Dirk Gently: “The House Within a House”

This week on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency we’re starting to see how everything really is connected as the Cardenas house reveals some of its secrets. Amanda’s figuring out some surprising things about herself.

Deputy Tina Tevetino (Izzie Steele). Photo by Katie Yu/BBC America.

We check in with everyone to find that, after disappearing last week, Amanda and Vogel find themselves “somewhere else.” At the Cardenas house, Dirk disappears down a hole he’s discovered in the floor. Suzie Boreton finally stands up to her obnoxious teenage son. Tina takes a call about the missing book club, so she and Farah head off to investigate. Todd wakes at Sheriff Hobb’s house to find that Dirk has gone. And, Bart shows a little kindness to Panto.

Amanda and a badly injured Vogel have turned up in Wendimoor and been taken prisoner by the Mage’s soldiers. There she meets Farson Dengdamor (Ajay Friese) who has also been taken prisoner along with a strange creature from the forest.

As Hobbs and Todd head out to find Dirk, Todd fills the sheriff in on the details about his sister, his past, and their disease. As always, the sheriff is comforting and kind (I’m not gonna lie, I kind of wish Hobbs was my BFF). As Todd and Hobbs explore the Cardenas house, the mysterious phone starts to ring. It’s Dirk on the other end, and he’s somewhere that is, as Dirk says, “fun and festive in awful ways.”

Dirk finds that even though he appears to be in a version of the Cardenas house, all the exits are covered in static. He had come to search for information about the prophecy after learning that Panto had arrived at the house. Dirk hears a sound that frightens him, so starts to move through the house, finding a hallway lined with doors.

In Wendimoor, Farson Dengdamor explains the situation and tells Amanda and Vogel that he’d run away to avoid the fighting and find Wakti Wapnasi. In the jail, Panto tells Bart about the Mage’s attack and about Wakti Wapnasi’s prophecy. Panto tells Bart that he’s come to find Dirk, and Bart warns that searching for Dirk hadn’t ended so well for her.

Farah Black (Jade Eshete). Photo by Katie Yu/BBC America.

As Farah and Tina examine the piles of dirt and jewelry that are all that’s left of the book club, Dirk has discovered that the place where he is goes beyond the Cardenas house, and he’s also being followed by something scary. On the phone with Todd, Dirk finds a clue, but Hobb’s interrupts after Tina calls, telling Todd that “Tina’s got some holistic going on too” (Seriously, Hobbs is adorable). Dirk doesn’t want to find out what’s following him, but eventually looks. Unfortunately, Dirk doesn’t find the boy, but a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater.

Tina is having trouble keeping up with Farah’s thoughts on the book club investigation, and Farah’s having trouble finding a rational explanation for everything. When Farah mentions that a fifth person must have attended the book club, Tina quickly figures out that it was probably Suzie. The women quickly connect that to Suzie’s attack on Bart and Bob Boreton’s attack on Dirk, much to Tina’s excitement.

At home, Suzie studies her book of spells. When she goes in search of Scott, Bob delivers a message from Mr. Mage. He’s coming.

Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett). Photo by Katie Yu/BBC America.

Dirk runs from the purple monster, which results in a classic hall of doors gag with the seemingly endless phone cord. Dirk then enters the kitchen, and in it finds a table gushing blood that’s been stabbed with scissors. Meanwhile, in Wendimoor, Vogel isn’t looking good and the worry of their situation causes Amanda to have an attack. As the purple monster gets closer, Dirk begins to panic, taking the scissors out of the table for a weapon. Todd can’t take it anymore and runs to find Dirk, showing up just in time to blast the monster with the strange gun. He then shoves Dirk into the static surrounding the house. Todd and Dirk find themselves outside the abandoned Cardenas house. Todd begins to have an attack, and Amanda and Todd’s mutual attacks allow them to see each other for just a moment.

Ken has been decrypting Hugo’s files and helping Hugo search for answers about Dirk’s disappearance. Hugo is really starting to question his and Blackwing’s decisions and kind of freaking out. But Ken thinks he starting to figure things out about Blackwing, and he thinks he can help Hugo.

Mr. Mage (John Hannah) and Suzie Boreton (Amanda Walsh). Photo by Katie Yu/BBC America.

Tina and Farah arrive at the Boreton’s. Before Suzie can open the door, Mr. Mage stops her. Thinking no one’s home, Tina and Farah decide to break in, but Hobbs calls them back to the station before they can.

At the Sheriff’s department, Farah confirms that the scissors Dirk found could be the murder weapon. As they review the case, everyone looks to Dirk for answers, but he doesn’t have them. Dirk wanders off to brood again, and when Todd goes to comfort him, Dirk reveals that he fears that Todd will get hurt because he’s involved in the case with Dirk. After Todd tells Dirk that he’s seen Amanda in Wendimoor, they decide to take Panto back to the Cardenas house.

At night in Wendimoor, Lord Triangle Badevil (Christian Sloan) shows up to collect Farson Dengdamor. When he tries to kill Vogel, Amanda starts to have an attack, but she realizes that now she can control it. She quickly defeats the soldiers and Lord Badevil, then heals Vogel. She and Vogel set Farson free, who sets the other creature free.

Todd, Dirk, and Hobbs explore the room where Panto appeared, and Dirk discovers that, under the wallpaper, the walls are covered with a child’s drawings. Panto recognizes the drawings as home.

Mr. Mage meanwhile fills Suzie in on his background and Wendimoor. He explains that the second wand was intended for a partner and that partner could be Suzie. All she has to do is kill Dirk Gently.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency airs Saturdays at 9/8c on BBC America.