The Hunting Wives showrunner hits back at criticism of raunchy sapphic MAGA show

The showrunner behind new Netflix series The Hunting Wives has defended the show against criticism that it’s too “outrageous” and raunchy.

Based on May Cobb’s 2021 novel of the same name the series follows Sophie (Brittany Snow), a liberal who moves from Massachusetts to Texas for her husband’s job. There she meets socialite and MAGA-coded Margot (Malin Akerman), who is the de facto queen bee of the local community.

The trailer for the first season, which dropped recently on Netflix, shows Sophie arriving in her new home and meeting Margot. The two hit it off right away with Margot introducing the newbie to her gang of gal pals who all enjoy shooting and hunting.

The antics ratchet up as Sophie finds herself being hit on by Jed, her husband’s boss (Dermot Mulroney). There’s drugs, sex, and intrigue as a body turns up. One clip shows Sophie and Margot kissing, as well as Margot kissing another woman.

The show has drawn some criticism online since its release, partly due to the adult themes, which include Margot sleeping with a younger man. One person took to Rotten Tomatoes to describe the show as “vulgar,” adding they switched off within 20 minutes of starting. Others have described it as “cringe”

Speaking to The New York Post, showrunner Rebecca Cutter defended the series. “It’s so fun, and juicy and sexy. Everyone is behaving so badly,” she said. “I wanted to do an exploration of women behaving badly, unapologetic sexual conquest running rampant, and just something fun.”

Cutter also touched on complaints about the intergenerational relationship, hardly the first to be depicted on screen. She said, “There’s a fantasy of freedom or power that maybe we don’t feel so much as middle-aged women.”

She went on to say, “I just think TV has evolved. The first anti-heroes were all men. Now, there can be more female anti-heroes and I certainly think Margot Banks falls into that category.” She also said of the relationship in question, “It’s real.” Cutter added, “I have single friends [who are] women of a certain age, young men always are interested in them. That is a very real thing. And so, I think that that’s cool to show.”

Cutter told The Post she also wanted to show “both sides behave badly” when it comes to the liberal-conservative politics of the show.

The Hunting Wives is streaming on Netflix in the US now.