137 replies to this topic

[TWoP Tennison]

Zap2it:

Dexter struggles to settle into domestic life.

[MeInTheMiddle]

So was the body in the trunk of his car? How is he disposing these days?

[clairebbbear]

The previews and episode info for episode 2 suggest that Dex spends the episode trying to find the body and dispose of it. And the episode is called Remains to be Seen. Which strongly suggest the body was still in his trunk.

Pretty good I thought. I gave it an 8.5.

My main complaints were the secondary plotlines (Maria and Angel, Quinn and the reporter). At this stage though, they're just diversions and not too annoying. We'll have to see where they go.

Edited by clairebbbear, Sep 27, 2009 @ 9:07 PM.

[Midge]

Eh. Rita still bugs and I can easily go my whole life not seeing JLs ass again.

Not a bad opining, I just found it frustrating for some reason. And when did Astor turn 16?

[Smudge]

More naked John Lithgow than I'd of normally chosen, didn't seem to be the most practical method for such a precise killer.

Good conflicts between family man Dexter and dark passenger, still why did they need a prescription in the middle of the night, and on what planet is "I'll be right there" translate to "as soon as I kill this guy, dismember the body, clean up the scene, then I'll be home"?

The crash looks like an interesting plot point.

Wasn't feeling Harry this episode.

[SharonDee]

Does Rita still have a job? I only ask because ... Gee, it looks like Dexter is losing more sleep over the baby than she is.

[clairebbbear]

I don't think Rita still has a job. Besides, she can sleep during the day if she wants to.

[digitui]

I was wondering the same. If Dexter is the one that has to get up every morning, why is he the designated late night feeder?

[MeInTheMiddle]

Because Rita is a tad bit of a baby? No reason for Dexter to be doing the night shift with Harrison.

[Smudge]

I forgot about Angel, did they ever say what happened between him and the lady cop from season 3? How on earth does he go from getting caught soliciting to dating the very same cop, then admitting that to his superior officer, then shagging her too? What he's got I'll buy a few bottles of, thanks.

[rhys7]

Sloppy, sloppy Dex. I didn't like how he was so quick to clean the boxing rink and tidy up just to get the prescription for the baby. We just knew there would be some kind of error.

[clairebbbear]

I don't think he is, necessarily. When he got up to feed Harrison he said "I'll get it" or "I'll do this one" (can't remember which), which suggests that they share the night feeds.

Mind you, Dexter is the one who's suffering more from the lack of sleep and Rita should be able to see that (she will see it now, of course). And Dexter needs to learn to say "no". As Masuka would say, the phrase "pussy-whipped" comes to mind.

[Tocks]

Glad to have the show back. I forgot how much it could get my heart racing.

Loved the Daddy Dexter Opening Credits. Poor Dex, though. It really does look like he's taking on most of the baby load. Rita can't even handle putting little Harrison to nap without calling daddy at work! Sheesh. I knew he was gonna crash at the end there but I was still like "woah/oh shit the body."

Set up for the season looks great, though. Trinity is one creepy mother fucker (and there's been some sick, sick killers on this show!)

I was so sure Dexter would be busted when he was blabbering his murder secret to his kid, I kept yelling THE BABY MONITOR! It surprised me when they DIDN'T go that route!

I forgot about Angel, did they ever say what happened between him and the lady cop from season 3?

I think he had a throw away line that they broke up because they "wanted different things"? That was a big WTF for me too.

Edited by Tocks, Sep 27, 2009 @ 9:27 PM.

[clairebbbear]

I forgot about Angel, did they ever say what happened between him and the lady cop from season 3? How on earth does he go from getting caught soliciting to dating the very same cop, then admitting that to his superior officer, then shagging her too? What he's got I'll buy a few bottles of, thanks.

Well, he did explain it to Detective Exposition as "romantic differences".

Normally that's guy code for "I wanted to sleep with someone else".

Still, the one level on which the Angel/Maria relationship is believable is that they have always been close friends, they both are kind of lost souls who have had a bad time of things recently, and Maria's male friends don't stay platonic for long.

That's what the writers want to believe about the reasons they have got together. I know they couldn't have known that the woman playing Gianna was going to leave the show (I assume that's why she was written out), but still, it might have been nice to have sown the seeds for the relationship at the end of season 3, for example when Maria's feeling especially vulnerable and depressed after the deaths of Ellen and Miguel. We saw Angel comforting her back then, and I think we should have seen more of it.

