'In the Dark' Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Is Murphy digging a bigger hole with money laundering, drugs, murder?
Spoiler Alert for 'In the Dark' Season 2 Episode 10 - 'The Last Dance'
This week's episode of 'In the Dark' on The CW is a big one and with everything that has happened so far in the second season, that's saying a lot. However, the last few minutes of the episode potentially changes the fabric of the show.
The episode starts where last week's episode ended, when Max Parrish (Casey Deidrick) goes to Murphy Mason (Perry Mattfeld) after he's released from prison. Of course, Dean Riley (Rich Sommer) has got a wire on Max; Dean manipulates Max into helping him by convincing Max that Murphy is in trouble when in reality, Dean wants to arrest Murphy just as much as he wants to arrest Nia Bailey (Nicki Micheaux).
If Max had been released a day earlier, perhaps things could have been less complicated between him and Murphy. Alas, just as Max met Murphy, she was returning from a night with IRS officer Josh Wallace (Theodore Bhat), for whom it looks like she has genuine feelings. The episode also revealed what happened to Ben (Chris Perfetti), Guiding Hope's receptionist who is a junkie and also happens to be blackmailing Murphy and Felix Bell (Morgan Krantz) over their extra-curricular activities.
Once a snitch, always a snitch
By now, Dean is in dire straits. Not only is his investigation on Nia and Murphy bombing but he is also being bombarded with notices on overdue payment. Without his work for Nia, Dean's police salary is not nearly enough for him to take care of his bills. When his wiretapping plan to catch Murphy goes wrong, he goes with what little he has to the police chief to get a warrant to search Guiding Hope where the drugs are stashed. Unfortunately, the chief has had enough of Dean and fires him.
Now at his wits' end, Dean does what he does best - look out for himself. After learning that Murphy plans to doublecross Nia with her rival, Josiah (Maurice Compte), he goes to Nia with the news and asks for a cut of her shipment. Dean may think his troubles are far from over, but they may just be beginning. Honestly, we keep hoping for Dean to show some sort of goodness, but he keeps disappointing us. What did Murphy ever see in him?
Max's betrayal
Murphy did not take too long to figure out that Max had a wire on him after the latter kept trying to divert the conversation to Nia. By now, Max should know what Dean is capable of and we are disappointed in him for being daft about the situation. Murphy is technically right in blaming Max for all of the episode's ensuing events.
While Murphy and Felix try to smuggle the drugs out of Guiding Hope, while evading cops, especially Dean's partner, Gene Clemens (Matt Murray), who has gone rogue and Nia's people, they play decoy. They sent the real drugs with Ben, again, a daft decision. Ben hides the drugs for himself and even decides to sample it. He overdoses and hits his head on the counter of the coffee shop his sister works at. By the time Murphy, Felix and Max make it to him, he is dead.
An unexpected savior
With Nia now knowing about Murphy's betrayal, she goes after the latter herself, infuriated. Nia wants to kill Murphy; she has Felix and Max tied up in another room. As Max and Felix listen on helplessly, Nia beats up Murphy within an inch of her life. She then takes her gun out. When we hear shots, Max and Felix are both devastated. But hey, the real person who was shot was Nia herself. Jess Damon (Brooke Markham) had come back after being MIA from Chicago for the past couple of episodes.
Where were Sam (Cortni Vaughn Joyner) and Sterling (Natalie Liconti) this week? Their return would surely mean trouble.
Final thoughts
For a long time, we wondered how Murphy and the others would get out from under the clutches of Nia. With the developments of this week, we learn that it was Nia's blood that Murphy and Felix were cleaning up. What consequences does this hold for the future? It's likely that Nia's murder will be covered up. This creates a power vacuum in Chicago and we are certain Josiah will step up to fill the void. Murphy may be rid of one burden, but more just keep coming.
Meanwhile, another of Dean's escape routes have failed. When he does not get what he thinks is owed to him and when he realizes that Nia is missing, Dean may do something even more drastic. He knows about Josiah now and could even switch over to working with Josiah.
One thing maybe for certain, Max and Murphy's relationship may never be the same again. Max felt betrayed when he learned that she slept with Dean and again when he learned that she slept with Josh while he was in prison, while Murphy feels betrayed over what he did with Dean. While we like Josh well enough, we hope the Max-Murphy tension gets sorted out quickly.
With three episodes still remaining for the season, there's a lot left to happen. We are surprised Nia is dead relatively earlier than we expected. One thing is for sure, we are impressed with the way the season is proceeding.
'In the Dark' airs on The CW on Thursday nights at 9/8c.