Night of the Hunters is the 25th episode of the animated series.
Plot[]
In Brantford, Peter and Judy are competing with each other while selling raffle tickets. Peter sells 20 to an old man who only meant to buy one and can't even really afford that, while Judy compiles a mailing list of people, but Peter deliberately shuts off her computer to get the upper hand, and in retaliation, Judy steals his tickets from him.
They decide to play "Jumanji" and get the clue: "DOUBLE CROSSING MAKES NO FRIENDS, THE WINGS OF EAGLES MAKE AMENDS." before the two are sucked into the game again. Upon landing, Peter discovers that Judy stole his raffle tickets behind his back, starting an argument between them until they're interrupted by Van Pelt. However before Van Pelt can kill them, they get interrupted by the arrival of Ludwig Von Richter, Van Pelt's aristocratic rival. When Van Pelt reveals he plans to use Judy and Peter as bait to lure in the most elusive prey in all "Jumanji": Alan Parrish, who he's been hunting for 15 years, he offers to let Von Richter watch.
At Van Pelt's Lodge, Alan instinctively arrives to free the kids and falls into the trap nevertheless, but Von Richter is intrigued by how Alan has managed to avoid the hunt all his years, and steps in to stop Van Pelt from killing him on the spot, proposing a hunting contest between them instead with the winner allowed to finally get Alan's head. The hunters take their captives to Von Richter's hilltop mansion and browse Von Richter's gallery. As they look upon the fabulous trophies, Von Richtor reveals that after he found his way into the world of "Jumanji", he became the best hunter in all the jungle, although Van Pelt grudgingly calls Von Richter's bluff, claiming he just stole most of his own prizes out from underneath him, continuing the heated debate between each other.
Since the rival hunters equally want the elusive Alan for their walls, Von Richter begins the contest on his mark under the rules that by releasing Alan into his private compound with a five minute head start, he must make his way to the other end of the boarder and claim his freedom, before Von Ricthor and Van Pelt follow after him on the hunt. When Alan demands that the Shepherds must go free too if he wins, Von Richtor promises to equally release Alan, Peter and Judy, but he is in reality lying by literally crossing his fingers behind his back, which the kids notice.
Whilst racing through the compound, Von Richtor has the upper hand since it is his land, using his hunting duo of giant Eagles and nearly gets Alan, but Van Pelt manages to stop him with the aid of sneaky Weasels, enabling Alan to evade both their sights. Back in the cage, Peter manages to escape and frees Judy, so they can enter the compound too and distract both Von Richtor and Van Pelt. Peter throws Von Richtor off the trail when his Eagles spot the boy, thinking that the birds have let him down, so he turns on them, and although Peter is caught, Von Richtor decides not to waste his time on children and lets him go. Peter then spots one of Von Richtor's Eagles stuck in one of his net traps, and decides to free the trapped one, gaining him their gratitude.
Meanwhile, Alan is nearly caught by the two hunters, but escapes while they're arguing and Van Pelt starts to sink in Quicksand. Van Pelt begs Alan to save him, so the hunted decides to help the hunter out, after the condition that he must toss away his Rifle. Van Pelt at first is grateful to be pulled out of his predicament, but immediately tries whips out his hidden pistol to resume his business, but Alan manages to throw him back into the pond. Managing to swim out and recover his Rifle, Van Pelt resumes the hunt, once again.
Nearly at the compound border, Alan twists his ankle in a trap, but fortunately runs into Judy and Peter afterwards. Using their wits, the trio manage to trap the two hunters together in a trench and encounter the two Eagles again. Peter realizes that the clue meant how Von Richtor double-crossed his own Eagles when it wasn't their fault, by setting the trapped one free, means the birds are now on their side, and return the favour by giving the trio a ride out of the compound. With their clue was solved, Peter and Judy return home to the Parrish Mansion, while Alan rides on the Eagles home, presumably allowing the Eagle to leave the compound for good.
At home, Peter has a change of mind and undoes his scam by returning the old man's money, but lets him keep a ticket for free. Peter and Judy discover they have both sold the same number of raffle tickets and are content to share the grand prize, but get home to discover to their dismay that their rival sold a bunch to Aunt Nora and has thus won.
Continuity[]
- Von Richtor later appeared in "The Ultimate Weapon", once again competing with Van Pelt for the prize of a lifetime.
- The fact that Von Richtor was able to enter the world of "Jumanji" from outside the board game follows the idea previously seen in "Air Judy", that the world of "Jumanji" is in fact an Island on Earth, and would later be reused in the 2017 film.
Gallery[]
| Jumanji: The Series | ||
| Season 1 | "Price" • "Bargaining for Time" • "Masked Identity" • "Ransom of Redhead" • "Master Builder" • "No Dice" • "Love on the Rocks" • "Law of Jumanji" • "Stormy Weather" • "El Pollo Jumanji" • "Perfect Match" • "Gift" • "Truth or Consequently" | |
| Season 2 | "The Red and the Black" • "Eye of the Sea" • "Brantford: The Game" • "Air Judy" • "The Palace of Clues" • "The Master of the Game" • "Robo-Peter" • "Mud Boy" • "The Magic Chest" • "The Trial" • "The Riddle of Alan" • "Night of the Hunters" • "The Plague" | |
| Season 3 | "The Three Peters" • "Young Alan" • "The Intruder" • "Oh, Grow Up!" • "Return of Squint" • "Armageddon" • "Love Potion" • "Sorceress of Jumanji" • "The Ultimate Weapon" • "Who Am I?" • "Nothing to Fear" • "The Doll" • "An Old Story" • "Good Bye, Jumanji" | |