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Dexter: Buck the System

Dexter: "My lizard brain has been your secret weapon all along. You just didn't know it."

The opening scenes were classic Dexter, as he fantasized about killing the clerk in the post office and Masuka before he lost it and actually attacked a recalcitrant prisoner. How long does Dexter go between victims? Didn't he kill Viktor what's-his-face a couple of days ago? (Note that he wasn't fantasizing about killing Deb, his actual "jailer".)

The Ray Speltzer case was pretty much the perfect way for Dexter to prove his point to Deb – a serial killer of women who slipped through the legal cracks. Because Deb made Dexter pull back and try to get Speltzer within the law, Speltzer killed another woman and got away. It was apparently enough to make Deb let Dexter go home to his own apartment and kill whomever he sees fit, although her love for him has apparently taken a major hit. I loved the scene near the beginning where Dexter and Deb were arguing in a narrow brick passageway, showing visually the walls she was building around him.

Maybe this show is hardening me, but I actually found the Isaak Sirko/Louis Greene fatal collision delightful. Greene was such a disgusting jerk, and I was tired of him, anyway; plus he was about to send the Slice of Life down to the bottom of the ocean with the rest of Dexter's victims, and we can't have that. (Here's hoping Deb doesn't think Dexter killed Greene, huh?) At least Jamie's heart won't be broken, thanks to Dexter's anonymous video gift. The scene at Miami Metro where Greene gave Dexter a clandestine finger and Dexter gave Greene the ITK hand and got Masuka to fire him was, again, classic laugh out loud Dexter. Perfect.

I also liked the brief conversation Dexter had with Sirko in the Fox Hole. They actually connected a little because they were both bored and out of place, uninterested in the strippers, and frustrated because they couldn't do what they wanted to do. Thanks to a magical GPS remnant, Sirko now knows that Dexter killed Viktor, although he certainly doesn't know he was actually talking to the guy. I expect Dexter to win their upcoming encounter, but it should be interesting.

The rest of the episode was about two beautiful blonde women who might not be what they seem. The exotic dancer whose name I can't recall actually told Quinn that she was ordered to flirt with him and find out what he knew. Was she being honest and hoping for his help, or was she instructed to approach him that way?

And then there's Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski from Chuck), veteran of a killing spree with the late Wayne Randall when she was only fifteen, and unwilling to help the police find those missing bodies Wayne said he would give them before he walked in front of a truck. Was Hannah a victim, or is she evil? I sure wish Strahovski hadn't spoiled us by spilling it to the press. (I won't spoil you, if you don't know, so please don't mention it in the comments!) (Of course, speculation is fine and dandy. It's what we do here. Speculate away!)

Bits and pieces:

-- Isaak obviously has an eye fixation. Gag. He's also into vodka and caviar, which is just too stereotypical. Come on. Not every Russian is into vodka and caviar.

-- Ray Speltzer was wearing black leather and horns to kill his victim. Is that some sort of longhorn perversion I've never heard of?

-- A photo of Enver Gjokaj was on the bulletin board at the station. I think he gets money every time his picture is shown, so here's hoping for his sake that they show it a lot. Funny that the character's name was Viktor, which was also his character's name on Dollhouse. I can't believe I missed that the first time.

Quotes:

Dexter: "I feel trapped, like there's no escape. And it's not because I'm at the post office."
They certainly did a good job in that scene of evoking the hopelessness I always feel when I'm in line at the post office.

Masuka: "I have the worst luck with interns."

Deb: "Christ on a fucking cracker, Dexter! You got me here to help you stalk Speltzer so you can kill him?"
Oh, Deb. Such a way with words. I love her so.

Dexter: "If it [the legal system] worked as well as you think it does, I wouldn't be so busy."

I didn't expect Deb to "release" Dexter so soon, but there's only twelve episodes in a season and this was still an enjoyable episode. Three out of four amygdalas,

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

18 comments:

  1. I know it's not in Dexter's nature, but at the end of tonight's episode I actually said out loud "Dexter, just give Deb a hug and tell her that you love her, FFS!" Even if it wasn't heartfelt, you'd have thought -- what with him being such a good mimic of normal behaviour -- he'd have cottoned on that Deb needs some reassurance re: their relationship right now, and responded accordingly. (I'm talking about their relationship as siblings, natch.)

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  2. Oh, and great opening quote. I felt certain you'd pick it; it made me laugh, too.

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  3. Obviously, I'm talking about when Deb repeated it later in the episode. Damn, I need to wake up.

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  4. I know unzug's comment will be deleted as spam, but what a marvellous word 'entrumpalung' is. Then I looked it up and was disappointed to find out it means 'clearance'. It should totally be the name of a cartoon elephant.