Mind you, the writers do still have a chance to weave in a backstory for that, same way as I imagine they will do so about how Dexter has managed to keep his apartment.

Edited by clairebbbear, Sep 27, 2009 @ 9:39 PM.

[Smudge]

I think he had a throw away line that they broke up because they "wanted different things"? That was a big WTF for me too.

That must be cop lingo for "I don't want to be on this show anymore".

[drtina1]

YAY! Dex is back!

I liked seeing how family life is really cutting (pun intended..lol) into Dexter's killling time. I like the homage to Harry in the baby's name. I don't understand why Rita seems to rely so heavily on Dexter sometimes when it comes to the baby. He looks more exhausted than she does! I was just waiting for him to fall asleep on her in bed.

I wasn't quite feeling the Astor as a blaring music playing teenie bopper. I guess it's because the actress still looks like she's about 9 years old and they're writing her like she should be around 14.

SO SO SO happy that Lundy is back! How I love that man! I really enjoyed his exchange with Debbie, and look forward to seeing more of it. Their relationship was ended abruptly and we didn't get much follow-up on how Lundy took it....even how Deb took it. It doesn't seem like they've kept in touch much, since Deb was unaware that Lundy is retired. To me, it's also sorta telling that he did retire. It's only been about 1-2 years since Debbie. Maybe she awakened a desire for more in him than just serial killing nabs? However, I am looking forward to his collaboration with Dexter on the Trinity Killer. How fun to have a profiler and a secret killer teaming up together! I wonder if Lundy will start to sense more about Dexter this season?

The Trinity Killer seems very, very creepy and I'm looking forward to seeing this story unfold. I agree with the other person that I really didn't need to see so much naked John Lithgow! What was up with TK scalding himself with the hot water, though?

LaGuerta and Angel didn't really surprise me after the first few seconds because it makes sense. They work in close proximity and come from the same culture. I felt it was only a matter of time, but I'm not feeling good vibes with it in the long run.

Happy to see the follow-up with Deb looking into Harry's informants.

Quinn was annoying with all the shit he was giving Dexter. I understand his frustrations in a bad guy getting away, but it was getting a little ridiculous. Like he's never FUBAR'd something before?!?! I don't really care about his flirtation with the reporter chick either, but I feel like it'll tie into something somewhere.

Gotta love Matsuka! I loved how he kept coming between Angel and LaGuerta. I bet he'll figure out something is up between the two first. Him or Deb.

Speaking of Deb...still not feeling her with Anton.

The previews for the season are awesome! I was on the edge of my seat watching them!

[marko52]

Quick impressions of S4E1:

1. Neat cameo by Adrienne Barbeau.
2. Does Jennifer Carpenter have a new do, or is it a different color? The makeup/lighting of her scene with Lundy was remarkable.
3. I did the math. Yup, two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head adds up to six pieces.
4. Re: the bathroom crime scene excavation: who puts vinyl down over tile?
5. Maybe I've just led a sheltered life, but what was the fuzzy thing on the stick?
6. I'm confused about the Laura Moser CI file -- at one point this evening, Laura's picture was stamped "Deceased." But when Deb picked up the file above Laura's and the camera lingered on Laura's file, there was no stamp.

Edited by marko52, Sep 27, 2009 @ 9:52 PM.

[KisstheCook]

So glad this show is back! I missed it.

I'm wondering if Lundy is going to cause trouble between Deb and Anton. (In addition to making life miserable for Dexter.) I hope not; I like Anton, but the producers don't seem to want to keep Deb happy.

What happened to the Internal Affairs office who was hounding Deb? She was in the recap clips but not in the episode.

[Katers]

Mind you, Dexter is the one who's suffering more from the lack of sleep and Rita should be able to see that (she will see it now, of course). And Dexter needs to learn to say "no". As Masuka would say, the phrase "pussy-whipped" comes to mind.

I also thought it might be that Dexter simply doesn't want to admit that he can't handle doing everything, so he doesn't say no to anything. He wants to be able to handle "having it all."

