Hunters (TV series)

Hunters is an American/Australian cult horror television series starring Jensen Ackles, Michelle Trachtenberg, Chace Crawford, Kristin Kreuk and Masi Oka that follows in the footsteps of Supernatural. The first season is filmed in parts of the US and Canada, whereas the second season is filmed exclusively in the US, where the main characters live. Majority of the third season was filmed in Japan and some in Greenland, while the fourth season was filmed back in the United States, as was the fifth season. According to creators Jason Holt and Renon Schafer, the sixth season is to be the final, and that they will dedicate more time to another project, Babylon 1. The series has aired a total of 61 episodes, and creators comfirm that the sixth and final series will consist of 20 episodes, and rumours circulate that the creators will also end the series with a two-hour film length finale, like the Babylon 1 season four finale to be aired in 2010 also.

Soundtrack
The show's soundtrack features mainly rock and metal songs. The song "Closer" by Kings of Leon appeared during the opening credits for the show, and become its main song. At the end of the first season the Type O Negative song "She Burned Me Down" played during the end credits. Creator Jason Holt has stated that the show chooses a selected song to play at the end of each season. For the third series it was "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace. Season four was acclaimed for its "exit song", Pearl Jam's "Jeremy". Season five's intro song to the season, Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" was also well-recieved by critics. Another song by Type O Negative, "Wolf Moon", has been played in every episode involving werewolves, and other bands played throughout the series include everything from Metallica to Bring Me The Horizon. Also, the last eight episodes of the fifth season are named after what the creators call "classic metal albums/songs".

Production
The show's creator, Jason Holt, was heavily influenced by Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and even Farscape. He wanted to make a show like Supernatural, but different in its own way. He and his long-time friend Renon Schafer became the driving force behind the show. On June 5th 2010 a promo was shown on SciFi.com promoting "Hunters" for the SciFi Channel, penning the slogan: "Evil can be a bitch, luckily there's these guys".



Premise
The show follows three paranormal "hunters, Dan Jones, Will Riley, and Tara Anderson, who also dealing with minor paranormal disturbances try to banish the demon X'arn. In the second season the recurring character Lee Carnigan joins the hunters, and in the third season Kisho Miromuto joins as well.. They combat many creatures like vampires, demons, ghosts, werewolves and other paranormal monsters of American folklore.

Season One
Season One premiered in the 20th of June 2006 on SciFi at 9:30 PM in the US and other countries including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand on the 5th of July 2010 on the SciFi channels. The first season focuses primarily on Dan's struggle to save his girlfriend Jess (Michelle Trachtenburg) from being possessed by the demon X'arn. X'arn is the main antagonist in the first season, and as the season progresses the hunters track him inside Jess' body across the USA to Alaska, where the final confrontation takes place. X'arn was supposedly banished, but returns in the second and third seasons.



Season Two
Hunters returned for a second season in the summer of 2007, attracting twice the amount of viewers. Following fans request for a new character, the creators cast Matt Dallas, famous from his role in Kyle XY, as "Lee Carnigan", a hunter local to Alaska who helps the others in the first episode. Following the banishment of X'arn in season one he returns to wreak havoc in Jess' body, and the second season also features the introduction of the Dark Cult, a organization who collect and study occult things. The second antagonist is Mr. Apocalypso, leader of the Dark Cult, who after trying to bargain with X'arn is killed at the climax of the season. In the finale Dan sells his soul to X'arn to save Jess, and as he is dragged to hell Lee grabs him and follows him into Hell.

Season Three
Season Three of Hunters was announced at a press conferance in New York, attended by the show's cast and creators. Creators Jason Holt and Renon Schafer announced that their other show on SciFi, Babylon 1, which had ran a sucessful first season in 2007, would return in 2008 along with a third season of Hunters. The third season follows Dan and the others as they promise the Demon Council that they will destroy X'arn once and for all. Lee and Dan, who were taken to Hell at the end of season two, escape back to Earth and follow X'arn to Japan, where they meet hunter Kisho Miromoto, and Greenland, where he has taken Jess, Will, and Tara. The season ultimately ends with X'arn impregnating Jess with a demon baby, but Dan later discovers she was already pregnant at therefore he is the father. After the child is born and X'arn attempts to destroy it's abilities, Dan finally kills him with a magic sword. After X'arn is defeated, Dan proposes to Jess and acknowledges the child, Jeremy, as his own. At the final episode the Demon Council betray the hunters and kidnap Jeremy, fearing he will become like X'arn. The hunters then must face their enemy.

