NBC’sThe Hunting Partyhad its time slot premiere on February 3 and drops new episodes every Monday at 10 p.m. ET. The high-concept crime procedural centers around “a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers the country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.” It was created by JJ Bailey, who also serves as co-showrunner, executive producer, and writer alongside Jake Coburn.
Much has happened overThe Hunting Party’sseven episodes, with the eighth installment airing on March 24. However, “Doctor Ezekiel Malak” continues to be a standout due to its unexpected turn of events.Melissa Roxburgh’s Bexmomentarily dies, which left the cast shocked when reading the script. In addition to Roxburgh, the series stars Patrick Sabongui as Hassani, Josh McKenzie as Shane, Nick Wechsler as Oliver, and Sara Garcia as Morales.
The Hunting Party Clip Introduces An Escaped Copycat Killer With A Brutal Musical Murder
Exclusive: ScreenRant presents a clip from the next episode of The Hunting Party, in which an escaped criminal becomes a copycat killer.
ScreenRantinterviewsstar Josh McKenzieabout his reaction toThe Hunting Party’smajor twist, a potential slow burn romance between Shane and Bex, and whether a love triangle could be in the works.
The Hunting Party Cast Was Shocked By The Episode 4 Script
“Nowadays with TV shows, Game of Thrones kind of set the tone, nobody’s safe.”
ScreenRant: Bex died for a few minutes a couple of episodes ago. What was your reaction when you read that in the script?
Josh McKenzie: The writers were hinting that something big was going to happen, and so we’re all like, “Oh sh*t, someone’s dying. Someone’s got to die.” They didn’t tell us what, but we were like, “I think someone dies. This is crazy.” And then as we were reading, at the end of an act, it was like “Bex dies.”
And we were just like, “How the hell are they getting out of this one?” And then obviously we kept reading and the bigger plot behind it comes out. So that was pretty shocking. Nowadays with TV shows, Game of Thrones kind of set the tone, nobody’s safe. That was quite shocking.
Did Melissa know ahead of time that her character was safe?
Josh McKenzie: I think they had a chat with her. They’re like, “Look, don’t freak out, but you die.” [Laughs] They were throwing us red herrings. We were like, “Oh my God, someone’s dying.” They weren’t lying, but it was a pretty cool device. They have a serial killer that kills and brings people back to life. That’s quite an exciting thing. Keeps you on the edge of your seat.
McKenzie Talks The Hunting Party’s “Found Family” Dynamic
“That was a big moment for the three of us, and I think a bonding moment.”
There have been some really nice moments between Shane, Bex, and Hassani. Do you feel like there’s a found family dynamic forming there? How would you describe the team?
Josh McKenzie: Absolutely. Found family is a great way to describe it. That was another one of the surprising things about that script as well. As we were shooting it, I was really having to think about how Shane feels about her being kidnapped and the dynamic between me and Hassani, especially in that scene when we’re in the car chasing her down.
And then Shane gets the idea, “Wait a minute, I think he’s taken her to a hotel room.” So exploring the tension and even that other scene when Odell and Hassani are on the phone, and it gets quite heated, and Shane steps in and has to be practical about it and be like, “Look, we can all keep shouting at each other, but we’ve got a big task on our hands here.” He’s very task-oriented, and I think that’s where he thrives.
The end of the episode where it’s somewhat of a happy ending, it definitely felt like a bonding moment, if that makes sense. It is very stressful when one of your team members goes missing. So that was a big moment for the three of us, and I think a bonding moment. So strengthening our dynamic and the sense of family.
McKenzie Considers A Potential Love Triangle Between Bex, Shane, And Odell
“A love triangle would be super interesting, but what’s real and what isn’t? That’s the question.”
There’s some great chemistry between Bex and Shane. Is that a relationship that you would like to see teased out romantically, or do you feel they have more of a platonic partnership?
Josh McKenzie: I think it’s early days. In any relationship in real life, there’s a process that happens. Obviously, there are some things where it’s like love at first sight, but I think with Shane and Bex, it’s a process. They both have obligations and responsibilities for the team. I can definitely sense that there’s something there between them, and it’s in-between the lines.
And especially in the Malak episode with her disappearing, it kind of forces Shane’s hand to think about how he actually does feel about this person. And it feels like definitely more than just a work relationship at that point. Whether that’s just a strong friendship, because there is a trust between them, or whether it’s romantic, I don’t know yet. I think it’s an interesting relationship to explore, definitely.
Coming up, there’s going to be a lot of things that test the strength of that relationship and test loyalties all over the team. So definitely an interesting thing to explore, and especially with Odell, it’s very obvious how he feels about Bex. He wants a romantic relationship. I don’t want to speak on behalf of him, but it’s pretty obvious. So I think in terms of story, it makes for a more interesting dynamic. It’s a slow burn, I feel. That’s how I feel about it.
That brings up an interesting question. Could you ever see a potential love triangle between Bex, Odell, and Shane? Because, like you said, it definitely seems like Odell has feelings for Bex.
Josh McKenzie: Yeah, definitely he does. From an outsider looking in and watching the episodes, it’s very obvious there’s some sort of slightly unrequited feelings going on. And again, with the episode with the Malak episode, you have Bex playing a bit of intimacy with him to get close and bug the device into his phone and effectively spy on him. So that’s what I mean by testing loyalty.
A love triangle would be super interesting, but what’s real and what isn’t? That’s the question. Is it a ploy? What do these people actually feel about one another versus the greater conspiracy at play here? Because there is a grand conspiracy underpinning everyone’s dynamics, everybody’s motivations.
Are there any specific questions you have about Shane that you’re hoping the show will answer?
Josh McKenzie: Absolutely. The two first two weeks of prep, and then even just the first few months, and actually, the entire production, I was just asking all these questions. The preparation for Shane was about working out what the questions I wanted to ask were. So that was an interesting process, to be honest, because on the surface, he’s a pretty easygoing guy.
Not easy to play, but pretty laid back and pretty effortless to play because that’s his role in the team. So for me, it was like, “What are the questions I need to ask to understand what’s underneath all of that?” I’ve had questions this entire time and not all of them are answered this season, at least the ones I wanted to know. But it laid the foundation for, “This is what’s driving him.”
About NBC’s The Hunting Party
Created By Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, And Writer JJ Bailey
The Hunting Partyis a crime procedural series released in 2025, centering on a specialized team of investigators tasked with apprehending notorious killers who have escaped from a secretive and non-existent prison facility.
The Hunting Partyairs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Hunting Party
The Hunting Party is a crime procedural series released in 2025, centering on a specialized team of investigators tasked with apprehending notorious killers who have escaped from a secretive and non-existent prison facility.
