The Mystery Deepens.
After last week’s pilot episode, In The Dark returns for another slice of comedic drama. We begin the episode with a brief flashback of what happened the night of the mugging. Murphy is saved by Tyson and this forms the start of their tight-knit bond together. Trying to get her mind off things, Murphy subsequently hooks up with another stranger at the bar. After lamenting him calling her “Mummy” during sex, she discusses the weirdness of men with her flatmate before heading to the toilet. It turns out she’s contracted a UTI and tries to phone her Doctor to discuss it. Giving up, she heads out to the police station instead to try to figure out what happened to Tyson. Before she gets there though, we’re greeted by a couple of further flashbacks, including one that reveals a paper origami figure which he shared with her in the past. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Murphy goes in search of Darnell for help. After he makes a run for it, the guy he leaves behind tells her he’ll help give her Tyson’s Mum’s address if she goes on a date with him. Reluctantly, she agrees to the deal but he certainly makes an effort, taking her to Sunset Beach to admire the beautiful view. “I’m blind, you idiot”,She reminds him before breathing a sigh of relief as their time together ends. True to his word, the man gives her the address leading Murphy to go and see Tyson’s Mum. Caught in two minds over whether to tell her about her son or not, Murphy winds up crying in his room which appears to be proof enough for Tyson’s Mum. As the two sit and listen to Tyson’s iPod, the scene ends with a touching moment between the two as they wonder what really happened to Tyson. After returning home and seeing some intermittent drama involving Chloe and her father, the guy from the date shows up and begins throwing rocks at Murphy’s window. Annoyed, she pokes her head out and tells him to go away. He wants another date and after some gentle persuasion, she agrees. Trying to hide the smile on her face, a conversation with her flatmate reveals the paper origami has a name of a girl encircled by a heart on it. Kiera. The episode then ends with a shot of Darnell in prison talking to someone and revealing he’ll “take care of her”, presumably meaning Kiera. For the most part, the second episode does a much better job building Murphy as an empathetic character. While there are still bites of rudeness and her blunt home truths do make her an acquired taste, In The Dark is just starting to grow into its own now. While some of the comedy is misplaced, including the whole UTI subplot, there’s enough here to keep you wondering just what happened to Tyson. Quite where the show will go from here is anyone’s guess but for now, In The Dark offers enough to keep you hooked until next week’s episode.
