Dexter 5.07
Nov. 9th, 2010 01:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which Lumen becomes Robin.
And we see several plot strands starting to entwine. Though not, as I thought, the not-Voodoo killings one with the slave-and-serial-killings one (yet?). However, it turns out Boyd wasn't just listening to self help cds for a bit of bizarre atmosphere in his two episodes but because Mr. Self Help, his sidekick, Boyd, the dead dentist and other men are in the (ex) frat boy organization of doom, getting off on imprisoning, torturing, raping and eventually killing blonde women in their mid 20s.
....okay. We didn't have that one before. I am admittedly curious about this backstory, given that all previous antagonists/serial killers were loners as far as their killings were concerned. (I.e. Arthur and Miguel were both pillars of the community in different ways, but they didn't form a club with others as far as their darker activities went.) It gives yet another layer to Lumen's reaction when she was running away and the first car she stopped was full of young men. It's also interesting that we get a group of villains instead of a single one in the season where Dexter buys into the vigilante-with-sidekick/partner idea.
Lumen crosses a line here that Dexter crossed a good while ago, never with good results. To wit, going the vigilante route when there is a legal alternative. We've had cases before where Dexter derailed investigations in order to kill the culprit himself, from one shots in s1 to the entire Arthur arc last season, and it inevitably ends with more dead people than there would have been if he'd let the police do their work. Lumen, of course, does not know that, and from her pov the need to punish with her own hands is understandable given what happened to her, but the show is still careful to detail the scene in which she's given a choice, and to make it clear there is a choice, and she makes it, becoming Robin to Dexter's Batman. (Dick, Jason or Tim? That's the question.) She still isn't villainized or depicted as crazy; the giddiness after she successfully rescued Dexter and beat down one of her attackers is of the "holy narrow escape, Dex-man" type. But neither is she an innocent anymore and paradoxically I think that enables Dexter to cross the line himself at the end of the episode, merge his two worlds and bring Harrison to her; being able to say "we". That, and the fact Lumen with Harrison in her arms in Dexter's and Rita's old house still has moments of looking eerily like Rita, when she's not looking like Deb. Though Dexter's behaviour with her is still firmly on the paternal/sibling side - "eat your dinner" and all that.
Quinn is starting to get more uneasy about the fact he's simultanously investigating Dexter and conducting his affair with Deb, but not uneasy enough to stop; that he's paying the suspended vengeful cop reminds me his first subplot involved taking a little money on the side (which Dexter observed). Given the crossing of paths now, I think it's entirely possible Quinn will realise Lumen fits the profile of the other victims, but what he'll conclude from this in regards to Dexter is anyone's guess.
Sonya the supernanny turns to be... religious. Or is she? Since I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with her since she showed up, I can't help but wonder whether there is a microphone in that St. Bridget statue. (Also I was reminded of Rudy/Brian leaving those macabre Barbie dolls at Dexter's, but that's probably not intentional on the part of the show.) Incidentally, I can't remember what, if any, Dexter's previous attitude towards religion was but was a bit surprised he reacted originally as negatively as he did; it's not like Sonya was teaching Harrison how to say Mary Full Of Grace. If there isn't a microphone in the statue, and Sonya's faith is just plain old faith, not the Rosemary's Baby type, then it's our weekly lesson about accepting each other's individualities; also Dexter in that scene equates his new partnership with Lumen to his relationship with Sonya re: Harrison, and you could say both women fill in to a degree for the dead woman who doesn't have a statue, albeit neither of them in a sexual way.
Lastly: someone at the police department should have noted the inconsistency between Jordan recognizing Mazuka due to Mazuka having attended a seminar but claiming not to know Boyd, who supposedly attended several seminars and stalked him.
And we see several plot strands starting to entwine. Though not, as I thought, the not-Voodoo killings one with the slave-and-serial-killings one (yet?). However, it turns out Boyd wasn't just listening to self help cds for a bit of bizarre atmosphere in his two episodes but because Mr. Self Help, his sidekick, Boyd, the dead dentist and other men are in the (ex) frat boy organization of doom, getting off on imprisoning, torturing, raping and eventually killing blonde women in their mid 20s.