Season Four
The fourth season aired in early 2009, and follows the hunters as they battle the Demon Council and try to rescue Jeremy. Though they eventually destroy majority of the Council, their leader Abaddon becomes president in a human host and destroys everything the hunters have. Kisho, who swears to kill Abaddon earlier after he sacrificed the witch Beth, arrives as everything comes crashing down, and kills Abaddon with Oni-kataki, an ancient Japanese sword, thus destroying the Demon Council.

Season Five
Following the sucess of Season Four, the creators of Hunters and Sci-Fi announced the later half of 2009 would see a fifth season. The fifth season follows Lee and his debt to the demon Arianna, and the resulting conflict. At the end of the season Jeremy, rapdily grown and harnessed his powers, destroys Arianna and her minions, thus breaking the debt to Lee, who decides to part ways with the hunters, saying he caused too much harm to them.

Plot
The plot evolves throughout the second season, as the first season focuses chiefly on X'arn and Dan's girlfriend Jessica Mathews. Throughout the ten episodes of season one the hunters make there way to Alaska, stopping in places such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan, Canada to deal with minor paranormal disturbances. The second season focuses on the hunters return to Ohio, and the mysterious Dark Cult who has begun to work against them. The third season aired on the 18th of February 2009 and focused on the battle against a reborn X'arn, taking place in not only Toledo but Japan and Greenland. The character of Kisho was introduced in the third episode Sushi with Blood and Hunters creators cast Masi Oka as the Japanese hunter. Michelle Trachtenberg reprised her role as Jess in the third and fourth seasons, while Jensen Ackles reprised his role as Dan, along with Kristin Kreuk and Chace Crawford reprising their roles of Tara and Will also.

Main characters

 * Jensen Ackles as Dan Jones (Season One-)
 * Chace Crawford as Will Riley (Season One-)
 * Kristin Kreuk as Tara Anderson (Season One-)
 * Michelle Trachtenburg as Jessica Mathews (Season One-)
 * Masi Oka as Kisho Nakamuto (Season Three-Season Four)
 * Matt Dallas as Lee Carnigan (Season Two-Season Five)
 *  Dania Ramirez  as Arianna(Season Five)

Season One (10 episodes)

 * Pilot/Demon Within: A group of young adult paranormal hunters (Daniel Jones, William Riley and Tara Anderson) discover that Dan’s girlfriend Jess is being haunted by a demon called X’arn, who has imprisoned himself inside her. As Dan struggles to save his girlfriend Will and Tara travel the graveyard were the priest who exorcised X’arn from his previous host is buried, and they encounter the dead priest’s ghost. He tells them that the only way to banish X’arn is to cut of one of Jess’ fingers. When they return home Will and Tara try to get Dan to agree, while X’arn makes Jess more violent.
 * Bloody Revenge: Dan, Will and Tara embark on their hunt to kill X’arn, and begin to make their way to Alaska. They stop in Wisconsin, where a masked killer stalks people from the town of Grantsburg. They soon discover that the murderer is a phantom serial killer eager for revenge.
 * The Church: The hunters stop in St Paul, Minnesota when they hear about the murders of young men at a local church. While Tara visits the homes of the victims, Dan and Will discover that X’arn has been here. The culprit however is not him, but a succubus.
 * Devil's Mark: The hunt for X’arn continues, and this time the hunters stop at Devils Lake, North Dakota. People who visit late at night are dragged into the icy lake and found with a strange mark on their left hand. Is it X’arn’s doing, or something far worse?
 * Forest: The hunters travel to Saskatchewan, Canada, in their journey to Alaska. When they arrive in the city of Saskatoon they learn about a wolf-like creature that kidnaps people and takes them into the forest. Could these be a traditional werewolf, or a new monster?
 * Sealed In Blood: The vampire Doomheart kidnaps Tara and lures the boys to an abandoned gas stop in rural Calgary. He tells Dan the only way his girlfriend will go free is if he gives his soul for hers, but Will has other ideas on how to deal with the vampire.
 * Blizzard: On their way to Anchorage, Alaska, the hunters are sidetracked when a snow monster traps them on the road. As Dan tries to repair the car Will and Tara must fend off the monster.
 * Jessica: Dan learns that X’arn has taken Jess to an underground Inuit tomb and struggles to save his girlfriend. As Will and Tara seek the help of an Inuit elder, Dan finds himself betrayed by his own girlfriend.
 * The Touch of Death: With Dan on the verge of death after Jess betrayed him, Will and Tara arrive just in time to banish X’arn from Jess’ body. But can they save Dan, or will he resist death himself?
 * Judgement Day: The final battle between X’arn and a revitalised Dan takes place in a high school gym. Will, Tara and Jess along with the Inuit elder muster a army of locals to best X’arn, but the demon has an army of his own.

