Dexter
Updated 2008-04-18 19:17:03
Okay, if you don't have an HDTV, but you see this show on one, you're seriously going to shit yourself, and then run out and buy a 58-incher, because it looks gorgeous. Honestly, I think it's one of the best-looking shows on TV right now. The high-contrast feel and the sweat glistening on every character's forehead really invokes what I imagine Miami to feel like (I've never been, but I've certainly been to Florida enough times to know that if you're not prepared to be "aglow" all the time, then you're certainly not prepared for Miami-Dade County).
Anyway...let's get to it, shall we?
The show opens on a freshly rained-on Miami street, and soon we're in the interior of a car driving along a main strip, as Michael C. Hall's voice narrates: "Tonight's the night, and it's going to happen again...and again. Has to happen." Hmph. You seem pretty certain of...what exactly? That's a pretty weird thing to say and not follow up on. He continues, "Miami is a great town. I love the Cuban food...pork sandwiches, my favorite." As we're treated to various shots of Miami nightlife: "But I'm hungry for something different now." I hear you, dude. I've got some pickles in the fridge. Maybe some flan? Oh, wait, you mean murder, don't you?
Cut to some outdoor gala event where a boys' choir is singing something in a language I don't know. As they finish the song, one of the young boys (in a very awkward bit of blocking) steps forward as the camera pans out to reveal a very sanctimonious-looking middle-aged man, who looks out at the audience as if he invented boys' choirs. Dexter's out in the car, watching from afar, and he voice-overs as he watches the man mingle with other children and a few adults: "There he is. Mike Donovan. He's the one." Clearly, Mr. Donovan isn't as squeaky-clean as he now appears at this event, shaking hands with apparent benefactors.
A bit later, Mike Donovan walks to his car, and as soon as he's in the driver's seat, Dexter's got a hunk of piano wire blocking his windpipe from behind. Pretty slick! Dex: "You're mine now, so do exactly as I say." "What do you want?" "I want you to be quiet. Now drive." Whoa, that's mega-intense. Not having much choice, Donovan drives while sweating and struggling to breathe, because Dexter still has the piano wire wrapped around his neck. Dexter clearly knows where they're headed, because he dictates each turn, and Donovan does as he's told. I have a feeling Donovan knows where they're going as well.
When they get to their destination (some nondescript, marshy area), Dexter briefly gives Donovan some relief, only to jump out the car, open the driver's-side door, clamp him around the throat, and yank him out of the vehicle. Dex chucks him to the ground, and tells him to do as he says. Again with the piano wire! Dex drags Donovan by the neck...
...to some shack or abandoned building. I can't tell by the interior, but it's dank and disturbing no matter how you slice it. The two face each other, with Donovan against the wall. Dexter says, "Look." "No." "Uh...yes." Okay, I love Michael C. Hall. His delivery of that one line conveys so much: his tiredness of this kind of routine, which is clear he's familiar with; his thinly veiled contempt for everything this guy is; and his growing impatience and rising temper. All this with two words. Love.
Donovan still doesn't want to look. "It's horrible, isn't it?" Then, immediately irate, with his hands striking Donovan's neck: "Open your eyes and look at what you did! Look, or I'll cut your eyelids right off your face." Finally, Donovan looks over in the corner, where the bodies of three young boys in various stages of decomposition are lying. "It took me a long time to get these boys clean," says Dexter. "One of them had been the ground so long he was falling apart. I pulled him out in bits and pieces." Donovan, clearly distraught, begins a Hail Mary, and Dexter immediately slaps him, which is hilarious. "Stop it, that never helped anybody." Ha! Yeah, take Catholicism down a peg. Donovan says, "Please, you can have anything." "That's good, beg. Did these little boys beg?" "I couldn't help myself! Please, you have to understand!" "Trust me, I definitely understand. I can't help myself either. But, children...I could never do that, not like you." "Why?"
"I have standards."
