In the Dark recap: The 5 best moments from Season 1, Episode 6

Between revealing happier moments of Murphy and Tyson’s friendship, In the Dark gives us another clue as to who may be the culprit behind Tyson’s death.

Did you know that besides Jess, Tyson was Murphy’s best friend? It makes his death even more traumatic when you realize how many people cared about him. Murphy’s bad behavior actually feels warranted on this episode of In the Dark as she’s forced through emotional whiplash. Just as she begins to have hope that Tyson may actually be alive, she receives official confirmation from Dean he isn’t.

Murphy was right all along when she found his body in the alleyway. Except, she realizes he wasn’t dead then. Murphy felt him when he was still alive, albeit barely breathing, then someone shot him in the forehead some time afterward.

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This was a heavy episode for Murphy and it was hard to find any bright spots amidst the tragedy. Yet it was also a powerful episode offering several great character and relationship-building moments.

5. Tyson and Murphy bond in flashbacks.

Punctuating the story in this week’s episode are short scenes from the old days when Tyson and Murphy would go on adventures together. Whether it be fishing or going on walks, Tyson often recorded his time with Murphy.

It’s how his mother realizes how close they were. She finds the video clips on his computer and watches their happier moments. Given the majority of the time we see Murphy now she is a sullen mess, it makes watching these flashbacks even more depressing. She was happy once, or at least, happier. Tyson’s death has affected her in a profound way no one can begin to understand.

4. Sex isn’t always the answer.

Typically when Murphy is having a difficult time processing some event in her life she turns to sex as a coping mechanism. It allows her a physical release for the emotional weight she isn’t adept at processing.  When Max isn’t willing to give that to her, she breaks up with him. It’s easier for her to push people away. Instead, she turns to a random guy at the bar to make her feel something for a little while.

Except it doesn’t work like it normally does. Instead, Murphy zones out. It’s creepy. I don’t blame the guy for backing off. The vacant look in her eye made her appear more doll-like than human. I’m not sure continuing to have sex with her in that state would have even been consensual.

3. Murphy releases Tyson’s ashes.

Listen, if you play the song “Anchor” by Novo Amor then it’s not my fault if I start crying. It’s a beautiful song, fitting for a beautiful scene. Murphy is given a small cache of Tyson’s ashes by his mother. Having watched the videos of the two of them, she understands the two of them shared something special and gifts it to her.

Murphy goes to the lake she frequented with Tyson and releases them into the water, wading in all the way (in a bathing suit she keeps the tag on because, of course, she’s going to return it) and for a moment, Murphy allows herself a release. She’s not healed, but I think it was the first step for her.

2. Max and Murphy reunite.

Motivated by her moment of clarity at the lake, Murphy seeks out Max. For once, she just wants to be held. Max is frustrated, he has every right to be. But it’s clear he is crazy about Murphy. He accepts her into his arms without much of a struggle. I think, in this case, he knew she would come back to him when she was ready. The two share a romantic embrace until they’re interrupted by one of Max’s “work friends”.

1. Murphy hears a familiar sound.

Remember Wesley, from the pilot? He often hung out around Tyson. Murphy hears his voice when he comes to pick something up from Max and she recognizes it as the same voice she heard robbing the florist shop in the previous episode. When she asks Max about his identity he reveals his name is Wesley and Murphy puts two-and-two together.

Does that mean Wesley killed Tyson? Even if he didn’t, he definitely killed the florist last week and he probably knows a lot more about what happened to Tyson than anyone else.

Odds & Ends

• Apparently, Tyson’s father may know something more about his own son’s death. He claims he saw Tayson a week prior, but the detectives learn Tyson has dead for around a month. But Tyson’s dad has a picture of him on his phone that his doorbell app took. Could it have been doctored?
• Murphy acknowledges she can be a terrible person. It’s not much in the way of progress, but I suppose it’s something. As is the fact she is able to go to Max and seek out a different kind of comfort when the methods she’s used to aren’t working the same way as they once did.

New episodes of In the Dark air Thursday nights at 9/8c on The CW.