'In the Dark' Season 2 Episode 2: Murphy and Max reunite but Dean and Nia's plans for him threatens the peace
Spoilers for 'In the Dark' Season 2 Episode 2 'Cross My Heart and Hope to Lie'
In last week's Season 2 premiere of 'In the Dark' on The CW, viewers saw that though Murphy Mason (Perry Mattfield) had Dean Riley's (Rich Sommer) confession that he killed Tyson recorded, that evidence was inadmissible as Murphy recorded Dean without telling him.
Moreover, since the police commissioner wants to prosecute drug kingpin, Nia Bailey (Nicki Micheaux) more than Dean, he works to reinstate Dean as a cop. Meanwhile, Murphy and her friends Jess Damon (Brooke Markham) and Felix Bell (Morgan Krantz) are forced to launder money for Nia after they realize they can't go to the cops about her. We also saw Darnell James (Keston John) released from prison, only for him to see his girlfriend, Jules Becker (Saycon Sengbloh) dead - Jules was also Dean's partner at work.
This week's episode holds a surprise for fans of the show - especially those who ship Murphy with Max Parish (Casey Deidrick). When Murphy bumps into Max in the bar after she has drinks with Jess, he gives her the key to his motel room. She ends up going over and they spend the night. Max is back for one reason - he loves Murphy and wants to spend time with her.
Unfortunately, it looks like their time together will have to be cut short. Darnell meets Nia and learns that she was responsible for Jules's death. He wants out and the only way Nia will agree is if he gets rid of Max, even though he has never done anything of the sort before.
Meanwhile, Felix is trying to come up with ways to hide the laundering business and tries to do research the old-fashioned way since he does not want to leave behind a search history. Reading all those books must have helped, as he tells Murphy and Jess that they need to come up with a new business to cloak where the money is coming from. Murphy suggests taking Max's truck and starting a mobile grooming business but they decide they have to paint it first.
At the police station, Dean is assigned a new partner, Gene (Matt Murray). Dean is immediately annoyed with Gene (especially since the latter points out that their names rhyme), but Gene is good at his job as we will come to know.
Dean says he has a "tip" and thinks the locker he had used to help Nia while working for her would still be in use. When he opens it, he sees nothing but a dead rat. Gene then says that the best way to get Nia now would be through Max who would have inside information courtesy Darnell. Dean agrees and the two begin the hunt for Max.
With everyone closing in, Murphy remains so far unaware of the danger awaiting Max. When she goes to his apartment to get his clothes, Darnell is already there - he stays quiet and sees the motel room key. Darnell holds a gun to Max when he sees him, but the two talk it out. Darnell tells Max that he has to leave Chicago.
Gene tracks the newly painted truck and Dean understands that Murphy knows where Max is. He goes to Guiding Hope to find her, but Jess, who had just fought with Murphy after learning the latter lied about seeing Max, angrily tells him to leave. Unfortunately, he finds the motel key. When Dean goes to the motel, he finds it empty, but Gene says he circulated Max's photo to all the motels in the area and got a hit to where Max is staying now.
Jess hurriedly finds Murphy about Dean looking for Max and tells her she needs to break up with Max as that is the only way he will leave Chicago. Murphy does so and the two go their separate ways, but not before they share one final kiss. Later, Jess and Murphy properly makeup and Murphy confesses that she loves Max. She is upset that the two of them never had a chance.
It's clear the show sees Max and Murphy as the endgame too - we see Murphy's soft side come up only in his presence, in addition to Jess, of course. While they were split up pretty quickly, we hope Max comes back soon. After all, how long can the writers keep him running? Because of Max's presence, we see Murphy being less sardonic than she usually is and while that's cool, we think snarky Murphy is the best.
It's difficult to think that at one point all of us rooted for Dean and Rich Sommer does an incredible job at playing the character.
It is also refreshing to see Felix getting more screentime. He is hilarious and his attempted flirtations with Chelsea the bartender make us almost think that he is good. Of course, knowing that Lena is his favorite in 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' makes him more endearing.
'In the Dark' airs on The CW on Thursday nights at 9/8c.