And there you have it. That's Dexter for ya! He's a murderer with a heart of gold, although he'll soon try to convince you otherwise. With a quickness, Dexter slams a syringe of some debilitating liquid into Mike Donovan's neck, and the next thing we know, he's hovering over Donovan's Saran-Wrapped body, ready to finish what he started. First, he takes a scalpel and cuts Donovan's cheek to draw blood, then takes a drop and puts it on a glass microscope slide, for safekeeping, I imagine. "Soon, you'll be packed into a few neatly wrapped Hefties, and my own small corner of the world will be a neater, happier place. A better place." Word up, Dex. Out comes the power saw...
And we're on a small boat in the daytime, and Dexter is introducing himself. "My name is Dexter Morgan. I don't know what made me the way I am, but whatever it was left a hollow place inside." Well, clearly, dude. "People fake a lot of interactions, but I feel like I fake them all." Dexter then waves to another boat, saying, "Ahoy!" "And I fake them well." I guess. If you said "ahoy" like that to me, I'd think immediately that you were a serial killer. Apparently, Dexter doesn't think Harry and Doris Morgan, his foster parents, are to blame for how he turned out. Also, they're dead now. "I didn't kill them. Honest." Hmm. I guess I believe him, because he wouldn't be flashing back if he hated his dad enough to kill him.
"You're different, aren't you, Dexter?" says Ajax from The Warriors , a.k.a. James Remar , a.k.a. Harry Morgan, circa 1980 in Dexter's flashback. Little Dex wonders what he means. Apparently, Harry found the grave that Dexter made for their neighbor's dog, Buddy. "That dog was a noisy little creep, Dad. He was barking all night and Mom couldn't sleep and she was sick." "There were a lot of bones in there Dexter. Not just Buddy's." Nice. Dahmer. So, clearly Dexter started his...hobby...at a young age, as most serials do. Interesting that his father wasn't freaked out, but more concerned about having a dialogue with him about it. Back to Dexter on his boat (the aptly named "Slice of Life"), peeling out into the harbor, presumably to dump last night's kill in his "own small corner" of the world.
Back at his apartment now, with some Buena Vista Social Club -type music scoring us along, Dexter goes immediately to his A/C unit and yanks off the front, to reveal a box sitting in the vent. He takes it out and opens it, and we see that this is where is keeps all the blood-slides from his previous kills. Very organized and meticulous, showing that he's clearly been doing this for a while and has a routine down pat. He examines his most recent slide while voice-overing, "Blood. Sometimes it sets my teeth on edge. Other times it helps me control the chaos." He places the slide into the box, and closes it with a satisfied grin on his face. Over at his desk, he pulls out a file folder. "The code of Harry, my foster father, is satisfied." Code, you say? Why, whatever could you mean? "Harry was a great cop here in Miami. He taught me how to think like one, how to cover my tracks...I'm a very neat monster." I'll say.
He's got a message. Some girl on the machine says she's at a crime scene by "the shithole, the Seven Seas Motel," and that she really needs him there. She sounds desperate, like she's on the verge of crying. Dexter looks at a picture of himself and Emily Rose in a tight portrait, which leads me to believe she might just be his foster sister. Step-sister? Foster sister? "Dex? Please? With fucking cheese on top." Smiling, Dexter voice-overs that it is indeed his "foul-mouthed foster sister, Deborah. She's the only person in the world who loves me. I think that's nice. I don't have feelings about anything, but if I could have feelings at all I'd have them for Deb." You see, he acts like he's all aloof and "empty," but he is clearly fond of his sister, so there's more to him than that. I have a feeling he keeps saying how empty he is because he feels he should be that way, just because of what he does. And by that, I'm of course referring to the murdering and the chopping and the slicing.
