107 replies to this topic

[TWoP Tennison]

Dexter takes a trip to Nebraska to tie up loose ends; Deb deals with complications of her new position.

[ttfr1]

It was nice to see Christian Camargo again. He looked goood :) But, the storyline was kinda meh. It didn't bring the revelations about Dex I thought it would. I still have problems with the fact that Nick's murder (which wasn't even outside the code except for the lack of ritual) was what triggered Brian's brief return and for what, just to tell us once again how different Brian and Dex were. Brian was a typical serial killer. Cold. Emotionless. Dead inside. Dex is not the serial killer that the FBI experts tell us about in articles and movies. Dex has feelings of love and remorse. He's not even really a serial killer in my mind. He's like Charles Bronson in Death Wish. An Avenger.

I'm glad Jonah wasn't really following in his dad's footsteps. I remember him from season 5. A sweet boy terrified of his dad and wanting to protect his sister and mom. So, I was kinda sad when I thought they were going to have him become a monster. Yes, he killed his mom but, apparently, she had become abusive and his emotions drove him to do something he wouldn't normally have done. Kinda similar to Dex's killing of Nick, only Jonah isn't normally a killer. He was eaten up with guilt and wanted Dex to punish him. Poor Jonah.

That said, how much has Jonah figured out about Dex? Will Dex's secrets be safe with Jonah still alive? I think it says a lot about Dex that he let Jonah live even though it could come back to bite him big time in the future, Dex showed he felt more for Jonah's life than his own. To me, this proves that Dex could never be a true blue serial killer. I don't think he ever has been. I once thought the code kept him in line so that his base desires as a psychopathic serial killer would be kept at bay yet he could still quench his need to kill through that code. It was Harry's way of containing Dex's inner monster.Now, I don't think Dex ever was a serial killer in the strictest sense. He's an avenger avenging his mother's death over and over again. But, then again, what about the animals he killed? Typical serial killer stuff. Dex is definitely a breed all his own.

So, it looks like Quinn and Deb are done for good. Dang. Their lil' talk was so sweet and I was wanting them to patch things up and get back together. I kinda change every ep with D&Q as a couple. One week he's a jerk and I want her to fire his ass...then he comes into her office, like tonight, and he is so sweet and they kiss. :sigh:

It was difficult to tell this ep but the previews for next week make it seem more than ever that Gellar is real. I always thought he was but then, with Brian coming back and it seeming like the writers were drawing similarities between Dex and Travis, I was leaning toward Gellar as a figment of Trav's crazy mind. Now, I'm not sure but I'm thinking Gellar is real, again.

Basically, tonight's ep felt like a weird detour and I'm not sure what it was supposed to mean. It just seemed random. If it doesn't tie into the season as a whole some how it will have seemed like a complete waste.

Edited by ttfr1, Nov 13, 2011 @ 11:01 PM.

[jane08]

Basically, tonight's ep felt like a weird detour and I'm not sure what it was supposed to mean. It just seemed random. If it doesn't tie into the season as a whole some how it will have seemed like a complete waste.

My thoughts, too. While I enjoyed the episode, Dexter's storyline seemed entirely disconnected with everything else that has been happening this season.

And what's up with the dorky intern guy and his computer game that is using actual people from the precinct as characters? Is that allowed?! Does anyone else know that's happening?

[Nightmare Logic]

The season is in a large part about darkness and light so it does kinda fit. Plus they kinda needed to tie up the Trinity lose ends. Although they only partly did that. As for Nick's murder being what brought back Brian, I tend to think it was less the killing him and more the sudden killing of him. Brian spent the entire episode bickering about how Dexter was stalking Jonah and how he just wanted Dexter to kill him already. Dexter may be a killer but he doesn't kill in the heat of the moment without a whole lot of planning and forethought. Killing Nick was sudden and came out of a sudden burst of anger from that dark place in him when he was already doubting the good in him so yeah I buy Brian popping out for a play date.

[MamaBird]

I enjoyed seeing Christian Camargo again, and it was interesting seeing Dexter take a walk on the wild side with Biney rather than Harry as his guide. When he had sex with the girl at the store, then went speeding down the road shooting at signs with the gun he stole from her, I really didn't know what he might do next. But he couldn't follow Biney all the way. He identified Trinity's son with Harrison, and I think he was looking for a way all along, not to have to kill him.

