My Review of Dexter's 5x12: "The Big One"

Written by Chip Johannessen And Manny Coto
Directed by Steve Shill

Lumen (to Jordan): “That’s not just for me. That’s for everyone you ever hurt, even Emily. Do you hear me? Do you hear me?”

While Lumen might have decided not to pursue a hobby in serial killing any time soon, it’s nice that her last kill happened to be the man that turned her life into a living hell. It wouldn’t have felt right from a narrative standpoint if Dexter had been the one to kill Jordan and I applaud the show for allowing Lumen to be the one to end Jordan once and for all.

I guess with Lumen spending most of this episode in captivity, it really could’ve gone either way for her. Dexter for the second year in a row could’ve been unable to save a woman he loves from being brutally killed or somehow Lumen could triumph over the monster keeping her prisoner. I was delighted that we got the latter outcome.

Over the last ten episodes, the writers had done such great work with Lumen as a character, I think it would’ve been a slap in the face to have killed her off and thankfully despite Jordan’s attempts to immolate both her and Dexter, it was him who ended up being hacked to pieces instead of them.

Jordan definitely became sloppy in this one. By getting his hands dirty and underestimating both Dexter and Lumen, he more or less signed his own death warrant. Certainly deluding himself into thinking he knew the ins and outs of their relationship was one thing but his belief that he enhanced Lumen was a step too far.

Lumen certainly seemed to take no actual pleasure in killing Jordan and that was instrumental in her later decision to leave town but the fact that his death got rid of her dark passenger was something that I actually expected to happen. Lumen does have a connection to Dexter but her bloodlust isn’t anywhere near his and deep down, I suspected that Dexter actually knew that as well.

On any other show, the second Dexter smashed a plate would’ve been a worrying sign. I knew he wasn’t going to kill Lumen but I certainly felt bad for him when he realised that their relationship was over. As breakups, Dexter certainly got a clean one with Lumen and for him, he should consider that a breakthrough.

Over this entire season, Dexter and Lumen have been portrayed as two broken people brought together but I genuinely think their feelings for each other were/are real and I’m not saying that from a shipper perspective. Lumen could easily change her mind, come back next season, be in a relationship with Dexter and not die horribly but if this is the last time we’ll ever see her, then I can live with that. Dexter probably will too in his own way.

His sadness about breaking up with Lumen aside, it was nice that he focused on the positive things as well. His conversation with Astor at Harrison’s birthday party made him realise the positive influence that Lumen had on his life and also opened up the idea that he can be seen as a human being rather than a monster.

As for Deb, well her story was also very interesting as well because while Dexter embraced his humanity, Deb had to compromise some of her own moral code when it came to Jordan. She pretty much allowed Dexter and Lumen escape (unaware of who they were) and get rid of Jordan’s body. I can see that coming back to haunt her next season.

But at the same time, Deb also tried her best to be as impartial with Quinn as possible. For all she actually knew, he could’ve killed Liddy but thanks to Dexter, Quinn didn’t have to spend too long in jail to stew over. I should complain that the writers took an easy way out with the Liddy situation but given that he was one of the few weaker elements of the season, I can live without Liddy’s death being a source for future’s storylines.

Also in “The Big One”

The reprise in this episode literally had clips from all the previous episodes this season as well as clips from last season’s finale, “The Getaway”.

Jordan (re Lumen): “She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
Dexter: “Yes.”
Jordan: “Must be terrible for you. Going through this again. Losing your wife, the woman you loved and now Lumen. I imagine it seems to be some terrible curse.”

Jordan took Lumen to the River Jordan camp to kill her. At least we know were he got his new name from.

Dexter: “You think they’re looking at Jordan?”
Deb: “Who else would it be? It’s what this guy does for a living. Tells people what to do. He tells them how to live their lives.”

Jordan: “You remember this place. Should feel like home. Well, don’t worry, it’ll all come back to you.”
Lumen: “What are you gonna do to me?”
Jordan: “What do you think? What choice have you left me, the both of you?”

Dexter crashed his car whilst getting to the camp. Is this going to be a recurring trope for the series now or just with Dexter?

Quinn: “I think I better keep my mouth shut.”
Deb: “I’m not asking you as a detective. I’m asking you as someone you live with. Someone you said you loved. I think I deserve to know what the fuck is going on.”

Jordan: “So you were listening.”
Dexter: “I heard the words but to be honest, you have to consider the source.”

I liked that Cody and Astor are coming back to Dexter for the summer and I also liked that Maria and Angel were on better terms with each other too in this episode. Harry wasn’t as well utilised but he served his purpose too.

Dexter: “You’re right about everything, you’re right. We’re not the same.”
Lumen: “I’m so sorry.”
Dexter: “Don’t be, don’t be sorry, your darkness is gone. I’ll carry it for you, always. I’ll keep it with mine.”

Chronology: From where “Hop A Freighter” left off.

For some people, “The Big One” being more of a low key ending might not have been the most satisfactory way of ending the season but for me, I thought it was a perfect way to wrap up the year and with a sixth season due for 2011, it’s nice that Dexter’s story isn’t over just yet.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x11: "Hop A Freighter"

Written by Karen Campbell And Scott Buck And Tim Schlattmann
Directed by John Dahl

Dexter (re Lumen): “Is this the only kind of love I’ll ever find? The kind that ends in blood.”

Okay, Dexter not to channel Jordan Chase or anything but try a little positive thinking. I’m fully convinced in the next episode that Lumen is totally going to kill Jordan and all will be right with the world – I totally believe it. On a serious note, Lumen – why didn’t you wait for back up?

I knew that Emily was basically trying to lure Lumen and Dexter into a trap when she called the former and I knew that Jordan was going to react in the manner that he did. Jordan was pretty much up shit creek and he finally snapped and got his hands dirty by bumping off poor Emily in this one.

I really felt bad for Emily because in some ways, she’s arguably more tragic than Lumen was. Jordan pretty much tore her to pieces in every way possible until she was nothing and then savagely blamed her for everything going wrong. I liked that Emily tried to protect Lumen before being killed but I guess it was too little, too late for her though.

As for Lumen, I am desperate for this show to not for the second year in a row kill off a woman that Dexter loves, so for the most part while Lumen is in Jordan’s captivity, I am going to go out on a limb and assume that she will survive the finale. Surely the writers couldn’t be that cruel to either Dexter or the viewers by killing Lumen off, right?

In terms of their relationship – are Dexter and Lumen really in love? Without knowing who she was talking about, Deb summed up their relationship in a reasonably succinct manner and the interactions between Dexter and Lumen did show the affection that has grown between the pair of them.

We saw them being pretty tactile with each other, Lumen more or less invited herself to Harrison’s birthday which Dexter seemed pleased about and there was also the knife at the flea market. Now some women would prefer diamonds but apparently a swish knife is the key to Lumen’s heart. Dexter, you old romantic.

Of course Jordan wasn’t the only obstacle to Dexter and Lumen this week but he was definitely the better one. Less interesting was Liddy upping his game this week. For me, Liddy hasn’t worked that well as a character so when he kidnapped Dexter, I was pretty irritated rather than fearful for the latter’s life.

I knew Liddy stood no actual chance of getting a confession out of Dexter and I sure as hell wasn’t all that heartbroken when Dexter killed him in self-defence. I know Liddy could be seen as innocent compared to the usual creeps that Dexter manages to do in but given that he was little more than a glory seeking snake who morally did not give a damn about Dexter and Lumen’s nightly activities, I just couldn’t feel bad about him dying.

I’m not trying to make light out of the situation but Dexter didn’t deliberately kill the guy – Liddy attacked first and Dexter defended him as best he could, whilst restrained as well. Unfortunately for Quinn though, I have a feeling that Liddy’s death is going to have more consequences for him than it will for Dexter – at least for the time being.

Speaking of Quinn, it is amazing what the last three seasons have done for him. I’ve gone from disliking him a bit to disliking him a lot to actually feeling bad for him. When he told Deb how and why he actually loved her, I genuinely believed he was telling her the truth and I think she more or less realised that he was as well, despite her anger at his betrayal.

Deb really had some wonderful moments in this episode. Her scenes with Quinn aside, I loved the little conversation that she had with Dexter about her vigilante/accomplice theory, mainly for the muted reaction from Dexter. Deb’s not wrong to want honest relationships and it’s nice that Dexter more or less admitted to Lumen that he does feel bad about constantly having to lie to his sister in his own way.

More importantly, I loved how unfazed Deb was by Jordan as well in this one. Jordan tried his best to undermine her with his self-help rubbish and Deb didn’t fall for it at all and once she found out he was Eugene Greer, it was great to see her piece everything as well as she pursued a court order to prevent Jordan from leaving the country.

Maria also came up trumps this week as well by getting the court for Deb as well. I’m glad that despite Maria’s constant attempts of justifying her actions through politics that she was able to come through for Deb. Maybe they can salvage their friendship after all.

Also in “Hop A Freighter”

Was Sonya acting a little weird during her phone conversations with Dexter? Maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

Dexter: “I’m not gonna use you as bait, it’s too dangerous.”
Lumen: “You know I can do this.”
Dexter: “Yeah, I saw you kill Alex Tilden but we have to be careful. Jordan has more than our eyes on him.”

Dexter and Lumen plotting out a strategy with Harrison’s toys was actually funnier than the cats that farts and bumps on Quinn’s computer for some reason.

Deb: “We’re all waiting for you.”
Dexter: “This doesn’t sound good.”

Deb (to Quinn, re Jordan): “He was probably a really good liar. Men have that ability sometimes. It was his fault, not hers.”

We learned that Jordan/Eugene was from Tallahassee originally and that he had a single mother. Shades of Dexter?

