Dexter -- Episode 5.8 -- "Take It!"

This season of Dexter has given me a lot of fits and starts.

Dexter -- Episode 5.06 -- "Everything is Illumenated"

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Dexter -- Episode 5.04 -- "Beauty and the Beast"

"I'm so glad I didn't have to slit my wrists this week..."

"There were others. It's not over."

And with that simple two sentence statement, Dexter seems to have found its footing in season 5. After three episodes of grinding exposition, frustrating soap opera, and LaGuerta/Batista nonsense, episode four has revved up this season into something that seems -- for the moment -- worth watching.

Dexter -- Episode 5.03 -- "Practically Perfect"

"Let's see...dark or white meat?"

While far from perfect, last night's episode of Dexter was much more engaging than the previous week's installment.

Dexter -- Episode 5.02 -- "Hello, Bandit"

"Yes, kids, I know Angel and LaGuerta are taking away your
screen time. I'll see what I can do about it."

Increasingly, I'm beginning to feel that Dexter is becoming two different television shows with characters that cross-over into each other's stories every once in a while. We've got the show called Dexter, about a serial killer trying to figure out how to be human; and we've got a show that should be called Miami Metro, a dramedy about a group of conflicted cops.

I love the former, and have become increasingly apathetic to the latter.

Dexter -- Episode 5.01 -- "My Bad"

"Uh, Dexter, we really need to get you some grief counseling."

Of all the emotions Dexter Morgan has learned to fake over the years (love, lust, interest, humor), there is still one that has eluded him.

Grief.

Dexter - Episode 4.11 - "Hello, Dexter Morgan"

Season 4 of "Dexter" has been amazing, and the latest installment, "Hello, Dexter Morgan" was one of the best. It set into motion events to be capitalized on in the finale, as well as had a couple iconic moments that will be remembered fondly by fans well after the show is gone.

To recap:

1) Dexter, after saving the boy, becomes even more obsessive about tracking Arthur down and putting an end to his life. To weed Arthur out, Dex tries blackmailing him by saying he'll tell the police Arthur's a pedophile. Arthur has plans of his own as he begins to wonder why "Kyle" hasn't turned him in. Arthur finds other "Kyle Butler's" and kills them.

2) Deb and Angel get Christine Hill alone in the interrogation room, but she isn't talking about her dad. Deb tries to play the "we have something in common" angle, but it doesn't work. Finally, they are forced to release her by order of Christine's lawyer.

3) Angel and LaGuerta, in order to save their jobs after having their clandestine romance discovered by Captain Matthews, get married in the office and use the values of Miami's latino community as a political shield to get Matthews to back off.

4) Dexter realizes that with Christine in police custody, the cops are closing in on finding Arthur, putting the Trinity Killer out of his knife's reach. So, he finds a suspect from Lundy's Trinity files to peg the murders on and plants incriminating evidence after killing the man, quickie-style.

5) Rita tells Dex about how she kissed Elliot, their next door neighbor. Dex is nonchalant about the whole thing, much to Rita's dismay. It's not until Dex comes home one night, sees Elliot, and proceeds to punch him out, that Rita feels loved by her constantly absent hubby.

6) Christine still tries to get her daddy's approval/help, but Arthur tells her he wishes she had never been born. Devastated, Christine calls Deb to her place to confess to the murder of Lundy, asks Deb for forgiveness, and after being rebuffed, kills herself in front of Deb.

7) In a crazy game of cat-and-mouse, Arthur organizes a money drop spot for "Kyle" to meet him, is a no-show, and follows Dexter back to the police station. In one of the series' most jaw dropping events, Arthur enters the homicide department, admires the pictures from his case posted on the crime bulletin boards, and meets Dex face-to-face in the middle of the homicide floor.