Did anyone else catch the moment of visual humor? After having dispatched the the guy who took his knives, Dexter was standing with the pitchfork, Biney beside him, and behind them was the house from "American Gothic" in an advertising poster on the wall.

[ttfr1]

Did anyone else catch the moment of visual humor? After having dispatched the the guy who took his knives, Dexter was standing with the pitchfork, Biney beside him, and behind them was the house from "American Gothic" in an advertising poster on the wall.

Yep. I giggled when I saw that. Nice little touch.

I also liked the unexpected afternoon delight Dex grabbed with the cashier. Very un-Dex, that. He had his lil' walk on the wild side now it's back to normal, it seems. Brian comes back and Dex flirts with the wild side of just going with it. But, Brian's isn't the path he wants to follow so he runs him down and picks Harry up off the side of the road. Of course, Brian and Harry are just the warring thoughts in Dex's head. It was fun to see it played out in this ep but it was nothing really new.

Edited by ttfr1, Nov 13, 2011 @ 11:24 PM.

[Tenley]

He's not even really a serial killer in my mind.

Except he totally is -- and when his work was known as that of the Bay Harbor Butcher in Season 2 it was made explicitly clear that he far eclipsed the Ice Truck Killer (Brian). It's all in Dexter's mind -- the code, the reasoning for why it's okay he kills again and again and again but it's unacceptable for anyone else to do so. He qualifies to be on his own table; he's killed at least one innocent person in the past and by his own code and past choices of who lands on his table that's enough. I suspect this might be closer to why Brian came back now (because it's not really Brian that's coming back at all -- those weren't conversations Dex was having with Brian, they were conversations Dex was having with himself). Dex admitted several things to himself tonight, including why he wakes victims up before he kills them (he enjoys watching the light die). He started fundamentally questioning whether the code hasn't helped him remain in denial about a giant lie he is telling himself about who he is.

I'm glad Jonah wasn't really following in his dad's footsteps.

I'm not convinced. Unless she committed suicide with all the implements of her father, including holding a mirror to her face to watch herself take her last breath, which might not even be physically possible (they did the checklist at the beginning and even had a photo).

Edited by Tenley, Nov 13, 2011 @ 11:41 PM.

[Atomic Clock]

The writing on this show really has taken a turn toward the pussy side since the beginning of season 5. The writers have become masters at popping wood with no appropriate climax. This episode further illustrates it. Someone help me understand what we learned from Brian's return that we didn't already know. Dexter's light and dark sides are in conflict. Big woop! Dexter grabs a casual screw from a random woman. Been there, done that at his class reunion.

Aside from Biney, why bring Trinity Jr. back into the mix? Just like the S5 finale, we get a long build-up for...nothing. The only way this story will have any meaning is if Jonah comes back to bite Dex. That would be an irony. Dex shows Jonah mercy and lives to regret it, just as he did with Arthur.

As for Deb and Quinn, it's just getting stupid. Can we just move on already?

[LSU1974]

To be honest, it really seems like the only reason that brought Brian back was to show us things like him tossing the bags to Dexter and holding the pitchfork so it doesn't seem like a cheat when (or, to be fair, if) they show Gellar to be a figment of Travis' subconscious.

Having Dexter on the dark side for merely one episode seems kind of like a waste otherwise. Though it seems somewhat refreshing that the Nebraska homicide department seems to be just as clueless as the Miami one. "Oh, your dad magically found out where you were and came back and killed your mom and sis and tried to kill you, too? Sounds reasonable to us. Guess you don't need to be moved again or need police protection. After all, what are the odds of him coming back?"

[ttfr1]

Except he totally is -- and when his work was known as that of the Bay Harbor Butcher in Season 2 it was made explicitly clear that he far eclipsed the Ice Truck Killer. It's all in Dexter's mind, the code, the reasoning for why it's okay he kills again and again and again and he's not like every other serial killer. I suspect this more along the lines of why Brian is coming back now. Because it's not really Brian and those weren't conversations with Brian; they were conversations Dex was having with himself.