Dexter (re Quinn): “Care? Present tense?”
Deb: “It’s complicated, remember?”

Lumen: “You said that you didn’t want me to leave. Does that mean you want me to stay?”
Dexter: “I do.”

No Harry in this episode but the trailer for next week shows that he’s due to appear finale wise yet again.

Quinn (to Deb): “I do dumb things. I’m a dumb guy. The one thing I did right was to get you to almost like me because I really love you.”

Lumen (re Dexter): “Maybe you should let me call him.”
Jordan: “Yes brilliant because you certainly won’t tip him off in any way.”

Chronology: None specified since the events of “In The Beginning”.

What a ticking time bomb has been set off here? “Hop A Freighter” certainly has done wonders for the anticipation of the next episode but if Lumen actually dies, I will be one pissed off viewer.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x10: "In The Beginning"

Written by Scott Reynolds
Directed by Keith Gordon

Lumen: “I wanna be the one that does this.”
Dexter: “It’s one thing to watch it, it’s another to actually do it.”
Lumen: “I know.”
Dexter: “It’ll change you.”
Lumen: “I’m already changed.”

Ain’t that the truth or what? Lumen really is changed and it’s kind of what Deb was alluding to when it comes to the victims of Jordan and his cronies. Something as traumatic as what the barrel girls were subjected to would change anyone but Deb was wrong to an extent with Lumen – she is surviving and that we have Dexter to thank for.

It was only a matter of time before Lumen actually got to kill one of her captors and despite Dexter’s warnings, it made sense that she took that next step. I had no sympathy at all for Alex Tilden and I actively cheered Lumen on for killing the bastard because once Jordan is done with, Lumen’s dark passenger will probably leave. Dexter, she’s not.

Alex definitely fell into a different category than the men that were previously killed. While Boyd was deluded into thinking that he was a saviour and Cole and Dan were both threatening and fiercely loyal to Jordan, Alex seemed more than happy to hand Jordan over if it meant that his life was going to be spared.

Perhaps Alex was right to be that treacherous to Jordan but did him no favours after Lumen actually finished him off. Now with four out of five men down, Jordan’s going to have up his game if he doesn’t want to end up as part of a slide collection because he’s clearly not grasping the concept of getting in over his head.

I loved that his attempts to threaten Dexter during the swabbing for DNA scene spectacularly backfired on him this week as well. Jordan’s used to manipulation but Dexter’s one of a few men who doesn’t fall for his seminar bullshit and Jordan did seem surprised when Dexter wouldn’t back down. Similarly I also got a kick out of seeing his attempts to get Deb to discover Dexter and Lumen at work with Alex backfiring as well. For a man who’s quite clever, Jordan’s making a lot of mistakes.

Leading to another thing – what he did actually hope to achieve by getting Emily to tell Lumen everything about her own ordeal at the hands of Jordan and his mates? Probably for Lumen and Dexter to slip up but that one has backfired on him so far. Still though, I was a little freaked out over his hold on Emily.

Given the absolute monstrous things he subjected Emily to with his friends, Jordan’s control over her was a scary sight to behold. The poor woman really seemed to hang off his every word and was desperate to please him. What was also interesting was the reveal that Jordan himself never seemed to rape Emily but only riled the others into doing it. Seemingly he must have done that with the others girls as well, including Lumen.

Getting back to Lumen, Dexter took a lot of tentative steps with her in this episode. He moved her into his apartment, he got her more involved in picking a kill room and even showed her many of his tricks of the trades. They even dressed similarly as well during their attack on Alex and that was before they slept together.

This led to the next thing – Dexter and Lumen having sex. There was no way that was not going to happen and the fact that they waited this long was actually good timing. Mainly because it felt earned and it felt logical and even though it’s likely Dexter’s relationship with Lumen won’t last after Jordan’s out of the picture, as a viewer I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can for the next two episodes.

Meanwhile in relation to the investigation side of things, can Deb get any better at her job? Again, I loved the way she just naturally kept piecing things together until she copped on that the killer for Boyd, Dan and Cole was one of the barrel girls lucky to escape and while I hoped that her suspicions of Jordan don’t die down any time soon, it just goes to show how great she actually is with her job. It’s almost enough for me to want her to arrest Jordan, even though I know that won’t happen.

Also in “In The Beginning”

Jordan Chase is really Eugene Greer and Emily was forced into taking that picture of him with Boyd, Dan, Alex and Cole.

Dexter: “They say history has a way of repeating itself but I will never put my family in danger again. Now that Jordan Chase knows that Lumen and I are on to him, I need to plan for the worst.”

I think Dexter was wise to send Harrison with Sonya to Orlando but Jordan could still easily get to him through Deb as well.

Dexter: “Congrats. Looks like your filing days are over.”
Deb: “Yeah at least until LaGuerta’s mood changes.”

Emily: “Do I look like the kind of person who knows Jordan Chase?”
Lumen: “He knows who you are.”
Emily: “How?”

There was still tension between Deb and Quinn as well as Maria and Angel in this episode.

Lumen: “I know you risk your life every day that you’re with me. You’ve been my only way through this.”
Dexter: “I guess we both met each other at the right time.”

Dexter: “People may be stronger than you think.”
Deb: “Believe me on this one, you’re wrong. There’s no way of coming back after this.”

It was actually effective but harrowing of Lumen watching her own DVD and Deb watching the other 12 DVDs of the barrel girls, especially with both scenes cutting into each other.

Liddy: “Usually it’s the boy child that ends up doing the police work, not the girl, but here you are in the geek squad.”
Dexter: “Yeah, blood spatter suited me more.”
Liddy: “You like the blood, huh?”
Dexter: “I like catching bad guys.”

Jordan (re Lumen): “You told her about Alex?”
Emily: “I told her the truth, like you said though I didn’t want to. Are you in trouble, Jordan?”

It’s interesting that both Jordan and Liddy were spying on Dexter and Lumen and both of them seemed to miss that they switched houses when they were killing Alex.

Jordan: “Thank you Dexter. I’m here for you.”
Dexter (to himself): “And soon, I’ll be there for you.”

Dexter: “But with Lumen, I’m someone different. In her eyes, I’m not a monster at all.”

Chronology: Not long since “Teenage Wasteland” and this episode did not feature Harry.

Awesome episode. “In The Beginning” continued the excellent trend of strong episodes and with only two more to go, it will be interesting to see how this is all wrapped up. Jordan Chase, you need slapping down.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x09: "Teenage Wasteland"

Written by Lauren Gussis
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Lumen (re Astor): “Share something with her. What you did when you were her age?”
Dexter: “I killed the neighbour’s dog.”
Lumen: “Well, don’t tell her that.”

Unlike some people whose comments I’ve been reading on in relation to this season, I never expected that Astor and Cody would completely disappear from Dexter’s life and after watching this episode, I’m really hoping that they don’t either.

Having a huge plot based on teen rebellion isn’t particularly the kind of thing that I want to see on this show but when it comes with Astor – at least she’s not acting like a brat for the sake of it. She has a legitimate reason to lash out at Dexter and seeing her getting wasted with pal Olivia was a good way of showing that.

I liked that Astor didn’t actually believe for a second that Lumen was just a tenant in Dexter’s house because it’s damn obvious that Lumen is beginning to mean more to Dexter than a pet project. Deb even spotted it too when she briefly met Lumen as well and their exchange was somewhat frosty as well. Not that I entirely blame Deb for not wanting to bring out the welcome mat for Lumen though.

As for Astor, she was pretty snappy with Dexter, nursing a hangover and somewhat disillusioned with Harrison as well but the subplot of her trying to help out her friend was a nice twist. Okay, so maybe it was a little obvious upon second viewing that Barry the stepdad was beating up Olivia but I thought it was a great plot regardless.

For one thing, Dexter dealt with the situation that didn’t result in Barry being added to a slide collection whilst at the same time, ensuring that Olivia no longer had to fear him. More importantly, it highlighted his own issues with Astor and by the end of the episode; it was nice that Dexter and Astor began to make some progress.

The best part about this episode as well was the use of Harry. I’ve been relieved that he’s not been in the show for the last three episodes but I liked that by helping Astor and Olivia out, Dexter earned his approval. Oh and can I heap out some praise to Lumen as well? She dealt with Astor’s hostility pretty well and it was her who had spotted that Olivia was being abused, all of which while having to deal with the fact that her existence had more or less been outed by enough people this week.

Now, who would’ve been the worst person to have realised that Lumen was around the place? It could be Deb, given that thanks to her, the barrel girls case has been re-opened but obviously it was Jordan Chase at the end of this episode. That phone conversation was suitably chilling and both Julia Stiles and Johnny Lee Miller played a blinder during it as well.

It’s also interesting that Dexter’s careful work in getting a blood sample from Jordan’s vial was the very thing that blew his cover. If Dexter’s learned anything from last year, it’s that he has to strike while the iron is hot. Jordan now knows that Dexter has interests beyond counselling and Lumen also knows that she’s basically screwed if they don’t make a move. Dexter and Lumen – get your knives at the ready.

Speaking of at the ready, I absolutely loved the fact that despite Maria throwing Deb under a bus, the latter still managed to nail a personal victory. Never put someone as dedicated to her job as Deb in filing because there’s always a chance that she’ll find a hole through a seemingly solved case. She did this week, thanks to her perceptiveness about there being more than just Boyd and Cole being responsible for those barrel girls being killed.

The better part was the fact that Maria was forced into eating some nice humble pie. Maria deserved to be sent up like that after what she did to Deb and I’m glad she had the sense to actually reopen, even if it did take some persuasion. As for the marital problems between her and Angel – I’m sure they’ll probably sort themselves out at some point if they don’t file for a quick divorce.