....okay. We didn't have that one before. I am admittedly curious about this backstory, given that all previous antagonists/serial killers were loners as far as their killings were concerned. (I.e. Arthur and Miguel were both pillars of the community in different ways, but they didn't form a club with others as far as their darker activities went.) It gives yet another layer to Lumen's reaction when she was running away and the first car she stopped was full of young men. It's also interesting that we get a group of villains instead of a single one in the season where Dexter buys into the vigilante-with-sidekick/partner idea.
Lumen crosses a line here that Dexter crossed a good while ago, never with good results. To wit, going the vigilante route when there is a legal alternative. We've had cases before where Dexter derailed investigations in order to kill the culprit himself, from one shots in s1 to the entire Arthur arc last season, and it inevitably ends with more dead people than there would have been if he'd let the police do their work. Lumen, of course, does not know that, and from her pov the need to punish with her own hands is understandable given what happened to her, but the show is still careful to detail the scene in which she's given a choice, and to make it clear there is a choice, and she makes it, becoming Robin to Dexter's Batman. (Dick, Jason or Tim? That's the question.) She still isn't villainized or depicted as crazy; the giddiness after she successfully rescued Dexter and beat down one of her attackers is of the "holy narrow escape, Dex-man" type. But neither is she an innocent anymore and paradoxically I think that enables Dexter to cross the line himself at the end of the episode, merge his two worlds and bring Harrison to her; being able to say "we". That, and the fact Lumen with Harrison in her arms in Dexter's and Rita's old house still has moments of looking eerily like Rita, when she's not looking like Deb. Though Dexter's behaviour with her is still firmly on the paternal/sibling side - "eat your dinner" and all that.
Quinn is starting to get more uneasy about the fact he's simultanously investigating Dexter and conducting his affair with Deb, but not uneasy enough to stop; that he's paying the suspended vengeful cop reminds me his first subplot involved taking a little money on the side (which Dexter observed). Given the crossing of paths now, I think it's entirely possible Quinn will realise Lumen fits the profile of the other victims, but what he'll conclude from this in regards to Dexter is anyone's guess.
Sonya the supernanny turns to be... religious. Or is she? Since I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with her since she showed up, I can't help but wonder whether there is a microphone in that St. Bridget statue. (Also I was reminded of Rudy/Brian leaving those macabre Barbie dolls at Dexter's, but that's probably not intentional on the part of the show.) Incidentally, I can't remember what, if any, Dexter's previous attitude towards religion was but was a bit surprised he reacted originally as negatively as he did; it's not like Sonya was teaching Harrison how to say Mary Full Of Grace. If there isn't a microphone in the statue, and Sonya's faith is just plain old faith, not the Rosemary's Baby type, then it's our weekly lesson about accepting each other's individualities; also Dexter in that scene equates his new partnership with Lumen to his relationship with Sonya re: Harrison, and you could say both women fill in to a degree for the dead woman who doesn't have a statue, albeit neither of them in a sexual way.
Lastly: someone at the police department should have noted the inconsistency between Jordan recognizing Mazuka due to Mazuka having attended a seminar but claiming not to know Boyd, who supposedly attended several seminars and stalked him.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 02:22 am (UTC)I read that 'recognizing Mazuka' moment as a clear instance of It's Good PR To Pretend to recognize one's fans (particularly if one is attempting to appear Cooperative As Hell) and assumed the other cops saw it as such. I could be wrong, though.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 03:32 am (UTC)But mostly I just loved this episode. It's a bridge episode, but it was full of moments and Lumen is so - I love the way Julia Stiles and Michael Hall play off each other, very self-contained and sibling, and neither dominating a scene.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 11:14 pm (UTC)(That said, suspension of disbelief? This show requires it, oh yes. ;)