Plot Synopsis

Executive produced by Ben Stiller, IN THE DARK is a one-hour dramedy series that centers on Murphy, a hard-living, hard-drinking, disaffected twenty-something with a penchant for cigarettes and casual sex. She's also blind. Murphy lives with her supportive best friend, Jess, and -- more reluctantly -- her trusty guide dog, Pretzel, whose presence she resents. Her parents, Hank and Joy, own a guide dog school, a venture they opened hoping it would give Murphy a job with some purpose. So far, it's just another place where she sleeps off her hangovers, much to the particular chagrin of Joy and Felix, the administrator tasked with attempting to keep the unprofitable school going. Murphy's closest friend is a sweet teenager named Tyson. Murphy and Tyson became friends after he saved her from a violent mugging, though his kindness and intelligence are currently going to waste as he deals drugs on the street for his older cousin, Darnell. Murphy's life comes crashing down when, while out for a walk with Pretzel, she stumbles upon what she's sure is the lifeless body of Tyson in the alley outside her apartment. But when the police arrive, including a salt-of-the-earth detective named Dean, there is no body to be found -- and with Murphy not exactly sober -- the police aren't especially inclined to investigate. Murphy is devastated, and the only thing holding her back from spiraling downward even further is her resolve to learn what happened to Tyson. With the help of Jess -- and Pretzel -- Murphy is determined to find the truth, no matter the risk...even if it means she has to sober up a little.

The sophomore season of IN THE DARK premiered on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT on The CW. Murphy is a messy twenty-something who struggles on a daily basis to balance her random hook ups, her hangovers, and her drug front. She's also blind. Murphy lives with her supportive best friend, Jess, and along with their anal-retentive boss (and sometimes friend), Felix, they run Guiding Hope, a school for guide dogs. But solving the murder of her best friend, Tyson, lands Murphy deep in the world of Chicago's underground heroin trade when she is forced to turn Guiding Hope into a front for drug kingpin Nia Bailey (guest star Nicki Micheaux). In addition to steering clear of Dean, Murphy and Guiding Hope encounter a new problem when the increase in revenue piques the interest of an IRS Agent. With the help of Darnell, Murphy tries to wrestle herself and everyone she cares about from Nia's grasp, but ultimately plunges them into far deeper trouble than they bargained for. In the season opener, "All About the Benjamin," Murphy is on the mend from her terrifying encounter with Dean, but Nia's (guest star Nicki Micheaux) visit spurs her into action. Murphy, Jess and Felix must act quickly to devise a plan that will keep them out of Nia's crosshairs and, possibly, save Guiding Hope in the process. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein directed the episode written by Corinne Kingsbury.

Season 3 of IN THE DARK premiered on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT on The CW. In the third season, Murphy and her best friend, Jess, along with their annoying friend Felix, and Murphy's ex-boyfriend, Max, find themselves faced with yet another dilemma -- how to avoid getting caught for murder. But it turns out, the authorities aren't the only ones after them -- they're also wanted by high powered drug kingpin Josiah (guest star Maurice Compte), so they seek the help of Darnell and his buddy Trey (guest star Dewshane Williams) to keep out of his crosshairs. Meanwhile, after a short-lived relationship with Murphy, federal agent Josh Wallace discovers her involvement in the most important case of his career. As he focuses all efforts on putting Murphy and her friends away forever, he teams up with Chicago PD officer Gene Clemens for a rogue cat-and-mouse mission.

The fourth and final season of IN THE DARK debuted on Monday, June 6, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT on The CW. Over the past three seasons, Murphy Mason has gone from a lazy receptionist to a drunken vigilante detective, a drug front proprietor and a woman-on-the-run. But now, everything has finally caught up to her. In Season 4, blind anti-hero Murphy must work closely with her ex, Max, her best friend Felix, and his sister Leslie to keep herself out of jail for her crimes. But staying out of jail proves more difficult than expected when Josh Wallace, a Chicago PD consultant and Murphy's ex-fling, doubles down on his obsession with Murphy. Working with detectives Gene Clemens and Sarah Barnes, Josh focuses all his efforts on putting her back behind bars. In the season opener, "Bail's in Your Court," Murphy is having a tough time adjusting to life in prison with unexpected dangers looming large. Meanwhile, Max accompanies Leslie and Felix to an interesting afternoon with their grandmother. Then, in the season's second episode, "No Cane Do," Murphy has to get creative if she is going to stay alive, meanwhile, Felix comes up with a plan to help his friend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Monday, September 5, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT, The CW premiered "Please Shine Down on Me," the series finale of IN THE DARK. Murphy copes by distracting herself with a new motivation: getting even. Felix attempts to help her find other ways to deal with her emotions, but like anything with Murphy, it's an uphill battle. Josh is smug as he slowly puts together how the night unfolded, until he realized that it's not over yet. Ryan McFaul directed the episode written by Corinne Kingsbury.