As for the weirdest part of the episode and yes, I can’t believe I’m actually typing this but I felt sorry for Quinn when Deb dumped him. Okay, he kind of had it coming given that he was investigating Dexter but given that he actually owned up when Deb confronted him with it (except for the Liddy parts); I felt a little bad for the bloke. That being said though, I absolutely don’t blame Deb for her response with him. Quinn fucked up big time there and she has every right to be mad with him.

However when it comes to Liddy, it’s pretty obvious that he’s a loose cannon that needs sorting out soon. Quinn might not be interested in Dexter’s antics now but I have a feeling that Liddy is going to do a little further digging of his own and coupled with Jordan in hot pursuit of Dexter and Lumen, this can’t end particularly well.

Also in “Teenage Wasteland”

To ask an obvious question – who the hell is Emily Birch and why does Jordan carry her blood in a vial? The fact that she’s alive is also rather interesting.

Jordan: “So now you know my secret, are you ready to tell me yours?”
Dexter (to himself): “Over your dead body.”

I actually thought that Jordan had said ‘Play Doh’ instead of Plato when I first watched this episode. Thank goodness mentioning Symposium helped clear that one up.

Astor (re Lumen): “Who the fuck is she?”
Dexter: “You want to try that again, Astor?”

Dexter (re Jordan): “I have a plan to get there. Lumen and I follow this blood trail and take you out.”

Interesting moment where Harrison said ‘mama’ and everyone assumed he was referring to Lumen but instead he actually meant his toy.

Barry: “Teenagers. They can make you homicidal.”
Dexter: “I know what you mean.”

Deb (re Dexter): “I didn’t know he had a tenant.”
Lumen: “I didn’t know he had a sister.”

In the trailer for the next episode, it looked like Deb might start piecing Lumen’s involvement in the barrel girls.

Dexter (to himself): “Deb knows about my partner in crime, the whole station knows that I’m seeing Jordan Chase. This is not my day.”

Barry: “What are you, man, some kind of psycho?”
Dexter: “Not today, just a concerned parent.”

It’s a pity that we didn’t get to see Cody in this one but with three episodes left, there’s still a chance he’ll reappear.

Jordan: “Hang on a second. Tell Dexter one more thing.”
Lumen: “Okay.”
Jordan: “Tell him, time is of the essence. Tick, tick, tick, that’s the sound of his life running out. Could you be sure to tell him that? Take care, Lumen.”

Chronology: I think it was referred that two months had passed since “Hello, Bandit”.

I definitely loved this one. “Teenage Wasteland” certainly pulled no punches in delivering some knockout moments while ably advancing the plot. It was around this time in Season 4 that Trinity had copped onto who Dexter was. Jordan’s done the same but here’s hoping that Lumen doesn’t suffer at his hands in the way that Rita did at Trinity’s.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x08: "Take It"

Written by Manny Coto And Wendy West
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Dexter (to Lumen): “You said I done this before, that’s true. This is what I am. When I was a child, my mother was murdered in front of me, it shattered me. I’ve done this ever since because for the longest time, it was the only way I could feel unbroken and then Rita was killed and none of this made any sense, til now.”

There have been plenty of times over the last decade where Michael C. Hall has really impressed, whether it’s been on Six Feet Under or Dexter and as an acting tour de force went, this episode was certainly up their with some of his best work on both shows. He really is every much the leading man any show could be proud of.

One of the reasons why I’ve found it so incredibly difficult to criticise the developing relationship between Dexter and Lumen isn’t just down to Hall’s dynamic with Julia Stiles, but it’s due to the writing at all. Dexter and Lumen should feel rushed, they should feel wrong but even with the odds against them, something about them feels right in a way.

Lumen is aware of the fact that Dexter kills but until this episode, she wasn’t really aware of the fact of what motivated Dexter into doing it or even the pleasure that he gets from it. I should be willing the woman to run for the hills, because if Nina’s revulsion to Mitchell in Being Human is anything to go by, then its best not to support the serial killer of the piece but it comes to Lumen, I just can’t.

I loved that when Lumen found out that Dexter gets off on murder that she was horrified by it. Lumen might have a bit of a dark passenger herself but she’s no Miguel and when she’s exacted her vengeance on all of her attackers, I’m not sure that she’s going to be taking up serial killing as a permanent side project. However the interesting part was seeing her react to Dexter in ritual mode.

The disbelief and weirdness of getting everything to prepare a kill room was one thing but the look she gave Dexter when he took a sample of Cole’s blood for his slide collection was another. It was very telling that Dexter offered it to Lumen, mainly because for me, it’s possibly him properly acknowledging that this is Lumen’s journey more than his own at the moment.

I can’t exactly say that I was sorry to see Cole end up a dead man in this episode. Dexter and Lumen really had no option and given that Cole tried to kill Lumen, I’d say that Dexter’s timing was pretty spot on. It is however a little too bad that Cole didn’t pass off some useful information to either Dexter or Lumen before meeting his swift demise but at least they got lucky in another way.

I already knew that Jordan Chase was going to end up being revealed as the man who would be ‘Tick, Tick, Tick’ but I didn’t think he would actually let it slip to Dexter himself. Nice that he did, which means in another four weeks, his appointment with the slide collection won’t be a moment too soon.

Jordan is definitely being shaped up as a rather interesting villain as well. His interest in Rita’s death and the Trinity killer stuff probably should’ve sent alarm bells off for Dexter but I actually did like the fact that he got Dexter to open up about Rita’s death, even if it was at a self-help seminar with a packed crowd. Dexter needed to release that and that is at least one good thing that Jordan has done. That being said, it’ll never cancel out the awful things he’s done to Lumen and countless other women mind.

Speaking of awful things, after this episode, I seriously wanted to bitch-slap Maria around the place. She screwed up big time and when Deb didn’t want to play ball, LaGuerta hung her out to dry. Damn, Maria. I get that her career is always going to be a big thing for her, priority wise but Deb did not deserve that and I was also disappointed that Sierra actually backed her up as well.

Strangely enough though, I was relieved that Angel chose Deb’s side over Maria and even more surprised with Quinn. He’s never going to be my favourite character but this episode only continued to prove that he does actually love Deb (something Liddy is happy to needle Quinn about), despite his unhealthy interest in Dexter. I hate to admit it but I think I actually want Quinn and Deb to last now but more importantly, I want Maria to get a comeuppance as well for screwing Deb over.

Also when it comes to comeuppances, Quinn really got his this week with Liddy. Never hire a bent officer to do your own dirty work. I knew it was going to end in tears (and smashed coffee pots) with Liddy and despite Quinn’s dislike of Dexter, he might need him soon enough. Liddy taking those pictures of Dexter and Lumen dumping Cole’s body was definitely another genius end scene as well.

Also in “Take It”

This episode had the strangest opening with Jordan’s little primal video to follow his mostly primal rant.

Quinn (re Carlos Fuentes): “Don’t tell me you feel bad about killing him.”
Deb: “I don’t. That’s the problem.”

I found Deb’s conversation with Dexter about feeling nothing for killing Fuentes interesting as for a bit, Dexter was able to reveal to her about himself that he usually could.

Jordan: “I have some bad news for everyone. You’re all going to die.”
Dexter (to himself): “Some of us sooner than others.”

Deb (to Maria): “I was the detective in charge. If you want to fuck somebody over, here’s your scapegoat.”

Three episodes in and still no Harry. Is it wrong that I actually think the show is working better without him recently?

Deb: “I always thought if I landed a bullet, it would bother me. That it would be a burden to take another life. They don’t issue guns to lab geeks, so you have no idea what I’m talking about.”
Dexter: “I can imagine.”
Deb: “I don’t feel bad, me of all people. I don’t feel anything. Maybe I’ve just run out.”

Lumen: “What do you get out of this?”
Dexter: “I like knowing that the men that did this to you won’t do it to anyone else.”

I should’ve mentioned the subplot with Lumen reuniting with her fiancée Owen and rejecting his offer to travel around the world. He seemed like a nice guy but I think Lumen made the right decision by not meeting him.

Quinn: “Fucking motherfucker.”
Liddy (re Deb): “You two are starting to sound more alike every day. Must be love.”

Jordan: “It’s what I tell my clients. Tick, tick, tick, that’s the sound of your life running out.”
Dexter (to himself): “My primal instincts were right. Jordan’s one of them.”

Chronology: Nearly three months after Rita’s death in “The Getaway”. The timing on this show is certainly strange.

An incredible episode. “Take It” certainly offered a lot to be taken with (I know, terrible pun) and this season is definitely hitting it’s stride with nearly every plot – Dexter/Lumen/Jordan, Deb vs. Maria and Quinn/Liddy. It’s hard not to be pleased at the moment.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x07: "Circle Us"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by John Dahl

Jordan: “You finally did something right, Steering the cops towards Boyd, very smart.”
Cole: “It wasn’t me.”

No, but the two of them should be very worried right about now. Seriously, guys, Dexter just put Boyd in the frame for Cole’s botched attempt at moving all the barrel girls and both he and Lumen know where the security man lives and the fact that Cole, Boyd and Dan the dentist were friends since childhood. If I were a bad guy, I’d definitely start being a lot more careful but somehow I get the impression that Jordan and Cole aren’t that perceptive.

Maybe it’s a natural cynicism I have towards motivational speakers in general but Jordan is definitely the kind of man I wouldn’t trust within an inch of my life. So of course the show would have to cast one of the sexiest men in order to play the role – Johnny Lee Miller. I won’t devolve this review with a swoon-fest but it’s hard not find Jordan a little more attractive than I normally would.

Also his arrival on the show is pretty due anyways. We’ve already seen and heard him thanks to Boyd and seeing him in the flesh finally gives both Dexter and Lumen a big visual threat to go after. There were no illusions in this episode that Cole is little more than a henchman and Cole is little more than a lackey.

