Murphy is a free woman with some conditions.
In an exciting turn of events on In The Dark Season 4 Episode 6, Murphy’s circus of a trial led to Murphy striking a deal with Gene that puts her in more danger than ever.
But it’s her chance to avenge Chloe and make some amends for her awful actions.
The entire trial was a hot mess, and they had a ball stretching the limits of credulity with many of the antics and things thrown into the mix.
In reality, there is no way on God’s green earth Chelsea would’ve gotten away with saying everything she did on the stand instead of sticking to the nature of the case.
She couldn’t want to accuse Murphy of killing Ben even though she knew her brother was an addict, throw Felix under the bus and accuse him of witness tampering despite her contacting him first, and humiliate Leslie by telling her about Max and Murphy.
She was another person in a long line of people who were paraded out to attack Murphy’s character because there was nothing else they could prove with the lack of evidence.
Honestly, it’s sort of hilarious that you’re defending someone who had sex with your boyfriend last night. Felix walked in on them. Oh, he didn’t tell you?
Chelsea
But it all changed when the gun came into play.
Everything officially fell apart after the Max and Murphy bombshell got dropped. Leslie kept her composure inside the courtroom but lost it once she got to the bathroom.
Again, Murphy and Max are the absolute worst. Unless you’re a diehard fan who can overlook what a heaping pile of garbage they’ve become and can move past their destruction, it’s virtually impossible to root for them as a pairing.
What did they expect would happen if Leslie found out the truth? And what idiots would jeopardize a murder trial because they can’t keep it in their pants?
Even in the room, Murphy thought she could lie her way through it, denying that she slept with Max until she even caught herself tucking her hair behind her ear.
Leslie gave it to her good, telling her many people hate her, and she wasn’t wrong about that.
Leslie’s breakdown in the bathroom was a fantastic scene and some of Marianne Rendón’s best work on the series to date. It was heartachingly dramatic.
It’s still ridiculous that she and Max had become such a full-fledged thing in a short amount of time, but it is what it is. He helped utterly destroy her career and break her heart during that period.
I’m this tornado that sucks people in and spits them out worse than when they met me.
Leslie walking out of the courthouse with her heels in her hand and leaving Murphy without a lawyer was delicious.
She had laid out quite the case, but the murder weapon threw them for a loop. Another absurd thing was how Josh and Gene got one church out of many from Felix’s high utterance of “Marys” and ran with it.
The irony of Josh hating Murphy’s smug expression when she constantly got breaks is that he’s the same and infinitely more annoying.
It’s insane that they pulled the murder weapon out of that grate. But the flashbacks to what happened back then were appreciated.
Felix’s thought process was sound; it’s just too bad it all came to light later.
He was also right about Murphy pinning it on Jess. At this point, it’s ludicrous that she hasn’t. No amount of Murphy being a selfish b*tch can support her facing a murder rap for a crime she didn’t even commit.
One would’ve hoped they ran the prints on the gun and found even a partial print on it or something.
It hardly seems fair that Jess has played a significant part in all of this, including killing Nia, and she disappeared, and the cops haven’t thought twice about it.
And the thought of her living in the Boonies somewhere, living her best life, while her friends are going through it and Murphy faces murder charges is madness.
If Jess covered her tracks well, which she seemed to, then let her take the blame. It’s not like they’ll find her anyway.
Murphy taking the stand was foolish, but she gave a heartfelt, honest, self-aware speech that addressed the prosecution’s methods of proving their case.
The Chloe news took her for a loop, though. It’s heartbreaking to hear that Chloe is the latest victim of Bolt. However, this was the way through that made sense for Murphy.
She’d do anything for Chloe, and trying to avenge her and take down the drug operation that nearly killed her feels almost full circle to how dedicated Murphy was to Tyson.
Chloe’s barely audible “I needed you” was the clencher.
Gene showed his capability when he recognized that striking a deal with Murphy was beneficial. After all, she’s already been a whistleblower regarding CPD. She solved Tyson’s murder and Jennifer’s disappearance.
Gene knows all of this. Even on accident, Murphy would be more effective than Darnell. Suddenly, he didn’t care about Nia at all.
Murphy: Whoever did this to Chloe, I want to destroy them, so two birds.
Gene: You want to work as a CI?
Murphy: Yes.
Murphy is free, determined to prove herself because she’s fresh off more reminders of how bad a person she is, and she’s ready to go to war and risk everything for Chloe.
It’s an exciting turn of events in the storyline. Josh will bust a gasket when he learns about the full extent of this arrangement. He’s already dumbfounded about the mistrial.
And Sarah was already pissed off about it, but honestly, her nerve. It doesn’t make sense that she loathes Murphy but is literally sleeping with and covering for Darnell.
The weird animosity Darnell has for Murphy still doesn’t make any sense either.
The biggest drawback of Murphy’s deal is that Gene told her she could not share with Felix and Max that she’s going undercover. It’s doubtful she’ll be able to keep her C.I. status from them for long.
Murphy had another sweet moment with Felix that tugged at the heartstrings. It’s regrettable how much Felix loves Murphy and stands by her, but it’s hard not to enjoy those sweet moments. It’s the umpteenth time he’s declared his love in one way or another to her this season.
Felix is with her through thick and thin, and she won’t be able to shake him. Everything she’s about to do can put him in more danger, and she doesn’t want that, but he couldn’t quit her if he tried.
It didn’t seem like she tried with Felix, but she did attempt to cut Max loose. Part of it probably had to do with her facing how terrible she is throughout this whole trial and considering what happened with Leslie.
Murphy: At some point, you’re going to need to get a life.
Felix: I don’t want a life without you.
She keeps hurting everyone. But she also loves him so much that letting him go is the best option.
That scene was probably deliciously angsty for the Murphy and Max shippers. It was filled with the love declarations from Max as he chose not to fight it anymore.
He wants Murphy, and she’s the only woman he ever loved. And for Murphy, it was a selfless act that she broke his heart to protect him.
But the Leslie of it all still stung. Max, who often acts like he’s somehow better than Murphy, came off as a bigger scumbag when he acknowledged that he should be calling Leslie and trying to see if she was okay, but he didn’t care because all he cared about was Murphy.
Max: Maybe I should stop lying to myself and be with the only person that I ever really love.
Murphy: I just can’t right now.
Max: What?
Murphy: It would be too hard if I have to go back to prison.
Leslie housed his hobo, unemployed, felon ass, and that’s how he speaks about her? He literally has NOTHING. She feeds, clothes, and shelters him like a freaking pet, minus the loyalty, and he talked about Leslie as if she was insignificant.
But the second Murphy turned him away, he slinked back to Leslie’s home and sat on Leslie’s bed, watching her cry like a piece of crap.
Honestly, it’s not even realistic that he’s still there. I hope Leslie kicks him out the second she stops crying.
She doesn’t deserve to be someone’s consolation prize. He betrayed her in so many ways, didn’t bat an eye about it, and showed no concern.
He doesn’t deserve a place to stay.
Over to you, In the Dark Fanatics. Are you excited about Murphy becoming a CI? What are your thoughts on the Murphy, Max, Leslie saga? Sound off below.
You can watch In The Dark online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.