By Buzz Byrne
The best show on television wrapped its second season and it was all fans would want. Without giving away the spoilers at the top, DEXTER will be back for a third season and that is the best news possible.
The action picked up with psycho ex-girlfriend Lila (Jaime Murray) using Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) GPS device to lead her to the everglades cabin that Sergeant Doakes (Erik King) has been held prisoner in. As she enters, he explains that he is being held by the Bay Harbor Butcher, Dexter Morgan. Lila says, “Poor thing…all alone.” But she means Dexter. “What are you, his accomplice?” Doakes asks. “I’m his soulmate.” And then Lila turns on the propane, leaves an open flame and bars the door. Doakes goes boom and like that, Dexter’s problems clear up considerably, while Lila slips away.
When Dexter arrives on scene and he surveys the destruction with the rest of the cops and feds, he says in voice over, “If you believe God makes miracles, does Satan have a few up his sleeve?” Indeed, Dexter feels delivered. The night is magically blue and his wardrobe and skin burn intensely hot against this backdrop. But as the sun comes up, the same scene is grim and grimy and dusty brown. Especially when Doakes’ body is recovered.
But then a funny thing happens. Dexter gets some sleep. Then he grabs a quick morning workout. He learns to savor his fresh squeezed orange juice and aromatic French roast. He even steals over to Rita’s for another quick morning workout. Everything seems right. Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) are even planning a vacation!
But Lieutenant Laguerta (Lauren Velez) is unraveling and Masuka (C.S. Lee) is writing a screenplay about The Butcher. Dexter finds this out when he is helping with the evidence from the cabin. He also figures out that it wasn’t a higher power that intervened but someone closer to him. He knows it had to be Lila.
He meets her at the Aquarium. Quickly they fall back into the sexual power games. Dexter is mighty and frightening, just the kind of guy she needs. She is dangerous, with knowledge and still unpredictable. He seduces her this time. He nails down her affliction: “Your emotionally colorblind,” a seeming slap followed by the caress, “I’m just like you.” And then the embrace. They make plans to run away together but it is clear Dexter is planning to kill her.
Both plans get upset when Deb stumbles into the rendezvous point. Lila splits with Dexter’s bag and discovers his plan for her. I’ve been in some bad relationships but I gotta think that is pretty tough to take. I mean you find out your lover is a serial killer, you rubout their one problem and the way they thank you is to lie and try and dismember you? I’ve never much liked Lila but I felt bad for her here.
But she’s nuts too so she kidnaps Rita’s kids, lures Dexter to her loft and tries to kill them all by burning the place down. This, of course comes on the heels of Deb having to choose between her life in Miami or the quickly departing Lundy. She chooses Miami and is on the fiery scene. Dexter saved the kids and himself. Notice on your second viewing of this episode his first attempt to break down the door with the candle stick. The jumping flames and pitchfork weapon…power of the devil, failing.
Lila has fled to Paris, but life is so fleeting. As Dexter overtakes her, he uses a spinal epidural to keep her conscious but pain-free. “You made me accept who I am,” he tells her before rightly ending her life. And as the show ends and he sets up a new trophy box the familiar voice over starts. “The code is mine,” he says. He isn’t simply Harry’s creation anymore, “I’m a master now…I passed through the flames and rose from the ashes.”
This phoenix is burning bright. I can’t wait for it to land again.