First of all, this episode was a nail-biter. After several episodes focused on character building, this one poured on the plot fast and furious. Dexter's murder of the truck driver felt more like an after thought than an actual release. (It was indeed a quickie. Fortunately, the driver fulfilled Dex's code, making him a safe target. Although as I watched this, I did wonder how Dex found enough time to perform his ritual in its entirety. Even if he cut down the banter, didn't post pics of the killer's victims, he still needed to kill, dismember, bag the body, tear down the kill room, get to the marina and dump the bags in the gulf stream. All in broad daylight, no less. This seemed a bit of a stretch.) Deb made quick work of getting Christine to confess. Trinity's dangerous game felt dangerous. And the Laguerta/Angel scenes didn't feel as distracting (even though they still felt just as tacked on and pointless).

What's to come for the season finale? There's lots of speculation out there. Most fans/writers are thinking Trinity is going to figure out where Dex lives and make an attack on his family. Some even feel Rita (or one of the kids) is going to die. I have my own ideas.

1) Rita, nor any of the children (egads!), are going to die. Dex will not let this happen. I think Rita is going to learn some very damning information about her new hubby from Trinity, but as Dex realized in the episode "Dirty Harry," he would rather risk having his family discover the Dark Passenger than lose them. I think that statement will be put to the test in the finale.

2) The trailer for the finale makes it pretty clear that Deb is going to learn about the existence of Laura Moser. Whether this will cause her to put two-and-two together and connect Dex to his father's ex C.I. is up in the air. But I've always believed that Deb would learn Dexter's origin by the end of this season, so I'm sticking to it.

3) Either LaGuerta or Angel will die. How? Don't know. If it's between the two of them, though, I pick LaGuerta to die. Angel's too cool; LaGuerta too bitchy.

4) Trinity will not die on Dex's kill table. Season 1 it was the Ice Truck Killer. Season 2 it was Lyla. Season 3 it was Miguel Prado. This season, though, the writer's will shake things up a bit. I think, somehow, that Trinity will be caught by Deb and the police. Over the course of the series, Dex has always seemed like the better detective, despite not being one. During the last half of this season, Miami Metro has stepped up their game. It would be an interesting twist having Arthur in police custody, knowing Dex's secret. Shades of Hannibal Lecter.

Sunday night is the season finale. Showtime is promising a twist of epic proportions. Let's hope so. Suffice to say, this week has been moving along at a snail's pace on the long journey to Sunday night.

Dexter -- Episodes 4.9 and 4.10 -- "Hungry Man," "Lost Boys"

I haven't posted on my favorite serial killer in a while, and after the last two episodes I'm ashamed of myself.

Season 4 of Dexter has received some mixed reviews. On some of the blogs I've read, a few writers have dismissed this season as attempting to water down Dexter's character to make him a more palatable "moral" serial killer over his morally ambiguous origins in order to give the series some longevity (as well as draw in a wider audience who are more comfortable with cuddly killers). There has also been talk that Dexter himself has become a wet noodle, a shadow of his former dark self who left cold and calculated in the Paris hotel room where he killed Lyla.

For me, I can't agree with these ideas about the series. Season 4 has been consistently impressive, spearheaded as it is by the performances of Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow. These two eat up the screen and demand our attention. They're like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, drawing attention to their own greatness as well as bringing out the best in others. Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan) has really blossomed this season as well as C.S. Lee (Vince Masuka).

While this season has been very strong, the last two episodes typify why Dexter is the best thing on television right now. "Hungry Man" and "Lost Boys" are two of the best episodes in the series, and "Hungry Man" may be a contender for the top three.

Let me recap:

"Hungry Man" focused on Thanksgiving. Dexter is torn between two meals, that with his family and one with the Trinity Killer's clan. Dexter, pretending to be Kyle, is invited by Trinity's son, Jonah (indeed stuck in the belly of the whale) to spend the holiday with his family to ensure that Trinity does not erupt. Apparently things are not so sweet in the state of Denmark. Trinity rules his home with an iron fist. He abuses Jonah, and keeps his daughter Rebecca locked in her room to "protect" her. The reign of terror is so much that poor Rebecca feels compelled to offer herself sexually to Dex on the sly in order to garner his favor and take her out of there. Mom, who witnesses this display, doesn't even get angry with Dex, only insisting that he not tell her husband.