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  5. It was a good episode , I think Deb will allow Dexter to kill Ray.
    Also why did Strahovski leak to the press didshe spoil the ploto f just told people what the deal with hannah is?

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  6. Reporters asked Strahovski if her character was good or evil, and she told them. I thought actors knew better than to do that.

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  7. Fudge !! I haven't seen it YET and your review is ALREADY here. Yes, you are indeed a SUPER librarian. (and a super cool blogger)

    Going to see Looper later on and will watch Dexter on my return.

    Surprised about Yvonne's move with the journalists.

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  8. Ahhh Billie your review has gotten me even more excited about this season, I loved the scene in the greenhouse and felt like there was some good chemistry with Dex and Hannah. I haven't been spoiled so I have no idea whether she's good or evil. But my guess is that she's still killing...

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  9. Give Jennifer C. an Emmy. Now. It's urgent. Third very strong performance from her part so far. Wow. Yes, wow.

    Don't feel bad Billie because of the Viktor shout out. We can't catch them all. (Yes I did back then, and I smiled)

    Totally random, but I just love the glass house. Not the scene, the set (unless they shot at a real place).

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  10. Another good episode! I was on the edge of my seat through most ot it, but particularly when Dex was fantasizing about killing people. Yes, Louis Greene bought it too soon, as did Mike Andrews and Brother Sam, but I love that Dex led him to it and he didn't have to lift a finger to do any actually killing. Louis was the caue of his own demise. This season is great so far! No major complaints.

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  11. I wa always surprised that dexter said I love you for the fort time to Astor. Not Rita or deb but Astor. Maybe he knew deep down she would always be the one to take him down. I remember the old days where deb would tell dex I need your big brain bro! Now she is all grown up and using her own but I liked that he reminded her of his lizard brain. She started to see how difficult it was to get a warrant on a hunch and maybe there setting this up to have her be an accomplice! Sure hope so. Wish they would bring Astor and Cody back for a few scenes! Seems like they are phasing Harrison out as well!

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  12. Really good episode and yes, Jennifer Carpenter is again amazing.
    I actually don´t remember if I read Yvonne´s interview or not, so I have no idea if she´s good or evil. But my bet is that she is more than meets the eye, let´s wait and see.

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  13. I think a great scene could be derived from Deb mentioning at the start "all the open cases" they were working on.... They could spread out on a table all the files, and review with Dexter which ones he had "closed" himself... "That one... that one..."

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  14. I love how good this season is so far.

    I liked how Dexter tried to make Deb understand his code instead of simply going behind her back again. Dexter being honest is almost as funny as Dexter lying.

    Very glad Louis Green has been destroyed. I thought he was being set up as the big bad, but he was really nothing more than a pouty little freak. The way Dexter just turned his life upside down was classic. And I agree, his death was very much appreciated.

    I really did not see that coming with tonight's serial killer. A death maze, a leather suit, bull god worship; that guy is too damn strange to just disappear.

    Isaak is very unnerving, but Dexter villains always are. He's so enraged at Victor's death and conscienceless about murder, I wonder if he'll beat around the bush or just go for the throat like he's been doing. But yeah, it's very unlikely he'll stand a chance against Dexter.

    Hannah McKay seems a little too innocent. She and Dexter already had relationship vibes going on. Very likely another addition to the list of Dexter's disturbed beautiful blonde lovers. Right before she appeared in the sun rays, Dexter was thinking about "getting back what you had and lost." Memories of Rita? Lumen? Thank you for the warning about the spoiler.

    I get the feeling this is the season where Dexter gets exposed. Too many people are onto him, knowingly or not.

    Stay awesome Dexter.

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  15. Ray Speltzer reminds me of the Minotaur in Greek mythology. If I recall correctly he was killing virgins and lived in a labyrinth. And it took a hero called Perseus to end his reign of terror. ;)

    No matter how that story ends, I do deeply worry about Dexter. Because this Koshka brotherhood seems to be the most dangerous enemy Dexter ever encounered.

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  16. Another strong episode. So glad Dexter has gotten back on track this season. Towards the end of the episode I realized I was rooting for Deb to just let Dexter go be Dexter - and was kinda guessing at the way it was going to turn out - with Deb seeing, that yes, Dexter was right and now someone was dead because she didn't let him do his thing. Only on Dexter would you root for someone to get killed to prove a point. Maybe Deb is getting the picture now that Dexter is the good guy, but of course, we all know it's not going to be that easy.

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  17. This was a fun episode, and I love the way they're allowing Deb to have a complicated reaction to Dexter's secret way of life.

    The serial-killer Minotaur thing was done in a Stephen King novel, Rose Madder.

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