Season Two (10 Episodes)

 * Serpentine: On their way home, the hunters encounter a creature of mythology terrorising the people of Valdez. With the help of Lee Carnigan can they defeat a giant snake?
 * Fuel, Blood: Doomheart returns and ambushes the hunters at a caravan site near Mt. Logan. Even with Lee Carnigan on their side, defeating the vampire as second time may be much more complicated.
 * Tunnels: The hunters travel to Mt. Logan where locals are going missing, and their burned bodies found outside a intricate tunnel system at the base of the mountain. According to local legend something evil has made its home deep within the mountain
 * Hands in the Darkness: After arriving in Whitehorse, Canada, the hunters are pursued by the mysterious Dark Cult into British Columbia. With all hope lost they find help from an unexpected friend.
 * Father and Son: Reunited with his father aka “The Silver Angel”, Dan leads the hunters to Alberta where he must face one of the Cult’s leaders. With the battle raging between the two sides, X’arn finds the chance to resurrect himself.
 * Rampage: X’arn returns to Jess’ soul and sends her on a violent killing spree. When Dan and his father try to save her Jess kills the Silver Angel and severely injures Dan, before disappearing.
 * Fallen Angel: As Dan recuperates and burries his father at Sioux Falls in South Dakota, he receives a dark premonition from X’arn that he is going to kill Jess in four weeks and that Dan and the others must get to Toledo to fight the demon.
 * Home, Damned Home: The hunters finally arrive in Toledo, but they must hurry to Lake Erie where X’arn plans to crucify Jess and devour her soul. As they confront X’arn, the Dark Cult arrive at the lake and Lee and Will try to hold them off.
 * Fate: While Jess dies on the crucifix and X’arn battles Dan, the Dark Cult finally overpower the other three and lock them in a van. Their leader Mr. Apocalypso threatens to kill Will, Lee, and Tara if Dan does not get the demon to speak with the Cult. When Apocalypso confronts X’arn however, he kills the mortal and the hunters escape from the van.
 * Damned: With the Cult in disarray Dan has only one choice to save his girlfriend, he must sell his soul to X’arn. When the demon accepts to sends Dan to Hell, Lee goes after him and the two find themselves face to face with the Demon Council.

Season Three (10 episodes)

 * Angels of Death: The Demon Council agrees to let Lee and Dan leave Hell if they can destroy X’arn. The Horseman of Death gives Dan a magic sword to kill X’arn, and the two hunters are transported back to Lake Erie. But X’arn and the others are gone, the hunters realise that two months have passed on Earth.
 * Ghost Samurai: When Dan and Lee learn that X’arn has taken Jess, Will, and Tara to Mount Kariba in Japan, they embark cross continent to save their friends. However when they arrive at the mountain, the find X’arn has gone and left phantom samurais to kill the two hunters.
 * Sushi with Blood: Tracking X’arn to Tokyo, Lee and Dan meet the Japanese Hunter Kisho who helps them find X’arn. Meanwhile X’arn eats sushi with human flesh.
 * Loki's Love: With their new friend Kisho, Dan and Lee track X’arn to Greenland and encounter the figure of Loki. When Dan receives a vision of the god flirting with Jess, he takes it personally and banishes Loki with the help of Thor.
 * Necros: While tracking X’arn, the three hunters are mysteriously transported back to Toledo, which has become a vast necropolis after an apparent nuclear holocaust. But when the dead begin to walk, Dan thinks that this must be an illusion.
 * Realm of Illusion: As Dan, Lee, and Kisho are trapped in three different possible apocalypses; X’arn impregnates Jess with a demon child while Will and Tara watch helplessly.
 * My Dark Son: Jess gives birth to the child in a matter of days, and X’arn takes the demon-spawn to an ancient place where he plans to corrupt the potential liberator. Meanwhile Dan, Lee, and Kisho escape X’arn’s apocalypses and Dan finds out about the baby. When X’arn encourages him to kill the child, Jess tells him he has Dan’s blood.
 * Rage: X’arn steals the half-demon and the hunters pursue him across Ohio, until they find he has entered another dimension. Dan calls on the power of the Demon Council and follows after X’arn, while the others wait in Ohio. When Dan confronts the demon a third time to save his “son” and girlfriend, X’arn cuts off the child’s tail so he can never reach his demonic potential and gives the baby to Dan, who then finally fulfils he promise to the Demon Council.
 * Strange Family: With X’arn destroyed completely, Dan takes the chance to propose to Jess and adopt the demon-child. She accepts and the group embarks for the city of Erie, where murderous crows are killing people.
 * Souls: Just as the hunters were certain all the commotion was over, the Demon Council decides to take the demon-baby from Dan and Jess as they feel he is capable of becoming like X’arn, who is psychically his father.

