Who knew Murphy, Leslie, and Darnell would be such an endearing and entertaining trio?
They were an unlikely group to get over on Paula during In The Dark Season 4 Episode 8, and it made for a surprisingly entertaining installment. It also gave us our glimpse of someone higher up in the Bolt drug operation, and Paula didn’t live to see another day.
Of course, Murphy and Darnell will likely be in more danger than ever now.
Somehow, and in some way, without Max in the picture or even Felix, Murphy, and Leslie joining forces showcased how these two women could actually be pretty cool friends if their circumstances were different.
Leslie even got to a place where she could joke around with Murphy about Max, and she didn’t seem to hate Murphy as much after what had transpired.
She’s a better woman than I can ever be, but aside from how implausible that felt, it was too much fun to watch these women play off one another in a pleasant way to dwell on the unlikelihood of it.
It was due for Leslie’s deal with Paula to come to light, so she wasn’t carrying that alone. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, considering Paula’s paranoia had gotten out of control and Leslie’s days were numbered with the woman.
You couldn’t blame Leslie for not wanting to put herself out there and endangering her well-being to access Paula’s phone.
But the hijinks that ensued as they all devised a plan was peak In the Dark. The hour also marked the return of the familiar, likable Darnell. He worked well with the women.
It was nice to see Darnell and Leslie not spending all of their time and energy hating Murphy. They were more effective when they could group think and plan.
Although, the plan to roofie Paula to access her phone was pretty damn out there. It’s odd because Darnell and Murphy are left on their own to figure things out and get leads on this case. They don’t have guidance from the police, and no one is serving as their handler.
They’re not checking in with anyone, and it all seems bizarre. For example, Trevor’s death is significant. You would think it would come up on Gene and Sarah’s radar, and they’d ask both of them about it.
Three people are better than two, and Leslie’s addition to this, while making things messier, served them well. They put her in jeopardy, something she already got a headstart on when she made that deal, and jeopardized her career and livelihood to save Felix.
But they were there to guarantee that he made it out of there alive, and it’s something you loved to see because, for most of the season, it felt as if no one gave a damn about Leslie.
It’s too bad their roofie idea backfired.
Interestingly, we know Leslie is a defense attorney and have seen her in action, but she never gave the impression that she thought about the people she was defending until now. It rattled her when she saw Jake taking a woman home to assault her. It sickened her that she believed in him, and he got away with his first crime and never let up.
Leslie had to face some harsh realities about how much faith she puts in other people. Her level of self-awareness as she acknowledged her own shortcomings regarding taking in a man she met within a week was on point.
Now that she’s settled down, she knows Max was no good to her, and she deserved better. It was funny to see her imitate him, and it honestly made Max more loathsome when she recounted all the groveling he did.
She pieced together what happened between Murphy and Max and didn’t seem surprised, but I’m glad she knows she deserves better.
I really can’t not be with you! I had a job, maybe even a life, and I didn’t want it.
Max
I’m also glad that Darnell was quick on his feet and used his knowledge, and they managed to rescue Leslie before Paula killed her.
It’s good that Darnell remembered that he was a drug dealer. That exchange between him and Murphy about that was hilarious.
And Leslie actually hugging Murphy when she returned home felt like a turning point in their relationship. But the most shocking moment of the hour was when whoever that was waltzed in and killed Paula. She had reason to be paranoid.
I don’t know how this impacted Murphy and Darnell, though. The boss believes they’re cops and will probably assume that Murphy and Darnell are working with the police. It was dumb not to consider that someone would show up at the location and take photos of them.
Now, Darnell and Murphy are in danger. Plus, Paula’s death is a blow. She would’ve been their biggest connection to the Big Boss, and I’m sure the police wanted her alive in hopes of getting all the pertinent information out of her.
Paula’s death puts Murphy and Darnell in a pickle.
But outside of that, despite Murphy’s attempts, she can’t hide what she’s doing from those who care about her. Leslie quickly figured out that Murphy was working with the authorities, and that’s the only reason she would succeed in not communicating with Felix.
And Max has figured out that something is going on, too. He knows Murphy is pushing him away for a good reason, even if it frustrates him.
Murphy: Forgive us for thinking the former drug dealer may know where to get drugs.
Darnell: You’re also a former drug dealer.
Murphy: That’s fair.
Now, he’s taken to stalking Murphy, practically, as he holds up outside her hotel room and pours his heart out to her, hoping she’ll change her mind.
I’m convinced Max is just hobosexualing again since he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Well, he did have somewhere to go, but he threw away his job opportunity because all he wants is Murphy.
Why exactly can’t Max figure out how to have both?
But the love declaration, hopeless romance, and the final moments of yet another hookup for the two are enough to appeal to the MurphMax shippers. Interest has waned, and these two are redundant and annoying, but if that’s your thing, I love that for you.
Murphy and Max weren’t the only ones getting in some sexy time, though. Josh got his swerve on with Chelsea.
Must we unpack for the umpteenth time how absurdly messy these characters are? The pretend cop sleeping with an active witness, or whatever, in an investigation, is wild.
Apparently, what gets Chelsea and Josh hot and bothered is finding a way to imprison Murphy. Goodness, they’re so pathetic and need to get a life, but at least they have one another.
The irritating thing was that Chelsea magically produced some footage for the bar, and Josh thought he’d be able to retrieve audio that would be useful in his vendetta.
Oh, I’m not asking you to protect me, babe. I just need you to scream first so that I’ll have time to escape.
Paula
It would’ve been nice if he did hear something that confirmed that Murphy didn’t shoot Nia. I would’ve loved to have seen his expression when that came to light.
Maybe there’s a chance that something else will come from this footage instead of a contrived way of pairing Chelsea and Josh together.
Now that Josh got laid, do you think he’ll find a bit of chill? It’s doubtful, but a girl can dream.
Over to you, In the Dark Fanatics. Were you shocked by Paula’s murder? How much did you enjoy Murphy, Leslie, and Darnell working together? Sound off 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.