"Fix Everything" is an episode of the series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, the sixth episode of season 1.
Synopsis[]
Everything connects. Cops, cult, assassins, detectives, Pararibulitis, vampires, lottery ticket, a corgi, and Ken Adams, all come to a head.
Plot[]
Intro: A series of television screens display a spinning disk made of arrows, Gordon Rimmer rubbing his hands together as his screen turns red and darkens, a clock running backwards. Fred, in Agent Weedle's body, laughing, a trio of arrows turning clockwise, a mechanical man aiming a gun, Ken Adams praying, Dirk Gently grinning and holding a piece of paper that reads "SOLVED IT!!!", Bart Curlish looking around before running out of frame, Todd Brotzman with his back to the camera, Estevez waving his gun around frantically while holding Rapunzel, an arrow in front of a shattered frame of glass, Amanda Brotzman pulling off a blindfold, Martin making a cutting motion in the air while the Rowdy 3 stare at the camera, Edmund Doyle smiling at the camera while drawing a circle on his forehead, a parrot, Farah Black holding the device Dirk and Todd found in the woods, a running hourglass, a man shushing the camera, and a blue butterfly. They transition to only displaying the clock.
1886 (In the lab of Zackariah Webb)
In 1886, Zackariah Webb brings a pet bird into his laboratory and attaches it to his machine. He turns the crank and powers it up, sending an electric shock through the cage that kills the bird. When he opens the cage, the bird's soul flies out and disappears. He holds a funeral for the bird and buries it in a marked grave. Webb runs the same test on a cat, which procures the same result: it dies when the machine is activated, and its soul flies out for a moment before disappearing. He buries the cat as well. He puts his dog through the machine, only for the machine to disappear. It reappears seconds later, now crudely put together and covered in markings. He pulls a bloodstained note from it that reads: "SORRY WENT BAD TRIED BUT SAME WAY WROTE THIS LAST I BET SHIT". It is signed "DIRK GENTLY" at the bottom.
Present
Estevez demands Doyle send all forces to the Animal Transfer Unit to avenge Zimmerfield, but Doyle is adamant that the detectives should not have been there at all. Becoming unhinged, Estevez accuses Doyle of working with the men who killed his partner and begins shouting at him to admit it, leading to his suspension, then termination. He is ejected by fellow officers, warning Doyle that things are not over between them. Doyle removes a phone from his desk and calls Rimmer, warning him that they have a problem.
Dirk and Todd arrive back at the Ridgely, Dirk telling Todd to talk to Amanda while he will go with Farah to figure out what the machine is, as talking to her is Todd's "next step." Todd and Farah speak in the lobby, trading their accounts of recent events, and Todd states his belief that Rimmer swapped Lydia Spring's soul with his corgi. Farah gives Todd a set of brass knuckles before leaving. He goes up to his apartment and finds Amanda not there, removing the lottery ticket from its hiding place just as she returns. She begins excitedly telling him about her recent events and stating Todd may have more of a shot with Farah than she thought, but Todd interrupts and admits he never had Pararibulitis. She does initially does not believe him, but slowly accepts it as he shows her the lottery ticket, wanting to give it to her so she can pay for regular treatments. She angrily rejects it as well as his offer to meet up with Dirk and Farah, and, overwhelmed, locks herself in the bathroom.
While stuck in traffic, Dirk and Farah discuss the organizational structure of their group and Dirk marvels at how close they feel to solving the case, fantasizing about making a detective agency official and drafting a tagline: "Cases Solved With Arguable Efficiency". Overcome with the moment, he begins shouting "I am Dirk Gently!" which attracts the attention of a nearby Bart. She fires at him, visibly confused when her shot misses, and follows him as he flees. Farah tries to shoot her, but the crowd prevents her from doing so. She corners him at the top of a staircase and Farah again attempts to shoot her, only to be pushed over by Ken, who she easily dispatches. Bart's gun jams when she corners Dirk and he begs her to reconsider, not understanding why she is trying to kill him. She insists that he is supposed to die, and they say "everything is connected" at the same time. Both stunned, Dirk stands and Bart lowers her gun. In perfect unison, they say "you're one of the others. You're like me! You're not like me. You're something different." They are interrupted by Farah stabbing Bart in the thigh with a concealed knife and throwing her over the railing, finding her vanished when she looks over.
