Season 1 of BBC America’s series, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, has been one trippy ride. Based on a series of novels by Douglas Adams (of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy renown), this series was also a series in the UK a few years back. Thank goodness BBC America decided to reboot it and bring it to the States.
From time travel to secret government agencies to weird cults to family drama, Dirk Gently had an intricate and lively first season. The characters, though, were what really made Dirk Gently such an enjoyable television show. While we really loved every single character (ok, except maybe those creepy, bald cult members), there were five that really topped our list.
The badass shark cat. This seemingly innocuous tiny black kitten turned out to be a man-killing shark. This kitty may not have played a huge role in the show, but it definitely had one of the most memorable scenes. I think we were all incredibly surprised when Dirk (Samuel Barnett) threw the cat into the air in the woods, and the soul of a shark came out and killed the creepy cultists.
Zimmerfield. Although Zimmerfield (Richard Schiff) and Estevez (Neil Brown Jr.) were cops seemingly hunting down Dirk and Todd (Elijah Wood), we were rooting for them. Zimmerfield, especially, with his elder wiseman air, was endearing. He was smart, suspicious in the right way, and a very good cop. Another well-done scene was when Zimmerfield and Estevez discovered the lair of the creepy cult, filled with dead bodies, and began to put the puzzle pieces together; then, Zimmerfield was shot with an arrow, out of the blue. It was so unexpected and shocking that the drama really went up a notch.
Zachariah Webb. While Zachariah Webb (Julian McMahon) may not have been the most interesting character in this show of endlessly interesting and wacky characters, he was super important. Obsessive inventor who creates a time loop and, in essence, brings his own death upon himself? Not to mention, he was also Edward and Patrick Spring whose daughter Lydia (Alison Thornton) was the person who was the lynchpin of the entire time loop. Say whaaaaat.
The Rowdy 3. This group of violent, chaos-causing, phsyic-loving guys were just a whole lot of fun. They really endeared themselves to me when they came to Amanda’s (Hannah Marks) rescue. Just when you thought they were menacing, they turn out to be rather protective dudes in leather jackets and a beat-up graffiti van.
Dirk Gently. The big kahuna. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency would obviously not be the same without Dirk Gently himself. His open nature and strong (and somewhat vulnerable) desire to be a part of a group/make friends made his character so loveable. Also, his ability to escape situations that would have otherwise been inescapable was astounding. Remember when he and Todd first went to Gordon’s (Aaron Douglas) house and discovered Lydia as a dog? Most people wouldn’t have made it out of that house in one piece. Needless to say, Dirk’s intuitions/psychic powers and the mystery surrounding his back story make him super intriguing.
A good ole runner-up shout out goes to Farah (Jade Eshete) and Bart (Fiona Dourif) because they were such wonderful female characters on the show. Let us know who your favorite characters were!
Photo Credit: Kate Yu/BBCA
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