Hunting season was in full swing on Anna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 10—and the person being hunted? None other than Anna herself. 

What a surprise, right?

The season finale finally delivered a ruthless showdown between Anna and her nemesis, Jeremiah Paulson, giving audiences a deeper look into his disturbed mentality.

We knew he was evil, as he’s been buying up all the land at the national park and poisoning the river so that no one is around to complain or challenge him, and threatening Anna from time to time, but gathering a group to hunt her like she’s an animal took it to the next level.

Rich men have weird hobbies. 

And it’s truly questionable how much hatred this man must have to go out of his way to concoct a detailed plan to kill. 

Anna’s resourceful, so despite once again getting caught up in a near-death situation while responding to an SOS call, she was able to survive the night on the toughest climb in the park, cut off the tracker ankle monitor, and ambush both of Jeremiah’s lackeys before confronting the landowner with the rifle herself. 

Anna going missing has become a weekly event, and I’m glad the series took a self-aware approach to that tidbit, as everyone bonded over having to execute yet another search mission on her behalf.

But something was missing to really drive this storyline home. While Jeremiah posed a real threat to Anna, his desire to “take care of his Pigeon problem” didn’t make all that much sense. 

Yes, they’ve crossed paths before, including with the whole Bethany situation, but there was nothing concrete leading up to this hunting plan. 

Anna asked him point-blank why he hated her so much, clearly just as confused as the rest of us, despite knowing that they were adversaries, and Jeremiah couldn’t really come up with a solid reason. 

He mentioned prioritizing a legacy for himself and his family, including his nephew JP, which was logical, as Anna’s a witness whose testimony can incriminate them in the case surrounding Kaye’s death.

She’s also the only one who actively investigates all his illegal doings and holds him accountable, refusing to be intimidated by his wealth and power. She’s not someone that Jeremiah can bully into turning the other way, or pay off to keep quiet, so I guess killing her in the woods is his solution? But a man that rich would probably be able to find alternative options to drive her away and out of his business—threatening her sister, tarnishing her reputation, are just a few options to come to mind.

But nope, the man just resorted to straight-up bloody violence. 

With so much wealth and power, he likely assumed that he would be able to weasel his way out of any criminal charges, not realizing that there would be plenty of people looking for Anna and standing in her corner.

In theory, it makes sense, even if it paints Jeremiah as a cartoonish villain archetype, but to the audience, there simply wasn’t enough lead-up to the showdown. 

Jeremiah’s entire arc fell flat due to a classic “show, don’t tell” failure—we never truly saw him severely inconvenienced by Anna, and the two rarely crossed paths in a meaningful way, so the eventual conflict felt rushed.

Also, was anyone else thrown off and slightly cringed out by the way he kept calling her “girl”?

There’s also the fact that it’s a rather quick resolution. Jeremiah has put Anna through the wringer and tested her, but it feels like his story was only just beginning—at the very least, that he’d finally be forced to face the consequences of his actions and see his whole little dynasty fall—but instead, he just succumbed to the gunshot wound. The stage manager has good aim.

He was so laser-focused on Anna, he didn’t even see her pointing a gun at him. It feels like a missed opportunity for a true Jeremiah and Anna showdown; the kind where everyone sees who he is and he gets what’s coming and has to live with it.

Moving On

Of course, I’m looking at this as a long-play, while the series is seemingly following the trajectory of the Anna Pigeon books, which find her solving crimes across different U.S. National parks, marking an end of this chapter. 

Anna isn’t sticking around anywhere for too long, it seems, so we likely won’t see many of the Glacier National Park rangers in the next season. It felt like Anna was leaving that life behind, and admittedly, that’s probably why we didn’t get too many chances to get invested in the secondary characters. The biggest ones we’ll miss are Jessee and Zoe, and one could make an argument that they’d drop everything to join Anna wherever she goes—she just has to make the call.  Everyone else was largely forgettable. 