We're at the crime scene now, and Dex feels that there's something "strange and disarming about looking at a homicide crime scene in the daylight of Miami. It makes the most grotesque killings look staged, like you're in a new and daring section of Disney World." Heh. This part is really cool, because it's shot with all these weird angles, and there are all these shady-looking extras standing around the police tape. Some douche cop gets up in Dex's grill all, "You better be a cop," and, cool as a cucumber, Dex flashes his badge: "No, forensics." Well, isn't that convenient? You know, for all the murdering you do? Finally, we see Deborah, who's clearly undercover as a, uh, "lady of the night." Dexter goes to her, and they begin chatting in the motel room she's hanging out in. "Jeez, Deb, where the hell do you keep your gun?" Ha! It's funny because she's practically nude. Deb reveals that another hooker has been found slain in the motel pool, "chopped into bits and pieces." "'Another'?" "That's the third one in five months." Deb seems to think that there's a serial killer on the loose, due to the similar nature of the other murders. You know, with the chopping and the slicing? Dexter is now totally interested: "Any suspects?" "Wish I knew. I'm on vice, so Laguerta sent me to my room and told me to stay out of sight." Deb wonders how "someone so dumb has so much power." Dex thinks it's because she "knows how to play the game," and that Deb could take a page from Lt. Laguerta's political playbook. Deb just doesn't want any more of her "girls" to get murdered. Dexter tells her not to get to emotionally involved, because that's what Harry would have said. Deb tells him that he would have also said to go after what you want, and for her, that means working homicide. But she needs help. "Dex, you get these...hunches, you know, with these types of murders?" Dexter agrees to help her out with this case, but only after telling her she needs more confidence in these matters, and that she should "avoid Laguerta and talk to Captain Matthews. He and Dad were tight, and maybe he'll put you on the case." Deb seems psyched that she might be able to work a bigger case.
Outside, Dexter is in the pool for all of three seconds before getting accosted by a nerdlinger named Masuka, whose new haircut Dexter compliments. "Damn, I saw your sister, lookin' hot!" Ew, dude. I mean, they're not blood relatives, but still. A little tact? "What are you doing here?" Dexter explains that it's a crime scene, and Masuka replies, "Yeah, but you do blood spatter." "So?" "There's no blood here!" Oooh, interesting! Masuka calls over to Angel (played by David Zayas, a.k.a. Enrique Morales from Oz ) to show Dexter the body. As Dex looks on, he voice-overs, "No blood. No sticky, hot, messy, awful blood. No blood at all. What a beautiful idea!" Then, to Morales...uh, "Angel": "How does he do it?" "It's hard to say. The body's in good shape." Dexter is almost ecstatic. "This is unique!" He looks like his mind is blown. The body is chopped into small segments, and Masuka points out, in a geekily giddy way, that there are no prints either. However, Angel points out that he thinks the killer didn't finish, because there's the beginning of a fourth cut on the left leg, which only has three segments, as opposed to the right leg, which has four. Very astute, Mora-- Angel. Morangel. Dex voice-over: "No blood. I can't think. I have to get out of here."
On his way back to the motel (in slow motion), Dex passes Lt. Laguerta (played by Lauren Vélez, a.k.a. Dr. Gloria Nathan, also from Oz ), who winks at him very sexually while she's clearly in the middle of a TV interview. Gross! Not that I don't find her fetching, because she is most certainly that, but...really? During an interview? Foul. "I wish she'd stop that," Dexter voice-overs. "It's one of those mating rituals I really don't understand." ["Maybe you remind her of Ryan O'Reily." -- Sars ] He leaves the crime scene, still obsessing over the bloodless body. "This guy may have exceeded my own abilities."
Back at the station, Dexter's doing some more of that "faking it" thing by walking in with a box of donuts and bear claws, asking about people's families that he clearly couldn't care less about. "Salt of the earth, these people. And they work hard. But with the solve rate for murders at about twenty percent, Miami is a great place for me to hone my craft." True indeed. Less talky, more killy! Up saunters Deb, who's all amped up because the Captain did indeed put her on the case. Laguerta is supposedly none too thrilled with this development, but Deb thinks she just "needs to get laid." Probably.
Dexter heads into the file room (I guess, because there's a shitload of files in there), where a woman he knows works. She's played by Margo Martindale (the neighbor Nina from The Riches ), and, according to IMDb, has no name on this show, which is weird. Anyway, Dexter gives her a donut and asks, "Anything new?" She grabs him a file while making small talk about keeping his hands clean, and wants to know what his interest in the file is all about. "You're charming, just like your father. Just don't get me fired." "Then who would I bring donuts to?" Hmm...she looks like she knows something he doesn't...
