Out of all The Hunting Party characters, Jennifer Morales is the one we know the least about. Hopefully, that can change on season 2, as we spend a little more time at the Command Center with the shift of power there.
We chatted with Sara Garcia about the dynamic changes in the Command Center and whether we could see more of her personal life during the season. She also dished on some of the serial killers we’ll get to meet.
I love Morales, but I really want to know more about her personal life. Is there any chance we’ll get that on The Hunting Party season 2?
Sara Garcia: You will get to know Morales a little more intimately through a fun dynamic that is going to occur over the course of the season. We have two new people who were introduced to the command center, and we get to see them develop a closer relationship with both of them. So, we will get to see her in a new light.
We have Quentin Nguyen-Duy, who plays Ben, and Luke Forbes, who plays Peck, who was introduced in episode 1.
While I certainly miss Odell, I’ve enjoyed seeing the dynamic shift with Peck in the command center. How is Morales feeling right now, though? She finally got let in on some secrets, and she has her own.
Morales is definitely the Keeper of Secrets, and I think from her perspective, it’s a little overwhelming. She’s a very positive, loving, and honest person, and she doesn’t want to hide information from her team. Bex, Shane, and Hassani are her go-to team, so the fact that she has been put in this position, where she has to keep certain information from individuals, it difficult.
But I would say that we get to see more of a relationship building between her and Bex, and a trust between her and Bex throughout the series, which is really lovely. Eventually, all the secrets come out, which is going to be fun.
I love this because I loved the one episode where she goes in the field undercover, and that helps to create that bond between Morales and Bex. Could we see her back in the field?
We might see her out in the field, but we will see a really Command Center-heavy episode in The Hunting Party season 2 episode 5, so that’s exciting. Personally, it was very exciting for me to shoot. I don’t want to give too much away, but it happens in tandem with what’s going on outside. There’s a big event that happens in the Command Center.
How’s Morales feeling with Lazarus taking over, especially now that she has all this knowledge and can’t share too much about it while people are figuring out who Lazarus really is?
It’s alarming to her to know that somebody who is her senior could be so potentially dangerous. She’s put in this position where she’s questioning a lot of things and where her loyalties lie. She’s a military major, so to have this woman come in and take over the Command Center, and we don’t know the depths of how dangerous she could be, is very alarming.
She often brings up that question to the group, and I think she’s going to have to come to terms with it eventually. At the moment, she’s caught in a crossroad between loyalty to her country and loyalty to this group.
And the team is trying to keep people safe.
Yeah, she’s trying to make the world a safer place.
There are some twisty serial killers this season, and I can relate to how Morales often reacts to them. Can you tease what’s to come this season? I swear, there are wilder ones this season than last.
Yeah, it’s so astute. We have leaned into some of that kooky energy. We’ve gone a little out of this world with our serial killers and the kills, and I think that’s so fun. It brings a fun energy to the series. In episode 1, we had a man in a bunny costume!
There are some really great stuff to come, but my favorite has to be Amanda Weiss, played by Elizabeth Gillies. She does an incredible job, and she’s a masseuse, so new fear unlocked! We also have a cult leader played by Kelsey Grammer, which is going to be really exciting for people to see that episode.
From the first promo, I was so excited to see him as a serial killer. What’s it like for you to have these actors known as usually good characters coming in and playing these darker roles?
Morales is just a ball of sunshine in this dark world, and she’s serious about her job. She looks on the positive, bright side of things, so I think that shields me — Sara — from some of the dark content.
I think our guest stars are having a lot of fun finding these twisted people. They’ve been so nice, and I think it helps when you’re a nice person playing a deranged psychopath. I think they’ve been having a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for you to see their work. It’s exciting for all of us.
The nicest of actors play the best serial killers.
I think it’s a rule. You have to be a good person.
I know a lot of people want Shane and Bex together, but for me, there’s something between Shane and Morales. With all these secrets, could there be something there? Could their dynamic shift?
Shane and Morales have a really natural chemistry. I think that because they were both in the military, there’s an understanding between the two of them. There’s a deep friendship, and we’re also the two who can call out some of the wacky stuff that goes on. I think as we go through some of the intensity of Shane’s relationship with his mom, Morales is feeling pretty nervous. She doesn’t want to keep secrets from Shane. He’s such a puppy dog.
We’ll see how it progresses, because we’re not done filming.
He definitely has retriever energy!
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The Hunting Party season 2 airs on Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.