I liked that Dexter and Lumen took the assertive approach with trying to deal with Cole. It’s too bad that their attempt on his life failed and it was also a little reckless to but if Lumen hadn’t intervened, Dexter would’ve been in a lot of trouble, so I’m more than grateful for the fact that she did.

There’s a part of me that wanted to yell at Dexter for not trying harder to dissuade Lumen from her mission against her attackers (after all, the cops were now on the trail for Boyd and accomplices) but the more I thought about it, the more I want to see Lumen and Dexter do their own brand of justice instead.

Truthfully because I don’t see something like jail being a deterrent to someone like Jordan Chase and secondly because he’s a danger that should be eliminated but both Dexter and Lumen are going to have to act a little faster. Jordan presumably already knows that the latter is still breathing and Lumen’s paranoia in this episode was beginning to grow a little.

As for the more romantic connotations of Dexter and Lumen’s partnership, I really should disapprove but not only do Michael C. Hall and Julia Stiles continue to work extremely well with each other but the pacing feels a lot more organic than certain other shows would’ve. Plus it does feel like Lumen is helping Dexter in her own indirect way.

At the start of the episode not only was he desperate to keep Lumen away from his normal life but he was also trying to control the kills as well. Both of these were crushed when Dexter accepted Lumen as a partner in crime and also when he introduced her to Harrison. I really do hope that doing this won’t blow up in both his and Lumen’s face because I don’t think we need another Rita disaster again.

However as Dexter might have let Lumen into his life and even accepted Sonya’s belief in a Saint Brigit statue, why do I get the impression that Quinn’s going to regret getting Liddy involved in his Dexter exposing crusade? Liddy might have tipped Quinn off about Lumen but it didn’t stop him from trying to get more money out of the bent copper. Quinn, you really should’ve just stuck to pursuing without any help.

As for Quinn, while he might be lying to Deb about Dexter, I do have to admit that I believe his feelings for Deb are genuine. He didn’t seem particularly pleased when she told him that she didn’t want to out their relationship and he seemed a little miffed when she didn’t want to discuss moving in with him either. I have to admit, I actually a little bad for him there.

Deb on the other hand, that girl really does know how to kick ass, doesn’t she? Finally after weeks of the Santa Muerte storyline not progressing much, Deb managed to shoot once of the Fuentes brothers before any more damage could ensure. Unfortunately while this should be a crowning moment of brilliance for her, it’s more likely to backfire on her, thanks to both Maria and Matthews.

Now much as I usually think Maria is good at her job, she made a bloody bad error wit sending Sierra over to the Fuentes brothers along with Yasmin, the latter who wound up being killed in the process. She should’ve listened to Deb on this one. As for Captain Matthews, I am increasingly growing tired of that character. He was okay when he first speared but he’s not even an interesting antagonist any more and the last thing we need is more angst for Maria and Angel as well. Just go away, Matthews.

Also in “Circle Us”

The name of the episode came from a prayer that Sonya said to Harrison. I actually thought the statue was going to lead to a bigger conflict with Dexter and Sonya but I’m glad that it didn’t.

Lumen: “So what do we do now? How do we find them?”
Dexter: “I’m not sure ‘we’ is the operating word here.”
Lumen: “What are you talking about? We’re doing this together.”

Lumen revealed more quirks about her captors this week including Cole’s penchant for folding his jacket as well as Jordan’s watch.

Dexter (re statue): “That’s either a saint or the most boring action figure I've ever seen.”

Dexter: “It’s not safe for you here. They could be watching.”
Lumen: “Who is this? What does it mean?”
Dexter: “It means they’re on the run, you need to go.”

Both Dexter and Lumen better hope that neither of their hair samples show up at a later date because when Masuka was going through Boyd’s hair book, I was nearly sure a bit of Lumen’s was going to appear.

Dexter: “And what are you going to do with that?”
Lumen: “It’s just a flashlight.”
Dexter: “You have a way of bending the rules.”

Quinn: “What are you wearing tonight?”
Deb: “For the big stakeout? A diaper probably. I have to sit in that van with Batista for hours.”

Masuka turning out to be something of a fan of Jordan’s seemed rather in character with him. Plus it gave Dexter a good opportunity to take a snap of Jordan to help Lumen, even though she didn’t recognise him.

Dexter: “So what do we do next? What?”
Lumen: “You said ‘we’.”

Chronology: Over a month since “Practically Perfect”.

“Circle Us” is continuing the strong strand of this episode and with the arrival of Jordan, we have finally got a face to hate for the remainder of the season. Here’s hoping they utilise Johnny Lee Miller perfectly.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x06: "Everything Is Illumenated"

Written by Wendy West
Directed by Steve Shill

Dexter: “You killed somebody.”
Lumen: “Because you wouldn’t do it for me.”
Dexter: “But you called me to clean up after you.”
Lumen: “I didn’t know what to do with the body.”

You have to give Lumen some credit, she’s not naturally gifted in the complicated life of murdering and disposing of bodies, it’s all a bit new to her. And I bet Dexter wasn’t that impressive when he first started off too no matter how much he likes to credit himself as a neat monster though.

Lumen continuing her quest to seek out and kill her captors made perfect sense. I shouldn’t salute or encourage her but at the same time, it’s hard not to. Not only will she not be able to get any peace until they’re all dead but with them all alive, there’s going to be plenty of young women out there who won’t be as lucky as Lumen to be rescued by Dexter.

That being said, I can sort of understand Dexter’s irritation with her as well. The girl’s inexperienced and running high on emotion, so it means that she’s open to making mistakes. Last week she nearly shot the wrong guy but this week she actually shot one of the right ones and nearly let him escape.

Even though she was highly strung and angry, I had a gut feeling that Lumen was right about Dan the dentist, even if at the time she had no physical evidence to peg him as one of her attackers. Lumen’s instincts were right but unfortunately thanks to Dan’s brief time with a cell phone, the rest of her attack gang now know that she’s alive.

This also means that Dexter can’t just palm Lumen off back to her parents in Minneapolis either but that doesn’t seem to matter any more. Dexter started the episode off being put out by Lumen’s return in his life but the episode sure as hell ended on a far more interesting note. In other words, I think Lumen’s got herself a rather powerful ally in her corner now.

I loved the last scene in the bathroom between Dexter and Lumen. Both of them have been put in positions where their lives have taken unexpected turns and both of them have dark passengers to deal with as well. Dexter recognised that Lumen’s one has come out to play and until she kills all her attackers, it’s not going away any time soon.

I know there are a lot of things that should make me wary about anything possibly romantic happening with Dexter and Lumen but unlike some other series, I like that his guilt and grief for Rita isn’t being ignored. He’s doing his damndest not to fail again like he felt he did with Rita and in some ways, Lumen seems to represent a chance for him to atone for that in a way.

However, not just that, there’s an interesting connection between them as well. In four episodes, Lumen’s seen every facet of Dexter that very few other characters have managed to do. She’s seen him as a killer, as her saviour, as a man who’s lost his wife, as a member of the law and also as a parent and seems to accept them all. Bearing that in mind, it does make for an interesting dynamic.

I genuinely believe at this point that Lumen will be a rarity for this series – a character that sees all of Dexter without being evil or manipulative. At least that’s what I’m hoping for and if she can somehow survive the season as well, then that’s also a plus. Now all her and Dexter have to do is hunt and kill some evil rapists and they’ll be fine.

Well, I say fine but there is pesky Quinn and his new partner in crime, Liddy trying to research on Dexter. I’m betting that in the next few episodes that they’re going to be something of a hindrance to Dexter and Lumen but honestly, I don’t think Liddy is that effective as a character. Quinn might as well just kept his Dexter mission to himself for all the good that Liddy actually accomplished in this episode.

However the one thing that was interesting with Quinn this week was him admitting that he had feelings for Deb and her doing the same. I don’t hate them as much as a couple as I thought I would but given that Quinn’s hunting Dexter behind her back, I don’t know if he should get too comfortable with Deb. She might not be so forgiving when she finds out that he’s been lying to her all this time.

As for the Santa Muerte stuff, this was another slow progress for them. The Fuentes brothers are still on the run, the stakeout in Club Maya was pointless, apart from Angel managing to get a willing informant. It was one of the storylines I liked earlier on in the season but now it needs to sort of step up a gear because gory beheadings aside, it doesn’t feel like any real progress has been made and I didn’t need Matthews unwanted presence to highlight that. That guy’s become a real pain in the ass.

On a positive note, it’s nice that after spending a good part of the episode arguing it out, that both Maria and Angel actually sorted their differences out. I did get both points of views (Maria’s reputation, Angel’s pride) but to be honest, I’d prefer just to see both Maria and Angel just enjoy being married to each other. Is that too much to ask for?

Also in “Everything Is Illumenated”

What an odd title for this episode but at the same time, we did learn more about Lumen, such as her jilting Owen on their wedding day and the fact that she was mostly blindfolded when kept captive.

Dexter: “I’m always trying to keep the different parts of my life seperate. Being a father made that much more difficult and as a husband, I failed but I’m a very neat monster.”

Dexter and Deb discussed disclosing to potential buyers about Rita’s murder when the house was being put on the market.

Deb: “Quinn’s place is all Quinn.”
Dexter: “A vast, empty space?”

Dexter: “He said, ‘die-die’.”
Sonya: “Don’t be silly, he said ‘bye-bye’. Harrison’s first word.”

I have to admit that I did laugh during that scene but the writers really do seem to highlighting Dexter’s fears of Harrison being a killer a lot though.

Dexter: “This is the life Harry wanted for me, carefully divided.”