In his lab (which has some of the coolest pictures of blood spatter I've ever seen), Dexter is approached by Sergeant Doakes (Erik King, also of Oz fame), who asks aggressively, "Where the hell have you been?" "Crime scene." Doakes, not caring about Dexter's response, throws down some serious shade, as well as some bloody pictures from some "cokehead murders," and wants to know what Dexter thinks. Dex responds that the murders look sloppy and amateurish, and Doakes replies, "You give me the fucking creeps, you know that, Dexter?" Your biceps give me the creeps, dude. Seriously, do they need their own bed at night? Anyway, Doakes, who is a serious cock, tries to convince Dexter (after giving him loads of shit for no reason) that they're looking for a coke dealer, but Dexter doesn't look too convinced. Doakes says, "Well, get the fuck over there, then!" and leaves. Dexter wonders, "Why, in a building full of cops, all supposedly with a keen insight into the human soul, is Doakes the only one who gets the creeps from me." Good question, dude. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye. Like the Transformers.
At the crime scene, Dexter is breaking down the blood patterns to a young-looking, possibly rookie, cop. On closer inspection, Dexter realizes that whoever did the killings knew how to use a blade, based on the castoff on the walls from the knife. Rookie cop says, "So, we're looking for a sushi chef?" Dexter humors him: "Yeah, sushi chef is possible. Wouldn't be my first choice, but hey, you never know!" You see? Why would Dexter go out of his way to humor this guy and boost his confidence if he really was "empty," as he so often claims? That's not part of his act. Or is it? Is he that calculated, or is he actually a nice guy who happens to kill people? Rookie: "Now what?" "Now I eat!" And by "eat," he means "plan murders."
Dexter drives around, eating, and comes to a stop. He's clearly come to where he wanted to be. We see a valet with a devil-girl tattoo picking up a car, as Dex voice-overs: "This guy. Six months ago I think he fell in love with a pretty brunette, Mrs. Jane Saunders." Apparently, she and her banker husband and their two kids lived a "pleasant life" until she disappeared. "The cops arrested my favorite valet, but his lawyer got him off on a faulty search warrant. It's a good thing I don't bother with them." Heh. You're awesome.
Now, Dexter's at this guy's house, snooping around. A dog comes out of nowhere and starts running towards him, but Dexter calmly and quickly shuts a cheap sliding door before the dog can get to him. "Dogs don't approve of what I do to their masters. That dog recognizes me as easily as I recognize Jaworski...or any other killer." He finds a desk with some bondage porn and a computer, and notes the interesting "taste in literature. His needs are evolving, turning violent. He's on the fast track." Hmm. But you need some more evidence than that, don't you? Well, that question can wait, because it's flashback time again...
"Have you ever wanted to kill anything else? Bigger than a dog?" Harry again, probing young Dexter's desire to kill. The answer is affirmative. "Like a person?" asks Harry. "Yeah, but no one in particular." When asked why he hasn't yet, Dexter replies that he was worried about what Harry and Doris would think. Harry seems pretty understanding, and the look on his face shows us that he might have an idea of how to mold this bloodthirsty young man.
Back to Jaworski's, where Dexter throws the bondage magazine aside. I guess we'll be coming back to that.
Back downtown, where it's "Friday night. Date night." He goes on to explore his perception of sexuality. "For me, sex never enters into it. When it comes to the actual act of sex, it's always seemed so..." As he watches a girl, um...petting a guy out in the open at a restaurant, he finishes, "Undignified." Well, that certainly was! Dang! Inappropriate! Anyway, Dexter goes on to say that he has to play the game, and that after years of trying to appear normal, he thinks he's found the right woman. "Deb saved her life on a domestic dispute call, introduced us, and we've been dating for six months, now." Dexter seems to think that Rita (Julie Benz, a.k.a. Darla, for all you Ma Buffy / Angel fans out there) is, in her own way, as damaged as he is. He's at her house, now, and she's running a bit late. Her kids are sitting on the couch in the living room, and her daughter, Astor, says, "Hey, Dexter," very matter-of-factly, like she's saying hello to an old cat. The boy, Cody, runs over to Dexter and they immediately start to rough-house. There's lots of giggling and fun, and it's pretty cute. I hope he kills them.
