Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

Dexter: Take It!

Dexter: "This is all much easier with a partner. But a partner in what?"

This must have been an amazing episode, because I kept saying "Wow" out loud while I was watching it.

Dexter killed Cole in front of Lumen, and with her active approval, and after he saved her life a second time. He told her about his mother. He told her about himself. They disposed of Cole's body together. (Loved the matching suitcases.) And Lumen just gave up her fiance and a trip around the world to stay with Dexter.

Has Dexter finally found his soul mate? Could Lumen see him for exactly who he is and still care about him? I almost expected them to hit the sheets. Not the plastic sheets, although I just realized those sheets were this week's Most Obvious Symbolism: blood, sheets, virginity, it was like a marriage. When he gave her that specimen slide, I thought, "With this slide, I thee wed."

But it just feels like an unsustainable situation. We can't have our favorite homicidal anti-hero finding happiness and true love. Something horrible is going to happen to her, and I hate the idea because enough horrible things have already happened to Lumen. (My heart was in my mouth when Cole came after her and broke down the door.) And losing her on top of losing Rita certainly won't do Dexter any good.

What's also intriguing is the suggestion that Deb may have started seeing things the way that Dexter does. She killed Fuentes and felt absolutely nothing. And I just now put together that both Deb and Lumen are having their first experiences with causing death, and coming to the same realizations. Dexter and Deb had a heavy conversation and Dexter showed Deb some of his true self when he told her what Harry said about some people deserving death. Deb may be more like her stepbrother than we thought.

So Maria threw Deb under the bus, backed up, and ran over her again. Mansone betrayed her, too. I don't blame Mansone too much – she's young and ambitious, not vindictive – but what Maria did was inexcusable. I say a lot of bad stuff about Quinn, but he was good to Deb this time and told her good things about herself that she needed to hear, and I think he genuinely cares about her. And it's clear Quinn has rethought his decision to hire Liddy.

Liddy. Another wow. He not only saw Dexter and Lumen tossing body parts into the ocean, he has them on tape. (What happened to the matching luggage?) Liddy is like a hand grenade tossed into the story, like the exploding coffee pot in Quinn's apartment. I am assuming Liddy's days are numbered.

And so are Jordan Chase's, Mister tick tick tick. Calling Dexter up to the front of an entire roomful of people and forcing him to relive discovering Rita's body was just despicable; I'd hate him even if he weren't one of the "murder club" that took Lumen. Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this is the season that Dexter gets caught. How long can this series run? How long can Dexter keep killing until his luck runs out?

All I know is that I want to see the rest of the season right now, this minute. Unfortunately, I'm watching it live. Oh, for the good old days when I discovered Dexter on DVD and watched the first season in a single weekend. Sigh.

Bits and pieces:

-- We haven't seen "Harry" in awhile. I think that's because Dexter has been himself while talking to Lumen, so there's no story-related need for Harry.

-- Dexter had Lumen shop for supplies. Yes, murder supplies, but it's a traditional female role. She shops for murder supplies, he carries out the murder.

-- Owen looked like a Minnesota version of a Ken doll.

-- The "Born primal" tee shirt reminded me of season one: "Born Free." Dexter is all about his primal self. Jordan is an amateur. An evil amateur.

-- Gold acting stars for Michael C. Hall. Describing Rita's murder in front of an audience, telling Lumen the truth... Dexter lives in an emotional straitjacket, but Michael C. Hall gives us intriguing glimpses of the real man and makes me like him. Julia Stiles is also doing an amazing job. I like Lumen a lot.

Quotes:

Dexter: "I've never been around so many people that made me feel normal. Really normal."

Lumen: "It's crazy, isn't it, how quickly you can get used to the supremely weird."
Dexter: "Tell me about it."

Dexter: "Miguel couldn't. My father couldn't. Can anyone live with the truth of who I am?"

Angel: "I was stuck between a rock and my wife." Did he just call his wife a hard place?

Lumen: "Just... let go?"
Dexter: "Just let go."

Four out of four sets of matching luggage,

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

7 comments:

  1. I can't believe how much this season has picked up over the last 3 episodes. I've not liked Julia Stiles in anything I've seen her in before, but she's really impressed me so far. I don't want her to die...

    Dexter has to be found out this season. The only other ending for the Quinn/RoboCop investigation would be a near
    repeat of season 2, and I don't think they'd go there again. Even Laguerta would have to become suspicious of how many people die around Dexter...

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was, hands down, the best ep of the season so far. I cried when Lumen had the attack and Dex comforted her. I froze when Cole was chasing her. I laughed out loud when Dex talked to Jordan while having Cole in pieces in the bags.

    This season hasn't been so intense as season 4, which will be really hard to top. But the plotlines are intersecting more and having higher stakes than expected (eg Laguerta's and Batista's marriage affecting everyone's carreers).

    And I just want to point out again that the greatness of Michael C. Hall's acting is in its subtlelty. When Deb started talking about how she felt about killing Fuentes, or rather how she didn't, there was a hint of a look that said "That should be interesting", and we may not notice, but subconsciously pick up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was thinking about this recently. Season four was so freakishly brilliant, how can they possibly top it? I'm beginning to think by catching Dexter. That would really be something.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm particularly impressed by this season because of how different it feels from four; last year was such a home run for the show that it'd be easy to simply follow along retracing the same steps, but they've tackled an entirely different arc and it's starting to pay off wonderfully.

    It may not be as oh-my-god intense as four, but I think I care more about Dexter and Lumen than I have any 'relationship' on the show. I desperately want her to something find a way out of this okay. And the plotlines are all intersecting much, much better than they did in the back half of season three.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an outstanding episode! Thanks for pointing out the parallels and symbolism for us Billie, I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

    I am very impressed how well they're managing to intertwine all the storylines - I almost felt like that last scene was unnecessary - my mind would have been blown by the this ep anyway. As it is, I can't think of a way for it to end with Liddy still alive. I just hope Quinn doesn't die too. It's very possible - would make for some great season ending drama with Deb being involved and caring about Quinn. Lumen also really needs to live - she's been through enough. I'm glad she and Dexter haven't got it on, because that would feel so wrong in an episode where Rita's death was at the forefront of the story.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There is a simple way to get rid of Liddy without Dexter involvement. Haven't you noticed the way Liddy treats Queen? I guess you shouldn't mess with Queen or there will be some consequences :>

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, Michael C. Hall and the rest of the cast are signed on through season six, so at least one more season in sight, but I have a feeling they're not going to go beyond that. My guess for how the rest of the series plays out: Deb will find out about Dexter by season five finale and the season six finale will be Dexter going to jail or dying?

    Not that I necessarily want Dexter to die or go to jail. I loved him in this episode. His speech to Lumen telling her about his dark past drew tears to my eyes. I really like the chemistry between him and Lumen, and can't help but hope for a happy ending for both of them, but I know on Dexter that rarely happens. As much as I want the series to end with Dexter happy and at peace, I have a feeling the writers are going to make him face the consequences for his actions over the years.

    But I loved this episode, and I'm loving this season. As intense last season was, the Dexter befriending a serial killer plot was beginning to get tiresome. I think they're mixing up the dynamic this season with Lumen in a good way. The show might not be as good as it's earliest two seasons, but it's wow-ing me in new ways that it hasn't done in the past.

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.