‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: Space Rabbit

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Tyler Labine (Sherlock Hobbs) and Elijah Wood (Todd) in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo by Katie Yu / BBC America)

BBC America’s quirky hit series, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, kicks off season two on October 14, 2017 by immediately introducing a new fantasy world called Wendimoor. An evil wizard name The Mage has risen in this land, according to a voice-over.

Men chase each other through a field in Wendimoor and one of them turns out to be a key character in season two, Panto Trost (Christopher Russell). He claims to be fleeing to protect them and then draws his sword to take on the men, easily besting them in battle. Fingers are severed and things aren’t going well for Panto’s attackers when two other men arrive. One turns out to be Panto’s lover, Silas (Lee Majdoub). There’s a misunderstanding that Panto’s family took Silas’ brother, but Silas believes Panto is innocent. As more men approach, Silas sends Panto off to fulfill the prophecy and find Dirk Gently.

And now we catch up with Dirk (Samuel Barnett) who’s been locked up at Blackwing for two months and forced to take part in tests for Project Icarus. A voice tells him to predict the image and Dirk says, dejectedly, he’s not psychic. He gets the tests wrong, getting zapped or slimed when he makes a mistake.

Dirk realizes he’s no longer talking to a machine when the voice starts arguing with him over whether or not he’s psychic. It turns out Hugo Friedkin (Dustin Milligan) is administering the tests of which they’ve now completed 197. Friedkin asks him to try harder, but Dirk just wants to know why they’re finally talking to him. He reveals they did these tests on him as a child with the same results. He tries to explain he’s a holistic detective and cases just come to him. He asks what they’ve done to his friends and Friedkin slips up and says his friends ran away. He tries to make Dirk feel bad by saying they left him alone and aren’t coming for him.

Next, Farah (Jade Eshete) and Todd (Elijah Wood) arrive in Bergsberg, Montana after being on the run for two months. Farah thinks it’s safer in this rural area, and she reminds him Blackwing is still tracking them so he can’t talk to his parents. Todd is sure this time they’ll be able to locate Blackwing and then there will be a holistic connection to Dirk and Amanda. Something will lead them down the right path. He’s also sure Dirk will know how to fix everything.

Meanwhile, Dirk continues to get slimed and shocked for all the wrong answers. He’s positive he’s never getting out of there.

Amanda (Hannah Marks) is also on the run with Vogel (Osric Chau), one of the Rowdy 3. She’s still having visions but can’t figure them out. They’re vague and short – like poetry. She’s sure they must keep going south and knows they’ll find the rest of the Rowdy 3.

Farah and Todd arrive at the meeting spot her brother set up. Farah hopes they can trust him, and she and Todd briefly hold hands.

Farah walks a short distance from the car and meets with her brother at a grounded boat that’s been there since the 1950s. She asks if it’s a trap and her brother can’t believe she’s on a ton of Most Wanted lists, including the one issued by Homeland Security where he works. She swears it’s part of Blackwing’s coverup and he doesn’t believe her since she sent an email about a woman transforming into a dog. Frustrated, she explains it was a soul put into the dog but thinking about it stresses her out.

Todd spots a cop car heading their way and slinks down in the passenger seat.

Farah’s bro is pissed she hacked his account and he tells her he doesn’t care about Dirk Gently. He wants her to turn herself in, handing her a phone she can use to call him when she wants to give herself up. As she’s walking away, he tells her their dad died while she was in hiding.

A cop orders Todd to step out of the car. It’s Sheriff Sherlock Hobbs (Tyler Labine) and he tells the sunglass-wearing-on-a-rainy-day Todd that he looks cool. However, if he parks on the side of the road he’ll have to tow him. Sherlock rambles on about car chases, knitting, and psychoanalysis, and as they’re talking Todd is attacked by bees. He falls to the ground gagging as Sherlock offers to help. No one can see the bees except Todd who’s imagining them flying out of his mouth. Farah rushes to Todd’s side and puts him back in the passenger seat.

As they pull away, Sherlock yells that he’s sorry he handled that so badly. He then notices the pill bottle Todd dropped and says, “Yeah, that was extremely suspicious.”

Suzie Boreton (Amanda Walsh) jolts awake when she hears loud banging noises outside. It turns out her son, Scott, has lit off firecrackers in the car, demanding to know where his tickets are to Sound of Nothing. Suzie explains she spent the money on groceries because he needs to eat better. Scott keeps screaming at her and she grounds him, taking away his phone privileges. He runs to the house and locks the doors and she’s forced to climb a ladder and bang on her bedroom window.

A while later, Suzie drives her husband into town, and Todd watches as she drops him off. Suzie’s driving out of town and passes Bart (Fiona Dourif) on a bike heading into town. Suzie does a double-take (who wouldn’t?) as Bart rides by and then finishes her drive to work.