Whoa, sorry! Totally kidding. We all know that he would never do that.
But it could make some sweet TV. I'm just sayin'.
Dexter's brought ice cream, and is busting it out as Rita prepares for their date. "Rita's ex-hubby, the crack addict, repeatedly raped her, knocked her around." Apparently, this resulted in her being completely uninterested in sex, which is decidedly convenient for Dexter's equally non-libidinous disposition.
Dexter and Rita hit the town, and go to an outdoor seafood place (slash disco? What the hell? Miami's weird), where scores of people are smashing cooked crabs for the meat inside. Dexter overdubs how strange he thinks it is that his habits are so looked down upon, while it's socially acceptable to "smash food to bits." I guess, dude, but it's not like they're smashing other people to bits, or planning to eat other people. "Normal people are so hostile." Fair enough. Or hungry. I mean, you know, whatever. As he looks over the crowd dancing next to them, Dexter realizes that the disco lights have camouflaged police lights in the distance. Naturally, his curiosity is aroused, so he goes to check it out, dragging Rita with him.
Of course, it's yet another bloodless body, hacked into even segments the same as the first one (well, three, according to Deb). Morangel is already there, bitching and moaning about this " hijo de puta , this maricon savage who makes us work on a Friday night." Dexter speaks for all of us when he replies, "Only Mondays and Thursdays, that's what I always say." Morangel goes on to show that there are some differences in the cutting of the body. Firstly, as the cuts travel up the leg, they seem to get less "emotional" in nature. The first cut at the foot is rough, the second by the knee not so much, and the third up at the thigh is totally clean. Another major difference is that there is exposed bone at the top of the thigh, completely flayed and almost bleached-looking. "Why would he do that?" Angel asks. "He's experimenting. He's trying to find the right way." Angel wonders aloud if he's experimenting with the head, too, because it's nowhere to be found. "Damn," Dexter voice-overs. "This guy is good." I guess. Or, you know, kind of twisted, as in "not so good." What's he doing with that head, you guys?!
Back at Rita's, Dexter and Rita are doing what Lorraine McFly said she'd never do: sitting in a parked car together. Dexter's explaining, elatedly, how he thinks the killer is an "artist." When Rita asks whatever he could mean, he makes a chopping motion across her thigh with his hand while he says, "His technique..." It's brilliantly uncomfortable, because he's clearly turned on as he grabs her thigh and says, "...Is incredible." Rita instantly recoils, and Dexter is brought back down to earth, realizing he's crossed a line. "Dammit, Dexter," she says, and exits the car, leaving Dexter befuddled. "What have I done now?"
"And why can't I get that neat stack of body parts out of my head?"
Then, out loud: "Why did I touch her that way?" Seriously, dude. You gotta work that shit out! That was extra-big-ass not awesome (tm Tony Alpine).
Back home now, Dexter is "getting back to his work." And by that, I mean the work of murder. He's surfing www.ScreamBitchScream.com (no, it doesn't exist, but you can totally buy it from GoDaddy if you want to do a miniature fansite), Jaworski's "mother of all rape sites," as Dexter puts it. In one of the videos, he spots the same devil-girl tattoo that we saw on Jaworski earlier. "That's it, he's definitely the one. Now it's just a matter of time before he becomes another drop of blood in my glass slide collection. But I have to be careful, and follow the Code of Harry..."
That brings us to another flashback. Teenage Dexter is working on skateboard in a dark garage, and Harry comes in and silently opens up a knife sack in front of him. "I can explain..." "We had an understanding. Whenever you have an urge, you come to me and we deal with it together!" Harry asks if Dexter remembers anything from before they took him in, to which Dexter replies, "No. Is that why I have these urges?" "What happened changed something inside you. It got into you too early. I'm afraid your urge to kill is only going to get stronger." Harry postulates that there's nothing they can do to curb the urges, but that maybe they can channel them and use them for good. Hence, The Code of Harry. Harry goes on to explain that there are ways to spot bad people, and to cover your tracks when you kill them. "You can't help what happened to you, but you can make the best of it. Remember this forever: you are my son, you are not alone, and you are loved." Dude, James Remar is fucking awesome, I'm sorry. He's already so good in this role that I actually get psyched during flashbacks, which usually annoy me. Yep, I think it's fair to say that I liked Harry Morgan from the start, even if his name sounds like a porn star's.