Angel (re Quinn): “Sounds like someone’s jealous.”
Deb: “Why on God’s green earth would I be jealous?”

I enjoyed seeing Angel and Deb giving each other romantic advice about Maria and Quinn. Those two are brilliant in little scenes like that.

Lumen: “What are you doing?”
Dexter: “Luminol.”
Lumen: “Luminol?”
Dexter: “No relation.”

Lumen: “How long have you been a cop?”
Dexter: “I’m not a cop.”
Lumen: “Then, what are you?”
Dexter: “Complicated.”

Before being interrupted by Lumen, Dexter was going to kill gay serial killer, Lance Robinson and then managed to use Lance and Dan’s dead bodies to solve a case and cover both himself and Lumen.

Dexter: “Lumen didn’t witness her mother’s murder but she was born in blood like me. Some experiences are so big, they change your DNA.”

Quinn (to Deb): “Morgan, I just said I want to be with you. What more do you want?”

For a moment there, Dexter wasn’t the only thinking of Rita when Lumen was relaxed in the bathtub. I swear that scene was uncanny.

Lumen: “I don’t even have a word for what I’m feeling.”
Dexter (to himself): “I do, it’s the dark passenger. I can’t get revenge for Rita’s death but I can avenge Lumen for what happened to her.”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “First Blood”.

An incredible solid and engaging episode, “Everything Is Illumenated” definitely amped up the dynamic between Dexter and Lumen and with more threats to come their way, I can say that I’m excited to see what happens next.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x05: "First Blood"

Written by Tim Schlattmann
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Lumen: “You really want to get rid of me, don’t you?”
Dexter: “I want you to get on with your life.”

That may be noble and all of Dexter, but how is Lumen supposed to do that exactly? She can’t talk to her family, therapists or even the police about her attacks and Dexter won’t let her seek out her attackers and destroy. Plus he won’t properly deal with her as well. If anything, Dexter has made Lumen’s dilemma worse than it should be.

Underneath his own need for self preservation, he’s doing a lot of damage to the girl as well. Lumen needs to deal with her ordeal and Dexter needs to help her. Whether he likes it or not, he is the only person who actually can help Lumen and thanks to the end of this episode, he no longer will have a choice in denying her. That could be an odd blessing or an unmitigated disaster for the rest of the season.

I really don’t know what Lumen has been through mentally but like any viewer watching, I do have tremendous sympathy for her. She wants to kill the men who raped her and kept her against her will – can anyone actually blame her for that? Like Dexter however, Lumen came incredibly close to killing the wrong man this week – Boyd’s old cell mate. Here’s hoping any future mistakes are few and far between if she continues this path.

Dexter might have tried to prevent Lumen from opening up a dark passenger in her but she was pretty exhibiting signs of darkening with this episode though. The scanning at the airport, the extensive research she was trying to do. Lumen is definitely determined to get back on those who’ve hurt her.

Julia Stiles continued to do a fantastic job this week. I enjoyed all of her interactions with Dexter, even if they both were on the opposite side of the spectrum as well. It’s too late for Dexter in trying to stop Lumen, it’s now time for him to step up and help her. This should definitely be one hell of a partnership, right?

On a less exciting partnership front, Quinn is now resorting to bent cops to try and nail Dexter? I can’t determine if he’s just desperate or blindly reckless but either way, I really hope to god that this is another spectacular fail for Quinn because he’s doing very little to actually make me want him to catch Dexter out.

At least Doakes was slightly cleverer than Quinn and less of a bore as well. It’s interesting that this week both Dexter and Quinn made no effort to hide their mutual hostility towards each other in front of Deb. I also don’t imagine that Deb will be especially too happy when she realises that her new fuck buddy has an unhealthy interest in her brother.

The bigger question though, is whether or nor Quinn and his bent cop friend will actually succeed on getting anything incriminating on Dexter. Quinn was savvy enough to point out Dexter’s use for gloves and with Lumen around, it could also pique Quinn’s interest if he starts to do some snooping on the girl.

Speaking of snooping, Angel proved a painful point this week – don’t assume your wife is doing the dirt without proper proof first. Vague texts only led to Angel blundering into a sting operation in a seedy motel rather than a seedy affair. Even though he had a point about Maria’s secrecy, I actually don’t blame her for being mad at him.

In terms of the Santa Muerte stuff, the bodies pile up from the Fuentes brothers but we’re still no closer to finding them and apart from Deb figuring out that a symbol of an eye stood for a nightclub, little else progressed this week with the storyline unfortunately. Still, I did like the subplot with Masuka’s tattoo hobby and the tattooist, Michael Angelo is definitely a character I wouldn’t object to seeing again.

Also in “First Blood”

Lumen seemed to have a habit of spilling sugar all over the cafe table when she was nervous during her first scene with Dexter.

Lumen: “Every time you see me you look disappointed. Like you were hoping for an empty table.”
Dexter: “I still think you need to consider my advice.”

Was Dexter paying for Lumen’s hotel bills as well as the ticket to Minneapolis as well this week?

Deb (to Dexter, re Masuka): “Well good luck getting the midget porn off your hard drive. He might have shown it to me.”

Masuka: “This was a crisis of the soul, Morgan.”
Deb: “Don’t you have to have a soul for it to be in crisis?”

The tattooist, Michael Angelo was played by Katherine Moennig from The L Word and Deb had more chemistry with her in one scene than she has done with Quinn at all.

Harry (re Lumen): “She’s found a target.”
Dexter: “You don’t know what she’s planning.”
Harry: “If she keeps going this way, she’s gonna get herself killed. That or jail.”

Masuka: “Tramp stamp, I think I’m in love.”
Deb: “She’s into needles. Why don’t you show her your dick?”

Harrison’s been scratching other kids and Dexter this week. Contrary to what Dexter thinks, I’m not sure if he should be worried about Harrison turning into him just yet. Even Sonya didn’t seem worried about it.

Dexter: “See where this leads? It’s not too late. There’s still no blood on your hands.”
Lumen: “I just want to feel better. I want this to all go away.”
Dexter: “It will.”
Lumen: “I don’t see how it can.”

Dexter: “I’m sorry for ever thinking the worst, Harrison. You’ll always be my son. Whatever we have to face, we’ll face together, okay?”

Chronology: Not much time seems to have passed since “Beauty And The Beast” and this was also the third episode to tell us that Harrison was 10 months old.

“First Blood” wasn’t a bad episode but it’s one of the weaker ones we’ve had as well. Nothing really progressed all that much but at the same time, it didn’t feel like a wasted episode either, so that’s good, right?

Rating: 7 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x04: "Beauty And The Beast"

Written by Jim Leonard
Directed by Milan Cheylov

Lumen: “How do I know you didn’t kill these girls?”
Dexter: “You don’t. It’s a leap of faith for the both of us.”

Hmm, it’s not everyday in which you’re put in a position where the most trustworthy person in your life happens to be a serial killer but unfortunately, Lumen’s life has been far from normal in the last while. Kidnapped, sold, tortured and presumably raped repeatedly? Who the hell would do that to Lumen or anyone for that matter?

Even before her reveal at the end of the episode, I already knew that it wasn’t just Boyd who was subjecting her to all this brutality but I did find it interesting how until then, it hadn’t occurred to Dexter that more than one person was involved in all the barrel girls and Lumen’s horrible fate.

So far, I definitely like Lumen as a character and even if I didn’t, it’s incredibly hard not to feel incredibly sympathetic towards her plight. Julia Stiles is definitely impressive and the way she’s playing off Michael C. Hall only means that this Dexter/Lumen dynamic is going to be one of the most memorable that the series has done so far.

Dexter was certainly in a pickle this week. He knew that morally he had no right to kill Lumen but at the same time, he couldn’t (or simply wouldn’t) let her die, even if holding her against her will wasn’t an obstacle for him. Plus, Harry’s narrations in this episode really annoyed the heck out of me.

It was like Season 4 again with all the unhelpful stuff with Harry. Would killing an innocent, traumatised young woman really have been the best option for Dexter? I’m glad he didn’t go there and instead made the effort to try and gain Lumen’s trust. Going to the motel to collect her things was a good start in that direction.

However much as I liked Dexter trying to be the good guy, I totally believed in Lumen’s reluctance to trust him at first. Why would she? She just saw him kill a man and given that Dexter knocked her out and held her against her will for most of this episode, he really did need to earn her trust.

Taking her to where Boyd intended to dump her body and talking to her about Rita’s death was an interesting way of gaining Lumen’s trust. Maybe it was too easy but given that she’s clearly being set up for a main arc here, perhaps it’s wise that Lumen did come around to putting her faith in Dexter after practically cutting him. He doesn’t want to see anymore innocent people getting killed and that’s good. Hopefully Lumen doesn’t become a casualty then now that she’s involved in Dexter’s life.

As for the fact that it was a gang of men who were holding Lumen against her will, I don’t need to be a genius to see where this plot is going to go. Given what Lumen’s been through. I actually both her and Dexter catch every single one of her attackers and make them suffer multiple times over. That might not be the politically correct solution but come on, it’s not like the law are going to end up solving Lumen’s dilemma.

Speaking of dilemmas, Lumen wasn’t the only woman to cause Dexter trouble this week. Sonya had every right to call Dexter out on lying to her and while it did feel a little easier for her to come back working for him, I am glad that she gave Dexter another chance. It turns out that lying to Sonya is definitely a big no-no in her book. Here’s hoping that Dexter bears that in mind next time he pulls an all-nighter.

Outside of Dexter’s crazy world, this Santa Muerte plot really is running longer than expected. I’m not actually complaining because it’s an interesting subplot but Deb really could’ve come off worse during her confrontation with the machete guy if she hadn’t been careful. I’m sure the unfortunate hostage with his throat slit will be fine but with the guy on the loose, Deb might want to watch her back for the next episode or two.