Meanwhile, Deb is neck-deep in her research on Trinity's case. She is busy enough that she continues trying to avoid Quinn's annoying reporter-girlfriend, Christine, who's looking for her feature article about Deb's heroism in light of Lundy's tragic death. Avoiding Christine proves to be in vain, though, but not without its revelations. Deb gets a hunch that Christine may have something to do with the shootings when she mentions to Deb how awful it must have been to look Lundy in the eyes as he died, a detail which was not on official record.

Thanksgiving at the Morgan house is chaotic, but things get heated when Elliot, the next-door-neighbor, makes a pass at Rita and kisses her. Rita gives in to her desires briefly before realizing the err of her ways. Elliot points out how absent Dex is, a fact Rita is in denial over. Unfortunately for Rita, Vince Masuka -- invited to Thanksgiving by Deb -- witnesses the clandestine kiss and is devastated.

The ending of this episode is classic, making it one of the best of all-time for the series. Learning that Christine is related to Trinity -- a hidden daughter -- was an amazing reveal, and one that kept me stunned for a whole week. What did it all mean? Does she know about the killings? Was she the shooter? How is she Trinity's daughter when he already has a family -- does his other family know about her?

This led into the most recent episode, "Lost Boys," which served to set-up the endgame of this season, while deepening both the characters of Dex and Trinity. The recap on this one is simple:

We discover Trinity doesn't kill in threes. He kills in fours. Before a cycle, Trinity abducts a 10-year old boy and forces him to wear 40-year old pajamas while playing with trains and listening to 45s of "Venus" by Frankie Avalon. Why does he do this? He's a sick fuck, that's why! Well, that, and the fact that he's trying to find a way to preserve the innocence he lost the day he witnessed his sister die in the family bathtub.

Dexter is trying to preserve his own innocence in a way, too. He ditches the shed outside the house for his office space by renting out a storage unit just like the one his mother was slaughtered in. It's kind of like the batcave in Batman Begins, when Bruce Wayne sets up shop amongst the very creatures that scare him the most.

Dex begins following Trinity, but loses him after the child abduction. He spends the rest of the episode trying to get to Trinity before he kills the kid. This pursuit reaches a pivotal moment when Dex catches the killer in the act as he's about ready to immerse the poor, unconscious child in a well of concrete at one of the Four Walls build sites.

On the Deb front, she finally figures out that Christine is lying about her involvement in Lundy's murder, so she manages to get Quinn to bring in Christine's toothbrush for DNA evidence. The results come back showing that Christine is related to Trinity. So, Miami's finest arrest the reporter, but not before she's able to tell dear-old-dad that the police are hot on her (and his) trail.

What amazes me most about these two episodes -- and this season -- is how Dexter has begun to struggle with the morality behind his code. In the first two seasons, Dex is a killing machine. He doesn't care about what other killers do; he's killing not out of a vigilante sense of justice, but out of necessity to feed the hunger of his "dark passenger." Season 3 began showing cracks in that emotionless facade as Dex sought the comfort of a confidant and friend. Now, in season 4, though, Dex is beginning to realize that he has strong emotions and ties to the people in his life. They are no longer beards protecting his extra-curricular activities. He legitimately cares for and loves his family. This has brought him to a place where he can have a moral and ethical feelings about the behavior of other killers. It hasn't sated his personal bloodlust, but it has given him that vigilante attitude he didn't give a shit about before.

About the only complaint I have with this season so far has to do with a scene in episode 4.7, "Slack Tide." At the end of the episode, Dex discovers that he killed an innocent man. He went after a creepy professional photographer believing the man was responsible for the deaths of his immigrant models. Turned out the real killer was the photographer's assistant, but by the time Dex learned this, he had already taken the man's life on his table. My complaint has to do with the implications of this action. Dex hasn't really dealt with this, nor has it come back to haunt him. Hell, Joey Quinn, as much as a douche as he is, saw Dex at the nightclub where the photographer was hanging out the night before Dex killed him. I know the season isn't over yet, but my hope is that this plot thread will not be left hanging in favor of the more explosive conflict between Dexter and Trinity destined to come.

