Dexter: "I need to be a good brother now so that I can be a good serial killer later."This season's big theme has been Dexter realizing that he can't have a family and a secret life at the same time. He still hasn't internalized it, though; there he was, torn in six different directions, and he was still determined to frame that truck driver so he could kill Trinity himself. I kept wanting to bop him on the head and say, Dex, will you please just let Deb and Miami Metro have the guy? Oops. Too late.
Just as Dexter has constantly compared himself to Trinity this season, Deb has (to some extent) identified with Christine: both desperate for the love of an absent father, and following in his footsteps. Jennifer Carpenter should get an Emmy for this season. That scene where Christina confessed and asked Deb for forgiveness was outstanding, and so was the one where Deb took Lundy's name off the "unsolved" board. Not to mention her "don't put yourself down, I was engaged to the Ice Truck Killer" speech to Quinn. Which, of course, also served to remind the audience about Dexter's biological family and the unresolved C.I. plot.
As soon as Christine started confessing to Deb, I knew she was going to shoot herself – a final act of self sacrifice for a father who didn't give a crap about her. Poor Christine. And poor Quinn. He not only lost his girlfriend, she made him look like an utter fool at the same time. It's almost enough to make me like him.
I was rather proud of Rita for just telling Dexter the truth about Elliot, instead of letting him find out from Masuka. Dexter's reaction was fun. He really didn't care, but he managed to figure out what Rita expected of him and went next door to punch Elliot in the nose. Rita now feels loved and valued. Dexter does sometimes seem to be getting the hang of this marriage thing. Even though he really doesn't have the time or the temperament for a family. Not to mention the fact that he constantly puts them in danger.
They've successfully ratcheted up the suspense and kept me guessing this season, and I can't wait for next week's finale. I have no idea what's going to happen. One thing I do know, though. If Dexter successfully eliminates Trinity without any consequences to his so-called "normal life," I'm going to feel cheated. There's been way too much build-up to Dexter's private life falling apart. Something has to hit the fan.
Bits and pieces:
-- So Christine wasn't part of Trinity's current family. This time, while watching the "previously on," I realized that they gave us Christine's age: she saw one of Trinity's earliest victims thirty years ago, when she was five.
-- Trinity got a real charge out of seeing all his kills on the board at Miami Metro.
-- The Angel/Maria plot has echoed Dexter's; they just can't have their cake and eat it, too. The two of them secretly getting married was a fun surprise. So next season, will we watch them secretly breaking up?
-- Don't weddings require at least two witnesses?
-- Trinity taking out the Kyle Butlers in the phone book was (intentionally or not) a petite homage to Terminator.
-- We still don't know exactly how Dexter managed to return Scott. He couldn't have left him unconscious, lying beside that pit of liquid cement. How did he do it? I'm really curious.
-- The preview for this episode showed Trinity walking into Miami Metro. That should have been a surprise. No more previews for me, I swear it.
Quotes:
Deb: "Cut him some slack. His girlfriend's a psycho."
Angel: "He is the Trinity killer. And he has been sending you postcards from Hell."
Dexter: "Love thy neighbor. Bullshit. I should leave it alone. Go inside. Watch the History Channel."
Another suspenseful edge of your seat-er, even with the spoiler previews. (I was careful not to watch next week's.) Four out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
I have to stop watching previews too. That ending could have been one of the best moments of the season, but oh well.
ReplyDeleteGood episode, though it seemed to be moving rather quickly (Dexter set up that trucker in a snap) to build for the finale which like you, I have no idea what's going to go down. Dexter is at its best when that's the case.
And as a side note I like Quinn's character. He's the only interesting person in the police department (minus Deb, of course.)
I absolutely loved the way they shot the last minute of this episode. The camera angles were superb. Trinity's shots were all dead level whereas Dexter's angles were all shot from the top down; leaving us in no doubt as to who's in the ascendancy. And that last shot... with Dexter stood toe to toe with the trinity killer, exposed, in his own back yard... with the ceiling fan spinning between them, sent a chill down my spine.
ReplyDeleteAfter "Hungry Man" I didn't think they'd be able to maintain the pace and tension, but they have. Dexter's the best showing currently airing on TV.
I'm with Paul, the last scene was superb. They shot Trinity's feet as if he was stalking Dexter. His confidence was expected. He was in control.
ReplyDeleteBest show on TV.
Yeah, it's a shame, the ending would've been great if they hadn't given it away. Instead we knew where this was headed all episode. I still enjoyed the episode though, of course.
ReplyDeleteRe: Dexter punching Eliot - I actually didn't take it as him realizing this was what Rita expected. Based on the voiceover line (which is quoted in the review) I think upon seeing Eliot outside there he suddenly realized he did care. Before when he talked to Rita about it he was too distracted by the other things going on (particularly Trinity stuff) to really pay much attention to it. But upon seeing Eliot, he suddenly did get angry and felt the urge to hit him and against his better sense went ahead and did so anyway, for satisfaction. I looked at the scene as a good way of showing that he did care about his marriage (another way he is not like Trinity).
I don't think he saw Rita watching at all - which if he had would fit with Billie's interpretation of him giving her the response she wanted, for the sake of their marriage. I'd have to watch that part again to see for sure if he saw her.
But even let's say if he did see her and figure out what she wanted from him, why would he say to himself, "I should leave it alone"? He wouldn't have been trying to talk himself out of it, he would've been saying something more like, "Damn, I guess I better do this."
That's my interpretation of the scene, anyway.
Can't wait until the finale! :)
In an interview before the season even began, Julie Benz said that the end of Season 4 shocked everybody in the cast, so I guess you won't feel cheated after all.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, Dexter has been renewed only until Season 5, which is a lock, so maybe the Dexter PTB would like to end the series by then with a bang. I'm guessing Dex will be caught eventually
This episode of Dexter was the most watched telecast on Showtime in a decade. I bet next week will be even better. !!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/dexter-mostwatched-showtime-telecast-in-decade.html