Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Returns: Season 1 Recap

Season 2 of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency returns Oct. 14, and if you missed the delightfully weird and wonderful first season , we’re here to help you catch up in time to watch the premiere of season 2 on October 14. Are you ready? ‘Cause this might get a little strange.

Season one centered around a body swapping cult, a time travel device, and a secret government

Farah (Jade Eshete) and Todd (Elijah Wood), is Season 2 of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Photo by BBCAmerica/Ed Araquel

program. Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett) is a holistic detective, which means that he basically goes with the flow of the universe, relying on the interconnectedness of all things. He may appear confused, and he’s definitely confusing, but the universe seems to keep him headed in the right direction.

Last season Dirk joined up with Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood), Todd’s sister, Amanda (Hannah Marks), and Farah Black (Jade Eshete) to solve the murder of Patrick Spring and help Farah find Patrick’s kidnapped daughter, Lydia. Todd is a reluctanct assistant and, frankly, kind of a jerk. But, he loves his sister Amanda, who suffers from a rare disease called pararibulitus, which causes her to feel the horrible things she imagines as though they are real. Although, since Todd pretended he had, and was cured of, pararibulitus for years to mooch off of his parents, Amanda wants nothing to do with him after she finds out Todd’s been lying to her for years. Farah Black comes off as a no-nonsense, kickass body guard, but she’s really just as odd as everyone else.

Amanda Brotzman (Hannah Marks) on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Photo by BBCAmerica

In season one, the gang solved the mystery of Patrick Spring’s murder, found Lydia Spring, and brought down an evil, body-swapping cult, all while dealing with strange FBI agents, avoiding the CIA, and baffling two police detectives. Not to mention dealing with the Rowdy 3 (Michael Eklund,  Zak Santiago, Osric Chau, and Viv Leacock), a group of four (yes, four) anarchists that live off the emotions of others.

Running parallel, and occasionally intersecting with, the lives of Dirk and Todd is Bart (Fiona Dourif), a holistic assassin, who has formed an unexpected friendship with Ken (Mpho Koaho), a hacker and Bart’s unwilling companion. Bart, as well as Dirk and the Rowdy 3, are all former test subjects in a secret CIA program called Blackwing.

Ken (Mpho Koaho) in Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Photo by BBCAmerica/Katie Yu

At the end of season one, Amanda has joined up with the Rowdy 3 (now 5?), Todd is starting to abandon his jerky ways and embraces his role as Dirk’s assistant and sometimes friend, but might be in trouble as now it seems he really does have pararibulitus. Farah is figuring out where she’s headed in life. Bart and Ken are off to find new, and potentially less murder-y adventures, but run into an unexpectedly large obstacle. Hugo (Dustin Milligan) has been put in charge of Blackwing, and it’s gonna take all of his, very limited, brain power to figure out what to do next.

Season one of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is available to stream on Hulu.

Season two premiers Saturday, October 14 at 9:00/8:00c on BBC America.