Everyone has their limits.
Murphy learned the hard way on In The Dark Season 3 Episode 9, when she pushed the loyal to a fault Felix to his breaking point, and she’s right back to her worst fear of being alone.
Honestly, it’s what she deserves.
Most of the hour meandered as we went down this rabbit hole of Jennifer Walker’s life and disappearance. It was the fluff and filler of the installment, and frankly, there was nothing remotely interesting about any of it.
Murphy and Felix followed through on Murphy’s hunch that whoever took Jess was searching for Jennifer Walker instead. They spoke to Jennifer’s uncle to understand why he was a suspect in her disappearance and suspected murder.
They learned that Jennifer’s brother was shady AF, and if this is a dangling thread that will lead to somewhere, then it’ll probably have to do with him.
It’s suspicious that he was the one who was supposed to pick Jennifer up, and both his uncle and his mother no longer speak to him or know where he is.
Jennifer sounded like a depressed young woman, but the stuff with her brother is suspect, and she also has a friendship that no one delved into either.
I get why Felix considered it a dead end, and Murphy’s abrasive approach to interrogating Jennifer’s family was downright uncomfortable.
She wasn’t considering that they weren’t looking for the real Jennifer Walker. Opening up these old wounds would wreak havoc on Jennifer’s family.
When Jennifer’s mother contacted the police, it was because of how much she clung to hope and her wanting to let him know that someone else was expressing more interest and care for the case than he was.
Murphy’s recklessness was a new height, and she was spinning out of control. They already had a close call with Gene and Josh coming to Lesley’s house to ask her some questions.
Lesley is still insufferable, but at least she was willing to help Felix out after their argument. She claimed that she loved him and wanted to repair their relationship when their father died, and it hurt her when everything went to the wayside.
Have fun in Canada, you dick!
Murphy
It’s hard to believe in her or her feelings about her brother since she generally comes across awful.
It flat out does not make any sense at all that she keeps bringing up that she doesn’t want to house fugitives, and she only focuses on her actual brother and Murphy.
Max is part of this, too! Even if Felix and Murphy kicked rocks and she was shacking up with her new boy toy, she’d still be harboring someone on the run from the freaking cops. Max is deep in all of this as well.
He was there when Jess killed Nia. He WORKED for Nia before even Murphy had anything to do with her.
It’s absurd that Max is sitting on a high horse, and Lesley acts as if his hands are clean.
And can we take a moment to speak about Max’s audacity when he had the nerve to whine about Lesley choosing to help her brother? Isn’t he staying there, holding up at someone else’s place, in peak hobosexual mode?
Why is it okay for him, a guy she met less than a week ago, to hide out in her home and wherever else, but it’s a nuisance when she’s helping her flesh and blood?
Sympathy for Max has worn thin as the season progressed, and he’s every bit the jackass that he accuses Murphy of being these days.
Eventually Murphy is going to come to terms with the fact that Jess is … Jess is gone.
Max
Felix and Murphy were spiraling in different ways because of Jess, and despite some seemingly nice moments with them, it felt like Max wanted them out of the way so he could keep shacking up with Lesley.
He had ulterior motives when he talked Felix into this awful plan to get Murphy back to Canada. The bulk of the plan meant Felix would face the fallout on top of he and Murphy grieving for their friend.
Felix’s treatment by everyone is flat-out shitty at this point. He gets used, abused, and taken for granted by everyone.
Max’s actions were deplorable in a whole other way, forcing the responsibility of Murphy on Felix’s shoulders like that.
Max and Felix’s plan was cruel, but for Felix at least, you understood why he wanted to go through with it. He had the best intentions of saving Murphy as the police were closing in on them.
But Murphy’s heartbreaking reaction when she found out what Felix was doing was a great scene. She was right to feel as she did.
Regardless of the ebbs and flows of their relationship, Felix never made her feel disabled or like some liability. He didn’t coddle her or make her feel like she was “other.” She never saw him as an ableist.
She always appreciated that Felix didn’t treat her any differently than he did anyone else. However, the entire plan consisted of exploiting her blindness to dupe her.
Murphy: You know what really sucks, what really sucks? Ever since I’ve known you even when I hated your guts, I never felt disabled around you
Felix: What?
Murphy: You were a dick to me just like everyone else.
It was humiliating and hurtful, and Murphy’s feelings on that were valid. Felix could acknowledge that as well, and it was another tender moment for the two until it went to the left.
Murphy has prodded and pushed Felix to his breaking point for some time, and she always banks on the fact that he’ll always put up with her.
But after Felix’s hurt meltdown on In the Dark Season 3 Episode 8, Murphy should’ve known anything else would push Felix to a point of no return.
Murphy is a hurt person, and she’s the embodiment of hurt people, hurt people.
Everything Felix did was to protect Murphy, and all the things she said were to destroy Felix for no good reason. She uses him as her emotional punching bag whenever she feels like it, and she went so far over the line you couldn’t even see it anymore.
Felix left Murphy right where she stood, alone, the way she strives to be when pushing everyone who cares about her away, and she deserved it.
You would think with Jess gone and possibly dead as far as she knows, Murphy wouldn’t ruin the one decent relationship she had left.
Maybe no one chooses Felix, but I’m glad and proud of him for choosing himself.
What? You thought I’d go to Canada and fall in love with you? You’re so pathetic. I’m so sorry I slept with you because Max wasn’t around.
Murphy
The cop situation is increasingly frustrating now. Gene has assembled his team, including Sarah, who has a thing with Darnell, and Josh.
Josh was in a sorry state when Gene came to him and apologized and offered him a spot on the team again.
But the moment worth rolling your eyes when Gene gave him an official position as a forensic accountant or some bullcrap. How are we just handing out jobs to people now?
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Gene is also enabling Josh’s unhealthy vendetta. He promised Josh that they will catch Murphy and there won’t be any deal-making.
But they also have their sights on Trey now, which is unfortunate. They traced his phone at the crime scene to him, and they think he’s the one responsible for the three murders there.
Everything and everyone Murphy comes into contact with suffers. One errand with Murphy now has Trey on the hook for three murders.
I did not anticipate Sarah and Darnell having a connection, though. At least that’s something Darnell could work on their side’s favor.
It seemed like a lifetime ago since Darnell and Jules were a thing, so it’s fascinating that he and Sarah have this connection via her.
Bloody hell, for someone who dabbled with criminality, Darnell sure has a knack for falling penis first into ladies of the law.
Thanks to whatever this is with Sarah, Darnell got a headstart on helping Trey. But this places a newly reinstated Sarah in a tough position as she plays both sides of things.
Over to you, In the Dark Fanatics. Did Murphy go too far with Felix? Do you think Jess is dead?
Were you surprised by Darnell and Sarah? Did Josh deserve a position with the cops?
Hit the comments below!
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.