The hunt for escaped serial killers got very personal in the latest episode of NBC’s crime drama. The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 7 brought back a familiar face from The Pit, but this time, she wasn’t just a worker—she became the target. The episode, titled “Mark Marsden,” aired on March 17, 2025, and introduced viewers to a killer with a deadly wedding tradition while also digging deeper into the secrets of team member Shane Florence .
The hour was packed with tense moments, a tragic hostage situation, and a major discovery at Silo 12 that changes everything the team thought they knew about the secret prison. Here is a breakdown of the cast and characters who brought this intense chapter to life.
The Main Team Back on the Case
The core team of investigators was front and center as they raced against time to stop a killer from saying “I do” one last time. Each member of the unit played a key role in tracking down the Widower.
Melissa Roxburgh leads the cast as Special Agent Rebecca “Bex” Henderson. In Episode 7, Bex used her profiler skills to understand the twisted connection between the serial killer and his new bride. She realized that Carol, the hostage, suffered from hybristophilia, which is a condition where someone is sexually attracted to people who commit violent crimes. This understanding became the key to the entire operation. Roxburgh continues to portray Bex as someone who is tough but carries the weight of her past experiences at The Pit .
Josh McKenzie plays Shane Florence, the former Pit guard with a mysterious personal life. This episode finally exposed Shane’s secret. Viewers learned that the man he has been visiting at the nursing home, Dr. Dulles, is not actually his father. At the end of the episode, Dulles’ real daughter confronted Shane at a bar, demanding to know why he has been pretending to be her brother. McKenzie’s performance showed a man struggling with guilt. He admitted in an interview that he “really struggled to justify” his character’s actions, especially since his own grandfather suffered from dementia. Showrunner JJ Bailey noted that it was fun to reveal that the guy who “seems like he’s just got it all together, is happy to help and the guy you can always count on, actually has some pretty good secrets” .
Patrick Sabongui plays CIA Agent Jacob Hassani. Hassani was by Bex’s side throughout the manhunt. He helped with the logistics and was present for the final standoff at the wedding chapel. He also joined Bex and Odell at the end of the episode to explore the newly discovered Silo 12 .
Nick Wechsler portrays Oliver Odell, Bex’s former partner and lover. Odell provided critical support from the Air Force base. He managed to get the access codes for Silo 12, which led the team to the shocking discovery at the end of the episode. His character remains shrouded in mystery, especially since his old codes still worked .
Sara Garcia rounds out the main cast as Jennifer Morales, the Army Intelligence officer. Morales took on the important task of going undercover online. She logged into a serial killer fan forum to talk Carol down. Using her tech skills, she sent videos of Mark’s previous weddings to Carol’s phone to prove he was dangerous, which ultimately helped turn the hostage against the killer .
The Killer of the Week: Mark Marsden
Every episode of The Hunting Party features a different escaped inmate from The Pit, and Episode 7 introduced one of the most chilling yet.
Jesse Bradford guest-starred as Mark Marsden, also known as “The Widower.” Marsden was a handsome and charming serial killer who murdered three of his wives on their wedding nights. The episode opened in Hawaii in 2003, showing his first kill. He poisoned his bride and then drowned her in the bath. In The Pit, doctors tried to treat him with exposure therapy. They staged fake weddings between Marsden and Carol Miller, a Pit administrator, hoping to break his pattern. Instead, the therapy backfired. It simply gave him a new obsession: Carol .
Bradford is a well-known actor from the early 2000s, famous for roles in Bring It On (2000), The West Wing, and Flags of Our Fathers (2006). His co-star Josh McKenzie praised the guest actors on the show, calling them “absolute weapons.” He admitted his girlfriend had to point out that Bradford was the guy from Bring It On, joking, “That’s the guy from Bring It On going around killing women!” .
The Victims and The Pit Workers
This episode focused heavily on the people who worked inside the secret prison and how their time there affected them.
Brooke Smith played Carol Miller. Carol was an administrator at The Pit for five years. She was injured on the job and released on the same day the prisoners escaped. Mark Marsden grabbed her because he was obsessed with her after their fake wedding sessions. Carol’s husband had died six months before she started working at The Pit, which made her vulnerable to Marsden’s attention. Throughout the episode, Carol struggled with her feelings. She genuinely believed Marsden loved her and had changed. Smith’s performance captured the confusion of a lonely woman manipulated by a predator. In the end, Bex shot Marsden to save Carol, who survived the ordeal .
Matt Frewer appears as Dr. Henry Dulles, the scientist who worked in The Pit studying the inmates. He is the man Shane has been visiting in the nursing home. Dulles suffers from dementia, which is why Shane was able to pretend to be his son. His daughter, Sarah, confronted Shane, setting up a major storyline for future episodes .
Siobhan Williams played Sarah Dulles, the real daughter of Dr. Dulles. She followed Shane after spotting him at the nursing home. Their conversation at the bar was brief, but it confirmed that Shane has been lying about his connection to her father .
Recurring Characters and Guest Appearances
Several other actors filled out the world of Episode 7, adding depth to the manhunt and the aftermath.
Chase Nicholson played Grady Miller, Carol’s son. The team tracked him down to learn more about his mother. He ran from them, but Shane caught him after a foot chase. Grady revealed that he had set up an untraceable VPN for his mother so she could log into a serial killer fan site, which is how she stayed connected to Marsden .
The episode also featured several small but important roles:
- Aidan Springle as Kip, the teen whose van Mark and Carol stole. Mark took him into the woods, and it was implied he killed him off-screen .
- Marlie Collins as Dorothy Marsden, Mark’s first victim seen in the flashback .
- Natalie Moon as Gloria, the bridal shop clerk who recognized Mark and was killed for it .
- Jasmine Lukuku as Pastor Stephanie, who was held hostage in the chapel .
- Laura Mac as a Utah State Trooper .
The Writers and Directors Behind Episode 7
The episode was directed by Rob Hardy, a filmmaker known for his work on psychological thrillers. The script was written by Rebecca Bellotto and Paula Sabbaga, both of whom serve as producers on the series. Their writing team focused on the dark irony of The Pit’s failed rehabilitation methods. The therapy designed to stop Marsden from killing actually created his next target .
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Where to Watch The Hunting Party
For those who missed the episode, The Hunting Party Season 1 Episode 7 is available for streaming. The series airs live on NBC on Mondays at 10/9c. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock .
In the UK, viewers can find the series on Amazon Prime Video, where new episodes are released weekly. Global audiences should check their local NBC affiliates or streaming services that carry Universal Television content.
The show has been a solid performer for NBC, with Episode 7 drawing around 2.91 million viewers . The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is scheduled to premiere on January 8, 2026 .
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