Someone else who should watch his back is Quinn as well. I know he’s trying to do his job but confronting Jonah in the manner he did was reckless and I’m actually glad that Maria busted his chops over. However even with suspension, I can only see Quinn’s pursuit of connecting Dexter with Kyle Butler going further and now that him and Deb have resumed sleeping together, it’s only going to get even further complicated.

Last but not least – this Angel plot already. Apart from causing strain between him and Maria and Lopez refusing to press charges, it really seems that it’s Jim who has his bee in his bonnet over Maria and Angel. We just managed to get Matthews off Angel and Maria’s backs and now we have to deal with this guy? Ugh!

Also in “Beauty And The Beast”

Julia Stiles is now listed as a special guest on the show, so that definitely proves that Lumen will be around for the rest of the season then.

Dexter (re machete guy): “Okay, what else?”
Deb: “Just machete. We’ve been up all night. We’re too tired to think. That’s why we called you.”

Deb had her own little freak out over Dexter and Harrison invading her personal space in this episode. I think she’s allowed at least one.

Masuka (to Dexter): “Good to have you back. In a supporting role. Assisting me.”

Dexter: “I’m reliable.”
Sonya: “Well, I guess we use different dictionaries.”
Dexter: “It’ll never happen again.”
Sonya: “Do you think?”

Is it me or has Maria Doyle Kennedy slightly upped her Irish accent for this show? She wouldn’t be the first non-American actor to do that for a US show and she won’t be the last either.

Maria (re Harrison): “He looks like his mommy.”
Masuka: “He’s got his daddy’s eyes.”
Angel: “And your penis size.”
Deb: “It’s much bigger.”

Dexter: “The babysitter doesn’t trust me because of the lies. Lumen doesn’t trust because of the truth. There’s a name for that. Oh right, Dexter Morgan.”

Lumen lied to Dexter about being called Rachel. Her full name is Lumen Anne Pierce and her family are convinced that she’s a runaway.

Masuka: “I’m willing to share. All you had to do was ask.”
Quinn: “Okay, I didn’t take your meds and I’m not getting down and dirty with Debra.”

Lumen (to Dexter): “I’m sorry I cut you. I thought you were a monster like Boyd. I thought you were gonna kill me or worse.”

Chronology: Exactly from where “Practically Perfect” left off.

Easily a good follow up episode with “Beauty And The Beast” but also a mixed bag as well. Harry’s appearances aren’t particularly being helpful with Dexter so far but the plots with Lumen definitely could be. Everything else also worked reasonably well this week.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x03: "Practically Perfect"

Written by Manny Coto
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Boyd: “I did them a favour. They were all suffering and I put them out of their misery.”
Dexter: “You’ll be doing one more favour tonight.”

Oh, Boyd, if you knew that Dexter was a hot mess from the moment you met him, then why the hell did you not take any precautions with the guy? Oh well, after two episodes, Boyd’s journey came to the best ending ever – him on a table, killed by Dexter. Too bad that this kill didn’t go off without a hitch.

First off all for Dexter was his attempts to do the deed when luring Boyd into collecting a dead alligator. Dexter’s had his moments of sloppiness but getting hit by Boyd’s tranquiliser gun after knocking Boyd out was actually pretty comical but on a serious note, it was also bad for Dexter.

Boyd might not have gotten the opportunity to have gained a further upper hand but Dexter being in hospital, no matter how brief could be a problem down the line when Quinn continues to investigate everyone’s favourite serial killer. Well, that and the fact that Boyd is now dead could be another thing for Quinn to link to Dexter as well.

It’s almost a shame that Boyd did die in this episode because even though he was a nutter, I actually thought Shawn Hatosy was a lot of fun in this episode. Boyd had a pretty interesting way at looking at certain things and he was astute enough to piece that Dexter had been married as well.

Also his last few words were interesting. Before being finally killed, he told Dexter that the women whom he dumped in barrels of formaldehyde were having their misery ended. Boyd saw himself as a mercy killer and Dexter was snarky enough to use a similar phrasing when he ended Boyd’s life.

However with Boyd out of the way, it does seem like a set of new arcs have been opened up. Jordan Chase and his self-help tapes seem to be something a lot deeper than just something that helped Boyd work through issues and if death was a mercy, then what exactly were the poor women being subjected to that Boyd saw himself as a saviour of sorts to them?

Of course, the real meat of this episode wasn’t Dexter killing Boyd and being unable to feel good about it (I’m sure Dexter will get his killer groove back later in the season) but it was the young woman who was Boyd’s next victim. The same woman who looked badly beaten and witnessed Dexter murdering her captor as well.

I knew Julia Stiles was appearing in this series and I’ve always liked her as an actress but her first appearance here only sets up some question. We don’t know her character’s name, she doesn’t have any dialogue and aside from learning that she’s one of Boyd’s prisoners/victims, there’s nothing else we do know about her. That being said, I can’t wait to find out. Dexter had better not kill her.

And if the murder quotient wasn’t enough with Boyd, there’s also the Santa Muerte stuff as well to deal with. I am enjoying the pairing between Deb and Officer Manzon in trying to figure out why no-one wanted to talk about the deaths but I knew that as soon as that shopkeeper opened up a little, that he was a dead man walking. Sadly, I was right as well.

Even though the Santa Muerte stuff isn’t going to be a big arc this season, it’s certainly an interesting one. Particularly given the ways in which Deb, Manzon, Quinn and Angel all looked at the husband/wife killings and the neighbourhood’s reticence to speak at different angles. And I also laughed a little with some of Masuka’s inappropriate humour as well when the shopkeeper’s body was found.

Less of a laugh riot though was the Angel and Maria. I’m not really sure why some fans hate this pairing so much because I continue to root for them as a couple myself, especially after this episode. I want them to last as a partnership and even though Angel’s bar fight ended up doing damage to Officer Lopez, I’m not sure if he will end up in jail for it. I can easily see this causing further tension between him and Maria and maybe a suspension but definitely not jail.

In other plots, Quinn continues to have his weird moments. Counting the days since he last shagged Deb made him look like a desperate loser but I am finding it interesting how he’s managed to crack the connection between Kyle Butler and Dexter with ease. Looks like mystery girl isn’t the only problem that Dexter will have on his hands soon.

Also in “Practically Perfect”

I loved the opening sequence with Deb interrogating prospective nannies before Dexter settled on Irish one, Sonya. Maria Doyle Kennedy is excellent casting.

Girl: “I’m totally clean.”
Deb: “Then why are you so nervous?”
Girl: “Because I wasn’t expecting on getting these kind of questions. I mean, you sound like a cop.”

Sonya sang “Bye, Bye Bunting, Daddy’s Gone A Hunting” to Harrison. If only she knew. And cheesy as it sounded, but I thought the Prince Harry nickname she gave the child was sweet.

Masuka: “True warriors are humble men.”
Quinn: “Oh please, you got a reason to be humble. You got fucked up running the other way.”

Deb: “You’re counting?”
Quinn: “I can’t help it. I have an internal clock.”
Deb: “Well, unplug it.”
Quinn: “I’m just saying at this point we might as well be married.”
Deb: “Shit on my face. You ever use words like ‘we’ and ‘married’ in the same fucking sentence again ...”

I don’t want to comment on it too much but thanks to other forums, I have realised that Desmond Harrington does look a bit gaunt this season.

Harry: “That’s the problem.”
Dexter: “What?”
Harry: “This kill won’t just make everything right. It won’t bring Rita back.”

Dexter (re routine talk): “Where did you hear that?”
Deb: “I am capable of independent thought, Dexter. Oprah.”

Hey, Deb, want to know why Sonya’s left Ireland – ask Brian Cowen! Oh and clearly, Johnny Lee Miller is being earmarked to play Jordan Chase.

Dexter (to paramedic): “Crazy asshole, you were supposed to shoot the gator.”
Boyd: “You got in my way, fucking numbskull.”

Masuka: “Another head? And I was in such a good mood.”

Chronology: It’s been nine days since “My Bad” and we also learned that Harrison is 10 months old, thanks the child psychologist.

I really enjoyed this one. “Practically Perfect” certainly had moments of humour that cracked me up big time but it’s also given us an arc for Dexter outside of his own personal trauma and the next couple of weeks now look even more exciting as a result.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x02: "Hello Bandit"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by John Dahl

Harry: “I thought the kids were your number one responsibility.”
Dexter: “They are.”
Harry: “But here you are in the middle of the night.”

You got to give Dexter something – he’s trying. It’s just shame that trying for Dexter is largely unorthodox at the same time. For Dexter, being a good father also means being able to kill at the same time, so the hell with Elliott and his patronising speeches about sacrifices. Even I wanted Dexter to stab the dolt during that scene.

The one thing I love about Dexter’s coping with grief is not only how in character it is for him but how it’s not bogging the series down in any respect. He genuinely wanted to do his best by Astor, Cody and Harrison in this episode and he was met with far too many obstacles to succeed.

Astor’s anger towards Dexter kept momentum this week and the girl made some rather valid pointers as well. She didn’t want to leave her family home but Dexter wanted to move somewhere else and staying at Deb meant that everyone was literally boxed in. There’s a reason why apartments aren’t meant for families this big.

But there was also the moment where Astor and Cody then snuck off school and went back to their home to see Rita’s bathtub. It’s definitely one of the strongest scenes in the episode and it was at this point that Dexter realised that he was fighting a losing battle with Astor. For me, because of that, it made more than enough sense that he let her and Cody move to Orlando with their grandparents.