Season Four (16 episodes)

 * Highway To Hell: Dan learns of the Demon Council's plans to kill Jeremy and searches desperately for a way into Hell and a way to destroy the Council. Meanwhile Kisho meets a powerful girl called Tessa.
 * Unholy Vows: The hunters arrive in Maryland, Washington, where a local pastor is preaching the words of “a new angel”. But the angel is really Abaddon, the master of the Demon Council, or as Dan calls him: “Satan’s bitch”.
 * Drugs, Sex, and Demons: Following the tracks of Eligos, the embodiment of Lust, the hunters find him in Las Vegas, where he is gambling for a new kind of prize; the souls of the losers. The hunters must stop him before Las Vegas really does become Sin City.
 * Nice Day For A Wight Wedding: The hunters are sidetracked by the case of a bunch of ghosts replaying the wedding in which they all died in a mysterious fire. The hunters must find the long dead culprit to put the wedding to rest.
 * From Above: The hunters meet a young woman called Beth, who is a witch. Her and her family have sought refuge in the small town of Harper’s Hill. But when the angel of retribution Michael arrives to slay her, the hunters are faced with the wrath of God.
 * The Other Side of the Coin: In a Nebraska town the Demon Council’s influence has spread, where a man is halfway between a demon and a man. But the hunters soon realise that exorcising the demon will kill him, and must find another way to stop his eventual fate.
 * The Day of the Devourer: In the small Mississippi town of Fair Banks, a troubled young man calls forth the Egyptian monster Ammat and it goes on a violent soul devouring spree. Can the hunters find a way to stop Ammat before he devours the entire town?
 * Something In The Water: The popular tourist destination of Lake Sunrise in New York is closed down after its waters are found filled with blood. The hunters investigate only to unearth a sinister tale involving a witchunter and a Slavic water spirit.
 * It’s Really Not Funny: En route to the location of Choronzon, one of the Demon Council, the hunters are sidetracked yet again by a circus that has some dark secrets. Lead by the creepy clown Mr. Waffles, the freaks are not all that they seem.
 * Time and Her Master: Choronzon, demon of time, is trapped by the hunters in an abandoned town. He is without hope, but with the arrival of the Beast he may prove harder to kill than first thought.
 * Hunger: Although the hunters successfully killed Choronzon, the Beast is still at large and it is growing hungry. Without warning it moves on to the next town and begins to devour the countless souls of the living.
 * A Very Dark Goodbye: After Abaddon’s servants sacrifice Beth in a violent ceremony, Kisho is driven into vengeance and swears to kill the demon. With his departure the others must deal with another of the Council.
 * Deliverance: Seeking the take the battle to the Demon Council, the hunters are joined by many others of their kind and consecutively eliminate the Council one by one. But will it be enough to stop Abaddon?
 * John Said So: Using his immense power, Abaddon bends time to three years into the future, where he is Robert Adamson, District Attorney of New York. As what is written in the Bible comes true, Robert Adamson joins the presidential elections and his popularity grows even more.
 * Abaddon and Earth: Although his original host Robert Adamson was killed by Dan, Abaddon escape death by possessing Will and forcing him to shot his best friend. Five months pass, and when Dan awakens Robert Adamson has returned and is president, meanwhile Will is nowhere to be found.
 * Nation of Darkness: Just as all hope seems lost, Kisho returns with avengance. Abaddon, distracted as President Robert Adamson, has no idea what is going on. Neither do the hunters really; Dan is still recovering from his gunshot wound, Will is no where, and Kisho is a changed man. Can earth be saved from Abaddon, or will darkness reign supreme?

