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Piper Perabo returns to television tonight with a chilling serial killer role in the latest episode of The Hunting Party. The actress plays Colette Akins, a twisted character haunted by her mortician father’s voice. NBC’s crime thriller airs Thursday, April 9 at 10 p.m. ET, and this guest appearance showcases Perabo doing something viewers have rarely seen.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Episode Air Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC
- Character: Colette Akins, a serial killer with auditory psychosis
- Background: Grew up in her father’s mortuary business, exposed to chemicals
- Escaped From: The secretive federal prison known as The Pit
Piper Perabo’s Against-Type Killer Performance
Piper Perabo is best known for her role in the 2000 film Coyote Ugly and her five-season run on USA Network’s Covert Affairs. In The Hunting Party, she takes on a dramatically different challenge. Executive producer JJ Bailey explained that the show’s unique format allows guest actors to play against type. “Because we play our killer card up, who the bad guy is from the start, it gives the killer a little more screen time,” Bailey stated. This creative freedom lets actors like Perabo “dive deep” into psychologically complex roles.
The NBC drama reveals the killer’s identity upfront, a narrative choice that sets it apart from traditional crime thrillers. This approach transforms the show into a character study rather than a mystery, giving actors space to explore the darkness within their roles with remarkable depth and intensity.
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Hunting Party returns tonight with Piper Perabo as twisted serial killer Colette
Colette Akins: A Killer Born from Trauma
Colette Akins developed auditory psychosis after years of exposure to chemicals while working in her family mortuary. Her mental condition causes her to hear voices, specifically her deceased father’s voice. Now escaped from The Pit, the federal prison housing the nation’s most violent serial killers, Colette is “craving the comfort of a particular voice” and “will do whatever it takes to find it,” according to NBC’s official description.
The character’s backstory reveals a tragic origin: childhood exposure to toxic chemicals triggered a psychiatric condition that transformed her into a murderer. Her father’s voice, which only she can hear, represents both comfort and compulsion. In tonight’s episode, viewers will see how this twisted relationship manifests when Colette reunites with her sister at the family mortuary, where dark secrets and deadly intentions collide.
What to Expect in Tonight’s Episode
| Detail | Information |
| Episode Title | Colette Akins |
| Season/Episode | Season 2, Episode 9 |
| Network | NBC and Peacock |
| Air Time | Thursday, 10 p.m. ET |
TV Insider obtained an exclusive sneak peek showing Colette in the mortuary, preparing her father’s body with her sister Liza, played by Becca Kotte. The tension escalates as the sisters clash over funeral preparations. As their argument intensifies, Colette begins hearing her father’s voice, creating an eerie moment where her psychological condition becomes apparent. The clip teases that this family reunion will take a “murderous turn,” setting up the episode’s climax.
“One of the best parts about The Hunting Party is that it allows its guest cast playing serial killers to sometimes do something viewers have never seen them do before: play out some quite chilling scenes.”
— TV Insider, Entertainment Coverage
The Hunting Party’s Unique Formula
The Hunting Party premiered on NBC in January 2025 and follows the specialized team of Agent Rebecca “Bex” Henderson (played by Melissa Roxburgh) as they hunt down the nation’s most violent serial killers. The series begins with Season 2 after the catastrophic explosion at The Pit released multiple dangerous criminals into the world. Each episode features different guest killers, allowing actors to step outside their typical roles.
The show’s structure creates opportunities for acclaimed performers to explore darker material. By revealing the killer upfront, the narrative focuses on psychology, motivation, and the cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and the criminals. Tonight’s episode demonstrates this approach perfectly, with Perabo’s Colette Akins bringing vulnerability alongside menace to a character shaped by trauma and mental illness.
Where and When to Watch The Hunting Party Tonight
The Hunting Party airs every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Tonight’s episode featuring Piper Perabo premieres at that time on traditional television. For viewers with cable, the episode becomes available next day on Peacock Premium. Peacock subscribers can stream all of Season 1 now and catch Season 2 episodes the day after they air on NBC.
Fans of psychological crime dramas and character-driven storytelling should tune in tonight to witness Perabo’s transformation into one of television’s most unsettling killers. The episode promises shocking moments, twisted family dynamics, and the kind of chilling performance that rewards viewers for taking a chance on unexpected casting choices.