Anna learned a lot about herself at Glacier National Park, which was necessary for her healing and grieving, but considering the number of times she nearly died there, I don’t blame her for wanting to reset and leave it in the rearview. 

She’s preferred solitude since day one, and while she’s opened up and welcomed others into her life throughout the season, in the end, she chose to be alone, as it was what she was used to—aside from her furry companion Piedmont.

And she left her legacy, keeping the park safe from Jeremiah; his death ensured that they got their land back and took down his property expansion.

Yet, I don’t think the Jeremiah storyline is totally over, as Bethany Paulson seemed to inherit her father’s “dynasty,” and honestly, it doesn’t seem like the apple fell far from the tree. Will she blame Anna for killing her father? Will she seek revenge? Or is she just happy to finally have all of it to herself? I couldn’t really figure her out, especially when she revealed that she was coerced into attacking Anna cause Jeremiah threatened to kill her, assuring that she has the utmost respect for her. Obviously, we’ve seen what he’s capable of, so I believe it, but we also saw what Bethany was capable of, and how she manipulated everyone around her, including Manny, so I don’t think there’s any ounce of truth or credibility to what she’s saying.

There was a lot of potential for Bethany and Jeremiah’s storyline, so it’s a bummer we won’t see their relationship evolve. Surely, it would’ve been a rollercoaster. After all, she took his last name (not her mothers) even after he threatened to kill her, so in some twisted way, she still wants to earn her father’s love. 

A Breakthrough in Zach’s Murder 

I don’t believe that Jeremiah just hates Anna cause she’s a pain in the ass for him—I think it goes deeper and connects to Zach’s death. 

He knew so much about the case, even giving Anna the piece she was missing to trigger her memories from that deadly night, and I think it goes beyond simply having friends in his place.

When he suggests that Anna may be the one behind Zach’s murder and knows she’s being considered a suspect as part of a “break in the case,” pieces of that evening begin rushing back—not in order, of course—but it’s enough for her to know that she didn’t do it (we never doubted you for a minute—it’s not in your nature). She was, however, framed by someone who wanted people to think she did it. 

Though why no one has acted on that yet is also beyond me. Wouldn’t they have arrested her already, especially if her alibi wasn’t airtight?

We see a clear picture of the woman in the red jacket, whom a drunken Anna sees kissing Zach the night of the party, which was undoubtedly planned to force them into an argument that evening. We then see the same woman placing the murder weapon—the knife—in Anna’s hand. Which begs the question—who wanted Zach dead? And why?

And why did they want to frame Anna for it? We don’t know enough about Anna and Zach’s past life—aside from she was a stage manager and he was an actor—to put those pieces together just yet, but I’d bet my money Jeremiah had something to do with it. 

They seemed pretty well off for artists living in New York, which also raises suspicions about what was really going on. 

The Real Suspect in Zach’s Death

And to make matters worse, the suspect is hiding in plain sight, as she’s a patient of Anna’s sister, arriving wearing a red shirt, which honestly should’ve jogged her memory! Does she know more than she’s letting on? Does she know the woman attended the party that night? Was Zach really having an affair? Did Anna know and block it out?

Leading into Anna Pigeon Season 2, this hook is extremely enticing, especially because, yes, the series has been renewed already. Frederick got a promotion, which means that with Anna’s newfound memories, they’ll likely be working on the case even closer together in the future. And he made it very clear when he cuffed Jesse (cuffing season takes on a whole new meaning here) that he wants to be the one Anna chooses. 

What did you think of Anna Pigeon Season 1? Did you like the finale? Will she leave Jesse behind? Where will her adventures take her next? 

Anna Pigeon just got the best news ever. 

Ahead of the season finale of the 10-episode first season (it airs on Friday, Oct. 9), the Tracy Spiridakos-led drama has been renewed for a second season.

What Did Tracy Spiridakos Say About Anna Pigeon Season 2?

