Season 1 - 8 episodes (2016)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2017)
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Created by: Max Landis
Starring: Samuel Barnett, Elijah Wood, Hannah Marks
Rated: TV-14
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Plot
Holistic detective Dirk Gently investigates cases involving the supernatural.
Verdict
This is a wild series with a quirky sense of humor and an inventive plot. The first season especially can be absolutely ridiculous but still fun. I do like the first season better as the second attempts to do too much as it explores the background behind Dirk's powers. Dirk Gently is a detective that is connected to everything and thus doesn't need to actually investigate. Fate will help him solve the case, and the comedy is built around unreal coincidences. Dirk's energy is contagious and the mysteries are twisting and surreal.
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Review
The series is inspired by Douglas Adam's 1987 book of the same name, but it is not an adaptation.
The first season is a wacky and fun adventure. It captures Adam's style of humor. We see this world through Todd (Elijah Wood) as he wonders who Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett) is, and what Dirk has gotten him into. The disparate characters introduced early are soon connected and once we get to the final couple of episodes the plot is clear.
To start the first season, we're as bewildered as Todd (Elijah Wood) when he meets Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett). A strange detective that doesn't seem anything like a detective. The first episode is absolutely wild, and we're introduced to many characters in the first few episodes. They're all just as strange as Dirk. We're not sure how the various character relate, but they slowly come to a point during the season. The case involves dogs, cats, sharks, and time travel. That barely scratches the surface.
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| Elijah Wood, Samuel Barnett play Todd Brotzman, Dirk Gently |
You can tell this is from the author of Hitchhikers as the comedy is similar. This season is a wild ride, and it does a great job of giving you a little bit of information at a time and building on that without betraying what will happen next. Some aspects of the plot are predictable, but only a few scenes at a time. The overarching plot remains a mystery. How can you guess a plot that involves time travel, soul switching, and extrasensory perception? It's an inventive and fun season.
The second season starts a lot like the first with a lot of questions and characters. At least this time around we know a few of the characters. The second season isn't as energetic as Dirk and Todd are split up while Dirk confronts his past. This swaps time travel for an alternative dimension which feels like too much of a copy. This season certainly has some fun, but it loses the mystery aspect for an antagonist plot line. I really enjoyed the first season, and that is what carried me through season two.
This is a sci-fi adventure that focuses on fun with an inventive story line. I do like the first season more as the second season is almost too zany which is a strange complaint with a show that's almost always off the rails. The first season had a mystery, and the second doesn't. With the nature of the characters the mystery was a great combination.
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