Ken has dragged Bart into an elevator, who is crying hysterically, having never been hurt before. He realizes the floor they need to go to is locked for employees only, and removes a panel in the elevator and begins using his electrician skills to rewire it.
Dirk compliments Farah on her physical ability as they walk back to the car, only to realize he left the machine and running back to it.
Ken gets the elevator working and Bart admits she feels she is being punished for leaving her path and that "the universe is broken."
Farah decides to call Fred, realizing they cannot finish the case alone, and he answers the phone while sitting naked in the Animal Transfer Unit. He tells her that he is on his way.
Estevez drinks on a park bench and talks to someone off-camera, telling them that he has a theory he does not like but needs confirmed, having lost someone very important to him and unsure of his sanity. He asks "are you Lydia Spring?", revealing he is talking to the corgi. It barks, and he has it perform a series of actions to prove that it is Lydia, and it does so perfectly. He learns by using her barks that Rimmer put her in the dog, and Dirk and Todd took her from him. He throws his bottle on the ground and takes Lydia to talk with Dirk and Todd.
Flashback
Todd and Amanda attend a concert, where Amanda is groped by a stranger and Todd punches him in the face, getting them ejected by the bouncer. Amanda apologizes for screwing up his night, knowing that he is usually preoccupied because of her disease, but he insists that it does not matter. They affirm that they love each other and embrace.
Present
Todd and Amanda sit on opposite sides of the bathroom door in silence. Amanda eventually tells Todd to put his phone under the door, wanting to call their parents. Todd insists they need to leave as they are not safe, stating that Amanda is the most important thing in the world to him, but she rejects him, unable to recognize him now that she knows the truth. He takes out his phone to give to her and sees that he has missed dozens of calls from Dirk just as Estevez enters with Lydia. Amanda begins to suffer an attack, hallucinating being stuck deep underwater. Noting Estevez's drunken and slightly unhinged demeanor, Todd slowly explains that the corgi is important, Estevez revealing that he knows it is Lydia. Todd explains that her soul was swapped with the dog and Estevez, under the impression that Todd is with the men who killed Zimmerfield, becomes more aggressive until Amanda kicks the door. Estevez opens it to find Amanda seizing, and they carry her out of the building, Todd stating that they need to find medication or she will hemorrhage her lungs. Ed and Zed approach to take Todd with them, only for the Rowdy 3 to pull up and beat them both. Estevez takes Lydia and runs off in the melee. They drain Amanda's Pararibulitis and she pushes Todd away when he tries to embrace her in relief. He tries again to give her the ticket, claiming he was going to "fix everything," and she tears it up, telling him she never wants to see him again and that "you are exactly the piece of shit that everyone thinks you are." She leaves with the Rowdy 3, and Ed, who has regained consciousness, tases him.
Dirk and Farah wait for Fred and discuss Bart, who Dirk does not know despite her trying to kill him. Dirk asks if Farah is romantically interested in Todd when she expresses worry about him, which she tentatively rebuffs and tells Dirk to try calling him again. She takes a look at the machine when Dirk insists plugging it in will clarify everything and flips switches on it, revealing the dates "08/03/16", (one week ago, the day of Patrick Spring's death) "07/17/01", (the day his wife died) and "08/23/96". Before they can further process what they mean, Fred arrives, having not brought the backup he said he would. Farah updates him on the group hunting them (Fred is visibly troubled when he learns Dirk killed his friends out in the woods) and they show him the machine, Dirk now staring at him with suspicion. He asks Farah if he can tell her a secret: "when we met, you were right the first time." He beats her unconscious and holds Dirk at gunpoint, stating that he has to come with him.
Doyle meets with Rimmer, telling him the situation is out of control. He insists that Rimmer "lost your mind when you betrayed Rainey" and "the Supreme Soul had a plan for all of us," which Rimmer rejects, stating both Rainey and Doyle have no ambition. He criticizes Doyle for still believing in the spirituality of their organization, which Doyle says Rimmer should, being one of the "original souls." Rimmer states that Rainey used their spiritual beliefs to control them, and that the "Soul Exchanger" is just a piece of technology. Doyle states that Rimmer's insurgency has failed and that he has ruined everything, and Rimmer interrupts him and says that he has the other machine, making him the Supreme Soul now and telling him to come to "the temple" tonight.