“We’re headed back to the park! 🤠 #AnnaPigeon Season 2 is coming to @USANetwork,” an Instagram video revealed, showing Spiridakos putting on the ranger hat and declaring, “season 2, baby!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by USA Network (@usanetwork)

The renewal news isn’t surprising, as Anna Pigeon became USA Network’s “highest-rated original scripted series premiere in nearly eight years” following its debut, drawing in an average of 2.35 million total viewers within seven days of the premiere. 

“Across its total run, Anna Pigeon has reached 18 million total viewers,” the release detailed. 

“Anna Pigeon has connected with audiences in a meaningful way, bringing a compelling new heroine and a fresh perspective to USA Network,” said Michael Sluchan, SVP, Scripted Content, Entertainment, VERSANT. “We’re thrilled to continue Anna’s journey with Tracy, Morwyn, Lea and our incredible partners at Cineflix.”

The series, which stars Spiridakos as the titular character, is based on the New York Times best-selling novels by Nevada Barr.

“It’s been really thrilling to see audiences fall in love with Anna and come to the park every week,” said Showrunner Morwyn Brebner.  “We’re so grateful to our cast and crew who brought Nevada Barr’s iconic world to life with such heart and passion; we cannot wait to get back outside for season two.”

When Will Anna Pigeon Season 2 Premiere?

Since a renewal was just revealed, the series hasn’t even gone into production yet, so it’s unclear when it will premiere. The first season premiered on Aug 7, 2026, so it’s possible it’ll be another mid-summer premiere. 

Anna Pigeon Cast

It’s unclear whether or not the season 1 cast will all return for season 2. 

For now, it stars Tracy Spiridakos, Paulina Alexis, Ronnie Rowe, Tricia Helfer, Kim Coates, Crystle Lightning, Cooper Levy, Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz, Ryan Northcott, Nikki Rae Hallow, Jordan Sledz and Melanie Scrofano.

What Happened on Anna Pigeon Season 1

While we don’t know how Anna Pigeon Season 1 will end, the first season saw her dealing with the loss of her husband and experiencing many near-death moments at the park, including at the hands of fellow park ranger Manny’s wife, Bethany, who is the daughter of the show’s villain, Jeremiah, who has it out for Anna and is polluting the local water with his real estate expansion. Fans have also watched Anna navigate a complex love life with bartender Jesse, who asked her to move in with him, and FBI agent Frederick, who has reopened the case into the mysterious death of Anna’s late husband, Zach.

Anna Pigeon: Where to Watch

Anna Pigeon airs Friday nights, exclusively on the USA Network. Following the season one finale, episodes will stream online on USANetwork.com and on Fandango.

Anna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 8 ended on a major cliffhanger after Jesse was hunted and shot while testing the toxic river water.

The penultimate episode, Anna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 9, wasted no time addressing the shooting, though it didn’t pan out the way I expected it to.

I assumed Jesse’s shooting would tie into the nefarious moves of Jeremiah Paulson, who’s been teased as this season’s villain and Anna’s nemesis, though not much has come of it aside from the whole Bethany thing, which has been pushed to the back burner for now! 

When the episode confirmed that he’s been polluting the water for his developments, it naturally made sense to connect Jesse’s shooting to Jeremiah; however, the series took a different route. 

Instead, the person responsible for shooting Jesse was connected to his past—a past we were learning about in real time alongside Anna. 

Jesse’s shooting made it abundantly clear that Anna doesn’t know much about him, which makes her decision to not move in with him pretty logical. How can you move in with someone you don’t know anything about? 

It also proves that you don’t really have to know someone well to develop feelings for them, though Anna’s affection for Jesse remains very surface-level, which doesn’t bode well for them in the future. Jesse’s the guy who is helping Anna get over her husband before committing to someone she sees a future with—but I don’t think he’s the future. 

Digging into his past had potential, but it mostly fell pretty flat, as we ended up right back at square one. 

Upon getting shot, Jesse made his way to Anna’s place to get stitched up because going to the hospital wasn’t an option. He claimed it was because he didn’t have health insurance, but once his health began to decline and his wound became infected, we learned it was because there was a warrant out for his arrest. 

