Dexter 2.04

[selenak]

Oh, show. This is the first time I am unhappy with you. Three guesses as to why.

I had a bad feeling when we saw LaGuerta in her bed, because about five seconds before it did, I guessed where this was leading to, and I thought "oh no, you don't go there!", but they did. And now my disgruntlement was twofold: a) because the "using sex to oust the competition" is just the kind of cliché I was praising the show for not using before, and b) the implication that having a fiance who cheats is really enough to reduce a competent woman to a nervous wreck, and LaGuerta would have believed and counted on that. Which is an equally sexist cliché. Grrr. Argh. And let's not even talk how this makes Esme Pascal look, because when she was brought in at the end of s1, we were told she had a good track record, which means she must have been a professional, so how come she's utterly unable to deal with keeping her private and professional life seperate? Grrrrrrr. Argggghhhhhhh.

On to better things. The Doakes subplot was good, and I'm happy that we get continuity with last season and his background. Also that Doakes did not let Curtis What's-his-name escape; the show is (usually) quite good on its ethics, and every one of the characters - like Angel last season - has to confront what it means for him or her to be a cop.

Another question the season obviously will be asking is the one debated between Dexter and Lundy last episode: is killing ever justified? Now Miami sees the Bay Harbor Butcher as a vigilante hero, and Dexter's sponsor gives him the easy kind of "feel good about yourself" talk; meanwhile, Angel is bonding with the widow of one of Dexter's victims. I'm speculating that we'll find out that yes, Oscar did kill people, but, like Dexter, he was not uniformely evil, and thus Dexter's victims will gain a human face. Note that his widow, as opposed to the angry son last week, is still grieving; there won't be that easy "the BHB did us a favour" out.

Deb bonding with Lundy is again parallized with Dexter and Harry in the past; quite where this is leading, I don't know, but I'm intrigued. Meanwhile, the fact her date is called Gabriel of course makes for odd associations right now, of the crossover kind. And handcuffing him during sex? Only Deb, and yet it's entirely sensible.

Lilah is definitely going to take the fall for the Bay Harbor Butcher victims, with those statues. Also, she's up to no good; that kiss is seriously what you shouldn't do as a sponsor, never mind that Dexter isn't responding right now.

Comments

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

I was angry too, but LaGuerta did seem honestly conflicted and angry at herself about the affair. So I'm withholding judgment for now. It's possible, IMO, that the affair was something that happened spontaneously and not as part of an evil scheme (at least, not initially). Maybe I'm being overly sanguine, but I liked the rest of the episode so I'm willing to be generous.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

I think the part I reacted so aversely to wasn't necessarily the affair itself -- it happens; we are upon occasion attracted to people already taken -- but that Pascal's fiancé was so obviously a scumbag, not someone helplessly stumbling into another woman's arms, and vice versa: LaGuerta's words at the end show quite clearly that she knew from the get-go he was an asshole, and that in turn confirms a level of scheming that I don't respect the writers for.