I don’t know why but I actually hope it’s not the end of Astor and Cody as characters. I don’t need Dexter’s internal thoughts to tell me that he’s better with them and Harrison in his life but it did help and unlike last year where Harry’s berating got on my nerves, I find myself agreeing with him about how much Astor and Cody are needed in Dexter’s life.

Not to mention the fact that Dexter obviously feels a responsibility for them as well. Cody might have been more open with Dexter than Astor but it’s clear that from their last scene together, Astor doesn’t completely hate Dexter even if she does blame him for her mother’s death nonetheless. In other words, I hope we do see them again in the season.

As for the FBI strand from the first episode – it’s amazing how quickly that one was wrapped. I was almost surprised with how the two agents interviewing Dexter weren’t at least a tiny bit suspicious of him in relation to Rita’s death but I suppose that’s where Quinn is going to come in handy, right?

That’s also the thing that worries me. Thanks to Maria, Quinn’s got the perfect sketches of Kyle Butler and it can’t be long until he matches the pictures to Dexter and begins his own investigation. Much as that will obviously spell bad news for Dexter, I actually love the fact that the Arthur Mitchell is still lingering about the place, even if the character is no longer with us.

Of course, it’s not just Arthur Mitchell that’s giving Miami Metro work to do, there’s also the Santa Muerte cult and the decapitation of a young woman. The thing with her eyes and tongue being gouged out as well was surprisingly effective and was it me or am I sensing a slightly adversarial but friendly dynamic between Deb and that female cop on the case as well? As long as she doesn’t turn out to be another Yuki, I’ll be happy.

Speaking of Deb, the good sister thing might be tiring her out but damn, she deserves points for giving it a bash. For a girl who’s usually so emotionally explosive, Deb has been absolutely fantastic for Dexter and the kids in the past two episodes and I kind of wish that she would cut herself some slack. Deb’s not perfect but she’s definitely someone you’d want fighting your corner nonetheless.

As for the sex thing with her and Quinn, I’m still on the assumption that a relationship isn’t far off. I like that she’s actually being a little resistant and that Quinn’s not acting like a total dick but it’s pretty damn obvious that there’s going to be a repeat performance, even if Deb is trying to keep Quinn on his toes.

Something else that’s worth keeping us on our toes was creepy ass dead animal pick up guy, Boyd Fowler. I’m gonna assume here that’s Boyd’s just a side baddies until the real big bad of the season enters the fray but he’s certainly disturbing enough. Those girls in the water filled barrels? If experience has taught Dexter anything, its best not to prolong a kill, so here’s hoping that Dexter doesn’t feel he needs to learn anything off Boyd anytime soon.

Also in “Hello, Bandit”

The title comes from Boyd’s little dialogue about the dead raccoon that Dexter used to get to meet him.

Dexter (to himself): “They say there are seven stages of grief. I suppose killing a man with my bare hands in the men’s room was my way of working through the anger stage.”

Michael C. Hall has previously worked with Shawn Hatosy (Boyd) in Six Feet Under. Amazing how many guest stars from that series have appeared on this show, isn’t it?

Masuka: “We miss you brother.”
Dexter: “How’s handling the department by yourself?”
Masuka: “it’s a breeze.”

Elliott: “Forget about any free time, you just have to be there every morning, every evening, every weekend. Are you ready to do that, Dex? For the kids?”
Dexter: “Yes, Elliott, I’m ready to do that. For the kids.”

On the Maria/Angel subplot this week, I don’t see anything wrong with her having her own account but I do think maybe she should’ve told Angel at some point. How long have they been married for?

Cody: “I like it here. It’s like camping.”
Dexter (to himself): “Exactly. Boys are easier.”

Deb (to Quinn): “I came over here to sleep, not to have your fat little sausage fingers all over me.”

Santa Muerte means Holy Death and Deb/Masuka/Quinn seemed to think the husband killed the wife before killing himself. Chances are, it’ll be something or someone else responsible.

Dexter (re Astor/Cody): “While they’ll be seeing the grief counsellor, I’ll be getting my own kind of therapy.”

Speaking of therapy, that voice that kept shouting “Take It” (from Boyd’s self help tapes) sounded bloody familiar.

Angel (re splatter): “How’s it going on in there?”
Deb: “Masuka said he really likes working with blood.”

Astor: “I thought coming here would help but that was stupid.”
Dexter: “Well, I understand.”

Angel’s bar fight with the guy who accused Maria of being a sugar mama is definitely going to have repercussions next week.

Dexter (to Harry): “Just give me a minute.”

Chronology: None directly specified since the events of “My Bad”.

Definitely a strong second episode here. “Hello, Bandit” continues to tackle the fallout of last year quite nicely but apart from the Boyd and Santa Muerte plots, which are likely to be short terms ones, nothing is as yet developed for the next big bad for Dexter to face off with. Perhaps that’s a good thing for a few episodes at the moment.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 5x01: "My Bad"

Written by Chip Johannessen
Directed by Steve Shill

Dexter (to Harrison, re Rita): “Lucky to have me. I wouldn’t say so. She trusted me and now she’s dead. Like your sister said, I’m toxic. You’d all be better off without me.”

And TV would be a slightly less interesting place without this show. I debated for a few weeks as to when I was going to review the fifth season of this show and after realising that FXUK would probably delay it for summer, I decided that I might as well just get in there and review it now. After watching this episode, I’m glad I made that decision.

When it comes to grief, there are plenty who will sob and shout their hearts out and then there are people who are so quiet that the likes of Quinn will suspect them of not caring or being responsible for their loved ones death. Dexter, naturally of course fell into the latter category, which wasn’t a good thing when Quinn is involved.

Dexter’s total lack of emotion made a shit load of sense to me as a viewer. He’s capable of feeling and we’ve had enough reminders over the previous four years that his feelings for Rita were real but at the same time, Dexter was able to vocalise his feelings in a way that people expected of him in this episode.

Even Elliot from next door was more openly sad about Rita’s death and the technical manner in which Dexter’s described Rita’s death when he made his 911 call certainly raised Quinn’s alarm bells but overall, Dexter had more than just reacting to Rita’s death to deal with and this was a week where he didn’t want to deal with anything.

He delayed telling Astor and Cody about their mum’s death and when he did, it went typically wrong. Even though, I’ve found Astor annoying in past episodes, I actually didn’t blame her when she lashed out at Dexter. Dexter himself felt like he failed/abandoned Rita and Astor was the only one to vocalise that as well.

Even when it came to funeral arrangements, it was Deb doing all the work there – picking a casket, arranging a burial date, funeral home and even getting a selection of dresses for Dexter to choose for Rita. It made sense that when Dexter snapped out of himself that he chose the dress that he first saw Rita in.

And that led to another interesting thing – their first date. I wasn’t really all that surprised that Dexter cut it short to tend to a victim but I was charmed by the fact that in spite of his seeming indifference to her at first, that Dexter did want to know more about Rita. Even back then, he was probably falling in love with her without realising it of course.

It was also a nice way of utilising Julie Benz in the opening episode, other than having her just play dead for a few scenes. The funeral scene itself served as a satisfying but emotionally potent coda for the episode. The big stuff from Dexter was less to do with his eulogy and more to do with him finally snapping.

I guess even an episode as downbeat as this one needed a killing but the attack on that asshole in the bathroom was definitely savage and unlike Dexter as well. It’s not the healthiest way for Dexter’s grief to have spilled out but it was certainly the most believable and after spending most of the previous season frustrated with Harry’s appearances, I was grateful for him being there when Dexter needed him the most.

However as for the consequences of Rita’s death – everyone mostly thinks that Trinity did the deed so that storyline isn’t entirely resolved either. The only person who believes that Dexter killed Rita is Quinn and it does seem that he’s going to be a further nuisance than Doakes ever was in trying to expose Dexter, especially that thanks to Masuka, he also knows about Rita and Elliot.

Whether or not this means that Quinn’s destined to be added to a slide collection in the next eleven episodes is anyone’s guess but overall, much as I dislike him, there’s a part of me that hopes he does learn more about Dexter for some reason. As for sleeping with Deb, it didn’t actually bother me but geez, couldn’t they have picked somewhere that a murder didn’t take place in?

Despite Deb’s protestations, it’s pretty obvious that the writers are intending her and Quinn to become an item this season and if she can make him a lot less annoying than he usually is, then more power to Deb. Otherwise, I’m not really that fussed about them as a couple. And I’d also like to hope that apart from being a support system for Dexter, Deb also has other storylines this year to be getting on with.

As for Maria and Angel, I really hope the honeymoon period isn’t over for them just yet because the lengths they went into becoming an official couple, it’d just be annoying for them to break up. I did actually see both their viewpoints with Rita’s death – Maria had a point with wanting the FBI to deal with it and Angel had a point with wanting Miami metro to tackle it. Either way, between the FBI and Quinn, Dexter had better watch his back because it certainly seems like being associated with Trinity could come to bite him on the ass again.

Also in “My Bad”

Have the writers been watching Joss Whedon shows over the summer because the episode title sounds like something a character of his would utter?

Dexter: “I’ve watched 67 people die and in the moment of truth, I’ve looked in their eyes and they knew and I knew they got what they deserved but what if that’s not what happens if you don’t get what you deserve?”

After this episode, Dexter can add 68 into that impressive collection, can’t he? Also Arthur killed Rita at least eight hours before Dexter discovered her body.

Deb: “FBI? Fucking bunch of idiots.”

Dexter (re Rita): “This is what she would’ve wanted – a grieving spouse. For once doing what a normal person’s supposed to do.”

Not so surprisingly, Dexter ran away from the FBI debriefing and nearly skipped town until his own moment of truth happened.