Suzie’s boss yells at her when he sees her on her phone, telling her the accident was the best thing that happened to her. He demands she get to work and finish up the paperwork.

Farah and Todd check into a hotel and she tells him that was too close. Todd wants to take off, but Farah wants to wait until it’s dark since they’re going to a high-security government facility. Todd thinks she can handle it and when she reminds him she’s not James Bond, he replies, “Aren’t you, though, kind of?”

Farah doesn’t think things are going great since he just had an attack in front of a cop. Farah also admits she feels like screaming and never stopping. Todd comforts her by saying Dirk taught him it all has to be going somewhere. Todd is sure Blackwing is the solution and that’s how they’ll get to Dirk.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency season 2 episode 1
Samuel Barnett (Dirk) and Dustin Milligan (Friedkin) in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo by Katie Yu / BBC America)

Speaking of Blackwing, Friedkin wonders why the place sucks. None of the subjects they’re running tests on can do anything, and Friedkin’s co-worker reveals Blackwing was shut down. When Friedkin points out one particularly uncool, comatose subject, the co-worker suggests they take a look at Project Alpha.

Project Alpha turns out to be Ken (Mpho Koaho) in a cab with an IV and with the Corgi (played by Bentley) in the front passenger seat. Friedkin zaps Ken awake and Ken tells him he has to get him out of there. They’ve kept him locked in the taxi for 70 days, repeatedly asking him if he has a superpower. Friedkin says he’s now in charge and wants to know how Ken’s power works. Again, Ken says he doesn’t have any powers and that he’s a tech guy.

Friedkin wonders then how Ken survived seven days with Project Barzana. Bart kills everyone she comes in contact with but she didn’t try and kill Ken. Then Friedkin asks how the dog works and Ken’s had enough. He starts screaming and so Friedkin zaps him again. Friedkin’s bummed Blackwing used to collect people with abilities but that all fell apart. He started it back up again and can’t find any of the cool guys, like the human bomb, invisible guy, or the shapeshifter. Ken figures out there are other Barts, but Friedkin says they’re all lame or suck, including Dirk Gently.

Ken says they’re all connected to the fabric of reality and they should be out in the world. Friedkin interprets that to mean he has to expose the subjects to each other, and Ken vehemently denies that’s what he said. Friedkin’s latched on to that idea though and leaves Ken and the Corgi in the taxi.

An alert sounds in Blackwing and it’s Todd and Farah looking snazzy, dressed all in black with a slick, lethal-looking weapon. Todd says they have to go and Dirk is stunned they came to rescue him. Todd reveals they’re bad-asses now and they’re breaking him out. Farah adds they used a magic rock from Thor to find him. They tell Dirk they need algae from the Lost City of Gold and Dirk finally realizes he’s dreaming. Farah and Todd now have giraffe and gorilla masks on so, yeah, it’s a dream.

Dirk’s taken to the old dude in a coma’s room which is at least something different from his normal day.

Meanwhile back in Bergsberg, Montana, The Mage (John Hannah) pays a visit to Suzie and calls her a beautiful ray of sunshine. She’s all smiles, happy about the compliments. He asks to speak to her master – the person in charge. She calls for Dan and Dan’s not happy to see The Mage. Dan tells him the men he’s working with are criminals and it’s all too much. He tries to kick The Mage out of his office, but after Dan threatens him with the cops, The Mage stabs him repeatedly in the face with Suzie’s pencil. She watches in horror and then The Mage grasps her hands in his now-bloody ones and asks, “Have you noticed an acceleration of strangeness in your life?”

Farah found a file with an address for Blackwing, and they arrive at the location but it looks like it’s closed down. The cameras are rusted out and it seems no one has been there in years. They squeeze through the fence and race to an old locked-up house. Todd feels something weird about this old spooky house surrounded by government fences in the middle of nowhere. He thinks it’s some kind of “thing.”

He races off to another building and there’s a wet wall. Farah asks what it has to do with Dirk and Todd’s not sure except that he knows this is also a “thing.” It will all start connecting soon.

Dirk talks to the comatose test subject, explaining he had friends on the outside for once. He calls Farah an incredible ninja woman. Oh…and now we learn this comatose dude is Dirk’s old assistant! He breaks the news he replaced him with Todd and of course, there’s no reaction. He then admits there’s a possibility Todd and Farah were killed by the government.

Friedkin’s been listening in outside the room and realizes Dirk’s met the sleeping man before. Dirk says he met this guy when he was small, along with a few other subjects who weren’t too dangerous. Dirk figures out Friedkin’s expecting him to “magic” the man awake, but Dirk tells him it won’t work. “Fate and chance are not mutually exclusive, Mr. Friedkin. If you keep on this path, you’re going to get a healthy dose of both.”

