Instead of yet another serial killer to oppose Dexter, this season's most interesting conflict could turn out to be Dexter versus Charley Brown. I enjoyed every scene they did together, especially the first one where she casually dropped in on Dexter and Harrison having lunch. I loved how Dexter pointedly wiped his steak knife clean and looked her right in the eye while holding it, ready to defend himself – or more accurately, his son.
Their later restaurant scenes actually had a romantic vibe, and not just as a cover. That was some gorgeous apartment she acquired for Dexter to kill in. Not to mention the Slice of Life Too. That made me laugh.
What does Charley truly want? She clearly finds serial killers revolting, but Dexter is something completely different. It is possible that she will get Dexter to take out the remaining two serial killers in Prater's files so that she can then take Dexter himself out. But it's also possible that a woman who has been operating outside of the law for so long might find Dexter and his code attractive.
In that initial restaurant scene, Dexter ordered Harrison to leave, and Harrison didn't argue, didn't make a scene – he got up and left. Other shows I've enjoyed have added a young person, child, sibling, to the story and that didn't turn out well. (Buffy, Angel and Alias immediately come to mind.) But I like how they're not making Harrison stupid for the sake of the story. We know Dexter is brilliant and clearly, Harrison is no slouch.
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| Like father, like son |
Harrison's new training officer is Fiona Mixon, the young woman he picked up in the bar last night. "Let's not talk about last night." That will be interesting. Especially since her father is the captain. Who had a good reason for being pissed at Wallace and Oliva, but still came off as a real jerk.
So many serial killers in the story already, lots of candidates for Dexter's table. And this is why this show works. Ray Ballard, the Sleepy-Eyed Whatever, invaded the home of his next victims and moved photos around while watching them sleep. Who wouldn't want someone – anyone – to take him out before he kills that young couple and their child?
The Five Borough Killer struck again, and right in front of the outdoor cafe where Dexter and Charley were drinking wine. That's quite a coincidence. Did Charley know something? And hey. Did Charley intend to mention Prater twice in front of the waiter? The one she tipped with the rest of that very expensive wine?
And Dexter is stalking the New York Ripper, because of course he is. Framt is enjoying his celebrity while constantly refusing to admit that it's true. And omigod, could he be more revolting? Lap dances, panty sniffing, and was that food stains or vomit on his shirt?
Dexter got Framt to talk by acting like a fanboy. "Hey, what was it like?" It's not the first time Dexter has charmed his targets into trusting him, but I always enjoy it. That, and the scenes with Charley, were again a reminder that they're giving Michael C. Hall more opportunities to show his acting range these days.
And we learned a couple of things about Framt. He has to take a specific drug every four hours. For what? And how did he lose the use of his legs?
Finally, another added complication: Joey Quinn came right to Dexter's door. Shocker. Joey said that he didn't understand how Angel could go down LaGuerta's rabbit hole thinking Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher. And now Quinn's a private eye working for the families of Prater's victims.
Quinn is a good detective but not a brain trust. Is he sincere? If he is, it's no wonder that he would jump on Dexter's offer to help.
Bits:
— I just noticed that they added a New York bagel to the breakfast credits! As well as Dexter taking out the trash on a New York city sidewalk.
— The midlife crisis self-help tape reminded me of Jordan Chase, Dexter's opponent in season five of the original series. "Take it!"
— Fiona has some preconceived notions about Harrison, but he surprised her with his fluency in Spanish.
— One of the songs early on was also in Pulp Fiction. A petit homage to Uma Thurman?
— Hybristophilia is a sexual attraction to violent criminals, especially multiple murderers. I knew it occurred but not that it had a name. Live and learn.
Quotes:
Dexter: "What does a midlife crisis even mean for a serial killer? Do I go out and buy a sporty Italian knife? Take out beautiful serial killers half my age?"
Joey: "Of all the creepy shit Prater collected, it was like an all-star team of Miami killers. He had shit from the Ice Truck Killer, Arthur Mitchell, Travis Marshall and of course, the Bay Harbor Butcher."
Dexter: "Go Miami."
Harrison: "I mean, now everybody's just obsessed with this FBK freak. I mean, he's kind of become our number one serial killer."
Dexter: (irked) "FBK is not a serial killer. You have to kill in a serial to be a serial killer. It takes three. He's killed one person, putting him in the same category as Aaron Burr and Phil Spector."
Harrison: "Okay. Got it. Sorry."
Harrison: "You know, when my friends' dads go out of town, it's usually for fishing or poker."
Dexter: "Sorry I'm not most dads."
Harrison: "I'm good with that."
Charley: "It's nice to work with a professional."
Dexter: "It's nice to be recognized."
Reporter: "Detective Wallace, how concerned should New Yorkers be that this killer will strike again?"
Wallace: "New Yorkers should be no more concerned than usual. Although we are still gathering information, there is a possibility that this killing was a one-off. Regardless, there are 8.48 million people in our city. That means there is a 0.00000012 chance of being targeted by the supposed Five Borough Killer. Our citizens have a greater risk of being killed by a squirrel."
I really do love her.
Another episode full of seasonal set-up. Three out of four squirrels,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
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