Dexter S2e03 - An Inconvenient Lie

[catalyst2]

It is so good to see Dexter in action again - and this was a good example of how this season is throwing new and unexpected obstacles and twists into Dexter's life.


I loved Dexter's cynicism at the NA meeting. When the woman said "I'd kill for a Vicodin", I laughed at Dexter's response - "Lightweight!". I also liked the "wooden" doughnuts. (ETA: both the change from Percodan to Vicodin and the quote marks for the doughnuts are from feedback from electrcspacegrl.)

I'm not sure what is up with Batista but he sure spouts that nonsense: "She's not co-creating her own reality" - and again Dexter's reaction was priceless.

Batista and Deb both got onto Lundy's team - WOOHOO, as did Masuoka later on.

When the car sales man was doing his spiel, I could just see the thoughts going through Dexter's head about the benefits of the van! "I can see how that might come in handy": indeed - I have the feeling that Dexter was thinking of something else - and then he bought the Mommy-mobile, much to my surprise. Wouldn't that violate one of Harry's rules - Dexter is there on the day (day before?) that the guy goes missing and there's a paper trail to show it?

The entire Masuoka thing with "Whose your Daddy?" was squirmingly funny especially when Dexter ruined it for him :
Dexter: You're my Daddy
Masuoka: Sounds weird when you say it!

I hadn't even thought of the new car throwing Doakes off the scent - was that deliberate on Dexter's part or was that just an added bonus?

When Dexter and Lilah went to the diner after the second NA meeting, all I could think was completely OT - the colours in that diner are spectacular - nothing but black red and white. Lilah's opening question ("So tell me, just how full of shit are you?") was a real surprise for Dexter because I don't think he's used to people seeing through his facade so quickly.

The conversation about The Dark Passenger was fascinating - was she describing drug addiction or something much darker? Is this a set-up for a much bigger reveal later in the season? A curious parallel too - in the books, Dexter often talks about his shadow, just like she did so that makes me wonder twice over.

I'm glad that Rita continues to grow stronger - she really played hard ball with pizza night!

Lundy's talk to Deb was very touching but he did seem to know a lot about her. If that really was his reason, it will be interesting to see what payback he gets out of that move. Having said that, Deb may already have broken it with the "bad guys" scenario - but not that many of Dexter's recent victims do have a criminal record do they? A few sure but most don't, I think, and that's exactly why Dexter has to do it his way rather than conventionally.

Kudos to LaGuerta for her loyalty to Pascal, however misplaced, given that I don't think Pascal would hesitate to do the opposite if their positions were reversed.

I liked when Dexter reminded the car salesman (I don't know why I can't remember his name, I'm usually fairly good at that) with the "You were right about the ample cargo space" line.

The conversation on the 'slab' between Dexter and what's-his-name was fascinating. I think even Dexter is beginning to realise that he is genuinely connecting with Rita (and Cody and Astor too), in spite of his best efforts initially to pass it off as a cover.

That second NA speech was both touching and frightening - cleverly written because Dexter could talk publicly and openly about being a serial killer and experience all the catharsis that that entails and yet still be quite safe with it all. When I saw Doakes there, I suddenly had to think back on what Dexter had said in his speech but everything could be interpreted in the addiction sense. That's certainly my take on Doakes' interpretation of it at any rate. In fact, I think Doakes thawed quite a lot in his "realisation" that Dexeter was just another cop pushed to (and possibly) over the edge. I had a feeling that Doakes was relating to something quite personal in there too.

Just in case we thought Doakes had thawed too much though, his last line went back to the usual: "You owe me a new Michelin, motherfucker!" I liked that line a lot!

Seeing the expression on Rita's face when she saw who Dexter's sponsor was was just priceless. I think that may well pay out soon!

Overall? I loved it - Dexter had so many things thrown at him and responded well - and yet he only did that by getting in touch with at least some of his emotions. Is this turning over a new leaf for him?

Comments

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

loved Dexter's cynicism at the NA meeting. When the woman said "I'd kill for a Percodan", I laughed at Dexter's response "Lightwieght!". I also liked the wooden doughnuts.

First of all, it was vicodin, not percodan, and the doughnuts weren't made of wood, they were so old they were as hard as a rock. Just to be nit-picky.

Wouldn't that violate one of Harry's rules - Dexter is there on the day (day before?) that the guy goes missing and there's a paper trail to show it?

I was wondering that too. It's probably one of those things we need to shrug off, but maybe it will come back to haunt Dex.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean the doughnuts were literally wooden! :-)

[quarterturn.livejournal.com]

You know, I hadn't thought of the paper trail leading from Dexter to the car salesman, but that's a very good point. Definitely sloppy. I got the impression that Dexter had considered the benefit of Doakes not recognizing his new vehicle before he bought it, but it did seem a lot like an impulse buy, didn't it?

The conversation about The Dark Passenger was fascinating - was she describing drug addiction or something much darker?

I was wondering that, too, and given that in the books some people with Dark Passengers can recognize Dark Passengers in others, it made it even more ambiguous.

but not that many of Dexter's recent victims do have a criminal record do they?

I was thinking that, too, that I can't imagine all of them have criminal records, so it won't tie them all together, but maybe it's enough of a thread that the taskforce will start looking more closely at the victims' "extracurricular" activities and discover that they were all monsters.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

If they go down that track, it may do enough linking to turn suspicion to at least someone in the Department, if not to Dexter specifically. Mind you, a number had never even come to the attention of the Police, at least in a significant way so that might be quite mixed. It would be very funny if suspicion fell on Doakes - given his trailing of Dexter and all Doakes' "suspicious" late night activities, he might have a hard time accounting for his whereabouts. Doakes can hardly say "Oh, I was following my own Department's blood spatter specialist for no good reason other than a gut feeling!"

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I think Dexter might end up framing someone for this crime, so he doesn't end up on death row (does Florida have the death penalty?)

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

And it would be amusing if that was Doakes - I still think that's where this might go.

[saltygoodness24.livejournal.com]

Excellent comments. To be honest, I was quite drunk on Sunday night which was wildly unusual, and I watched Dexter and forgot most of it. After reading your post, I watched it again, THANK GOODNESS because your comments made it much more meaningful. Very good ep. THanks, and sorry if TMI :)

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

Not tmi at all, just trying to imagine watching Dexter drunk!