Worst. Birthday. Ever!

Will Trent’s seventh offering, “Mariachi Shelley’s Frankenstein”, is a claustrophobic thriller. Continuing from the cliffhanger in “No Faith in Second Chances”, it sees the team search for exonerating evidence against John. With a tropical storm barreling overhead, however, they end up stuck on lockdown in the GBI headquarters, unaware that a desperate killer seeks to thwart their every move.

Shot almost entirely in darkness and set in one location, the episode is an ode to the slasher genre. Throughout the episode, the characters are as in the dark as we are as they piece together the little clues set out by several civilians stuck in the headquarters, caught by the storm’s sudden onset. In a series that enjoys loud statements, this pared-back ensemble makes for a neat departure from the norm.

As the team sets out to solve the mystery, the locked-room scenario also gives them plenty of time to explore recent relationship developments.

The dynamic between Will, Angie, and Marion gets sharp focus again during the episode. Will and Marion’s blossoming romance poses some awkward questions for Angie as she’s forced to confront whether she’s truly over her feelings for Will. It plays out through several awkward moments in enclosed spaces as she tries to work out how to act around him.

Meanwhile, Will seems content over being released from Angie’s care. During the episode, Will constantly makes conscious decisions to choose Marion over Angie, and as he entrusts Marion with secret information about the investigation, it suggests that he’s starting to place his trust in her.

Aside from the series’ central relationship, this episode also goes the extra mile by putting the spotlight on some of the series’ more neglected side characters.

Amanda’s dynamic with Caroline (Christina Wren), her receptionist, is tested when the latter is severely injured by an increasingly desperate killer. These scenes reiterate that the two share a relationship that’s more than just employer and employee, and there are some heartfelt moments as Caroline’s life hangs in the balance.

From Caroline, the spotlight continues to shine light through the darkly lit episode until it reaches Pete, the pathologist (Kurt Yue). His character’s moments are often cut off as part of a running joke throughout the series, but not in this episode. During a spot of ad-hoc surgery, he explains why he became a pathologist rather than a surgeon and unveils some of the darker moments in his life.

“Marichi Shelley’s Frankenstein” is the strongest episode of the series so far. Stripping back some of the more outlandish methodologies put forth in previous episodes, it instead focuses on a good, old-fashioned mystery with tight thriller elements. In addition, the story shines a light on some of the more forgotten side characters of the series, revealing insights about Caroline and Pete.

I Give Mariachi Shelley’s Frankenstein: 9.5/10