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Dexter: It's Alive!

Dexter: "I'm coiled and ready to strike. Although a spare will do."

I can't believe that I actually felt bad that poor Dexter couldn't kill anyone. It's so twisted. I love it.

They found Dexter's stash o' corpses! What a shocker. There were sooo many Hefty bags down there; it looked like a lot more than thirty. This is an absolutely fascinating plot development. I guess we're going to find out exactly how careful Dexter has been, huh?

"It's Alive!" was what Frankenstein said about his monster. Dexter constantly refers to himself as a monster. He didn't seem at all upset that Doakes was shadowing him; Dexter saw it as a game, and his heart didn't beat any faster. But when his underwater stash was found, Dexter felt fear for the very first time. Another step toward humanity for Dexter. Like not being able to kill. Not one, but two of his prospective victims just got away. (Both of those scenes were just incredibly funny.)

But for Dexter, it's not just killing; he constantly avenges his inner child. That little girl was looking to Dexter for justice, and her mother even outright asked Dexter to kill Little Chino. What will happen to Dexter if he just can't do it any more? What's interesting for me is that I'm not sure how I feel about it. Part of me wants Dexter to become a real human being, to stop killing people and achieve some level of normalcy. The other part of me wants him to keep killing people like Little Chino, to keep taking out the garbage. So I'm sort of at war, too, like Dexter.

In other news, Rita again got delightfully aggressive with Dexter, whose impotence carried over into the bedroom. (I've noticed that when Rita initiates sex, it doesn't happen. Dexter is a control freak, after all.) I think Rita was overcompensating, refusing to even consider the possibility that Dexter framed Paul. I bet Paul's death just changed that. Why did they kill off that character? Were they unable to get the actor for more than one episode, or had that plotline gone as far as it could? Is Rita's suspicion all that is needed to make yet more trouble for Dexter?

To add to Dexter's stress, Deb, unable to live alone, moved into Dexter's one-bedroom apartment. Deb was actually joking about her experience with Rudy ("at least he paid for my meals"). What a brave and extraordinary coping mechanism – that clearly wasn't working. Deb didn't just date a serial killer who tried to chop her up, after all. She also lost the man she thought was the love of her life. Deb and Rita sharing over hot wings was interesting. They have more in common than they know.

Will Dexter be uncovered this season? Will the same thing happen to Rita? No. Because how could they ever write their way out of it?

Bits and pieces:

-- The credits were the same, and C.S. Lee (Vince) has been added to the cast. Good. He's a tremendously fun character.

-- It's been 38... wait... 39 days since Dexter killed Brian.

-- How long can Dexter sublimate his urge to kill with, of all things, bowling? His biological father's favorite sport, which of course, had meaning. Another father to emulate, like Harry. Or instead of Harry.

-- Deb has become a minor celebrity. Mrs. Ice Truck Killer.

-- Angel has found the meaning of life through Oprah. Maria hasn't adjusted well to not being the boss, but at least she was nice to Deb. (Deb hugging Maria was a hoot.) And Pascal was having problems with her fiance and confiding in Maria; that's a serious sign of weakness in a boss.

-- When Dexter tossed that beer bottle over his killing field, I thought, what about fingerprints? Will salt water dissolve them? Or did Dexter just make a mistake?

-- I absolutely loved Sensio the blind man unsuccessfully trying to put the hoodoo on Dexter.

-- This episode's Most Obvious Symbolism: Dexter was wearing a bowling shirt for his team, "Bowl till you bleed." Deborah was wearing a tee shirt that said, "Alive & Well." Both had meaning, and both were true, but not exactly.

-- In this week's hair report, Michael C. Hall's hair was the same length but they were doing something different with it that I liked better. How's that for vague?

Quotes:

Dexter: "My best hope of losing him is to act relentlessly normal. Dull. So I bowl. What's really disturbing is that I'm good at it."

Angel: "Tell the universe what you need."
Dexter: (to himself) "I really need to kill somebody."

Dexter: "A blind man. Not very sporting, I know, but I'm not one to discriminate based on race, gender or disability." Plus Sensio won't be able to identify Dexter. Little Chino can, though. This can't be good.

Dexter: "I can't even get doughnuts right. What's going on here?"

Dexter: "I'm just a little rusty since killing my brother. Or maybe I took pity on my victim. I mean, sure, he's a heinous killer, but he also bumps into walls."

Doakes: "Can we please secure this motherfucking crime scene?" I love Doakes. I really, really do.

Dexter: "I see you've been benched."
Deb: "LaGuerta's just jealous the Ice Truck Killer fucked me instead of her."

Dexter: "Right now, all I can think about is the smell of Rita's kitchen, the breathy cadence of her sleeping children, the warmth of her flesh." This line just shouted to me that Dexter really loves Rita.

Clever, funny, and an incredible set-up for season two. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Four stars,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

2 comments:

  1. The Ice Truck Killer may be dead and buried but he’s managed to leave his mark on the Morgan siblings.

    Was a hoot seeing Dexter struggling with homicidal impotency. He’s feeling guilty about killing his brother, I lost track of how many times he mentioned it. Much as he likes to think he’s this emotionless monster is really isn’t. He cares, about innocent people, about Rita and her kids as well as his sister. Poor Debs. She’s traumatized and not dealing with it. She’s bottling up and putting on a brave front but it’s causing her to lash out.

    This was just a great episode and a fantastic start to the season.

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  2. As I get more and more involved with this show, I am always amazed when I laugh out loud. This show can be so, so dark, but there are times it is hilarious. Your lead quote, for example, I thought was fantastic.

    I, too, felt so sorry for both Dexter and Debra in this episode. As Mark says, the ITK did a number on both of them. But, what a shock to see all those bags. I gasped and paused to count. And yet, I continue to cheer for this man.

    Great catch on the bowling! I had forgotten that detail about his biological father.

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