Dirk Gently, détective holistique

I can't recall the last time I was this fulfilled by a television show. I watched the first season this past February, and I was amazed that I hadn't heard of it until then. I quickly fell in love with it due to its refreshing originality, compelling storytelling, and fascinating bunch of characters. This is no ordinary show; it's intentionally wacky and confusing, it subverts tropes and cliches all over the place, and nothing is as it seems at first. Underneath it all, however, everything is connected in the most satisfying and entertaining ways imaginable. The second season just finished airing this past Saturday, and it was somehow even better than the first.

It was revealed yesterday that Dirk Gently would not be brought back for a third season on BBCA, and I can only hope Netflix picks it up, because it would be absolutely devastating if this incredible show didn't get the run it so mightily deserves.

To try and list all the things that make this show special, will take several weeks, so I'll try to cut it short. It is insanely well written, to the extent that something in s1 e1 that seems random is actually a thought-out part of the story that may become crucial in s2. Despite being a show about a possibly psychic detective, that starts with an insane amount of different stories about characters that doesn't seem to have any impact on each other, everything is actually connected and brought together in a brilliant unexpected way in the end. Apart from all this, Max Landis has managed to write every single character interesting, and capable of being the star of their own show. Above all they are relatable, despite or maybe because of them being a bit crazy and a loser in their own way. None of these characters are unflawed and it makes you care about them in a way that I've never been able to care about fictional characters before. Every single actor is hugely talented, and the creative team behind the show must have put such a huge amount of love and effort into bringing Landis's vision to life. The portrayals of women, lgbt+ people, people of color and mentally ill people are so respectful in a unique way that I think is mostly due to the fact that Landis knows how to write them as any other human being. As a woman I experienced a great relief in watching a show where no woman is sexualized in any way, but still considered worthy of love and acceptance. The dialogue is never random, it changes dynamically between hilarious and thoughtful. No clichés ever show up, which is incredibly refreshing. I could go on and on about this show, the beautiful music and cinematography, the powerful messages that are often underlying and sometimes outspoken, the relationships between the characters and the absence of toxic masculinity in the male heroes, but I'm already ranting, so I'm just going to end with this:

Give this show a chance. I can say that it changed the way I look at life for the better, it made me care at a time when I didn't. Let yourself be swept away. Everything is connected.

I will keep this short. You should watch this because is is sharp, funny, well written, well acted and engaging on many levels. Yes - I know it's nothing like the books. BBC UK tried that and it failed. Nobody has ever come close to doing Douglas Adams justice on screen because the insane intricacy and sheer scale of his stories make it impossible. BBC America has been very clever. They have taken the core concept and characters and done something utterly different with it. It is its own thing and stands on its own merits, which are many. If you are a person who gets terribly upset when a script is not faithful to the source material down to the last semi-colon, this show will make your brain implode. If, like me, you can let go of those expectations and enjoy what it is, rather than what you would like it to be, you might just enjoy it as much as I do. I love the books too and if I want the books, I read the books. This is a TV show and a pretty damn good one. If you can't separate the two, this is not for you. Try the UK version - but it ain't half as much fun.

I read the book many years ago, but went into this show with 0 expectations and open to where it would take me. And I kinda love it! It's a madcap, comedy/adventure that I think captures Douglass Adams' narrative style (at least as it applies to the Hitchhiker's Guide - my fav book of all time). It's a little bit out there, sure, but that's how the source material is. After watching the first two episodes back to back, I'm in. 100%. I can't wait to see where they go with this show. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency is a lot of fun and I'm excited to continue with it.

Don't pay too much mind to the negative reviews. This show is going to find a sweet spot with an audience, and if it looks interesting to you, give it a try. You may like it or dislike it, but you certainly wont be bored by it!

The only bad part was when it ended all too soon. Apparently shows intended for idiots can go on forever, but anything remotely interesting is cancelled because the braindead masses have declared with one voice that it isn't X-Factor or whatever, so they're not interested.