Dexter: "This neighborhood's gonna kill me."Our alienated antihero isn't fitting in out there in the 'burbs. Is anyone surprised?
Dexter's unique skill set really wasn't suited for tracking down a neighborhood vandal, although the fingerprint analysis and ski mask were quite funny. Even more critical for Dexter, the constant proximity to Rita is endangering his masquerade. She's caught him in several lies, and now she just caught him breaking security lights. A simple "I didn't want to worry you" isn't going to work this time.
I think Dexter needs to reveal some part of his real self to Rita, or he's going to end up confessing and joining a rehab group for vandals. (Is there a rehab group for vandals?) Can't he just tell her that he was dealing with the vandal in his own way, and lost his temper with the security lights? Maybe it's time he stopped lying about the small stuff and saved the important lies for the big stuff. Either that, or Dexter needs to start thinking seriously about joint custody, child support, and moving back into his cool apartment.
(Nothing on Laura Moser this week. Wouldn't it be cool if Dexter had to reveal more of his real self to both Deb and Rita this season? That would be a lot more interesting to me than solving yet another serial murder in Miami.)
The whole 'burbs situation was amusing, and Rita singing to Dexter in the car was uncomfortably funny. But my favorite scene was Dexter, Deb and Lundy working together on solving the Trinity murders, and I wish there had been more of it before the third victim gets himself bludgeoned. What do you want to bet it'll be someone we know? I vote for Quinn. He's turning into a major pain in the ass. I bet Trinity is about to explode into the headlines because Quinn can't keep his mouth shut.
Trinity seems completely dissociated from reality. (I was particularly struck by him telling his victim to be careful not to trip and hurt herself, right before he made her jump to her death.) It seems obvious that he must have killed his family, and for thirty years, he's just done it over and over again with strangers. Is that the key? If they investigate accidental deaths from thirty years ago or more, and find the three deaths in the same family? No, it can't be that easy. I never figure this stuff out ahead of time. If I'm right, I'll go out and buy a lottery ticket. 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.
Trinity sat next to an urn, poured a Scotch for an empty chair, and said, "You're next." The way Trinity marked the ground with a bit of ash – that seems like a pretty significant clue, too. Can you get DNA from cremains? Probably not. But that would mean his original victims were cremated, and that's another clue, right?
Lundy compared himself to Trinity. Sixty years old, lone wolf, lives for the hunt. I immediately started getting a vibe that the next Trinity victim will be Lundy, and I really hope I'm wrong. I like Lundy. So does Deb. All Lundy had to do was admit he was still interested, and I bet that'll be it for Anton. So I really hope I'm wrong. About Lundy being the next victim, not about Anton leaving, that is. I'm not emotionally invested in Anton.
The "vacation murder" plot seems to be there in order to create conflict and keep the cops at Miami Metro from noticing Trinity, as well as cause trouble for Maria and Angel. In the "what a wicked web we weave" department, Maria and Angel have probably just screwed themselves, so to speak, by keeping their relationship a secret. This is where Maria being the boss is probably going to make it worse for her. I doubt they'll just get away with lying, because that rarely happens in television drama.
Bits and pieces:
-- Astor is getting too old for Dexter to easily relate to. I liked that he solved the problem by telling her the truth. Which might be the key to his other communication problems, too. To some extent.
-- Quinn said he doesn't have family money any more. I was wondering about that when he was pocketing the cash. Although rich people steal, too.
-- Masuka was kind to Deb. He's so obnoxious and oblivious that I often forget that he can be a human being.
-- This week's blindingly obvious symbolism, other than the security lights, was the graffiti that Dexter couldn't quite obliterate from his front gate. Dexter's real self is always there beneath the surface, yadda yadda yadda. (Pointing out such easy symbolism is cake, but I suppose somebody has to do it.)
-- I swear the best moment in the episode was when Masuka pulled up to Dexter's house and let him out. No dialogue was necessary. Masuka's choice of vehicle and its accessories was just perfect, and laugh out loud funny.
Quotes:
Masuka: "Who do I gotta fuck to get those kind of tickets?"
Dexter: "Here. No fucking."
Dexter: "Great. Security lights. Just what every serial killer needs."
Rita: "I got the best of Bananarama."
Dexter: (quietly) "It's a cruel summer."
Not the most exciting episode, but not a bore either,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Excellent review! I also loved the Masuka truck moment with the country music. Was not expecting that at all.
ReplyDeleteI am bored with Maria and Angel.Just as I am with Deb and Anton.
I too thought, uh oh Quinn just blabbed about Trinity. Plus, um dude you've got a hot naked chick on you and you are talking about Dexter? I hoped his whole "you aren't a cop" thing, meant it was over. But looks like a new Doakes is indeed going to emerge.
My thought was that I'd like to see Dexter and Lundy work more closely and possibly see Dexter join the FBI. That would let him travel as an expert and kill people in other towns. And it might help with Rita being so close.
Part of me wants to see Dexter growl in Rita's face and scare her into backing off. But to her credit she has healed her wounds and since his addiction Lila thing, the power dynamic in their relationship shifted such that Dexter couldn't get away with it. But his weak lies have got to end.Either better lies that she doesnt break or the scary truth!
Trinity seems to be recreating what happened to his family. I'm convinced that the 3 original killings wasn't entirely him. Right now my theory is: his father kills his sister, his mother commits suicide from grief and then Trinity bashes his father head in.
ReplyDeleteThe urn contains his mother's remains, the scoth was for his father who i'm guessing was an abusive alcoholic.
I bet i'll be proved wrong, but i like to build theories. That's the fun in mysteries. :)
Dexter seems like is about to be attacked from 4 sides: Rita, Debra, Quinn and Lundy. Someone might figure him out. At least Lundy is retired and can't unleash the FBI on Dexter.
Depending if season 5 will be the last, but maybe Dex will be exposed at the end of the season and season 5 he will be hunted again, and this time cought convicted and killed. It's the only end i can see for the series.
As a costumer (albeit for theatre, which is sort of a different animal), I've always noticed that Dexter has a specific "kill outfit" - the brown henley with the darker brown pants, absolutely bland and innocuous, which is his MO to a tee - and in this episode, he wore a variation on it when he went after the kid the first time, then the actual kill outfit when he went after the father. It made me very nervous that something was going to go wrong and he was going to have a kill on his hands - but maybe it's yet to come?
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