I was somewhat surprised at Rita not picking up on just how exhausted Dexter was, especially when propositioning him. Then again, she can be a bit dense, hasn't gotten any in awhile, and she is also dealing with having a new baby. She didn't come across as all that overwhelmed, but perhaps it's partly due to the fact that she's already had two kids and knew what to expect? Not that dealing with more kids wouldn't also be stressful, but there might be something to say for going into it really knowing that already, and not simply knowing in theory that having kids is hard. Or, she's just more comfortable asking Dexter to pitch in and doesn't have any pesky dark passenger habits to add to her plate. Hopefully the crash will open her eyes to how overwhelmed Dexter is, since she clearly wasn't picking up on any of Dexter's hints about it. Dexter certainly didn't help matters by not flat-out admitting he had too much going on.

It was wonderful to see Lundy back. I adore that he can't leave the Trinity Killer puzzle alone, and I hope they explore Lundy and Dexter's interest in him and where that interest stems from more. Both are focused on how the Trinity Killer's evaded being caught for so long, but for Dexter, it's related in part to how someone like him could last that long. Seeing Lundy and Dexter collaborate to bring down someone they both, in a way, respect has lots of entertainment potential.

Edited by Katers, Sep 27, 2009 @ 10:58 PM.

[clairebbbear]

I wasn't quite feeling the Astor as a blaring music playing teenie bopper. I guess it's because the actress still looks like she's about 9 years old and they're writing her like she should be around 14.

Astor's 10 or 11 (she was mentioned as 10 last season, and six months have now passed).

I don't know how old Christina Robinson is, but on IMDB it says she plays ages 9-13. Since child actors normally play characters slightly younger than their actual ages, I'd say she's at least 11 herself.

Whether this behaviour is appropriate would depend on how far down puberty she is. By 11, she could well have started that. Mind you, Astor's still only asking for stuff, which is more like the whines of a child rather than the "I hate everything" moodiness of teenagers.

5. Maybe I've just led a sheltered life, but what was the fuzzy thing on the stick?

Wasn't it a feathery thing for tickling with? (Okay, stop this convo now...)

6. I'm confused about the Laura Moser CI file -- at one point this evening, Laura's picture was stamped "Deceased." But when Deb picked up the file above Laura's and the camera lingered on Laura's file, there was no stamp.

Oooh - well spotted.

I also thought it might be that Dexter simply doesn't want to admit that he can't handle doing everything, so he doesn't say no to anything. He wants to be able to handle "having it all."

Possibly that too. But also that both he and Rita have never had a normal relationship before and don't know how to behave. He thinks he'll appear like a good, loving husband (and previously fiance/boyfriend) by doing everything she tells him to. She lets him - and why wouldn't she - it would be an easy pattern of behaviour to fall into.

Edited by clairebbbear, Sep 27, 2009 @ 10:39 PM.

[isiscloud]

I wasn't quite feeling the Astor as a blaring music playing teenie bopper. I guess it's because the actress still looks like she's about 9 years old and they're writing her like she should be around 14.

Instead of 40 being the new 30, 10 is the new 14. Some friends have a daughter who's 10 going on 16 or so. An iPod is something a kid her age would want especially if all of her friends had them. Not to mention cell phones and such. "Earning it" or at least paying for part of it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility, though.

Love this show!!

Sort of wish they had waited to introduce Arthur Miller rather than right away...or at least be less known to us and have it revealed a little bit at a time.

Poor Dex. Even though he's sleep deprived, MCH looks hot with his hair like that. What's a killer to do. What would happen if he doesn't kill, though. We don't see enough of that. That could be an interesting plotline. He doesn't have time to kill (literally) so he gets, what? Angry, horny, on edge? This hasn't really been explored much. Would the Dark Passenger rear its head at the wrong time and he couldn't control it in spite of Harry's warnings?

I don't want a lot of drama between Deb and Lunde. I am interested in learning what she's learning about Harry.

Angel and LaGuerta. Not sure if I like this pairing. He's so nice. She's such a shark, but maybe after losing her friend last season, she's chilled out a bit.

[Ripley]

I really hope the rest of the season picks up because I thought tonight's episode was very dull. The Trinity Killer plotline has promise.

[noregrets]

I was so sure Dexter would be busted when he was blabbering his murder secret to his kid, I kept yelling THE BABY MONITOR!

Me too!