After this extremely long post, I don't feel so ashamed anymore. There are two more episodes of season 4 left, and if the previews are any indictation, we are in for some fucking awesome shit!

Dexter - Episode 4.7 - "Slack Tide"

A "slack tide" is when there is no tide at all. It's a restful calm before the storm.

That's what episode 7 of this outstanding season 4 was all about: the calm before the storm. Not much actually happened, but the seeds were sown for the season's endgame.

Here's a recap:

1. A girl's severed arm is found inside an alligator. She is a model who was last known to be working with a well-known celebrity horror photographer. The PD and Dexter all believe he's the guy.

2. Dexter makes an official enemy out of Detective Quinn when he shuts down Quinn's reporter-girlfriend. To put Quinn in place, Dex reminds him that he witnessed Quinn's crime scene theft earlier in the season. This sort of blackmail does not sit well with Quinn, who is now primed to go Sgt. Doakes on Dexter for the remainder of the season.

3. Deb meets one of her father's old informants and finds out that Dad was fucking pretty much all of his hot CIs. This case of "TMI" is enough to make her shut down that investigation. So, she dives head first into dead Lundy's investigation of the Trinity Killer.

4. And speaking of Trinity, Dexter gets much closer to him in this episode as he continues to seek advice from the geezer. This time he wants to know more about raising children. Trinity's response: give them something to do to get them the fuck out of the way. So, Dex does this by signing Cody up in the Sailor's Club and throwing a guitar at Astor.

5. Meanwhile, Dex and Trinity spend time together cutting down a tree, which Trinity later uses the wood for building a coffin.

This episode was very hit-and-miss for me, especially after the previous episode, "If I Had a Hammer." The scenes between Dex and Trinity, as usual, were riveting, especially the moment when Trinity hits a deer with his van, but can't find the ability to put the squirming thing out of its misery. What do we learn here about the old coot: he can slice up the femoral arteries of young girls in bathtubs, make middle-aged women jump off buildings, and bash in the brains of men with carpentry hammers, but he can't complete a mercy killing for a helpless deer?

I believe firmly now that Trinity is only capable of killing as a means to exorcise the demons in his past. The reason he forced himself to bathe in scalding water during the first episode, and the reason he allowed a man to beat the shit out of him in an alley were acts of self-flagellation. He's punishing himself for his sins, even though he's a slave to them. Trinity may just be more than a killer of "threes." His moniker may have something to do with the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost as well.

I hope the writer's go somewhere soon with the relationship between Batista and LaGuerta. I am getting annoyed by it, because it doesn't seem to have much to do with the main storyline and has become a distraction.

The same can be said for the storyline involving Quinn. He's being set-up as the new Doakes. The only difference is that Doakes, despite having major issues with Dexter, was actually lovable in that grumpy-old-man way. Quinn's a dipshit, who isn't interested in doing his job as much as he's interested in covering his own ass. There's a part of me that wants to see the fucker on Dex's kill table soon, even if it means violating the code.

And, lastly, speaking of the code. The twist at the end of the episode was stellar. Dexter made a HUGE mistake killing the photographer when it was really his assistant who was the murderer. It was good seeing the Miami Metro trumping Dex for once in detective work, but heartbreaking to watch Dex slump against the door in his lab under the weight of violating the code. How's he gonna deal with this one?

Next week? Hopefully Quinn dies (but not before we get to see the reporter's tits again), Deb gets a hot lead that puts her on the trail of Trinity, and Dex swaps trade secrets with Trinity.

"Dexter" - Episodes 4.4 and 4.5 - "Dex Takes a Holiday" and "Dirty Harry"

What separates "Dexter" from virtually every story about serial killers is his earnestness. Dex is a man with a sense of his own needs, yet -- for the most part -- sensitivity for the needs of others. He isn't just a "neat"monster; he's a caring one, too.

Episodes four and five of this fourth season of Dexter are easily the best of the season, and both find Dexter facing the wall of denial he has built over his feelings for those around him. In episode four, the focus is directed at Rita and the kids. In the fifth episode, the focus is shifted towards Deb, who finds herself in the hospital after having been shot in front of Lundy's motel.

