Dexter Original Sin: The Big Bad Body Problem

“I wish there was a Rand McNally for body disposal.”

What a shocking twist. I was floored. The reveal of who kidnapped Jimmy and Nicky was a stunner, and of course, it was Dexter who figured it out.

Why would Captain Spencer kidnap and mutilate his own son, or kill Jimmy Powell? What could his motive possibly be? And he is clearly enjoying it, not being forced to do it by a cartel or something. That last scene where Spencer was smiling at the grocery clerk as he bought the food kits for the imprisoned Nicky was just shuddery.

But it does fit. Captain Spencer has been so hard to pin down as a character. Hesitation cut or not, no matter what his motivation might be, what he’s doing to his own son makes him a psycho. And yes, I thought at first that Spencer had discovered Nicky wasn’t his biological son and was punishing his ex-wife, but that doesn’t explain what he did to Jimmy Powell. And Dexter did discover that the blood spatter on the box was the same blood type as Nicky’s, suggesting that Nicky is indeed Spencer’s son. (Yeah, no DNA analysis yet. Or it would have been enough to incriminate Spencer.)

Nicky was so smart to make himself a weapon. It didn’t work, but it may have saved his life by inadvertently identifying his kidnapper to Dexter. But what can Dexter do about it? Will Harry even believe him? Spencer is a long time colleague and friend of Harry’s, and Harry has been so (understandably) freaked out by Dexter lately.

At least we all know where Spencer will end up before the end of the season.

Going back to “The Big Bad Body Problem,” I wasn’t surprised at the resolution of the previous episode’s cliffhanger where Dexter drove up to a crime scene with a dead body in his truck. “I’m with Forensics. Why else would I be here?” Dexter has never lacked nerve. It was by far the smartest thing to do. So was “accidentally” getting attacked by a gator and losing Ferrer’s arm before it could be identified.

And yet, Angel later recognized Ferrer’s ring from a photograph. Dexter talked him out of reporting it, saying they had more important things to do. Dexter is right, but I’m betting it won’t be the end of it.

Clearly, dumping bodies in a dumpster and wading through garbage isn’t going to work every time, so Dexter went to the Records Room and researched several famous serial killers on microfilm. As someone who has worked with microfilm and microfiche, let me just say that this particular montage wasn’t exactly believable technically. But at least we had clowns.

This episode featured a lot more of Michael C. Hall’s internal monologue than earlier episodes. That long one about life in prison versus the electric chair, what Dexter would choose as a last meal, it all made the episode more interesting, as Dexter’s sarcastic internal monologue always did in the original series.

Meanwhile, it’s interesting that new partners LaGuerta and Harry are bonding. Harry backed up LaGuerta on the serial killer theory for the NHI murders. Of course, it was Dexter who figured out that it was a serial killer and convinced LaGuerta in the first place.

And in flashback news, Laura desperately wanted to walk away. But if she does, it’s jail for her and foster care for Brian and Dexter. I hate that Harry is doing this to Laura, but what else is new?

Hector Estrada had Laura taken right off her front stoop. She kept her cool, even naked in a swimming pool with Estrada. Well, she is Dexter’s mother. She kept her cool just like he did earlier in Alligator Alley. Maybe he didn’t get his sang froid from anyone strange.

Bits:

— Harry is still secretly smoking. And worried that Dexter is going to make a terrible mistake and get caught. Stress and pressure is not good for a dodgy heart.

— The beeper code stuff, what everyone did before texting, was amusing. Although Sofia was not amused by Dexter's non-response. I have to give Raquel Justice props because she is playing the heck out of the clueless Sofia. Unfortunately, Sofia sold Deb out to Tiff because of Dexter, and Deb punched Tiff out. And got suspended, possibly losing her shot at a college scholarship.

— Clark Sanders took Dexter aside to ask him to keep quiet about the gay bar thing. Dexter, who obviously couldn’t have cared less, told him, “Your secret’s safe with me.” That made me smile.

— Spencer asked the entire room what happened with the arm, everyone looked at Dexter, and Dexter said, “My bad.” That was the title of the Dexter episode after Rita was killed.

— While Dexter was casually pumping his cop colleagues about body disposal, Sanders suggested a construction site the night before they poured concrete. That was a Trinity M.O.

— That scene at the end where Spencer smiled at the grocery clerk made me think, what if she had seen him on the news? He’s a handsome man with a distinctive white streak in his hair, after all. Not exactly unmemorable.

Quotes:

LaGuerta: “What next?”
Masuka: “No evidence to book. Who’s in the mood for Moons Over My Hammy?"
I'd never heard of that one. It's a dish at Denny's.

Deb: “They still want to see me in the playoffs.”
Dexter: “Shouldn’t be a problem. You kill under pressure.”
Dexter the narrator: “We had that in common.”

Deb: “He probably got bored and wanted to make some balloon animals. Sof, you gotta trust me. Dexter wouldn’t cheat, okay? He’s not a player.”
Deb does know Dexter pretty well.

Dexter: “You want some advice for next time?”
Deb: “Sure.”
Dexter: “Don’t get caught.”
He really is himself with Deb. To a point.

I haven’t given any episode a four out of four yet, but that reveal might deserve it. What do you guys think?

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

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