Dexter 2.09

[selenak]

RL business makes for lots of mail to be answered. And short reviews. But I have to say:



That phone conversation between La Guerta and Doakes broke my heart, as does Maria's continued belief in her old partner, especially since there is really no way this can end good for Doakes, and the viewer knows it. Mind you, as with the hero of a Greek tragedy, Doakes continues to dig his own grave with just about every choice he makes.

Also, I love that they're playing this as a genuine ethical dilemma for Dexter (along with the Lila issue). He can't kill Doakes (and allowing him to die killed by the state is the same thing) because Doakes is an innocent by the re-adopted Code of Harry, and he can't let him go, either, not anymore and not with what Doakes now no longer suspects but knows. Lila is a walking, talking security risk but as far as Dexter and the audience know, she's not a serial killer, so she doesn't qualify for the Code, either. (Plus due to their brief affair and break-up, he'd be an obvious suspect if she died.)

It's been a while, but at last we got another young-Dexter-and-Harry flashback, and it was the usual mixture of intense and disturbing, with Harry imprinting the "don't get caught" rule by making Dexter watch an execution. Harry Morgan: soulmate to either a) Noah Bennet, b) Angela Petrelli or c) Robert "call me Bob" Bishop? Discuss. Anyway, loved the flashback and its washed out colours and young Dexter's face superimposed on the murderer who got executed.

Meanwhile, Lundy probably endears himself further to likeadeuce by telling Deb she should eat more and reassuringly is against secret office romances and sneaking around. (Quite right, only isn't it against some kind of working regulation... I suppose not, since as an FBI agent for this particular case he's only temporarily Deb's superior but otherwise she doesn't work for him.) And Dexter tries to make amends to Rita; I like that he didn't use the "we were on a break" excuse, and the way she accepted his apology. Otoh, the fact the show directly parallels Dexter's hope for a "light at the end of the tunnel" with Rita to Angel's hope for some fun times with Lila doesn't augur well.

Speaking of apologies: Dexter's "I'm sorry, Deb" when he thinks he got caught. MCH is such a great actor.

Now, off to work!

Comments

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I haven't found a source for this yet, so I keep spoiling myself with your reviews. *g* But -- another reason Lundy is good for Deb; he'll FEED her. (I'm still expecting it to end in disaster of course, --) There probably are anti-fraternization regulations, but TV ignores those pretty often, and in any case he's probably figuring they'll be done working together soon and then can 'come out.' I get the impression a lot of law enforcement couples meet on-the-job in reality, anyway, regs or not.

Will have more thoughts when I've actually seen the ep :)

[faroutgal.livejournal.com]

At first (in response to your soulmate question) I thought b) Angela but upon reflection I think its a) Noah.

For Harry and Noah its all about keeping their kid safe. Angela and Bob have other agendas where their children are concerned.

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

as with the hero of a Greek tragedy, Doakes continues to dig his own grave with just about every choice he makes.

I don't think you have to go as far as Greek tragedy. Doakes's problem, and the reason that he's probably going to end the season either dead or on his way to death row, is that at some point he stopped thinking like a cop (a career towards which he seems quite ambivalent) and started trying to be a hero (a Dark Defender?). A real cop would be trying to incriminate Dexter, not find him out. Breaking into Dexter's apartment was stupid enough - suspension or no, Doakes is still a cop and it's therefore an illegal search - but removing the slides? At that moment, Doakes broke the chain of evidence. There is no way to prove that the slides were Dexter's and not his. A cop, someone who wanted to bring Dexter to justice more than he wanted to be a hero, would have put the slides back exactly where he found them and made a beeline for Lundy's office, but that would mean handing Dexter over to another hunter and Doakes wants the thrill of trapping Dexter himself.

They really are the same kind of person. It's just that Dexter is better at it.