Here's a basic recap:

1. After Dex is caught breaking the neighbor's annoying security light, Rita chalks it up to excess pressure (and the concussion) and takes the kids by herself for a family wedding. Dex sees this as an opportunity to satisfy his dark passenger. He sets his sights on a cop from another department who murdered her family.

2. Lundy bumps into the Trinity Killer outside a business complex while researching one of Trinity's kills 30 years ago. Trinity recognizes Lundy from a picture in the newspaper and bumps into him for signs of recognition.

3. Deb realizes that she is still in love with Lundy, and decides to sleep with him despite her relationship with Anton.

4. LaGuerta and Angel debate over revealing their inner office relationship to the upper brass. LaGuerta ignores Angel's call for secrecy and tells Captain Matthews anyway.

5. Quinn and the reporter chick have hot sex. She learns stuff about the Vacation Murders and Lundy's investigation from him, which she publishes in the morning edition. Quinn gets mad, but not for long. She's THAT hot.

6. Deb and Lundy are shot outside Lundy's motel. Lundy dies.

7. Dex suspects Trinity is responsible for the shooting even though the rest of the department is calling for the Vacation Killers. He takes Lundy's research before it can be bagged as evidence and uses it to profile Trinity.

8. Deb breaks down in front of Dex and calls herself "broken."

9. Rita discovers Dex still has his apartment. She gets really pissed and almost discovers Dex's stash of knives and syringes.

10. LaGuerta, because of her disclosure, is asked by Captain Matthews to inform Angel of his reassignment out of Homicide.

11. Trinity kills his third person. Dex is too late to stop him.

12. Dex discovers that Trinity is a family man.

That's a lot of stuff in two episodes...

But what does it all mean? What's the purpose? What are we seeing in this season?

Obviously, the first part of the season dealt with Dexter's assimilation into domestic, suburban living. But these last two episodes have taken him into a different direction. Acceptance.

In "Dex Takes a Holiday," the most important scene came during Dex's kill of Zoey, the family killing cop. He has her on his kill table, the photos of her dead family around her, and she tells him that he's no different than she is. He'll need his space. He'll kill his family, too.

But Dex realizes something key in this moment, as is typical in most of kill scenes. He says, "I'd rather they know who I am than kill them." He looks shocked as the words come across his lips, as if they were spoken by someone different. For the first time he understands just how much he loves Rita and his family. He'd rather risk his double-life than see them injured. As the episode ends, Rita comes home and Dexter joins the family on the couch, filling in the space left just for him. He has accepted his place in this new world.

"Dirty Harry" takes this to the next level. After seeing Deb on a stretcher and realizing she could have been killed, Dex takes a profound interest in the Trinity Killer. No longer is his research of a killer a cold, calculated experience. The typical routines that get him off are upset by a new barrage of feelings. Revenge. Dex wants revenge. He doesn't care so much that Lundy died. After all, Lundy was an adversary if you think about it. He was afraid for his sister. He needs to protect his world.

But then a strange thing happens. Dex learns that the Trinity Killer is just...like...him. A family man -- married with kids. Uh oh. And based upon the way Trinity greeted, and was greeted by, his family, he has accepted and enjoyed his dual life for a very long time. How will Dexter interpret this? What will he say? Will his feelings for Trinity change? Maybe more so than the Ice Truck Killer, Lyla, and Miguel Prado, this man is a kindred spirit. Quite possibly a mentor.

Next week: Dex researches the life of Trinity. Deb seeks meaning. Rita probes deeper into Dex's secret life. And LaGuerta and Angel's situation stops being so arbitrary (keep fingers crossed).

Dexter - Episode 4.2 - 4.3 - "Remains to Be Seen" and "Blinded By The Light"

I wish I could post these comments faster, not that anyone reads them anyway. There are a lot of shows on TV I'd like to talk about ("Mad Men," "Flashforward"), but just not enough time.