Of course we all know that Harry and Brian are really just Dex compartmentalizing his thoughts into visions of his adoptive dad and crazy ass brother. I realize that part of the reason Dexter doesn't kill willy nilly any person that catches his fancy is because of the code Harry ingrained in his head. I realize that because he kills oer and over again he is a serial killer because he's killed multiple times. I understand that part of the reason he didn't kill Jonah is because he sees in him what might be in store for Harrion. But, as a person that has an interest in serial killers, I find Dexter is so different from any serial killer I've ever read about. Even with the code to keep him in line, Dexter has still had his moments when he tried to leave Harry and the code behind. Times when he flirted with just following his supposed true self as a serial killer. But, he always goes back to the code. And, it feels more and more that he does it not because it was instilled into him at a young age but more because it's what he wants. He feels less guilty when he follows the code. I think he feels he is doing good for mankind by killing killers. Not many serial killers give a shit about mankind or anyone else, really. They just love to kill. Dex just loves to kill bad people. And, I think there is more to that than Harry's code. I think there is light in Dexter and had Harry chosen to help Dex instead of training him he might not be a killer at all.

Of course, Dex, like Dr Lector, are Hollywood's version of serial killers. I don't think you'll find any like them in the real world.

I'm not convinced. Unless she committed suicide with all the implements of her father, including holding a mirror to her face to watch herself take her last breath, which might not even be physically possible (they did the checklist at the beginning and even had a photo).

I think that after Jonah realized he'd killed his mom, he covered his tracks by setting up his sister's suicide to look like a Trinity killing. Even though he felt bad for what he did to his mom that doesn't mean his instincts of self preservation wouldn't kick in and he would try and cover up what he did to mom. Then, later, he feels horrible guilt. Dex reappears. At first Jonah is scared and runs but then his guilt drives him to use Dex as a way to pay for what he did. Kinda lame but I think tha's what happened.

[Sabine Lavine]

Sigh. I guess I'm just watching Dexter out of habit at this point, because this whole season has been boring as shit. I thought maybe they were going somewhere interesting with bringing back Brian, but no, it's just more of the dark/light bs that we've pretty much had every season. And I also thought we might be going somewhere interesting with the Trinity/Jonas stuff, not just something that would resolve in one episode. At this point, we're back to the dull Doomsday stuff, and nothing of consequence to Dexter.

Someone in last week's thread said something about how there are no stakes at this point, and I think that's the whole problem with this season. There's no danger or risk for Dexter. They should be taking us down the road that ends with Deb finding out about Dexter, but instead it's the same old same old introspective, am I good, am I bad? stuff we've been through repeatedly. I'm finding it harder and harder to care at all about any of these characters.

Edited by Sabine Lavine, Nov 14, 2011 @ 12:23 AM.

[Cattykit]

I was surprised that the Brian/Jonah arc came and went in one ep. But running Biney over and then picking up hitchhiker Harry--about as subtle as a nuclear detonation. How stupid do they think we are?

Did catch the American Gothic reference, although I wasn't sure it was a poster and thought it might be the view from the window.

Gellar seems pretty real to me. I can only take but so many imaginary friends at one time. How would Holly have been able to differentiate the "younger guy" from the older guy if she'd never heard the second voice?

[trixedit]

This show is getting ridiculous. I wish they'd retire the dead father, but instead they add another dead family member. They could at least treat the brother like what he is, a projected part of Dexter's consciousness, not an independent-acting ghost. At least the pitchfork killing could be seen as Dexter's subconscious acting out, but does his subconscious have to project the dead sibling eating pizza? Besides, why does Dexter need his subconscious to kill the motel guy when he's perfectly capable of killing everyone else with his everyday consciousness? And the cheesy comments: "This is the kind of life we could have had together if you hadn't killed me"? Please.

Where did everybody get the idea that Professor Gellar isn't real?

[BlakeSpeare]

Gellar seems pretty real to me. I can only take but so many imaginary friends at one time. How would Holly have been able to differentiate the "younger guy" from the older guy if she'd never heard the second voice?

