Today’s a holiday to many people who don’t work on the Internet, and therefore a slow news day, so a week before we rev up our Monday morning season three The Walking Dead coverage, I thought we’d take one more look at Dexter, at least until something momentous happens on the Showtime drama. So, how did Debra react when she found out that, not only had Dexter killed Travis on purpose, but that he’s a serial killer with a very lengthy history of murders?
To be honest, she was surprisingly chill with the news. Yes, she took a moment to vomit, but once the news settled, she wasn’t scared (as I would be if I’d found out a sibling had a 20-year-history of MURDERING PEOPLE), and she didn’t show any real intention to turn Dexter in, despite the fact that she’s a police officer, or — as she noted herself — “the worst cop ever” for failing to notice that her own brother was a serial killer. She did make a few wise cracks, however. Why wouldn’t she turn Dexter in? Because she recognized that she was an unwitting accomplice in his crimes, and would therefore likely lose her job, and because, well, Dexter is her brother and she doesn’t want to see him spend the rest of his life in prison … or worse. Oh, yeah: AND BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO BANG HIM.
Ultimately, she treated his Dark Passenger like anything else that makes a person not normal, like owning too many cats or eating breakfast for dinner everyday. We’re all a little weird, right?
What’s her solution? Rehab.
In one of the silliest contrivances of the series, Deb decided that Dexter would move in with her, she’d keep an eye on him, and they would work together to rehab exorcise the serial killer and get “to the good underneath.” Is there a 12-step program for serial killers? Will sibling therapy really keep Dexter from killing?
No. But, Dexter’s affection and respect for his sister does mean that he’ll try to keep the bloodlust at bay, and if he can’t, at least he’ll be honest with Deb, as he was when he stopped himself from killing Louis, therefore depriving us of one hell of a satisfying kill. But then again, to kill Louis would be to go against The Code: Louis is not an evil guy (at least, not yet); he’s an asshole. If Dexter expanded his permissible kills to assholes, 75 percent of Florida’s population would be targets.
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At least this storyline is interesting. My advice for people who have passed on Dexter for the last few seasons, go ahead and watch again. And no, you don’t have to watch the past seasons you’ve missed. They don’t matter at all. Debra finds out Dexter is a serial killer is all the information you need to press on.
Hmm. I’m still on the fence.
I agree that it is at least interesting. It is a dramatic turn-around from last year where the twist was not only telegraphed from miles away, but was fairly boring too.
Last night’s episode wasn’t as good as the premiere, but I at least have no idea where this is going so far, which is quite a change from past years.
This show just keeps getting worse. LaGuerta has done ZERO police work and all of a sudden she sees something under a grate in a burned down church. What about her character makes us thinking she would 1. notice 2. even care. 3. crawl on her knees to this object 3. even make the connection between the two.
Her character has been the worst. Dex needs to get rid of her quick, fast and in a hurry. The show still has potential but not with her awfulness.
Well she was best friends with Doakes and the only one who cared enough about Him to attend his funeral. If I remember correctly She never fully believed that Doakes was a killer because it really didn’t make any sense. Why would a badass like Doakes take blood slides, when he had no scientific inclinations at all.
Anyway I hope this leads to the inevitable encounter between Her and Deb which leads to Deb killing LaGuerta and Dexter taking the rap for it, and then the world will be rid of the worse character in the history of television.
i’m kind of hoping that they decide to bring in doakes’ twin brother as a storyline cuz doakes is awesome.
You should check out the books. The plots are just as contrived, but there are random moments of excellence (like Doakes is alive, but has no hands or tongue). Also, Deb has known all along about Dexter’s hobby, but occasionally uses it for her own purposes. Hopefully that’s where this season goes.
By the way, was anyone else watching the confrontation scenes last week and this week and imagining the moment in their brief (real-life) marriage when she said “Michael, are you gay?”
What about the gaping plot hole of where is Harrison staying when Dexter is living with Deb. Are we to believe that baby sitter Jaime is now able to care for Harrison 24-7 when Dexter is shacked up with his sister???
yep. very odd. deb, dexter and harrison lived together before.
Where do you get the idle speculation of Quinn? Just curious…
I didn’t get the whole “Quinn driving the stripper home” part of the episode. Is he being set up by the guy who owns the strip club and the Ukraine mafia? She also gave him the name of the bouncer that had nothing to do with the other strippers death. I don’t know where that whole storyline is going…
It’s implied that Louis set up his former partner in the software company with child pornagraphy… which put him in prison for 15 years. That deserves a session on Dexter’s table in my book…
Does anyone else find it irregular that a 20 something babysitter has become Harrisons mother in just 2 episodes?
Deb: “Dexter you going to live with me now”
Dex: “What about my son?”
Deb: “We’ll let Baptistia’s sister and psycho boyfriend adopt him”
I kept asking my wife through the entire thing “Who the hell is caring for Harrison?”. It was far fetched when Jaime would stay to 4am because Dex was always “working late”. And for that matter, no one questioned why Dexter all of a sudden had to move in with his sister, and abandon his kid?
I’m really liking this so far, but from now on I’m going to be watching this season fulling waiting for it to jump in front of a 18 wheeler.
And we need Ryan back, stat!
Dexter went on a road trip to Nebraska last season. Harrison is taken care of.
I can’t justify LaGuerta finding the evidence, but as for following up on it, I can rationalize that as her trying to ruin someone else’s day.
Also, I thought they did a fair job of lampshading the absurdity of rehab for a serial killer. That said, if it works, I’ll be mad at the series.
Homeland and Boardwalk Empire were particularly good this week. Dexter just makes me angry for not being the better show that it could be. I don’t expect much from network television (but then again, The Good Wife) but when I started a Showtime drama with Michael C Hall as a moonlighting serial-killer several years ago, I certainly wasn’t expecting things like LaGuerta, Colin Hanks as a Red Dragon wannabe, or Titus Pullo in a nonsensical russian brotherhood…
Bautista’s sister is either the most caring and patient babysitter in the world or Dexter is giving her half of his salary.
….or there is a giant hole in the writing.
I think they gave Dex a son as a plot device, then had the “Oh, shit” moment when they realized they had to live with him. I’m assuming at some point the kid just goes out of the picture, maybe to live with the grandparents in Orlando.
I’m thinking Laguerta finds out Dexter is the Butcher and when she tries to take him down Deb kills her.
Or Deb sees some sick bastard walk free and she gives him the go ahead to kill that person. That kind of happens in the books though and they haven’t followed those storylines.
I gave up after John Lithgow. I really still don’t see how to top that, but two people who were married for a while in real life playing siblings that you just KNOW are going to end up in bed together is the cherry on top of the white trash sundae. That is the entire reason the internet makes so much fun of Florida.
Okay I thought of something that would top Lithgow. And that something is the six most awesome letters in action television: Sam Axe. He’d be in Deb’s pants three days before he even showed up.