So, I've got some catching up to do since my last post on "Dexter's" season 4 return, "Living the Dream." Where we left our friendly neighborhood serial killer, he had just gotten into an awful auto wreck after falling asleep at the wheel. We weren't so much as concerned about Dex's well-being as we were about the possibility of authorities finding the dead body of Benny Gomez sorted into Hefty bags in Dexter's trunk. Suffice to say, Dexter was too smart for that, but due to a concussion from the crash, he can't remember where he hid the body. Paranoia and internal struggle ensues.

At this point, with a quarter of the season already past, the first three episodes are truly episodic, unlike the more serialized nature of the first three seasons. There are some continuing plot threads, but Dexter's problems are more specific. Something tells me, though, not for long.

Here is what we learn in the the last two episodes:

1. Dexter's "Dark Passenger" is pretty damn smart.

2. Rita is growing suspicious of her husband after she discovers he lied about the severity of the accident, the intensity of his concussion. Then, to top it all off, at the end of episode 3, she witnesses him breaking the neighbor's security light on purpose.

3. The neighborhood is very chummy and will become a major thorn in Dex's side as the season progresses.

4. The Trinity Killer is really scary and has a strange pattern of behavior. He kills a young girl in a bathtub, a middle aged woman with two kids by making her jump off a building, and bludgeons an older man to death. He also likes to leave the bodies as a showcase.

5. Lundy is still pining for Deb.

6. Angel and LaGuerta's office romance is not without consequences as it pertains to the "Vacation Killer" case.

7. Quinn is a "dirty" cop -- steals money from crime scenes and fucks hot reporters.

So far, season 4 has been remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable.

I have a couple theories as to where this is all going.

1. Trinity is going to make Lundy his third target. Lundy fits the profile and his death would also put an end to the investigation of Trinity's work.

2. Rita is going to discover that Dex kept his old apartment and will get really close to learning his secret, if not learning it outright.

3. Deb is going to leave Anton and discover the truth about Laura Mosser.

4. LaGuerta and Angel's relationship will be revealed and they will get in BIG trouble.

Can't wait till this coming Sunday!

Dexter -- Episode 4.01 -- "Living the Dream"

Dexter is back!

Better than ever? Who can tell?

Season 3 of "Dexter" was stellar, if uneven at times. After re-watching the season on Blu-Ray, I had a greater appreciation for its subtleties and character development.

So far, it seems that season 4 is working to combine the subtle elements of season 3 with the seat-of-your-pants explosive elements of season's one and two.

We pick up a few months after season 3 ended. Baby Harrison is born. The Morgans have moved into a new house in a sublime Miami suburb. Deb and Anton have cultivated a healthy relationship. And Angel has broken up with Barbara.

Oh, and one more important detail. We have a new killer: John Lithgow as the "Trinity Killer." Let me just say that his introduction is one of the best villain intros ever. He is absolutely creepy.

Dexter's biggest conflict is no longer trying to find a friend, or deal with his father's past; it's much simpler -- get some sleep. The baby is a night owl, keeping Dex up all night, causing him to screw up on a murder case at trial. This sets into motion the major events of the rest of the episode, which has such a shocking cliffhanger I was left speechless.

The episode is called, "Living the Dream." This title is very informative, and sheds light on what's to come this season.

What is the American Dream? Is it possible to attain it? I remember discussing this issue at length when I was in 10th grade, reading "The Great Gatsby." The American Dream we envisioned was one of a white house, white picket fence, children running in the sprinklers, new car in the driveway, and a beautiul wife standing in the doorway holding a pitcher of lemonade. The first ten minutes of season 4 shows us a similar image, with Rita telling Dexter that they are "living the dream."

The cost of attaining this unattainable dream, though, is high. Nothing comes free in this world, and for Dexter what must be sacficed is his privacy. He tries to hold on to his apartment, but nonetheless has become a visitor to the world he once lived in. And the ending of the episode puts Dex in a spot where the two worlds he lives in seem poised to collide.

So, can Dexter have it all? Of course not, but season 4 is going to show us how much he's willing to try, and how far he's willing to go.