DEXTER: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Philboy here back for another thrilling week of Dexter. What this week’s episode lacked in blood in made up for in character development. Let’s get started, before I start making up my alphabetical shopping list.This was one of those episodes where we traded in the flashy serial killer aspect of Dexter’s life and dealt with the billion loose ends that were plaguing his “real” life. Even though I love the gore and Dexter killing someone is truly something to behold (monologues and all), it’s nice to take a moment and let us all catch our breath.

Firstly, can we talk about the fact that it took Dex two weeks to tell Deb that Dex, Jr. was on the way? And her awesome, profanity-filled reaction? The way I see it, there are very few things that Dex could ever do that would sully Deb’s view of him. Walking out on Rita and DJ would be one of those things. The other stuff, it seems, he’s too stupid to ever do (badmouth Harry in front of her, etc.) I think that her reaction helped to shape his final decision on his involvement in DJ’s life.

Well, that, and creepy “Cheerios Man”. I loved the moment when Dex killed him and then said that “Nobody harms my children!” We’ve always known that Dex was attached to Cody and Astor, but hearing him claim the two gave me goose bumps.

I loved the jungle analogy that Dex carried through the episode. It’s always been part of the show that he has a superiority complex and feels above everyone else, most of the time. So, it’s natural for him to feel like a lion who could take down anyone he sees. This was also evident in what may have been the best comedic scene the “Dexter” writers have ever devised: Dexter at Pregnant Yoga. For some reason, I don’t see Dex buying into “feeling like the gold leaves” anytime soon.

I know I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, but I thought a huge theme in this episode is how Dexter has grown since we first met him. Or, maybe even broader than that, how things have changed in “Dexter”land overall since day one. Dexter has feelings now, can experience emotional attachment and, now that he has broken the Code, the Code that he lived by for years, he can find ways to bend it and live outside of it, as we saw this week with Mr. Cheerios.

The team behind the show is doing an awesome job with making us uneasy about Prado and his motives. It seems as if the man really does wear his emotions on his sleeve and is completely transparent when he’s with Dexter, as is Dexter when he’s with Prado. But, Dexter getting a friend is an odd thing to experience and they’re making it uncomfortable for the viewer as well.

Tonight’s episode also made me question Prado’s ethical standards; his Code, if you will. Does anyone remember if he had a reputation as being a superhero ADA, standing up for the law and doing anything to see justice served, laws and ethics considered? Maybe I was carrying Congressman Santos into the role, but tonight made me think if we were seeing the decline of someone who was, at one point, of sound moral judgment.

Speaking of sound moral judgment, it seems that my thoughts about the informant are coming to fruition. He will provide an escape for Deb that she will desperately need, in the form of sleeping with her. Fearless prediction, by next week, we will see Deb and the informant go under covers. (Sorry, I couldn’t come up with a better pun on short notice.) Alas, what will this do to our Internal Affairs friend, let alone Deb’s chances at a badge? Interesting indeed.

Overall, I was glad to trade the plastic sheeting and the scalpel in this week for some deep digging into what makes Dexter tick and, more importantly, watching him decide to be a father to DJ. Someone in the comments last week made the excellent point of Dex’s loss of time to kill after he has to take care of a baby. This will be one of the many things that I think we’ll explore over the course of the season.

Question time, kids! How long does it take for Deb to sleep with the informant…if at all?

— posted by Philboy

Philboy is GMMR’s resident Dexter analyst. He spends his days studying Communications at Purdue University and his nights trying to keep up with his TV schedule without a Tivo. He awaits the day when Jack Bauer will save us all, but can live with Dexter, Chuck Bartowski and Ned the Pie Maker until then. He idolizes Barney Stinson and hopes to, one day, be the cop who declares someone dead in a procedural crime show.