This episode is about Dexter seeing the darkness in other people when others don't, and why. Specifically... Captain Aaron Spencer, a monster who has maimed and drugged his own child. Nicky recognized his father's voice. Gee, let's guess who doesn't intend to let his child live.
And just as I thought, Dexter told Harry that it was Spencer, and Harry didn't believe him. That it's Dexter "projecting his darkness on a grieving father." That what Harry really needs Dexter to do is track down Deb, who didn't come home last night. (More on Deb later.)
Captain Spencer just promoted Dexter, giving him a lot more responsibility but no involvement with Nicky's kidnapping. So of course, Dexter started stalking Spencer, and saw him give a yellow plastic bag to a suspicious looking guy. Dexter then followed suspicious looking guy to a house with a gnome in the yard.
And of course, that was a cartel house where a lead on Nicky was phoned in. The SWAT team arrived, everyone started firing, lots of dead cartel guys, Bobby Watt was shot, and they found a yellow plastic bag with Nicky's shirt in it. What I thought was really interesting about that scene afterward where Spencer was screaming for Nicky was how he phrased his screams. "Where is my goddamn son? Where is my fucking son!" Not "Where the fuck is my son?" Spencer was unconsciously calling his son names. That was a smart bit by the writer of this episode.
Dexter did finally borrow Camilla's boat and follow Deb's bread crumbs to Bimini, where she learned the hard way that Gio was not a good guy. The minute she (with future cop curiosity) tried to look in the crate he'd had loaded on board, he turned into a monster. Actually, Deb was lucky Gio didn't kill her – especially considering how this episode ended. Growing up is hard, especially when you're grieving. I'm not saying that sarcastically. Dexter says he "gets" Deb, but he and Harry have been closing her out too long.
Harry and LaGuerta are making a good team. Harry even confided in LaGuerta about his problems with Deb as they were pursuing Petrie, who turned out to be... ta da... Brian Moser's former psychiatrist. One of the NHI victims worked at Brian's mental hospital, too. So Brian is indeed experimenting with his killing technique and probably thinking variation would keep him under the serial killer radar. Harry covered by stealing Brian's file from the Tampa cops. Unfortunately, LaGuerta is a good detective and she picked up on it. Stay tuned.
Okay, I put it off long enough. In this week's flashbacks, Laura took the kids to the playground for a secret meeting with Harry, and Jimenez was watching. Later, Brian painted Laura's fingernails different colors, and I knew this was the end even before they broke in and took all three of them to that cargo container. Young adult Dexter sees himself as especially capable of seeing the darkness in others. And the last thing we see is three-year-old Dexter's eye peeking out through Laura's fingers, seeing that major league darkness for the first time. "Don't look."
Sorry for the delay in posting this review. I honestly didn't want to watch Laura die horribly a second time. At least I don't have to dread it any more. I was starting to worry that they would put it off until season two.
Bits:
— I've been enjoying the clueless Sofia. Here, she boastfully showed off her new boyfriend to Dexter, whom we know very well couldn't care less. Really amusing.
— It is finally confirmed that Deb is seventeen years old. I wasn't sure. Was it mentioned before and I missed it?
— Title musings: I have no idea what the episode title is supposed to mean. Was it in reference to what happened to Deb? Spencer's enjoyment in what he's doing to his son? The confirmation that it's Brian killing the NHIs?
— Laura died on October 3, 1973. In the original series, Dexter killed Estrada in "Surprise, Motherfucker!"
— LaGuerta said goodbye to her boyfriend when Harry picked her up, and it was Miguel Prado, who plans to be D.A. someday. And he's still in law school! Oddly, this is the second time in as many days when I saw another actor playing a role originated by Jimmy Smits.
Quotes:
Dexter: "Once it's in the ocean, it's gone forever." The light dawns.
Dexter: "You have Dad. And me."
Deb: "Dad's so emotionally constipated, he hasn't given a shit in years."
Tanya: "The cartel has a gnome."
That is such a Buffy line. You can't tell me they didn't do it on purpose.
It's not an episode I want to watch again, but it was very good. How many gnomes out of four?
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Really enjoyed reading your reviews, looking forward to your episode 9 & 10's reviews~
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thanks for that. I am now sorry I didn't watch and review Original Sin when it aired. Won't make that mistake with Resurrection.
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