Ep 1. Anatomy of a Manhunt

In the season 3 premiere of Hunting Hitler, titled "Anatomy of a Manhunt," the team of investigators --made up of former CIA agents, military personnel, and journalists--continues their quest to uncover the truth behind Adolf Hitler's disappearance after World War II. This time, they're on the trail of a man they believe may have helped the Nazi leader escape to South America: Otto Skorzeny.

The episode begins with a recap of the team's efforts to find Hitler's remains or any evidence of the former dictator's whereabouts. Despite years of searching, they've found nothing conclusive. But they believe that Skorzeny, a high-ranking member of the Nazi party who was known for his skills as a commando and his loyalty to Hitler, may have engineered the Führer's escape. So, they're zeroing in on him as a key player in their investigation.

The team splits up into two groups: one heads to Germany to interview Skorzeny's former colleagues and associates, and the other heads to Austria to examine Skorzeny's personal effects and visit the site of his former estate. Along the way, they uncover a wealth of information about the man who they're beginning to think may be the linchpin of their investigation.

The group in Germany starts by picking apart Skorzeny's military record. They point out suspicious gaps in his service during the war, including a period in 1943 when he suddenly went missing and then reappeared weeks later. They also speak to people who knew him personally, including his former secretary and a journalist who interviewed him shortly before his death in 1975. The consensus seems to be that Skorzeny was a ladies' man who loved to tell tall tales--but there's also a sense that he knew more than he let on about Hitler's escape.

Meanwhile, in Austria, the team takes a closer look at Skorzeny's personal belongings--including a cache of letters he wrote to his wife while he was in hiding in Madrid following the war. They also explore his former estate, which is now a hotel. The group discovers that the estate was built on the site of a former Nazi training camp, and that Skorzeny used it as a base of operations for his post-war activities. As they dig deeper, they uncover evidence that Skorzeny may have been involved in smuggling Nazis out of Europe after the war, and that he may have had connections to organized crime.

Back in Germany, the team makes a major breakthrough when they discover a set of files related to Skorzeny's post-war activities. The files reveal a web of connections between Skorzeny and South American dictatorships, as well as links to the international arms trade. The team concludes that Skorzeny was a key player in a post-war network of Nazis who were working to rebuild the Fourth Reich.

With all of this new information, the team is more convinced than ever that Skorzeny may have played a critical role in helping Hitler escape. But they still don't have any concrete proof. The episode ends with the team gearing up for their next move--which involves searching for an eyewitness who may have seen Hitler and Skorzeny together in Argentina in the 1950s.

"Anatomy of a Manhunt" is a gripping start to the third season of Hunting Hitler. The episode is filled with intriguing clues and suspicious characters, and the team's tenacity and expertise shine through as they peel back the layers of Skorzeny's life. For viewers who have been following the series, it's a tantalizing hint that the team may be getting closer to solving the mystery of Hitler's disappearance once and for all.