Am I the only one who thought Trinity's gash in his victim's leg looked very realistic? You could see the thickness of skin and fat and muscle.

[isiscloud]

Question: Would Lunde still be able to pursue the Trinity case even though he was retired? That seemed off to me...and still dresses like an agent.

[Chicago]

OK -- I can see I am the only one (so far) who is seriously ticked off about the Rita story line. You can ask Mr. Chicago, I am a pretty demanding and, dare I say, unreasonable wife sometimes, and even I was yelling at the screen, "You are a stay-at-home-mom. Get the eff up and take care of your baby!" Also, "Why can't you go to the drugstore yourself?!?" It's not Rita I'm mad at, it's the stupid writers. Rita is (and has been for awhile) a poorly written cliche, a cardboard cutout of a character. No wonder her daughter Astor is, too. Like mother like daughter!

I found the creepiness of Trinity so perfect for this show, so richly and complexly written, that it only compounded how ticked I am about the Rita/Astor nonsense. More murderous psychopaths, fewer whiny stereotypes, please! And put me in the MORE John Lithgow nudity camp. It amplified the creepiness factor to 11.

Glad Anton and Deb are still together. Liking Maria and Angel together. Appreciate Masuka staying true to himself. So glad Lundy is back. Intrigued where the Deb/CI story will lead. Joey (is that what we're calling him now?) and the reporter . . . meh.

Oh Dexter! How I have missed you, you serial killing son of a gun!

Edited by Chicago, Sep 28, 2009 @ 12:00 AM.

[quirkygal]

What happened to the Internal Affairs office who was hounding Deb? She was in the recap clips but not in the episode.

The minute reporter chick popped up, I immediately thought that IA chick found a new person to trap our hunky detective. It seems like something she would do - the way how she followed Deb around, dropping hints, quid pro quo-ing... What reporter wouldn't like a lead on a crooked homicide detective *and* great leads on existing cases?

Ohhhh - and poor Dexter. I hope he gets some sleep at the hospital. Of course Rita will probably arrange to have him released early so he can heal comfortably at home close to his family (::::rolling eyes::::).

Glad Lunde is back. Not only because of the monkey wrench potential for Dex, but I also liked him and Deb together. They were good for each other.

[Lynn44]

and even I was yelling at the screen, "You are a stay-at-home-mom. Get the eff up and take care of your baby!" Also, "Why can't you go to the drugstore yourself?!?"

ME TOO !!!

Rita makes me crazy, her constant infantile demands on Dexter are stupid. I can just imagine my hubby's response if I were to call him at work to ... "sing to the baby".

Damn, I hate the way Dexter jumps when she snaps her fingers.

Overall I really like the season opener, the TK is intriguing and the missing body is an awesome plot. Totally looking forward to the next episodes.

Count me in on a possible baby monitor, when Dex was talking to the baby. Actually, it was kind of creepy to hear him say such a thing to his child.

Edited by Lynn44, Sep 28, 2009 @ 1:05 AM.

[cadiai]

I'd forgotten just how much I'm in love with this show. Unbelievably stoked to have it back.

Regarding Angel/Maria... not feeling it. Seriously, it feels like a carryover from last season's incessant need to pair everyone up. I just feel like there are other, better things they could be doing with these characters. Not a big fan of the romance. (On that note, really hoping there isn't some irritating Lundy love triangle, either.) At least Masuka remains spot-on and hilarious and oh god, I love that guy.

The way I'm seeing Rita is... I'm not sure, really. I tend to skim over her stuff the most but you guys are absolutely right, she is being... ridiculously selfish in this sort of situation. I don't think she's completely to blame, though - she lived in an abusive relationship and this is still something different for her, and even if it has been a few years now, it's still an adjustment to make to something a little more "normal" (at least on the surface), where she actually can ask her partner for things and won't get shit for it.

Of course, it definitely doesn't help that Dexter doesn't understand relationships too well either and so thinks that in order to be a good husband he has to do what she says... The recap of last season did pick the clip of "'No' doesn't really work in a relationship Dexter" to show us, and while Rita is right along that level, she definitely needs to learn to give as much as she's taking. Especially since she's the one not working - and at such a vital job, too! Though it sounded to me like she recognized in the beginning that Dexter might be overworking himself a little since it sounds like he volunteered for a night shift, but then she's just... rolling with it, because everything's going along perfectly for her and she doesn't want to give that up. Or something.