Dexter (re Deb): “She admitted the fact that I’m an axe murderer?”
Rita: “No, no, she said you were a blood stain pattern analyst, which I have no clue what that is.”
Dexter: “Believe me, I don’t either and I do it forty hours a week.”

Astor (re Rita): “She’s dead and it doesn’t even matter with you.”
Dexter: “How can you say that?”
Astor: “Cos it doesn’t. I can tell, just by looking at you. You don’t even care. Where were you? Where were you when someone was killing her?”

Astor and Cody being told about Rita’s death while they were all wearing Mickey Mouse ears/hats was definitely one of the most unforgettable things of this episode.

Dexter (re Rita): “I was never really honest with you. I’m a serial killer, that’s what I am. I know I led you to believe I’m a human being but I’m really not.”

Rita: “So you know all about me?”
Dexter: “I’d like to know more.”

Julie Benz’s name was out of the opening credits for this episode and no special guest stars were added either.

Dexter: “I thought you left me.”
Harry: “I’m here.”

Chronology: Exactly from where “The Getaway” left off.

As an opener goes, “My Bad” is definitely the darkest and most uncomfortable one that the series has done but it’s also the strongest one since the “Pilot” and while no new big bad was set up in this one, there was more than enough going on.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Dexter/Lumen Cast Pictures

It's Sunday and while I was going to initially do a TV Highlight blog, I thought I'd share these pretty kick ass pictures of Dexter and Lumen that have been floating about for a while.

Girls like knives just as much as the serial killer of Dexter does as well. Personally, both Julia Stiles and Michael C. Hall look pretty damn cool.

With Season 5 ending the way it did (i.e. Lumen surviving the series), does anyone else think that she'll reappear in Season 6?

I'll do a more pointful blog tomorrow folks.

ETA: Holy shit - 300 blogs this year. Awesome.

Dexter - Season 5 Preview (Contains Big Spoilers)

As I'm typing this, the fifth season of Dexter is coming to an end on Showtime tomorrow night and god knows when FXUK will get off their arses and air it but here goes nothing.

As a longterm fan of the series, I absolutely adored the fourth season of the series and thought the show had hit an all time high with the writing and characterisation that a part of me was nervous for Season 5. Would Dexter survive without Rita's humanly influence? Would the Big Bad of the season even come close to being as breathtakingly excellent as Arthur 'Trinity' Mitchell? From the previews that I've been watching, I'm glad to say that the series is still hitting the excellent button all over again, especially as opener My Bad picks up from where the previous year left off.

Every season of this show usually starts off with introducing the main baddie but this year takes a different tack of sorts. In the first half of the season, you've got Dexter coming to terms with the loss of Rita (Julie Benz) as Quinn seems to drawing closer to realising who Dexter really is but it's only by the third episode, Practically Perfect that the arrival of Lumen Pierce (Julia Stiles) that the season really comes into it's own. Lumen isn't a villain but more victim of being sold and abused by several nasty men and while Dexter has to win her trust, Lumen ends up spending the season as a mutiple of things for him - damsel in distress, ally, friend, and in recent episodes such as In The Beginning, a love interest. After Rita, I should be protesting that it's too soon but even I can't deny that there's something between Dexter and Lumen that the series has been crying out with him - an unconditional connection and unlike Miguel and Lila, there's a chance that Dexter can be himself with Lumen without things going sour - at least, here's hoping.

However while the first six episodes of the season are devoid of a big bad and Dexter/Lumen becoming quite the killing team, it's Johnny Lee Miller's turn to play a villain - the nasty Jordan Chase (who debuts in Circle Us), a nasty, police protected motivational speaker responsible for Lumen's former predicament and also quite the scary bastard as well as the season progresses. As a villain, he definitely works, especially given his manipulation over certain characters but whether or not he succeeds in his attempts of killing Lumen and defeating Dexter remain to be seen but either way, this show certainly knows how to write for their big bads. Here's hoping that season finale, The Big One puts him in the same slide collection as past nasties have done.

As for the rest of the gang - well, Deb's sleeping and falling in love with Quinn, verbally tearing Jordan asunder, being cautious of Lumen whilst seemingly coming closer to realising that her brother might not be all he seems but it's better than Angel and Maria's marital problems and Masuka having naff all to do again. In terms of reviews, I'm actually going to tackle the series in early 2011 instead of the summer.

Trailer 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U79YJGCHWkw&feature=player_embedded

Trailer 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VqX_h8G7hE&feature=related

My Review of Dexter's 4x12: "The Getaway"

Written by Wendy West And Melissa Rosenberg And Scott Reynolds
Directed by Steve Shill

Trinity: “Do you think you’re better than I am?”
Dexter: “No, but I want to be.”

And in some ways, it can be argued that Dexter is better than Trinity. For instance, at least all of Dexter’s victims (bar Jonathan Farrow) deserve their bloody fates and at least Dexter hasn’t spent the last few years subjecting his family to fear. Those things at least give him some kind of an edge over the Trinity killer.

After 12 episodes, it was always going to be tough wrapping this storyline in a manner than would satisfy but this episode certainly went out on a limb to mostly resolve everything as best it could. First of all, though the confrontation between Dexter and Trinity in the police station.

It’s amazing how tense that scene managed, especially with everyone else being so obliviousness as to what was going on between the two of them. That being said, I’m glad Dexter realised that it was time for Trinity to be put down but it’s only a pity that it didn’t go to plan once again.

Knocking Trinity was smart and taking his cash to stop him from escaping was also smart but getting into a fight with another cop was downright stupid and I knew that as soon as Dexter got himself arrested that Trinity would have the opportunity to pay him back in kind. There was no way that Trinity wasn’t going to do something awful to Dexter before this episode ended.

And that’s where killing Rita came into it. For once, I am beyond glad that as a viewer I didn’t have to see Trinity’s bathtub murder of Rita on screen but there was certainly a horrible pattern emerged when Dexter picked up Harrison next to Rita’s body in the same way that he had been with his own mother as a child.

It’s also a shame that Rita had to die as well because even though it was inevitable that Trinity would go after her, a part of me assumed that he wouldn’t actually succeed. I also found it extremely interesting that while he was being prepped for his own death, that Trinity didn’t bother to mention to Dexter that he had killed Rita.

Then again, Trinity did make a big song and dance about taking no pleasure in the people that he’s been killing for the last thirty years. I guess it was supposed to counter Dexter’s obvious exhilaration towards his own murders but the fact that he killed Rita certainly made sure that viewers wouldn’t be forgetting him anytime soon – as if we would anyways.

I really enjoyed the scenes between Dexter and Rita prior to the latter’s death as well in this episode. They had finally seemed to be properly communicating as a couple and the Rita that I liked when the show first debuted was there instead of the overly insecure nagging one that we’ve had for too long.

Dexter might not have collapsed into a flood of tears upon seeing Rita’s body but it’s definitely certain that this is going to have a major effect on him. It’s also a kick in the nuts and further proof that Harry might be right all along about Dexter being unable to have a family and a dark passenger at the same time without something having to give.

It’s also probably not the best time either for Dexter to have found out that Deb was aware of Laura Moser and Brian being the Ice Truck Killer. To be fair, I thought Deb actually handled it pretty well but I can see this reveal (especially with Quinn’s growing hatred in the mix) becoming something of a problem for Dexter as well.

As for Arthur Mitchell, he might have been a dead man in this episode but Deb and company were able to peg him down as Trinity after they discovered the true extent of his kill cycle and if that can be done, who’s to say that they won’t learn that it wasn’t Arthur who framed Stan Beaudry as Trinity as well or even the fact that Dexter was at the Mitchell’s house quicker than anyone else?

Also in “The Getaway”

Some of the reprise bits included clips from the first season in order to remind viewers about the Ice Truck Killer saga.

Dexter: “You do not want to question my loyalty to my family, Quinn, not today.”
Quinn: “Do your fucking job.”

When Quinn wasn’t being a prick to Dexter, he also refused to engage in anything to do with Christine’s suicide.

Cop: “Buddy, we’re taking you in.”
Dexter (to himself): “So much for diplomacy.”

Dexter: “My dark passenger has done this to me. It’s ruining my life.”
Harry: “It is your life.”
Dexter: “I don’t want it to be.”

Maria and Angel discussed moving into together but apart from Dexter and Matthews, no-one else seems to know they’re married.

Deb (re Laura Moser): “Well, I know now. What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”
Matthews: “Keep it to yourself.”

Rita (to Dexter): “I know you better than you know yourself. You can conquer whatever darkness is in you. I know you can.”

The title of the episode reference the fact that Dexter and Rita were going to go on their honeymoon to the Keys with Harrison during the episode.

Harry: “This is your future, Dexter. We both know it’s inevitable.”
Dexter: “No, Arthur abandoned his family. I won’t abandon mine.”

Deb: “You’ve been the one constant, the one constant good thing in my life.”
Dexter (to himself): “I’ve been good for her and Rita says I’m good for her and the kids. No-one would ever say that about Arthur. Maybe Harry’s wrong. Maybe things can turn out differently for me.”

It’s amazing that in the space of four seasons, we’ve only lost two regular characters and that both were killed by the season baddie – Doakes by Lila, Rita by Trinity. Trinity himself was killed by a framing hammer.

Dexter: “Guess you were expecting a different scenario.”
Trinity: “I was following my path.”
Dexter: “So was I.”
Trinity: “God lead you to me.”
Dexter: “Hardly.”

Chronology: December 2009 for this finale.

“The Getaway” is certainly one hell of a way to end this season. I’ve loved the fourth year arguably more than ever but I even I was bowled over by this episode. Rita’s death certainly packed a punch and with Trinity gone, the writers are going to have one hell of a time coming up with an equally compelling adversary for Dexter next season.

Rating: 10 out of 10.