashback, focusing on Meyer’s story. In 1977, Ruth and Meyer hunt for a Nazi called Heinz Richter. In a sinister twist, Meyer phones Heinz to warn him about an imminent attack. He names Ruth and gives Heinz her address, in effect sealing her fate. Meyer was the one who caused Ruth’s murder. Did he fear she would figure him out and was growing paranoid or did he have ulterior motives?
We revert back to the present, and it is a happy ending all around, or so it would seem. Millie is awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and Jonah marries Clara. Although, Millie still feels guilty about killing the Bishop and she confesses to the murder. They decide to ignore Millie’s confession though, preferring her to be perceived as a hero, while Jonah still worries that he is a monster. Millie comforts Jonah, and he reciprocates. They both have emotional scars that need tending to.
Sister Harriet visits Jonah after the wedding, gifting him with a late present. Inside are phone records from Heinz Richter’s toy shop. These prove that Meyer had phoned Heinz the day that Ruth was murdered. Jonah realizes that Meyer had tipped Heinz off, he had practically given the order. Ruth had discovered that Meyer was the Wolf and she died because of this finding. It’s a sad ending of sorts, Jonah finally putting the pieces together and realizing just how and why his grandmother was killed.
The very final scene moves us even further away from a happy ending. Jonah and Clara are on their honeymoon, toasting to new beginnings, but Jonah grows distracted. He spots an elderly German man, staring at him in a suspicious manner. I don’t think Jonah will ever truly feel safe again. They may have killed the Nazis and locked Hitler up for good, but the Hunters have only made new enemies in the process. The show theorizes that the fight for justice is a bitter-sweet battle that really has no winners in the end.
What did you think of Prime Video’s Hunters Season 2 Episode 8 and the Ending? Comment below.