Back with modern Dexter, who is voice-overing once again that "preparation is vital. No detail can be overlooked." And as he marks up a blueprint of the place where he clearly plans to kill Jamie Jaworski, he says, "And the ritual is intoxicating." He looks like a kid who's putting together his first Lego set.
At the spot, now. It's an unfinished room with exposed beams. Dex is duct-taping trash bags to the walls to prevent noticeable blood spatter. He spreads rubber sheets over a table. He stretches out some Saran Wrap. "Necessary tools of the trade." You're the expert, dude. I always like to think that because I watch so much CSI , I could totally pull off the perfect murder, but I would never think of all that stuff.
Now it's time for lunch with Deb, who wants to talk about the chopped-up bodies. Dexter, good brother that he is, explains his theory that the killer is trying to get it right, and is looking for some sort of inspiration. Deb seems appreciative for the input, but quickly changes the topic to Dexter's date with Rita. He says it was great, and that she should try it. She wants to wait until she's in homicide, then worry about all that. Bringing it back to the case, she asks Dexter about "cell crystallization," which she overheard the coroner mention with regards to the "headless chick." She mentions how the pieces of the body were "cold, like, meat-packing cold." "My God, why didn't I think of that," Dexter thinks. "Dex?" "Sorry, I was thinking...that makes sense. Cold...slows the flow of blood." After Deb mentions how everyone thinks she can only close a case on her back (heh), Dexter semi-whispers, "Refrigerated truck. Cold to slow the blood flow, mobile so he can get rid of the garbage. Probably a stolen one." Good call! Deb thinks so too. Get on it, Morgan!
At the station, Dexter watches some woman crying about her lost husband, and Doakes comes up all, "What the fuck do you care about that woman?" Dexter's like, "I don't, fuck off." Everyone is heading to a briefing, and Doakes tells Laguerta he doesn't think Dexter has any business in there. Laguerta, who clearly wants to bone Dexter, thinks otherwise. So, back the shit off, Doakes! And, ew, Laguerta.
Dexter sits next to Deb, obviously, who's ready to "shame this bitch." She clearly wants to state her case so Laguerta will look stupid. Laguerta starts things off by asking if anyone tracked down the supposed witness to the killing in the pool. Nobody makes a peep, so Deb speaks up. "Oh, Officer Morgan, I didn't recognize you with your clothes on." Daaaamn! Biiiiitch! After some titters, Deb says, "Um, I have an idea. Something in a different direction." "Please, share it with us," says Laguerta, throwing shade directly at her. Very nervously, Deb shakily says, "Um, cell crystallization." Dex: "A little more confidence, please." Deb goes on: "I'd like to see if any refrigerated trucks have been stolen in the past week...or...so. That could cause that kind of cell damage." Laguerta's not biting: "That's very creative, but let's keep looking for the witness, okay?" Deb is not thrilled.
Afterwards, Deb and Dex are talking about what a shitty situation this is, when Laguerta comes in asking for Dexter. "My office, please," she says suggestively, and leaves. Deb, disgusted, asks Dexter if he's "boning her," but storms off before he has a chance to respond.
Of course, it has nothing to do with sex (at least, not right now) because it's about Doakes's case. Dexter says it isn't drug-related, because the dealer was dealt with quickly and clumsily, but the woman was killed slowly and with a level of care that would be abnormal if the killer didn't have a close personal relationship with her. He suggests that an ex-boyfriend did it, and Doakes looks pissed, because he's a dickhead. He walks up to Dexter and says, "I'm watchin' you, mothafucka." Oooh, like, I'm really scared. Douche.
Over at the kill site, where Dexter knew Jaworski would be because he likes to steal the copper pipes from the building for extra cash. After luring him to a dark area of the building with an ominously placed picture of Jane Saunders, with much bravura but little bravado, Dexter sneaks up behind Jaworski and injects him with the paralytic, rendering him instantly powerless. Can you imagine the terror you must feel in those few moments before passing out? Shit's creepy, yo.