A bad boy?! Sort of, kind of. 

It explains why Jesse chose to abandon his geological degree and took up bartending—choosing to live under the radar. He also changed his name, a revelation that took Anna by surprise, along with the fact that he has a whole ex-girlfriend that she’s never heard about before.

Meeting “the other woman” forced Anna to put her defenses up—and the jealousy began to peek through—proving that yeah, despite her efforts to brush off the relationship, Anna does care about him.

She then made it her mission to get to the bottom of what happened to Jesse—who shot him?

Her sister, Molly, just so happened to be in town, so she got wrapped up in the case, against her will, as Anna turned over every leaf to find out the truth. Part of it had to do with her affection for Jesse, but mostly, she just can’t resist a good case. 

Again, instead of the trail leading back to Jeremiah, it led to a man who worked at the same company as Jesse’s ex. When he submitted the river samples for testing, he put a target on his back with a man who wanted revenge, blaming Jesse for his father’s death. 

In short, the man and his brother thought that Jesse was responsible for shutting off valves that led to an explosion that killed his father, though, as Jesse later revealed, he would never do such a thing, and it was actually his corrupt boss who did it on purpose to collect the insurance money. 

I’ll be honest, the storyline didn’t really change anything about Jesse, nor did it give us much to work with. He’s still just Jesse.

And despite how much he clearly cares for her, I still don’t think he’s good for Anna. They make sense as friends with benefits, but that’s kind of the extent of their dynamic.

He doesn’t challenge her or add anything meaningful to her life, aside from pushing her to the realization that she needs to let someone in eventually.

The fact that he was simply eager to go back to how things were before he asked her to move in proves to me that he’s not the man she needs right now, as he’ll let her dictate their relationship in a way that feels comfortable for her simply so he can be with her. 

Again, Jesse’s shooting would’ve been more impactful if it connected to the shady dealings of Jeremiah, because it makes sense that he’d want to stop someone from investigating the toxic runoff that his development is responsible for. 

However, I did find it interesting that Jeremiah and Molly connected on a romantic level because, honestly, that’s probably the worst possible outcome for Anna. It seems as though Jeremiah had no idea he was flirting it up with Anna’s sister, though you never know with that man—he could’ve been playing that to his advantage, as Molly did open up about her fractured relationship with Anna. 

Anna’s frustrations upon finding out about Molly’s chat with Jeremiah were valid, but it wasn’t fair to hold it against Molly, who had absolutely no idea that Anna despised that man or that he had it out for her. Anna hasn’t communicated any of that to Molly, so she wasn’t the wiser.  That’s solely Anna’s fault for not giving her a heads-up. 

Molly and Anna are proof that siblings fight hard and love even harder, and it was nice to see the two of them finally share a screen. She may not have had good parents growing up, but at least someone cares about what’s going on with Anna in this national park, other than the people she’s met while working here. 

It would be great for Molly to stay a while, especially as it’s clear that while Anna can take care of herself and has people who look out for her, the park presents plenty of dangers, too.

And while we didn’t get a lot of movement on the Zach murder, Frederick is on the case. Like Anna, I have full confidence in him to figure out the truth.

He may be mixing business and pleasure, but he’s also not forced to look into Zach’s case—he simply wants to give Anna closure. And yes, part of that probably has to do with the fact that without closure, Anna still blames herself, which means she can’t officially move on with him… or anyone. 

It’s not entirely selfish on Frederick’s part—he does want this for her—but there are elements of it that benefit him as well.

Anna may not like Frederick more once he solves the mystery, but at least she’ll have answers that allow her to look forward instead of in the rearview. 

At this point, they’ve pieced together that whoever left behind the red coat likely saw something that could move the case forward, and likely left wearing Zach’s coat that evening. But who was it?

Was Molly lying about Anna’s alibi?

Is there something more going on with Zach’s death than we’ve been led to believe? Will Frederick discover that Anna played a larger role in Zach’s death? What did you think of the episode as we near the season 1 finale?