Tim Motley has been doing illusions and Dirk Darrow for a long time. He knows the character, a noir detective, very well, and he’s a deft magician, but the dick shtick is getting a bit tired. At least this dick shtick. Dick jokes need to evolve, and Motley has crafted a show here that is more complex than his previous efforts, but he doesn’t quite take it far enough. The characters he’s created to explore this murder mystery are mostly funny and well thought out, and the parallels to contemporary times are perfect, but it feels like Motley’s reaching for something even more ambitious than what he has here. Maybe he just ran out of time? There are moments that are genuinely inspired, and that gives me hope that Dirk Darrow isn’t necessarily ready for retirement. He’s just gearing up for something bigger and better.