Then, he adds that it’s probably already started and you haven’t noticed. Dirk pounds on the glass and yells that he’s not a machine and this isn’t how it works.

Up next is another new season two character – Deputy Tina Tevetino (Izzie Steele). She arrives at work and Sheriff Hobbs wants to know why she’s late. She confesses she’s sort of drunk but did sleep most of it off already. She slept in her car all day but that’s okay because nothing ever happens in this town. The sheriff flips around his computer screen with photos of Todd, Farah, and Amanda. He says, “Something happened.”

Todd continues to look for a way into the building. He thinks maybe the entrance is invisible, but Farah believes the only way in is to break in. He’s ready to do that but Farah stops him, not wanting to break more laws or set off an alarm. He keeps saying this is connected and then he sees a rabbit. He thinks the rabbit is the answer, maybe, and wonders if Dirk is in the rabbit. Farah thinks he’s going crazy and wants to go back to the car, but instead Todd starts chasing after the fleeing rabbit.

Suzie washes off the blood and freaks out while she’s doing it. Armed men come in and haul her out of the office. She’s panicking and screaming that the man who killed Dan said these men were coming to get the body and everything would be okay. She keeps asking if they’re going to kill her and she’s irritating so they tell her to shut up. The Mage left them with a book and a wand, along with something they’re supposed to say to her. The leader tries the phrase and nothing happens. He keeps trying but then gets frustrated and decides to just kill her.

Just then Bart shows up with a butcher knife and chops off his gun hand. She kills the others and is shot at, but of course, she doesn’t get hit. She asks Suzie if she knows Ken but she doesn’t. Bart decides she won’t kill Suzie, even though it feels like she should. Suzie thanks her and Bart asks if she’s happy about that decision. Suzie is, but Bart’s confused because Suzie’s not smiling. Bart smiles, which looks freaky, and Suzie smiles back at her. Bart asks if Suzie wants to come with her and be best friends, and Suzie just wants to go home. As Bart screams at the universe, telling it she’s her own boss and can kill Suzie if she wants to, Suzie spots the wand on the ground nearby.

Suzie screams and the wand flies into her hand. She recites the phrase and the wand lights up, zapping Bart and sending her away as she screams. Suzie apologizes, grabs a gun, and runs away.

Farah finds Todd in the tall grass far from the house. She’s been looking for Todd for seven hours and she’s done. When he wants to climb a tree at 5am to look for a rabbit, she’s finished with this. Farah says she’s done the best she can, hacking servers, stealing cars, etc, but the “everything is connected” stuff is just not real. Todd reminds her he was fired, his life was ruined, and he’s been beaten. He has a disease that puts him in constant fear but he’s seen incredible things. He thinks it all has to have a point.

Farah thinks what Dirk showed him isn’t nice or helpful. If this thing is real, it doesn’t choose sides. She says he’s not Dirk and even if this leads to Dirk, Dirk won’t be able to cure his Pararibulitis. Todd can’t believe she thinks that’s what it’s about. It’s not. He wants to find Dirk to help her and to help Dirk. He has to find Dirk because it’s the only way back to Amanda. It all has to be real and has to mean something. Plus, it’s the only way to return to a normal life and make things right.

Farah asks if they’re supposed to keep wandering around waiting for something weird to happen. As Dirk answers, “Maybe,” a car falls from the sky and lands with its hood poking into the earth. They’re speechless.

The Mage walks up to the deserted house and through its wrecked front door. He sniffs.

Suzie arrives home with the book and the wand. She enters her bathroom and locks the door behind her as her husband and son sit unaware in the living room.

Amanda and Vogel continue their road trip while Ken marks another day’s passing on the dashboard of the taxi.

Friedkin stares at Dirk from the control room and then leaves the room, leaving behind his Panic Pete squeeze toy. The squeeze toy spins around on his own and falls off the desk. Panic Pete transforms into a rat that runs through the room and turns into a slip of paper that goes under the door and floats up the stairs. It then changes into a tennis ball that bounces down a hallway and through a just-opened door. The ball becomes a man and then a bubble that floats up into the ventilation system where it transforms into a remote car before changing into a moth and exiting the vents. The moth flutters above Dirk and then transforms into a girl with yellow eyes. Dirk doesn’t look surprised and asks what she’s doing there. She tells him, “Find the boy.”

She tosses a glass of water in his face and he disappears.

More on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2:
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Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 3
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 4
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 5
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 6
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 7
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 8
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 9
Recap of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Season 2 Episode 10

Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood Interview
Hannah Marks and Jade Eshete Interview
Fiona Dourif and Mpho Koaho Interview
Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine Interview
Max Landis and Robert Cooper Interview