The final 15 minutes of every installment of this series always have a person on the edge of their seat!
After this neverending quest to find Jess, by the end of In The Dark Season 3 Episode 7, Pretzel relinquished control of the group brain cell long enough for Murphy to conclude that the people after Jess were really looking for her alias, Jennifer Walker.
But the path toward finding that out was a windy one filled with heartache, drama, bloodshed, murder, and annoyances.
But first, let’s talk about Gene. He had the ultimate glow-up when his risky move to release the audio of the Chief’s misdeeds on the internet paid off.
It’s completely unrealistic that Gene’s move paid off in any capacity, let alone got him promoted rather than harassed by fellow brethren in blue for the rest of his potentially short life.
Gene waking up to a slew of congratulatory texts and another cop corroborating everything on the audio was shocking in that way that only fiction can be.
He was smart enough to know that the department was trying to make up for the chief’s actions, cover their asses, and give good optics when they decided to promote Gene, a Black baby detective with limited experience, to the head of the department.
Even if he blew the whistle on the chief, he was still a cop who mishandled this investigation into Nia and Murphy, relied too heavily on a consultant who no longer worked with the IRS, and allowed a blind fugitive wanted for murder to walk out of the police station.
But he somehow negotiated that instead of that early retirement out they gave the former chief, he’d arrest the man instead. Whether or not anything will come from it is another story.
Cop 1: I love that we’re all working late to try to find a girl who you arrested and then let walk out of the building. Cop 2: A blind girl. let’s not forget that fun fact.
But you can never tell with In the Dark, which is notorious for its “just go with it” handwave quality in favor of the truly zany, ludicrous entertainment it provides.
Gene wasted no time rehiring Sarah onto the force and putting her in charge of the task force that’s hunting Murphy down. And he’s doing this to honor Josh. Personally, I’m still in “screw Josh” mode, but bros, or whatever.
Sarah seems relentless in her pursuit of the gang, so this should be interesting.
Now, back to the gang, they’re stuck with each other no matter what, and the group keeps expanding. Now we have Trey and Leslie firmly in the mix with everything, and only one of them is a welcome addition.
Is anyone else struggling to like Leslie? She has such an off-putting quality and somehow surpasses In the Dark Season 1‘s Felix in the obnoxious department.
Whatever the beef and animosity are between the Bell siblings, they need to work that shit out because dealing with the two of them squabbling on top of whatever she started with Max is too much to bear.
She seems to go back and forth on whether or not she wants to help her brother, and at this rate, it’s getting old that everyone in Felix’s life talks down to him. Wasn’t that his mother’s thing, too? Why is it more of the same with his sister?
But it wasn’t the least bit surprising when Murphy and Felix knocked on her door, finding Max on the other side.
At this point, Max and Murphy are in some weird competition of trying to “out-heaux” each other with their carousel of bedwarmers, and it’s leaving a trail of mixed or hurt feelings in their wake as they suck everyone around them into their currently toxic relationship.
I mean, when he fixed his lips to ask what Felix was doing at his own sister’s house, it was a given that anything to come from this pairing was a hard pass in my book, and I say this as someone who is ambivalent to Murphy and Max.
Leslie didn’t want to be sucked into more drama with her brother in his friends and whined about harboring fugitives, but she’s been banging Max willingly, so what’s the truth, Leslie?
It’s bizarre that they’re treating this thing between Max and Leslie as if it’s a full-blown relationship already, and she has a right to be angry at things, like his ex coming back around. Did we miss a time jump or something?
The relationship between Max and Leslie feels contrived. It’s also rather crummy that he started dating Felix’s sister without so much as mentioning anything to Felix because of how awkward that is, not to mention that he’s doing this when they’re on the run.
Max is starting to soften a little to Murphy again. He was at least able to muster up some empathy for her when he learned that Jess was not at the hospital, and they presumed Josiah killed her.
It’s slightly better than Max wandering around oppressively angry all of the time. His feelings about Murphy and how she hurt him are valid. But hell, at this rate, he’s surpassed sensibility with it, and he’s been needlessly cruel and incapable of setting aside their drama during times when it’s necessary.
He’s also choosing to blame her for some of the most random things, and he often doesn’t take accountability for his role in matters.
Trey: Hey, I’m really sorry for what I did. I just thought that you were playing me and I needed to look out for myself.
Murphy: I wasn’t playing you.
Trey: I’m going to make this up to you.
The plan to go to Josiah’s house was a dumb, ill-planned one. But you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when he told Leslie later that he had an epiphany about the women he’s drawn to (Murphy) because of his mother and somehow blamed Murphy for everything that happened at the house, including scaring the kids.
I would think it was the Mexican cartel who murdered their mother who did that. And in reality, if they weren’t there at that time, they would have been able to save the children, and the cartel would’ve killed them too.
It’s unbelievable that Lauren had no idea what her husband was into at all. I mean, there’s being in the dark and naive, and then there’s stupidity.
She must’ve learned not to ask questions, and that’s something that I can’t wrap my head around.
Murphy and Trey remain the most chaotic duo of the series, and it’s fun to have someone match Murphy’s energy and penchant for impulsivity. He’s the perfect partner in crime for her.
It was sweet when they had their exchange, and he apologized for his role in everything, knowing that he had to make things right. And had Max, who doesn’t mind getting involved with whomever, not mess with Trey’s head about Murphy and minded his business, it wouldn’t have come to this in the first place.
Murphy and Trey didn’t think their plan through, and Lauren didn’t have anything to offer. But it got hairy when Josiah showed up and the cartel soon after.
Lauren was dumb, but she didn’t deserve to die, and you couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for Josiah at that moment. He shouldn’t be after Murphy and the others anymore after they saved his children’s life.
With Josiah gone, does that mean it’s the last of him for now? What happens to his operation? And will this mean that the cartel will come after Murphy and the others instead?
I don’t think we’re looking for someone who wants Jess. We’re looking after someone who wants Jennifer Walker.
Murphy
To complicate matters, one of the guys Josiah shot in his home may still be alive, and they’re in possession of the pink gun Felix gave Trey. With that registered to his sister, the authorities will come knocking on her door.
Their mess got bigger, and they still don’t even know where Jess is.
The burner phone thing was confusing. Was that Jess calling from the Jennifer Walker phone? I’m guessing that it was.
But she didn’t say anything, so it’s hard to know what kind of state she was in or decipher something from the call.
Leslie found out that someone named Jessica Damon checked in at a motel when the cops got that same notification. But it was someone who had Jess’s passport.
Was the mysterious girl the real Jennifer Walker or someone with the misfortune of receiving Jess’ passport in that underground organization?
But hell, it’s more terrifying than ever that whoever took Jess and is after her, as we were treated to that same black and white flash from In the Dark Season 3 Episode 1, is after Jennifer Walker instead.
The gang can barely handle the people after them, but at least they’re devils that they know. How do they combat the unknown?
Over to you, In the Dark Fanatics. How do you feel about Leslie? Is the Jess twist shocking? Is this the last of Josiah?
Hit the comments below. You can watch In The Dark online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.