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

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Totally with you re: everything. The Esme & Maria subplot made me grit my teeth; in addition to the writers taking a flawed path there, it just doesn't work, looking back at what we know about Esme Pascal, although I'd say that within the story, it might just work for LaGuerta.

Lila = solemnly swearing she's up to no good

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

I've been unhappy about the LaGuerta/Pascal storyline since it was introduced. Pascal has been a nervous wreck since the beginning of the season, and the fact that LaGuerta was orchestrating her breakdown doesn't make her depiction any less offensive and hysterical. I'm not surprised that LaGuerta turned out to be behind Pascal's problem - she was far too innocent and supportive, and clearly being set up for a reveal - but then I think LaGuerta is the most inconsistently written character on the show. She started out an incompetent policewoman and shrewish manager, was then redeemed, and has now been turned into Alexis Carrington.

What's interesting to me about Lilah's approach to Dexter is that even as she's trying to convince him that he's not all bad (which we already know), she's demanding that he stop killing - both when she tells him to let go of the 'excuse' that he's a monster who can't help himself, and when she encourages him to give up on his addiction, which she thinks is drugs but we know is killing.

[cadesama.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was pretty angry about that as well. Of course, I initially thought it was going to be Doakes in her bed, and they'd be rehashing his case. And then I thought it would be Pascal. Whoops.

Ohh, good theory about the widow. I wasn't quite sure what to make of her, since I assumed evidence that the husband was a killer would come out within the episode itself if we were supposed to think it was part of the pattern.

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.

I got a minoorly romantic vibe off them too, which I hope Lundy rebuffs. I just don't want Deb taken in like that again. :/

Meanwhile, the fact her date is called Gabriel of course makes for odd associations right now, of the crossover kind.

I found it very, very confusing. Heh.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I wasn't quite sure what to make of her, since I assumed evidence that the husband was a killer would come out within the episode itself if we were supposed to think it was part of the pattern.

Since it didn't, I definitely think she'll be the human face of the victims. Which ties with Angel being the conscience of the show sometimes, as when he had to choose between reporting Doakes for shooting that war criminal or not. The audience, like Miami right now, can fall into the "so what if Dexter kills, they all deserve it anyway" thing, and Lundy arguing that murder is never justified isn't going to cut it, especially since he follows it up with "except to save an innocent life", which means fleshing the victim via one of his relations out as a human being makes storytelling sense.

I got a minoorly romantic vibe off them too, which I hope Lundy rebuffs. I just don't want Deb taken in like that again. :/

Oh quite. I mean, Deb has daddy issues, of course, and would be the type to mix looking for a Harry who pays attention to her with looking for a love interest, but the result would be disaster. So yes, here's hoping Lundy keeps it mentor/protege.

Glad someone shares my Gabriel confusion.*g*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I can buy LaGuerta playing dirty to get her job back, absolutely, but this particular method is just teeth-gritting, and it really hangs on her correctly assuming Pascal is such a pushover she'd fall apart because her fiance is cheating. This on a show which had Doakes involved with another cop's wife without losing his professional demeanor, and Angel losing his marriage without letting it impact his job, too.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

LaGuerta has been shown to have other sides than the one Deb describes in the pilot as early as the second episode (when we see her interact with Doakes on a one to one basis), so I wouldn't say she has been written as inconsistent; three dimensional and depending on pov.

Pascal, though - who was introduced as a cool and competent officer in last season's finale - really has been written in an unbelievable way, especially since, as I said to M. above, we've had examples of male officers managing to keep similar private problems from affecting their job performance last season (Doakes and his affair with another cop's wife, Angel and the end of his marriage). I'm tearing my hair out here.

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

I think LaGuerta's behavior was shown to be unprofessional. Her pursuit of Dexter (toned down towards the end of the season) bordered on sexual harassment, and she was dismissive of Deb for no discernible reason (and in ways that could also be construed as sexual harassment, such as suggesting that Deb was a whore because she worked undercover in vice). She was also shown to be incompetent at her job, and several characters, Dexter and Masuka included, remarked on it. That went away about halfway into the season, when she suddenly became a capable cop. I agree that the writers thought they were creating a three-dimensional character, but their execution was deeply flawed.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Well, it DID impact Angel's performance, but not so drastically, and not for long, so I depressedly agree.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

And then I thought it would be Pascal. Whoops.

Hee!

I'd have loved that, and it IS a Showtime show....

I got a minoorly romantic vibe off them too, which I hope Lundy rebuffs. I just don't want Deb taken in like that again. :/

Me too. Eep! Just when she's found a nice (?!) boy willing to be all tied up....

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Agree on LaGuarta and Pascal. Ack.

Concerning Deb and Lundy, I get a hint of romance there as well, but most of all I'm getting a relationship between what she wanted Harry to be and what Scott Glenn's character on The Silence of the Lambs was for Clarice Starling. The element that doesn't fit the mentor/substitute father angle is their dates talk, and I have no idea if that is supposed to indicate that they're attracted to each other, or that they're developing buddy undertones.

Either way, since he develops this closeness to her, I'm guessing Lundy is genuine, because they can't really pull the "fooling Deb card" twice.

Lilah is grating for me; I hate the actress's fondness for over-enunciating ever syllable, which makes me dislike the character much more than I would otherwise.

And Rita's mother is quite scary.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Either way, since he develops this closeness to her, I'm guessing Lundy is genuine, because they can't really pull the "fooling Deb card" twice.

No, really not. Which is why I also think nice guy Gabriel who is willing to let himself be handcuffed is really nice guy Gabriel.

Rita's mother: what is it with tv shows and Alien comparisons lately? *g* Though here it was funny. I do wonder, though; either the woman really wasn't in contact with Rita through the last years of her marriage, or she left it at disapproving remarks, which considering this was a physically abusive relationship was so not enough. Doesn't look good either way. Although otoh I approve of the fact mothers (other than Rita, whose motherhood was important throughout) are showing up; this episode's flashback was the first time we found out something about Mrs. Morgan other than that she died of cancer, too. And the fact she was observant enough to want Dexter tested by a psychiatrist is to her credit.

(Otherwise, she should join a club formed by Sandra Bennet and Heidi Petrelli...)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling that it's going to turn out that the odd guy out isn't one of Dexter's victims, but someone else dumped at the same site. But the guns hidden in the walls suggest another possibility, e.g. he was a hit man.

[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.

[kernezelda]

The LaGuerta reveal left a bad taste in my mouth. It wasn't even necesary. With Pascal's public breakdown over her boyfriend's infidelity (which is a subplot I also don't like), the audience doesn't need any more evidence to justify her replacement by LaGuerta.

Gail's recognition of Dexter's secret-keeping could put a further strain on the relationship between him and Rita; I don't know that it needs anymore right now, though, or how much it can sustain before accumulating too much damage to continue.

I do not like Lilah. I don't like the way she speaks. Her manner is overly intimate and invasive. Her petty criminal behavior and clothing sense are extremely distasteful. If I were head of the sponsor program, I'd send her in for serious retraining or kick her out.

For positives, Dexter letting Deb stay with him still is a good touch - his somewhat compulsive neatness continually marred by her messiness, additional pressure. The Bay Harbor Butcher investigation and Dexter's attempts to derail it are fascinating. Deb's fast pick-up of Gabriel could lead to interesting complications, since he's both a rebound guy and the first person she's tried to connect to since her fiancee tried to kill her.

I'm not so sure about this investigation into the past that Lilah suggested; we've seen the 'secrets of the past' arc with Rudy and Laura already, and it could turn into re-treading old ground.