When Jaworski awakens, Dexter says, "Tell me about Jane Saunders." "All right, I did her." "How." "In a snuff film. But I'm not sorry." "And I'm not sorry, either," says Dexter calmly before he unceremoniously cuts Jaworski's head off with a butcher's knife in one fell swoop. Wow. That was pretty abrupt. And totally sweet! I actually really like how uncinematic that was. I think it's more in keeping with Dexter's character. He kills because it's in him, not for the drama of it. I mean, there's some, because why else would he use Jane Saunders's picture to lure Jaworski? But it's not melodramatic. Dexter doesn't feel the need to play villain and give his victim a chance to escape. He just does his business, and cleans up. Good shit.
As Dexter's cleaning up Jaworski's remains, Rita calls him to apologize for the other night, and to tell him that she really wants to see him. He tells her he's just "finishing up a little project," and will be over later.
In his car on the way over to Rita's, Dexter takes out his new glass slide, and ponders, "One less amateur filmmaker polluting the internet." Suddenly, a large truck comes up and halts briefly, then pulls alongside Dexter's car, seemingly to taunt him or entice him. Totally game, Dexter follows, having realized it's an ice truck just like the one he thinks his favorite new killer has been using. "No way," he thinks.
After a while, the truck stops, turns around, and heads back towards Dexter's car as if it's playing chicken with him. At the last minute, the truck swerves as the fourth victim's head slams against Dexter's windshield.
Well, well, well. Looks like Dexter's intuition was dead-on. ...So to speak. Sorry.
Presumably about an hour later, Laguerta is questioning Dex. "So, of all the ice trucks in Miami...bit of a coincidence, don't you think?" "This time of night, truck like that sticks out." "It just seems weird; your sister has this ice-truck theory, and here you are to back it up." "She's good, Lieutenant, you should give her a chance." Yeah, you gaping asshole, give her a chance! Flirtatiously (ew), Laguerta tells Dex that he should call her Maria, and that he was right about Doakes's case, that it was indeed the boyfriend. Clearly uncomfortable, Dexter peaces out after Laguerta tries to touch up on him. Interesting casting choice there. She's very beautiful, but also kind of gross in that she smacks of desperation and sexual longing.
Finally, Dexter gets to Rita's, and it's like six in the morning. She was so worried that she called in sick to work, which is cute because...well, she's pretty damn cute. She goes on to tell him that she doesn't want to lose him, and that "I want you...I mean..." and she opens her bathrobe to show off her skimpily-nightied self. Dexter's all, "Um, uh...cool? Thanks." Rita says, "You're welcome," really awkwardly and they share a discomforted giggle. Then they kiss, and Rita slowly shoves Dexter onto the couch. She straddles him, and loosens one of the straps from her nightie, obviously ready for some sexin'. She seems relieved, but also cautious. Dexter looks like he has no idea what to do. Luckily for him, the phone rings, and it's little Cody, who's apparently crying on the other end of the line having just barfed "all over Colleen's couch." Whoever Colleen is. Saved by the bell, Dexter heads home...
...where he finds a doll head mounted on his freezer door. He opens it to find a Barbie hacked to bits in the same fashion as the hacking killer's victims, and is instantly excited. "I suppose I should be upset, feel violated, but I'm not. No, in fact, I think this is a friendly message, kind of like, 'Hey, wanna play?'" After he inspects the miniature mirror held by the tiny, dismembered hand, he breaks the fourth wall: "And, yes, I wanna play. I really, really do."
Um, yes please! Dude, this show rules! How psyched are you? Come on! I can't wait to see what kind of shenanigans await us! Who's this killer gonna be? Is it someone we know yet? Or have we just scratched the surface? What if it's Dexter, and he really has a split personality, both sides of which like to kill? What happened to Dexter as a toddler to make him so murderous? Who is the file lady, and what does she know? Why doesn't she have a name? Why am I asking so many questions? Why aren't you ?!