If Travis is doing all of this on his own (and I'm thinking that he is), then there are times when he acts as Gellar. (For example, he would have tied up the waitress from the cultural center, then gone back to bed and woken up as Travis again). If that's what he's doing, then I could see him speaking with a different-sounding voice when he's behaving as Gellar. People with Disassociative Identity Disorder - aka Multiple Personalities Disorder - often use different accents and speech patterns for different personalities.

[LolaDances]

Sigh. I guess I'm just watching Dexter out of habit at this point, because this whole season has been boring as shit. I thought maybe they were going somewhere interesting with bringing back Brian, but no, it's just more of the dark/light bs that we've pretty much had every season. And I also thought we might be going somewhere interesting with the Trinity/Jonas stuff, not just something that would resolve in one episode. At this point, we're back to the dull Doomsday stuff, and nothing of consequence to Dexter.

All of this.

One of the main things that bugged about this episode, was how freaking stupid Dexter is. He went into at least two businesses (both of which likely had cameras), spoke with quite a few people, was seen by Jonah's neighbour, and still expected to be able to kill Jonah without having it linked to him?!? I don't remember him being this dumb, but maybe when the storylines were better I was able to forgive some of the unbelievable aspects of the show.

Deb is also getting on my last nerve. She has always been one of my favourite characters, but she has been incredibly annoying this season. She just seems so needy (I know she's always been slightly needy, but it has reached new heights) and whiny. I used to think that she was a pretty tough chick in a male dominated job, but she now seems incredibly weak. Her current characterization is probably my biggest problem with the season so far. Also, with Quinn, they need to either have them get back together or just leave it alone completely and move on, which hopefully they've done this episode.

Edited by LolaDances, Nov 14, 2011 @ 12:48 AM.

[ttfr1]

Gellar seems pretty real to me. I can only take but so many imaginary friends at one time. How would Holly have been able to differentiate the "younger guy" from the older guy if she'd never heard the second voice?

Well, i suppose Travis could change his voice when he's in the Gellar persona. But, I really feel Gellar is real now. This whole is he or isn't he real thing has drug on too damn long now. By the time it is revealed it will bring very little oomph to the story.

I love the series but it gets lamer and lamer every season and that's beause there are just so many ways you can tell the story of a serial killer fighting his good and bad side without it feeling tired and rehashed. It is time for Deb to know the truth. Actually, I've been waiting for that big moment since Brian and Dexter had her strapped to that table. It's the moment i live for in this show.

[Atomic Clock]

Dear TPTB:

I'd like to thank you for putting my hometown of Kearney, NE on the map by placing the Trinity family in Wit-Pro there. But you should know a few things about Kearney, should you ever decide to return there.

First, Brian's comment about the town looking better after a twister was pretty insensitive. I thought Hollywood people were all about sensitivity. Kearney is right in tornado alley. A big tornado hit us in 2008 and did a lot of damage.

Next, people in the Midwest do lock their doors. We don't have an epidemic of serial killers as you will find in Miami, but we've discovered that meth is a real problem. For more lessons in the dangers of meth and the marijuana trade (as well as how to return your series to quality writing), see Justified and Breaking Bad.

Third, our local radio stations aren't exclusive to Christian ministers and country that sounds like it came from 1957. Yes, country is prominent in Kearney, but we listen to George Strait, Zach Brown and the like. We've also got stations that play metal, top 40 and oldies. You won't believe it, but we even get NPR over there.

Finally, I know that the premise of your show is dependent upon clueless cops everywhere Dexter goes, but you have to know that a wild driver shooting out Nebraska road signs would land your ass in jail far quicker than any dead pot grower.

Go Big Red! That's Nebraska football...not code for the spilling of blood.

[lemma]

I think Jordan Chase got it right in the finale when he said that Dexter is nothing more than one of those losers who attended his seminar. What has happened to this show?

[TheCorman]

I think Jordan Chase got it right in the finale when he said that Dexter is nothing more than one of those losers who attended his seminar. What has happened to this show?

The show is now highly rated. Thus they have to find ways to keep it going. That gives us seasons like this and the last one, which while being inferior to early seasons are still the highest rated seasons of the show.

Which means the producers will look at seasons 5 and 6 and say "this is what the people like, so we'll give them more."

