If the start of 2026 has left you craving pure, unadulterated escapism, the television gods have answered your prayers. Landing on ITVX is The Hunting Wives, an eight-part series that might just be the most gloriously perfect piece of trash television ever crafted.
A Texan Melting Pot of Scandal
The premise drops us straight into the heart of Maple Brook, Texas. Former Democratic campaign manager Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow) and her architect husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) trade their liberal Cambridge life for this small, deeply conservative town. Sophie is swiftly enveloped by the intoxicating world of Margo (Malin Åkerman), the glamorous wife of Graham's powerful new boss, Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney).
Margo is the ringleader of Maple Brook's most exclusive clique—a group of wealthy, perpetually tipsy women who rule the local social scene. Sophie, seeking excitement, finds herself running with this pack, rediscovering a wild side she'd long buried.
The Wives and Their Web of Secrets
This 'Mean-Girls-with-cocktails' circle is a masterclass in suburban dysfunction. The members include Callie (Jaime Ray Newman), the sheriff's wife who is having an affair with Margo; and Jill (Katie Lowes), a devout Christian married to the town's secretly abusive pastor. The drama extends to their children, notably Jill's perpetually priapic teenage son, Brad (George Ferrier), whose romantic entanglements cause significant ripples.
The plot barely pauses for breath. Every few minutes unveils a new secret, a bombshell revelation, or a steamy encounter, rarely conforming to traditional or age-appropriate pairings. It’s a whirlwind of blackmail, clandestine affairs, target practice, and even murder, all set against a backdrop of southern hospitality and loaded pistols.
Unapologetic, Full-Blooded Entertainment
Adapted from May Cobb's 2021 novel by showrunner Rebecca Perry Cutter, the series makes no pretence of high-brow satire. Any traces are mere ghosts from an early draft, wisely discarded in favour of full-throttle, fast-paced storytelling. The result is a show that exploits the fantastic chemistry of its leads—Snow, Åkerman, Newman, and Lowes—to brilliant effect.
It possesses enough wit to avoid collapsing into mere melodrama, but never shies away from delivering the glorious, chaotic wildness viewers will crave. It’s a starry, sensuous bonkbuster that feels like a reward, a deliciously guilty pleasure to brighten the post-Christmas gloom.
The Hunting Wives is available to stream now on ITVX, and with a second series already commissioned, the scandalous world of Maple Brook promises to be a gift that keeps on giving well into 2026.
