Contributor: Gregg Wright
Written by Manny Coto and Wendy West
Directed by John Dahl
This has been a very rocky season of “Dexter”, at a time when there is every reason for the show to return to its former glory. At the beginning of the season, I expected things to rapidly begin to escalate through a two-season story arc that culminated in a definitive finale. Instead, the season explored other various other elements that were interesting in and of themselves, but suffered from poor execution, and seem to have been only tangentially-related to the real closing arc of the show.
In retrospect, it may be that season 7 could be described as the calm before the final storm. This characterization doesn’t excuse the poor plotting, lack of suspense, or the weak and conflicting thematic elements. But it at least puts in perspective what the intent might have been behind the creative choice to make this more of a “normal”, perhaps quieter and more contemplative season of “Dexter”, in preparation for the coming chaos of the final season.
At any rate, I appreciate this episode more then the last two or three because of how it took the looming threat to Dexter posed by LaGuerta and thrust it violently into the forefront. The big twist, in which Dexter discovers that the release of Dexter’s mother’s killer (the only one still left alive anyway) was deliberately orchestrated by LaGuerta to lure Dexter into a trap, is an absolute surprise. Dexter has come dangerously close to being discovered before, but there is a sense of inevitability here that isn’t going to go away.
I also appreciated that this episode seems to signal the end to the Dexter and Hannah relationship. I like the ideas behind it. This might seem like the perfect time to present Dexter with a possible future of happiness, and then rip it away just as things start to get worse. But there was enough chemistry between Hall and Strahovski to make it work. Grating as Debra may be, her relationship with Dexter has always struck a believable chord. So I’m glad to see Dexter turning in Hannah to protect his sister.
This episode isn’t exactly a game-changer, but it’s at least a definite step in the right direction. LaGuerta has been slowly circling Dexter almost all season, and now we’re finally seeing some action. The more dire and serious Dexter’s situation becomes, the more interested I will be. It’s just too bad that so much of this season has been so disposable. The handling of this season doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence over how well the writers will handle the final season, but my patience and optimism for this show seems to be almost everlasting.
Score: 7/10