"Prey for the Hunter" 1.3 - Original Airdate: 10/23/02
  
Written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz & Adam Armus
Directed by Chris Long
Guest Stars:
Joe Flanegan as Morton
Shawn Christian as Wade Brixton
Robert Patrick Benedict as Gibson Kafka
Callie De Fabry as Girl at School
Co-Starring:
Nathan Holland as Carl
Josh Waters as Frosty
Autumn Reeser as Girlfriend
Charlene Hall as Kindly Teacher
Well...What did I think of the third episode of Birds of Prey...
I thought the idea of a meta-human who wanted to be human and had a chance to do so was very interesting. I'm impressed by how the show's creators are able to take bits and pieces of characters from the comics and inject their own takes on things into the show.
Having said that, I was a little let down on the resolution. It seemed a bit convenient to have Morton the meta-human who wanted to be human just kill himself at the end of episode. It also bothered me that Helena or Barbara didn't try to save him. Perhaps they realized that Morton would never truly be alive as long as he was obcessed with killing meta-humans, but even still...It just seemed odd that neither the daughter of Batman, nor his protege made any attempt to save Morton's life.
I did like that Morton was transferred from Blüdhaven, which fans of the comics know is where Nightwing, the former original Robin, operates. That was a very nice touch. I wonder if it's perhaps a hint that the Birds may be going to Blüdhaven soon. In any case, I hope it is.
I was a little let down that Alfred and Harley didn't appear this week, but in retrospect, I can't see any way that they would have been able to appear in the episode without it seeming like they had been shoehorned in. I guess it's better that way, since it allowed the story to flow better, and at least Harley will show up next week, and if the story is any indiction, so will Alfred.
By the way, was I the only one a little confused when Barbara started talking about her date with Wade and his parents? I thought for a second that I'd missed a scene there, until I realized I didn't. I wonder if they did film that and had it cut for time.
I really hope that the Birds of Prey team don't just replay the same CGI footage week after week. I found the use of the scene of the camera going through the city and spiraling down onto the street from the pilot jarring in this episode, and the final shot of the city line, the moon and bat (which I'll note I loved in the pilot) should not have been used again. It smacked of resued footage.
Anyway, aside from my problems with this episode, I still thought it was well done otherwise. Morton, the villain, was given enough time to be reasonably fleshed out, and I loved the references to Blüdhaven and Batman. The Metahuman bar, "No Man's Land", was interesting, and I hope that they explain it's name as having to do with an earthquake from a few years back (comic fans will know what I'm talking about).
This probably isn't the best episode to try to hook a new fan on with, but regular viewers should find it a good way to spend an hour.
WB Summary for "Prey for the Hunter"
"Helena (Ashley Scott) and Detective Reese (Shemar Moore) clash again when they both try to track down a serial killer who destroys metahumans by taking on their powers. Meanwhile, Dinah (Rachel Skarsten) ditches school when she learns from Helena there is a metahuman-only bar, and Barbara meets Wade�s (guest star Shawn Christian) parents who think she is not normal enough for their son. Chris Long directed the episode with story by Adam Armus and Kay Foster and teleplay by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz."
TV Guide Summary for "Prey for the Hunter"
"A killer with an intense hatred of metahumans terrorizes New Gotham, executing the genetically enhanced people by turning their own powers against them. While the gals start looking into the mysterious murders, Det. Reese (Shemar Moore) pursues his own investigations. Increasingly wary of surprise appearances by Huntress (Ashley Scott) at crime scenes, the perplexed officer puts too much trust in his newly transferred partner. What Reese doesn't know is that the aspirin-popping cop is actually the culprit, possessing the ability to mimic any meta's powers---including Huntress's. Meanwhile, Dinah (Rachel Skarsten) faces a perilous adventure of her own: attending a new high school."
Comicology for "Prey for the Hunter"
 
Like this episode states, the Batman was the legendary defender of Gotham, who protected the innocent while dressed as a giant bat. As Morton states, Batman was human, while it appears that Catwoman was in fact a meta-human.
Blüdhaven is the fictional town where Nightwing, the former original Robin, fights crime after he departed from Gotham City. Blüdhaven first appeared in Nightwing #1 (October 1996).
Ratings for "Prey for the Hunter"
10/23/02 - 4.8/7
92 out of 131 programs for that week, 5th in it's timeslot (out of 6)
12/04/02 - 2.7/4
111 out of 136 programs for that week, 5th in it's timeslot (out of 6)
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