Edited by TWoP Tennison, Nov 14, 2011 @ 4:17 PM.
Lecturing

[Sabine Lavine]

I thought last season was pretty good, honestly. I rate the seasons in this order: 1, 4, 5, 2, 3, 6. The first was obviously amazing, but the Lila stuff in 2, and the Jimmy Smits stuff in 3 were yuck. And I really enjoyed the Trinity and Lumen storylines. The crap this season is far and away the worst, IMO, and I wasn't prepared for that.

I honestly thought they'd do a bang up job these last few seasons so they can wrap it up with Deb finding out about Dexter and leave it with a big finale that way. As it stands now, I don't know that I'll be finishing out this season, much less staying tuned in for the next one. (That's bull, I'm sure I will watch, but I won't be happy about it! haha)

[shrunken violet]

You know a show's creative team is running on empty when they bring back a character who the viewers thought was either dead or gone for good. Think Bobby on Dallas or Carlos on 24. Biney's appearance may have thrilled a lot of people, but it didn't thrill me at all. Maybe I'm getting unnecessarily riled up, since it seems to have been a one-time thing (I hope), but it just seemed lazy to me. (I really hated the road-sign shootings, BTW, and was thinking along the same lines as Atomic Clock, but without the first-hand knowledge of Kearney, NE.)

Did anyone else catch the moment of visual humor? After having dispatched the the guy who took his knives, Dexter was standing with the pitchfork, Biney beside him, and behind them was the house from "American Gothic" in an advertising poster on the wall.

I did, and it made me chuckle. It was about the only thing I liked about the episode (other than Deb's scenes).

... but does his subconscious have to project the dead sibling eating pizza?

LOL! Funniest thing so far tonight, other than the American Gothic homage.

Is it just me, or is Colin Hanks one of the least interesting actors ever to grace a TV screen? I'm finding myself completely bored whenever he's on screen. And when he and EJ Olmos are on screen together? Tonight I pulled out a deck of cards (old school) and started to set up a game of solitaire. Zzzzzzzzzz...

Sigh. I guess I'm just watching Dexter out of habit at this point, because this whole season has been boring as shit.

Agreed. I keep watching in the hope that it will get better, but it doesn't.

I really think it's about time for this show to wrap things up. As others have said, let Deb learn the truth about Dexter, and let the series conclude however it does. Enough already.

[purplebubbles]

It was fun having Rudy back, but overall I felt it was a bit of a let down, and the whole Jonah subplot felt more like filler than anything else. I still thought the Jonah subplot was way more interesting than the DDK killers, however.

Did anyone else catch the moment of visual humor? After having dispatched the the guy who took his knives, Dexter was standing with the pitchfork, Biney beside him, and behind them was the house from "American Gothic" in an advertising poster on the wall.

Haha, I loved that so much. This show does black humour very well.

Is it just me, or is Colin Hanks one of the least interesting actors ever to grace a TV screen? I'm finding myself completely bored whenever he's on screen. And when he and EJ Olmos are on screen together? Tonight I pulled out a deck of cards (old school) and started to set up a game of solitaire. Zzzzzzzzzz...

It's funny, because I really liked Colin Hanks on Mad Men. He didn't have a very big or hugely important role, but he did just fine on that show. I've just realised that on Dexter he's been hugely miscast. It's either that, or else his character - a terrified, snivelling 'disciple' without a backbone just doesn't pose enough threat as compared to the rest of the other Big Bads this show has had.

As for EJO, man I just don't know. He was so good on BSG (albeit a little hammy at times) so I think it's just the writing in his case. Gellar is more of a 2 dimensional caricature than an interesting, fleshed out villain like Trinity was.

I missed Deb a lot during this episode (I loved "Where in fucktopia are you?" Hee!) The conversation she had with Quinn was touching, and yeah, it does seem like they're over for good. I'm glad that he apologised, at least, and accepted her rejection gracefully. Which makes me wonder - this frees up Quinn to go after Dexter again should he choose to do so for whatever reason.

Deb is also getting on my last nerve. She has always been one of my favourite characters, but she has been incredibly annoying this season. She just seems so needy (I know she's always been slightly needy, but it has reached new heights) and whiny. I used to think that she was a pretty tough chick in a male dominated job, but she now seems incredibly weak. Her current characterization is probably my biggest problem with the season so far.

