We learned in Episode 1 that everything is connected: Todd (Elijah Wood) getting fired from a hotel job because his keycard was used to enter the room where they found a murdered billionaire; Todd meeting Dirk Gently Holistic Detective (Samuel Barnett); Todd finding a winning lottery ticket; a women in the room above Todd’s getting saved by a stray bullet aimed at him; and Todd finding a lost dog and returning it to a man’s house where he sees the kidnapped and missing daughter of previously murdered billionaire.
This might be called Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, but Todd is clearly the catalyst—what Dirk refers to as his assistant—in the whole affair. The events seem to surround him as much, if not more, than anyone else.
Confused? Good, then you’re in the same boat as the rest of us and just need to keep watching. I am hoping that the whole “everything is connected” theme magically pulls all these random scenarios into a semblance of order and that, by the end, we are all walking around saying to ourselves, “Ahhhhh, now it all makes sense!” Whether or not that actually happens is still up in the air.
In Episode 2, I would love to say that we learn more, and—technically—we do learn more random facts, but since we don’t know where to put each little piece of knowledge, it seems a bit overwhelming. I can only hope that everyone watching has a water cooler at which to discuss each episode the next morning. If you work at home, maybe you can join a support group.
We follow Todd and Dirk into the house where Dirk saw Lydia (Alison Thornton), the kidnapped daughter of the dead billionaire. She is indeed being held by a strange man, our dog owner. The weird thing is that she seems to think she’s a dog (I found myself wondering if I was watching an episode of Wilfred, instead). Yes, the poor actress doesn’t have any lines in this scene. She does whimper and fetch, though. This draws attention to Todd and Dirk, who are hiding in the tub.
Meanwhile, our holistic assassin (Fiona Dourif) is in the woods with the poor electrician, Ken, (Mpho Kaoho) that she forced to join her at gunpoint. Apparently, she can’t be killed because the universe won’t let it happen. We still don’t know why she hasn’t killed the electrician—he doesn’t understand this either, and although it means he’s still alive, he isn’t too comforted by the thought.
We do find out a bit more about the woman who was chained to the bed in the apartment above Todd: she is being held by several bald men who smile a bit too much and in a really creepy way. She seems to have been hired to protect the billionaire—epic fail since he’s been murdered and his daughter kidnapped. She is moved from the creepy Twin Peaks red room, though, and ransomed off for the return of the dog that Dirk re-stole. Oh yeah, and Dirk later calls her by name … yep, he knows her.
The two characters that have the word “holistic” before their name—Dirk and the assassin—say the same exact thing in this episode: “The world will lead me where I need to go. I’m a leaf in the stream of creation.” Profound but confusing.
Just when we think we’re totally lost, we’re given a nugget of information to chew on for the week between shows. We find out about Project Black Wing and the fact that 30 dangerous individuals are at large. One of those individuals is called Icarus, and he is going by the name of Dirk Gently. WHAT?! Since they only have the budget to surveil one of the 30—darn those government cutbacks—they’ve clearly chosen Dirk. The Colonel who seems to be in charge of the operation (while ultimately answering to someone named Wilson) is told to bring them all in or they will be eliminated.
Nearly, if not all, of the actors in the show are crazy or scared out of their mind. These roles must be true tests of their acting abilities, and playing them must be extremely draining. The only exception is the goofy bald guys—they seem simple and happy, much like they’ve had lobotomies.
Episode 2 wasn’t quite as interesting as Episode 1. Each episode seems to contain quite a bit of action and one real shocker. Only time will tell if this is the formula for each show. In Episode 1, we have the shocker of Todd seeing himself from the elevator. In Episode 2, it’s the human face on the dog right before Todd drops it over the bridge. Everything else is chaos and strangeness and, interconnected or not, it’s still making the viewer wonder where in the world it’s going.
See also: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 1.01, Series Premiere: “Horizons” Episode Review
Kerry Hammond loves all types of mysteries. She is a Book Reviewer and Blogger for Mystery Playground. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhammond88.
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