Biff Simpson (original German name Muller) is a major antagonist of the Amazon Prime TV series Hunters. He is one of many Nazi war criminals brought to the United States via Operation Paperclip, and a member of the Nazi Fourth Reich led by The Colonel.
He is portrayed by Dylan Baker.
Biography[]
Background[]
During World War II, Biff tortured and murdered several Jews at a camp called Arlav, where he gained the nickname "The Butcher of Arlav" for his cruel actions. After the war, he was brought to the United States as a part of Operation Paperclip, and had his identity erased by Harry Grimsby. He later became involved in US politics in order to gather information on the United States and manipulate the Commander in Chief to pass laws that benefitted the Fourth Reich, the Nazi underground, under the command of The Colonel and Katarina Löw. During this time, he graduated to the role of Under Secretary of State, and also married an American woman named Lottie and had three children with her, to erase any suspicion that may surround him in the future. He was disdainful of his family, however, and secretly wished to kill them all.
Season One[]
In Maryland, June 1977, a man named Biff hosts a barbeque but one of the guests starts shaking, shouting at him and calling him the Butcher and a Nazi. With his facade broken, Biff grabs a gun from under the barbeque and proceeds to shoot everyone in the vicinity apart from the shaking lady, whom he addresses personally before eventually shooting her in the face.
In Washington D.C. a man named Travis arrives at the barbeque massacre and Biff hands Travis the gun and an envelope, letting him shoot him in the arm to give the illusion he's the sole survivor of a shoot-out.
While Visions of Safta Danced in His Head
Travis phones Biff for instructions as he learns The Colonel is keeping them out of the loop. He attempts to make a deal with Travis but he’s having none of it, proceeding to hang up on him.
Biff sits opposite The Colonel and talks business, in particular him tanking the bill regarding South America. Biff tells her he wants a meeting with The General but she scoffs at the notion, leaving this issue wide open for now.
After abusing his position in power, Biff has an assassination attempt against him, with Dottie killed in cold blood. However, he gets the upper-hand and beats the assassin to a bloody pulp before fleeing.
Biff goes on the run and calls for help.
The Great Ole Nazi Cookout of '77
Meanwhile, Biff sits at Chief Harry’s where the latter asks Biff outright about the Fourth Reich. It turns out Chief Harry was the one who helped Biff disappear all those years back and this is all the ammunition he needs to use against the police chief.
Millie tries to get to the bottom of a name that's strangely familiar – Carmel Offie. As she rings her office to inquire, something the officer says jogs her memory as she realizes it’s Chief Harry. She heads over to his house and bursts in with a gun, shooting Biff in the leg and asking him for information about the pathogen. She takes Biff with her while leaving the Chief handcuffed to the stairs.
Biff dons a disguise and a new passport and heads into Russia, away from the conflict.
Season 2[]
Two years later, Biff left the USSR for France to visit a brothel in Paris, which he had patronized annually since World War II. Unknown to him, Jonah had discovered this habit and lay in wait at the brothel for him.
Jonah ambushes Biff as he has sex with a prostitute, holding him at gunpoint and zip-tying his wrists. Biff begs for his life, revealing that Adolf Hitler is still alive and offering to lead Jonah to him in exchange for his life. As proof, he offers The Colonel’s identity as Eva Braun to a skeptical Jonah. When the brothel madam interrupts them. Biff gets up attempts to attack Jonah, but he responds by shooting him in the eye and killing him.
Personality[]
Biff presents a facade of congeniality towards others, particularly his family and American colleagues, projecting the image of a patriotic "red-blooded American." However, beneath this veneer of stars and stripes, and the outward appearance of an affable persona, lurks a deeply malevolent and hateful nature. Biff derives a perverse satisfaction from inflicting pain and terror upon others, displaying no trace of remorse for his actions. In stark contrast, individuals like The Colonel and Tobias genuinely care for some, while Biff remains emotionally disconnected, going to the extreme of callously murdering his wife and children without hesitation to safeguard his hidden identity. He later callously confesses that he had harbored a desire to do so for years.
Biff's character is characterized by extreme narcissism, wherein he places himself on a pedestal as a vital cog in the Nazi machine. He perceives The Colonel as undervaluing his role in their operation, leading him to jeopardize their entire mission in a reckless attempt to demand higher protective status. At this juncture, even the Nazis themselves recognize Biff as a liability due to his excessive self-centeredness.
Furthermore, Biff exhibits misogynistic tendencies, frequently making derogatory remarks and gestures towards women, including Helen Hirsch. It is worth noting, however, that his sexism appears to be more pronounced when he believes he is not receiving the recognition he desires, particularly from female superiors, suggesting that it may be an exaggerated facet of his American persona.
Trivia[]
- Biff's backstory somewhat mirrors SS agent Klaus Barbie, who was known as "the Butcher of Lyon" - similar to Biff's moniker "the Butcher of Arlav" - for personally torturing Jews and French resistance members. Like Biff, he was also brought to the US by the government, though not via Operation Paperclip, but rather Operation Bloodstone.
- Biff's staunch anti-communist stance may also be referencing Barbie being employed for anti-communist efforts in Europe.
- Biff is the only underground Nazi in the series who's German first name is unknown. The woman he kills in the first episode identifies him as “Muller” before he guns down everyone at the bbq.