Josh Dallas’s public support for a Bex and Shane romance on The Hunting Party fuels fan speculation and highlights the enduring appeal of slow-burn love stories in television.
The fan-favorite pairing of Bex and Shane on NBC’s The Hunting Party has just gained a powerful advocate: Josh Dallas, the star’s Manifest costar and current cast member. In an exclusive revelation, Dallas expressed his ardent hope for a romantic storyline between the two characters, stating, “I do know [about them]. I was on set and I am a huge shipper of this. I so want this to happen and I think it would be great.”
This endorsement from Dallas, 47, resonates deeply with viewers who have long rooted for Bex (Melissa Roxburgh) and Shane (Josh McKenzie) to overcome their professional barriers and explore a personal connection. The show, which premiered in 2025, centers on a specialized task force hunting killers who escaped from a clandestine prison. Roxburgh’s Bex is an ex-FBI profiler recruited for her expertise, while Shane serves as a steady, calm presence within the team.
Roxburgh herself has championed the slow-burn approach to onscreen romance, noting that while the show’s high-stakes killer plots drive immediate engagement, it’s the unresolved tension between characters that lingers in viewers’ minds. “What keeps you there episode to episode is the killer and the height of what’s going on and just the craziness of what these killers are doing,” she explained. “But I think what sticks in your brain as you continue through the show is like, ‘But will they or won’t they? What’s going on there? So I think everyone loves a will they or won’t they?'” This perspective, shared in a recent interview, underscores a timeless TV trope that keeps audiences invested beyond weekly mysteries.
The push for Bex and Shane gained momentum after the dramatic season 2 premiere, which killed off Oliver (Nick Wechsler), Bex’s previous romantic interest. With that storyline concluded, fans have overwhelmingly shifted their focus to the palpable chemistry between Bex and Shane, a shift acknowledged by both actors and the show’s creative team. Dallas’s comments amplify this fan-driven narrative, suggesting that even those behind the camera are attuned to audience desires.
Beyond the onscreen dynamics, the real-life reunion of Roxburgh and Dallas on The Hunting Party adds another layer of interest for fans of their previous collaboration on Manifest. The Netflix series, which ran from 2018 to 2023, cultivated a devoted fan base with its intricate character arcs and emotional storytelling. Roxburgh revealed that she had actively sought to bring Dallas onto The Hunting Party for some time, a effort that finally materialized when the right role—a shoemaker killer—became available. “I’ve been trying to get him on the show for a long time and then finally he was free,” she shared. “This was a perfect match for him because his killer is a shoemaker. I know that Josh Dallas likes nice clothes so we got him for the good stuff.”
Dallas echoed the sentiment, describing his experience as “juicy and delicious” due to the character’s divergent moral code from his Manifest role. “But putting that aside, just to be back on the screen and back on set with Melissa was the real high point for me,” he reflected. This genuine camaraderie translates to their onscreen presence, enriching the Bex-Shane relationship with an authenticity that fans keenly observe.
The convergence of fan theory, actor advocacy, and nostalgic reunion creates a perfect storm for The Hunting Party to potentially evolve its central relationships. While the show remains focused on procedural thrills, the integration of deeper character bonds—especially one as widely supported as Bex and Shane—could enhance long-term viewer retention. Dallas’s public “shipping” serves as both a nod to fan culture and a subtle hint to writers about where audience passions lie.
For now, The Hunting Party airs on NBC Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming on Peacock the following day. As discussions around Bex and Shane continue to dominate fan forums and social media, the combination of Roxburgh’s insights on slow-burn romance and Dallas’s enthusiastic endorsement positions this pairing as a likely cornerstone of the series’ future development. In an era where audience feedback can directly influence storytelling, such high-profile support from within the cast may prove pivotal.
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