Really? I don't agree. I think this storyline is the best she's ever had (it's just a shame that it had to happen during what is arguably the dullest season so far). Any human being is bound to feel a sizeable amount of doubts and insecurites after taking such a promotion, and I think they've done a nice job of balancing that along with her determination and resilience as Lieutenant. I like that they've had her make mistakes and moments of weakness from time to time - it makes her seem more real.

As for the neediness, I assume this is about her incessantly calling Dexter. I kind of sympathised with that. Firstly, he's about the only person she feels she can confide in completely right now, and secondly, she had a point - what gave him the right to take off for five whole days? Deb's not only his sister, she's now also his boss, and he took advantage of their relationship like that by taking such an extended leave. Also, they're in the middle of a huge case, and Dexter is one of the Department's most professional and useful employees. She's be lost without him in more ways than one.

[liliaeth]

This was probably one of my fave Dexter eps in years, well since s2, which to me is still the best season of all.

And the thing is, I expected to hate the ep, since I usually can't stand Brian.

I just loved Dexter choosing Harry over Brian :-)

[lynnea6]

Maybe because my other two Sunday shows rocked (Homeland and Walking Dead), but this really was a meh episode for me. I was hoping for so much more based on the previews. This season just doesn't seem to have any of the excitement and suspense that the other seasons (even 5) had. The show seems way more interesting when someone is honing in on Dexter's extra-curricular activities, and those activities have dropped way off this season.

[LakeGal]

The Doomsday Killer storyline is sooo boring. Colin Hanks and EJO just make me yawn. I hope they tie this storyline up early this season and move on to something else. I hoped that Dexter going to Nebraska would at least free me from the DDK storyline this episode. Bringing back characters from past seasons seems like an idea to bring back some interest to this series. Just end the DDK storyline before this hurts the entire season.

I did get nervous when the babysitter and her boyfriend were alone in Dexter's apartment. I was expecting Mazuka's intern to be snooping around Dexter's place.

[Guywiththegun]

I loved it. It was a return to form. Loved seeing ITK and getting back to the Trinity stuff. Questioning Dexter's motivations for killing and having us think he could really just be a serial killer is what made this show great (along with making us think he could be a hero). He's gotten too 'light' over the last couple of seasons, almost becoming a caricature of what we hope he is . . But the truth is, its not that entertaining if we also don't fear he is a ruthless, sick, demented, serial killer that might stab his own sister to appease his serial-killing brother.. That's the balance that made the show so great, IMO. Too much of one or the other and it loses that.

It was nice to get back to that, for just a stand-alone at least.

My thoughts, too. While I enjoyed the episode, Dexter's storyline seemed entirely disconnected with everything else that has been happening this season.

That may be why I enjoyed it so much. This season feels like Season 3, with Dexter making a friend and the lack-luster killer story on the side. (Though, DDK >>> Skinner)

[Sour K]

Brian is the most annoying head person ever. I'm not going to miss him. Like, I understand on my own that Trinity can't have killed anyone because he's dead, and that Dexter will be planning to go to Nebraska without Brian cutting in to spell it out for me. I guess it was supposed to be symbolic of how his urge to kill was posing a constant distraction or something, but it was annoying to watch. This episode was a big letdown after the scary cliffhanger scene last time where Dexter snapped and drowned someone in a fit of rage.

Brian was a typical serial killer. Cold. Emotionless. Dead inside. Dex is not the serial killer that the FBI experts tell us about in articles and movies. Dex has feelings of love and remorse. He's not even really a serial killer in my mind.

Dexter is definitely a serial killer -- he's killed a series of people in different locations at different times. But I don't think he's ever been portrayed as a psychopath. That doesn't bother me, because I think that's intentional -- I think there have been suggestions since the first season that, although Dexter was obviously extremely troubeld as a child, Harry jumped the gun by telling Dexter he was a psychopath and suggesting that it was something he would never be able to overcome and should instead harness into an acceptable format. By now, with everything that's happened -- Dexter's affection for his family, and his attempts to help and save people in seasons four and five -- I would not believe that he was a true psychopath, though I do believe that he's still struggling with his darkness.

