The penultimate episode of the season brought us the question of “Who is Dexter Morgan?” Is he a serial killer, a blood spatter expert, a husband, a father, a brother, or Kyle Butler? Is he truly capable of being all of the above?
We begin where the previous episode left off, with Christine in police custody. Angel is grilling her on her relationship to Trinity to no avail. While she’s in custody as a “material witness” (can hold longer than 48 hours, unlike suspect), Quinn and Deb search her apartment. Finding her postcard collection from Daddy, it doesn’t take the two long to piece the puzzle together and figure out based on the card locations, the signatures, the dates that Trinity is Christine’s father. Presented with the postcards, Christine lawyers up.
Arthur is busy watching the resolve of the kidnapped boy on the news. Upon learning that the return is as much a mystery as the abduction, he calls Dexter to find out why he didn’t turn him into the police. Dexter blackmails him for $50,000 or threatens to expose him as a pedophile.
Dexter first decides to pin the Trinity murders on a different murderer. His target is Stan Beaudry, a long distance trucker who killed a prostitute, but was released due to evidence problems. Dexter’s reasoning seems to be self preservation (Arthur can’t know his real identity), wanting to kill Arthur himself, and that Stan falls within Harry’s code.
I can’t even remember a kill that seemed to go as smoothly as Beaudry’s, even though it felt hastily assembled and in daylight. But kudos to Ghost Harry for reminding Dexter that he does need to check in at home once in a while! This season it seems as though Dexter is absent from the home and office for extended periods of time with nobody noticing, other than an offhand remark. It’s a bit distracting!
Dexter plants Arthur-DNA all over Beaudry’s home and truck. The police fall into Dexter’s scheme and announce Beaudry as the prime suspect. Christine, of course, denies any knowledge of Stan Beaudry (the truth!).
Meanwhile, Arthur decides to track down Kyle Butler for a little payback. Sadly for one of the three Kyle Butler, he stumbles across Arthur breaking into his home and is brutally murdered. Luckily for Dexter, it’s within his jurisdiction and he (internally, subdued) freaks upon realizing the name of the victim and that he’s responsible for Arthur killing him. He also realizes that Arthur must be in Miami. The two almost come together at a second Kyle Butler’s home, but Arthur rethinks and retreats.
Christine, released from custody, is frantically calling Arthur and asking for Daddy’s help. He finally responds, coldly and harshly cutting her off from his life. Defeated, she calls for Deb to come to her apartment. Deb, excited that Christine may reveal information, defies logic and goes to Christine’s… with the only back-up outside, on the street. Seems smart, eh?
In plot developments that hopefully will amount to something in next week’s finale… Angel and LaGuerta are caught by the Chief and threatened with legal action for lying about their relationship status. So they get married. Rita admits to Dexter that Elliot kissed her. Dexter reacts more calmly than Rita would like. Dexter punches Elliot. Rita is happy.
Arthur calls Dexter from last week’s arcade to say he has the money. They arrange a drop location, but Dexter goes to the arcade, recognizing the back ground noises. I call foul as that was way too obvious for Dexter to fall for. Dexter searches through the arcade, but can’t find Arthur.
Deb arrives at Christine’s and the two talk over their Daddy issues. Christine tearfully confesses to the Deb/Lundy shooting, pulls a gun from under a couch pillow, and shoots herself in front of Deb. (If the cops searched Christine’s place and had her under surveillance since her release, where did the gun come from?). Deb, distraught, calls Dexter as she needs him to be her brother first and comfort her.
Arthur follows Dexter from the arcade to the police station. He approaches the front desk and learns there is no Kyle Butler working there. He steals a visitor badge and begins to freely roam about the least secure police department in a major metropolitan area. He finds the Major Homicide Division’s bowling team photo and goes looking for Dexter.
He purposefully strolls through the department, stopping to admire his own work on the Trinity kill board and smirk at the Beaudry misinformation.
Meanwhile, Deb and Dexter are sharing a nice sibling moment as she realizes the Lundy shooting case is closed and she has to move on.
Dexter looks up to see Arthur in the department and quickly walks over to him. With a look of pure evil, Arthur fingers Dexter’s ID badge and hisses “Hello, Dexter Morgan.”
The whole season has been building to next week’s season finale and the previews look intense! Who lives? Who dies? What will Deb find out about Dexter’s mother? Will Dexter be able to maintain all of his identities? Will we ever care about Angel and LaGuerta as a couple?
That’s my TwoCents… What are your TwoCents?
*Karen Belgrad blogs at TwoCentscorp.com*
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