In 1887, British historian Lord Acton wrote: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. I would not classify mayoral candidate Chadwick Vaughan (Mark Caven) as a great man, but his seemingly unlimited power has certainly led him to become shamelessly corrupt and unethical. Literally getting away with murder has only furthered his moral decline.

Envisioning how the storyline for this episode came together, the pitch to the writer’s room must have gone something like this: ‘It’s The Pink Panther meets Night at the Museum, and let’s throw in some Murdoch Mysteries – The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs as well.’ However it came about, The Star of Mandalay is a delightful, lighthearted, comic book-style romp.

Filled to the brim with authentic historical details, Bombshells explores an age-old yet still relevant question: Does the end justify the means? Wrapped up in an inventive murder mystery, this episode debates whether violence is acceptable or indeed necessary to bring about social change, and whether it even works. Underscored by the subplot, it delves into the underlying issue: the law is not equal for all.