To be honest, it really seems like the only reason that brought Brian back was to show us things like him tossing the bags to Dexter and holding the pitchfork so it doesn't seem like a cheat when (or, to be fair, if) they show Gellar to be a figment of Travis' subconscious.

I had the same thought. It seems like the main point of Brian being there is to explain how Gellar works. At this point, I'm just sort of annoyed and confused about Gellar, because he seems like he should be real, but, if he was real, it would be such a simple thing to show him interacting with another person besides Travis. I'm 99% sure he's Travis' head person, or some kind of split personality. I can't be sure when the idea would have occurred to me if I hadn't read the forums and seen that everyone else thought that, but since I've been thinking it for a while now it's annoying me that they're being so coy about it. If the whole impact of the season is supposed to rest on this revelation than I'll be disappointed.

[downfall]

Piling on at this point, but: I realize this show frequently takes liberties with logic and police procedure, but it was EXCEPTIONALLY jarring this week. There's an alleged sighting of the Trinity Killer, and the house where he supposedly killed his family isn't under any police or FBI surveillance? They just missed a very obvious blood spatter and inconsistency in Jonah's story? There's nobody protecting Jonah, or whisking him away? There's no local or national media swarming the scene? There's not even police tape on the house? Did I miss there being a long time gap between the murders happening and Dexter finding out about them? I thought this episode would close with finding out Jonah was really a serial killer but Dexter had to follow rule #1-- don't get caught-- and bail because it was just too hot. Apparently not.

[HeroBrown1]

Good episode. But I'm sad that Brian was only around for this one episode. I loved his interactions with Dexter. And I was surprised at the way things turned out with Jonah. I really thought Dexter was going to kill him before watching the episode.

Other points:
-Loved the scene with Deb and Quinn. I think we can pretty much assume they're over for good but I'm glad at the way they both handled it. Very mature and civil. Quinn can be an asshole for sure, but I liked him here. I used to like them together but I'm glad they aren't reconciling. The last thing Deb needs is a love life.
-So I guess the first intern is gone for good? I feel like we aren't going to revisit the prosthetic hand that was auctioned off.
-LOL at the American Gothic reference
-Quinn's looking a little less orange than usual. Good for him.
-I actually didn't find Laguerta too insufferable this time around. She may be a snot to Deb but their little talk just made me realize how pragmatic Laguerta is being when it comes to work: leave emotions out of it. Don't be anyone's friend. While it's pretty cold, I kinda have an understanding where she's coming from.
-Okay. I'm warming up to the idea that Gellar IS real. But I'm still not fully convinced. His picture is everywhere yet he just walks around public places without anybody stopping him. Plus, the director deliberately had Brian stab the guy with a pitchfork and then showed Dexter the one doing the action, which leads me to believe that Travis really is doing all these things despite his resistance to kill people, not Gellar.
-Another parallel between Travis and Dexter: Just as Dexter leaves the light (Harry) in favor of the dark (Brian), Travis leaves the dark (Gellar) in favor of the light (his sister). But by the end of the episode, Dexter returns to Harry, while it looks like Travis could return to dark (Travis looking at the picture with him and Gellar).

Edited by HeroBrown1, Nov 14, 2011 @ 11:41 AM.

[BonnieD]

what's up with the dorky intern guy and his computer game that is using actual people from the precinct as characters?

I keep thinking/hoping that after this Doomsday stuff is cleared up, he'll be the antagonist for the latter part of the season, that he's not what he appears and has some nefarious agenda. But there's really no time for that so I suppose I'm just fantasizing something intriguing that will never happen.

How would Holly have been able to differentiate the "younger guy" from the older guy if she'd never heard the second voice?

I imagine he puts on a different voice when he talks to his imaginary friend aloud--like Norman Bates in Psycho.

there are just so many ways you can tell the story of a serial killer fighting his good and bad side without it feeling tired and rehashed.

So true. It's inevitable the story will get played out.

There's not even police tape on the house? Did I miss there being a long time gap between the murders happening and Dexter finding out about them?

That bugged the living hell out of me, too. Don't they leave police tape up for a long time after a crime? I can't imagine the site would already be cleaned up. It's these kind of ridiculous flaws in logic that make it harder and harder to buy into the story.