Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season Finale, 1.08: “Two Sane Guys Doing Normal Things” Episode Review

It’s finally here: the finale. I had high hopes for everything being tied up in a neat little bow—and not just because it’s December. As I began to watch, however, I realized that most of it had already been explained and there were only a few small loose ends left—and many of those were easy to guess. Well, until the ending of the show where everything was blown out of the water… 

It wasn’t the strongest episode of the season, but finales tend to have more rules than other episodes. If the show’s producers strayed from them, there would be complaints, so you can’t really fault them. This week was a mixture of a mobster shootout movie and a cozy episode of your favorite sitcom—but I don’t mean that in a bad way. Again, different rules for the final episode.

For those who were still confused up until now, Todd runs through another explanation of the whole series of unfortunate events that led us from the opening scenes to the present. He does this for the benefit of Estevez (Neil Brown Jr.) as well as all the viewers who need another refresher. It really can’t hurt with a show that is so confusing.

The holistic assassin is still experiencing human emotions, much to her own confusion, and we see a touching moment between Bart (Fiona Dourif) and Ken (Mpho Koaho). Bart actually cries, and we are forced to admit that getting stabbed in the leg really did a number on her. She still looks like a crazy person, but now she’s a smiling, happy crazy person.

Our fivesome—six with the dog—is made up of Farah (Jade Eshete), Lydia (Alison Thornton), Dirk (Samuel Barnett), Todd (Elijah Wood), and Estevez. They are back in the basement of Patrick Spring’s mansion, trying to switch Lydia and the Corgi back into their proper bodies (and give the poor actress some lines). There is a touching moment between Farah and Lydia before the bad guys arrive. Yes, this is also where the cozy comes in.

It quickly turns into a mobster shootout movie, as we see the Men of the Machine versus the good guys. I gave up trying to count bullets, but suffice it to say there were a lot. It’s really just Farah and Estevez holding off Rimmer (Aaron Douglas) upstairs as the Rowdy 3 take care of the other bad guys outside—but they really manage to shoot the place up. Things don’t go well for Rimmer, but the dog is fine.

Meanwhile, Lydia, Todd, and Dirk try to send the machine back in time to Patrick Spring. Lydia finds out that she is the one everything revolves around. She’s the center of the loop. If they don’t send it back, the loop won’t be complete, and she won’t be born. Kind of a conundrum, but she’s soon on board. Except the machine doesn’t seem to work.

Enter the two remaining bald guys with their crossbows. Poor Dirk is shot with yet another arrow. But never fear, Bart and Ken arrive. Bart kills the last two bald guys, and Ken realizes what his destiny is. Yay Ken! He explains that when Bart kidnapped him, he had been hired by the two bald guys to build a machine, and it’s the very same contraption he’s looking at. He’s very excited that he’s figured out how he fits into it all. He later even has the profound thought of the day: Bart wasn’t supposed to kill Dirk, she was sent to protect him.

As the case wraps up, it occurred to me that each character was an important part of the whole plot. There were no superfluous players, and even the kitten had its purpose—although that one stumped me for quite some time. Each character, ok maybe not the kitten, seems to be content at the end. Farah ships Lydia off to a foreign country with Patrick Spring’s offshore bank account numbers; Amanda squares things away with Todd and permanently joins the Rowdy 3; Dirk and Todd make up and are besties again; and Farah talks to the two of them about an investment in their new detective agency. The upbeat music is playing and all is well. Roll credits you ask? Not even close.

Just because all of the loose ends were tied up, doesn’t mean it’s over. Then there wouldn’t be a Season 2. The end is clearly just the beginning of their next adventure. The last 5 minutes is as jaw dropping as the first show when Todd saw himself outside the elevator in the hotel.

I am hoping the writers haven’t written themselves into a corner with the setup of each scene. I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

See also: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 1.07: “Weaponized Soul” Episode Review

Kerry Hammond loves all types of mysteries. She is a Book Reviewer and Blogger for Mystery Playground. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhammond88.

Read all posts by Kerry Hammond for Criminal Element.