Season Five (15 episodes)

 * Back in Black: The hunters finally return home, but Lee has some past to confront in the form of demon Arianna.
 * Debts Gone Unpaid: Lee must come to terms with Arianna if he wants to survive, and strikes up another deal to save himself. Meanwhile Jeremy develops strange powers.
 * Back Downstairs We Go: Arianna takes Lee with her to Hell until the hunters can find a way to pay his debt, and they embark on the journey to Hell with the help of an old friend of the Silver Angel; Peter Schoffman.
 * Hunters Hunted: While tracking Arianna, the hunters and Peter Schoffman encounter a demon that "specialises" in killing hunters, and are trapped in his maze of death-traps.
 * Room 666: While Peter searches the local area, the hunters check into the Oak Plaza in New Jersey, where seventeen people have mysteriously died since 1967. They began with the murder of the former owner Harry Reufer's daughter Sarah, who he accidentally suffocated in a drunk frenzy. He was the first victim, drowned mysteriously in the bath in 1968. Can the hunters solve this mystery before the ghost gets them?
 * Welcome To The Jungle: The hunters are captured by Arianna and are trapped in a maze where they must fight other trapped hunters to escape.
 * Rebel Yell: Lee's past comes back to haunt him as Arianna enlist several rebellious werewolves to track the hunters down and bring Lee to her.
 * Heaven and Hell: Arianna continues to plague the hunters as they search for answers. Meanwhile, Dan realises that dark forces are still at work, and the destruction of the Demon Council did not end everything.
 * Jar of Flies: Using a powerful artifact, Arianna causes a town to become infected with a plague simlar to the one the hunters encountered in before, that is slowly transforming humans into demons.
 * New American Gospel: The hunters, discovering that there is a way into Hell via a Satanic church, journey to the church with Peter Schoffman. But when they arrive they must battle demons, Satan worshippers, and Arianna's servant Malekar.
 * Seasons In The Abyss: Following on from New American Gospel, the hunters are trapped in a Satanic church and are about to be sacrificed by Malekar in order to allow Arianna's realm to never be reached via Earth.
 * ...And Justice For All: As they wanted, the hunters are transported to Hell where the newly ascended Hammer of Doom, the fallen angel Arastel will decide their fates, along with Arianna and Lee's debt.
 * Still Alive...And Well?: After Peter Schloffman kills Arastel and sacrifices himself to eternal damnation, the hunters escape the realm of Judgment and search for Arianna, to finally end Lee's debt.
 * South of Heaven: Lee makes the drastic decision to finally give himself up to Arianna as the others approach. But can Lee be saved, or will he damn himself to eternity in Hell?
 * Seventh Son of A Seventh Son: As the end of Lee's debt draws near, the hunters must make some hard decisions. And what are the strange signs that keep appear, so familiar to Jeremy?

Doomheart
The vampire Doomheart is seen once in Season One and a second time in Season Two, in the episodes Sealed In Blood and Fuel, Blood. In Sealed In Blood he is killed when Will stakes him, but in Fuel, Blood things are not as simple. Doomheart, while dead in Hell, struck up a deal with X'arn that in return for his resurrection, the vampire would capture Jess. He was scarred by Will's stake, but they seem to have no effect on their own. He takes up residence at Mt. Logan in Fuel, Blood along with the female victims he has turned into vampires.

Lee Carnigan
Lee Carnigan is a twenty-eight year old paranormal expert who seems to know a lot about the Jormund in the first episode of season two, Serpentine. In Hands in the Darkness he joins the hunters and helps them combat many enemies throughout the second season. In the season finale of the second season Lee, along with Dan, are taken to the Demon Council after they defeat X'arn and the Dark Cult. The fifth season of the show centres mainly around Lee's debt to the demon Arianna. At the end of the season, Lee ultimately accepts his fate and his soul is damned, but using his immense power, Jeremy destroys Arianna and her minions, saving Lee. However he decides to part ways with the others, saying he endangered them too much.

Jeremy
Jeremy Jones is the physical son of X'arn and Jessica Mathews, but is prefered as the son of Jess and Dan. He is a demon-spawn, but does not appear as a demon after his "father" cut of his horns. At the end of the third series Jeremy is stolen by the Demon Council. Throuhgout the fourth season Jeremy rapidly matures and by the end of the season he appears to be 13-14 years old. During the fifth season, Jeremy begins to harness his powers, and at the end he destroys Arianna, thus making him an extremely powerful being.

X'arn
X'arn is the protagonist throughout the first three seasons before he is destroyed by Dan in the season three finale.