So the car crash could ultimately be good, I guess, to give them both a reality check (I agree with - and love - the idea that Dexter's taking all of this on because he thinks he has to have it all like this). And I would think - hope - that he disposed of the body before running off to get ear medicine. One thing is slightly more important to take care of than the other, and I don't think he was so sleep-deprived as to forget which comes first. He's still pretty freaking careful about not getting caught.

What would happen if he doesn't kill, though. We don't see enough of that. That could be an interesting plotline. He doesn't have time to kill (literally) so he gets, what? Angry, horny, on edge? This hasn't really been explored much. Would the Dark Passenger rear its head at the wrong time and he couldn't control it in spite of Harry's warnings?

Words cannot express just how much I want to see this.

[Egeria]

OK -- I can see I am the only one (so far) who is seriously ticked off about the Rita story line. You can ask Mr. Chicago, I am a pretty demanding and, dare I say, unreasonable wife sometimes, and even I was yelling at the screen, "You are a stay-at-home-mom. Get the eff up and take care of your baby!" Also, "Why can't you go to the drugstore yourself?!?" It's not Rita I'm mad at, it's the stupid writers. Rita is (and has been for awhile) a poorly written cliche, a cardboard cutout of a character. No wonder her daughter Astor is, too. Like mother like daughter!

Maybe Astor and Cody were already in bed and Rita didn't want to wake them up and take them out of the house. Or maybe she just didn't want to take her sick baby to the drugstore. I don't see that as particularly unreasonable. How was she to know that Dexter was in the middle of killing someone?

I also don't find it all that unreasonable that a stay at home mother of 3 would be tired and expect some help after taking care of three children most of the day. Even if Astor and Cody are at school until 3, that after school/homework/dinner time is the bane of many a parent's existence. Add to that all the housework, carpooling and meal preparation. I really don't think expecting Dexter to take on some of the night feedings and other parenting tasks is all that demanding. I think it's funny how quick people are to give Dexter a free pass to indulge the dark passenger. He's taking all this time to research, stalk and take down his prey (not to mention clean up and disposal), but Rita is a bitch to expect him to take time to sing to his child, pick up a prescription and take turns feeding the kid? Not in my world.

I guess that goes to prove the character works and people do identify with him though, instead of seeing him as a typical monster. Personally, I could do without Rita and the kids as they are written at this point. I know they are supposed to be what humanizes Dex, but I think it would be more interesting if he were a true sociopath. Maybe really using Rita as a cover and having just a small soft spot for children and Deb, more like the books.

I wasn't sure I could buy JL as the TK, but I definitely do. That bathtub scene was incredibly creepy and realistic. I think he's going to be what saves this season for me because Daddy Dex really isn't doing it for me. It's too much of a distracting from the action for me.

[growltiger]

In the beginning, Dexter sees himself disconnected from humanity and shamming his relationships with other people in order to camouflage his avocation. Although Dexter was an empty vessel he had his mission. He would rid the world of people who were just like him except they were indiscriminate killers. Dexter would only kill other murderers. How convenient for the world.

Dexter's sardonic observations of humanity as he went about his business were a delight. It reminded me of reading The Screwtape Letters. Dexter may live in the same world as you and I do but he was not part of it. Flash forward to the present and now Dexter is a family man and very much involved and caring for the lives of others. Those relationships are real. Dexter's confessions to his infant son may be convenient but he is still making a connection. He has crossed the thin line.

The Trinity Killer seems very, very creepy and I'm looking forward to seeing this story unfold. I agree with the other person that I really didn't need to see so much naked John Lithgow! What was up with TK scalding himself with the hot water, though?
--drtina1

I think the Trinity Killer scalds himself because it is the only way he can assure himself that he is human. Despite his horrific pattern of killing innocents, the scalding shower reminds himself that he can feel.

The Trinity Killer is Dexter without family and familial obligations. I wonder if the show will take a moment and have Dexter explore this contrast. Here is a possible theme for this season: How much does Dexter really feel for others or, for that matter, for himself. Will his pursuit of the Trinity Killer force him to see and consider, if not covet, a path not taken? This first episode promises, at least I hope it promises a thought provoking an entertaining year.