Ken helps a still crying Bart into the bathtub and turns on the TV to try and cover her screams, only to see the man she killed earlier is being reported on on the news, and that he was a kidnapper with victims held in his basement that were only found because of his death. Bart orders him to take the knife out of her leg, stating "if I'm supposed to die, I will," having given up. Ken tries to get her to change her view of the universe's guidance, asking if she really felt like killing Dirk when she cornered him, and she realizes she was unsure. He realizes she was able to shoot up a mall and be dragged through a hotel without being caught or seen, attributing it to the universe's intervention, and that she needs to continue following it because he truly believes in it. He pulls the knife out of her leg and she instinctively punches her in the face.
Ed and Zed have masked Dirk and Todd and taken them to the Animal Transfer Unit, kneeling them in front of the machine. They are unmasked and Dirk asks what happened with Amanda, Todd stating that she is "gone." He asks if this is where the universe is supposed to lead them, Dirk responding "maybe." Todd follows up asking if the men are going to kill them, Dirk sighing "I should hope not." Fred and Rimmer (the latter in his fur coat) emerge from the temple room, Dirk expressing hope that he will explain everything to them. Rimmer tells them that he has ben waiting for them for a long time, only to launch into a tirade, asking a series of questions about the situation, revealing he is just as confused as they are. He concludes his questions with "how was Patrick Spring in two places at the same time?" Todd sheepishly apologizes and tells Rimmer they can only answer a few of those questions, despite Rimmer insisting they were both at the hotel and Todd was wearing his coat. Dirk looks at the machine and the Soul Exchanger in the other room, thinks about the plug in Webb's laboratory, and has a revelation, murmuring "it's the same machine" aloud. He begins to ramble about "the dates" and how he and Todd need to get to the Soul Exchanger. Rimmer demands answers, only to hear noises coming from outside and sending Fred to figure out what is happening. Todd takes advantage of Rimmer's distraction to knock him down with his brass knuckles, getting tangled up in his coat in the process. Dirk grabs the machine and they lock themselves in the temple room. Dirk removes the Soul Exchanger and plugs in the machine, telling Todd "we won't be here" for Rimmer's men to kill. Todd grabs hold of the machine and asks how he is going to save them using an unlimited energy machine, only for Dirk to state that that is not what it is, nor is the Soul Exchanger actually the Soul Exchanger. He says "there's not going to be a murder, Todd. We're going to fix everything. Watch this." He flips a switch and the machine disappears in a crackle of electricity, taking Dirk and Todd with it.
Behind the scenes[]
Cast[]
- Samuel Barnett as Dirk Gently
- Elijah Wood as Todd Brotzman
- Hannah Marks as Amanda Brotzman
- Fiona Dourif as Bart Curlish
- Jade Eshete as Farah Black
- Mpho Koaho as Ken Adams
- Michael Eklund as Martin
- Dustin Milligan as Hugo Friedkin
- Neil Brown Jr. as Detective Estevez
- Aaron Douglas as Gordon Rimmer
- Julian McMahon as Zackariah Webb
- Christian Bako as Ed
- Michael Adamthwaite as Zed
- Osric Chau as Vogel
- Viv Leacock as Gripps
- Zak Santiago as Cross
- David Lewis as Agent Joseph Weedle
- Eric Keenleyside as Police Captain
- Meena Mann as News Anchor
- Christiaan Westerveld as Random Punk Guy
- Orin McRey as Random Punk Girl
- Andy Nez as Bouncer
- Dayleigh Nelson as Bradshaw
- Tristan Jensen as Simmons
- Craig Fraser as Gifford
- Bentley as Rapunzel the Corgi
Crew[]
The crew for this episode has not been recorded yet.
Notes[]
Holistic Connections
- When Todd enters his apartment he looks at a shattered photo of him and Amanda. Shortly after they have a huge fight and their relationship is shattered.
- Dirk and Bart repeat several phrases at the same time, relating the fact that they are both people who believe in the interconnectedness of all things.
- The man that Bart killed in the previous episode was a kidnapper.
- Bart never gets caught or noticed by anyone when she kills others or when Ken Adams is carrying her through a crowded lobby. This explains why she has never been arrested for her killings.
- Gordon Rimmer reveals that the reason he recognized the two in the Lost & Found is because he met them on the day of Patrick Spring's murder.
Other Notes
- "Fix Everything" are one of the arc words of season 1, appearing many times spoken by many characters. They are applied to the issues of solving, fixing and preventing the case as well as personal problems.
References[]
External links[]
- "Fix Everything" at BBC America
- "Fix Everything" on IMDb