Things started off slow, with the aftermath of Rita's murder and the wrap-up to the Trinity storyline. I was a little worried at first because not much was happening. Dexter was dealing with his grief, the police department was a little suspicious, and Quinn was basically being set up as Doakes 2.0. Luckily, since then, we've gotten the Santa Muerte case with the Fuentes brothers as well as the nefarious friends of the late Boyd Fowler. Our season-long guest is Julia Stiles as Lumen Ann Pierce, one of Boyd's soon-to-be victims after being kidnapped, tortured, and raped repeatedly. She witnessed Dexter offing Boyd and now is going after his friends with Dexter. I'm glad they referenced that 'Lumen' is not a name, because I get really irritated when TV shows makes up crazy trendy names and just act like they're as normal as any other name. I've read that some people are critical of the Lumen storyline because they don't want Dexter saddled with some sidekick this season. If this show didn't have great writers, Lumen could have been Miguel Prado 2.0. But I like her addition. Although how could I not love a season that's basically a rape revenge tale? One of the things I've always admired most about "Dexter" is the twisted morality of it and all the ethical questions it poses with its storylines.I've grown to enjoy the bond growing between Dexter and Lumen. They have both been with each other in moments of great vulnerability and they understand each other, on some level. Lumen isn't some evil genius like Miguel, offing people who are a threat to her professional life. And finally, she confronted Dexter about his activities killing the killers. I was waiting for that moment for a while, when she would finally realize that Boyd wasn't Dexter's first foray into murder. I was surprised, however, that Dexter was the one who openly offered his history. It echoed his prior confessions about his wife's murder and the shocking decision to trust Lumen with his real name. They are each suffering and they are each helping the other work through it. It's grief therapy, "Dexter" style.
I'm still hesitant about Batista and LaGuerta's storyline. I'm invested in them as a couple to a very small extent so it's hard to care about their hot-and-cold relationship. And after LaGuerta threw Debra under the bus for the nightclub shootings, she's quickly losing any 'sympathetic character' status. As for Debra, I still love her. If I could edit my top ten list about unfairly hated TV characters, I would add Deb so I could defend her more. Many people don't like her because she's not a lovable, cuddly character. She's got a hard exterior and interior, but her sense of justice is strong and as innately held as her brother's code, albeit in a more legal way. She's bitter and cynical, but she has good reason to be and often can't help but be swept up in new relationships that are often bad for her. Which brings me to her current love interest, Quinn. I initially hated this guy, mainly because he was just mini-Doakes. And no one is as badass as Doakes. But lately, he's really growing on me. He clearly cares about Debra and he's torn on whether or not to continue investigating Dexter. He's not as certain anymore about dealing with a dirty cop and was hesitant to use "unorthodox methods" to find out the truth. It seems dirty cop Liddy has taken on the new Doakes role and it appears like he's going to find out a lot about Dexter's extracurricular activities. Liddy's working on the sly, unlike Doakes, but at least Liddy would be easier to get rid of. I am curious what Liddy is going to think about his findings. The show hasn't exactly been afraid to reference things in the past and maintain continuity, so I'm kind of hoping Liddy notices the similarities to the Bay Harbor Butcher case.
This season has had some excellent moments. There have been numerous hilarious scenes (Lumen watching, confused, as Dexter analyzes her crime scene), some great heartwarming scenes (Dexter's moment in the car with Astor), and a lot of witty moments. But the most recent episode had this season's big piss-your-pants moment. There have been some great ones in the past, from Doakes' "surprise motherfucker!" to Trinity's "hello, Dexter Morgan," but the final scene of the last episode was just as chilling. Lumen accidentally ends up on the phone with Jordan Chase, one of her tormentors played by Johnny Lee Miller, who leaves a message for Dexter. "Tell him time is of the essence. Tick tick tick. That's the sound of his life running out. Could you be sure to tell him that? Take care, Lumen." Because it's so epic, I've included it below. My absolute favorite scene, though, has to be from that same episode. It found Dexter beating up a man physically abusing his girlfriend's daughter, with Dexter delivering the most intelligent beat-down ever. As one youtube commentor says, "wow, what a violent and educational ass-kicking, he literally taught Barry a lesson." That clip is the second one below.
"Dexter" is still an absolute treat. This season is a toned-down breather after Trinity, but that by no means equals less edge-of-your-seat entertainment. I've greatly admired this show for being willing to slow things down and catch its breath rather than piling on villains, trying to top itself every season. My only question now is how on earth has this show never won the Emmy for Best Drama? Or, better yet, how has Michael C. Hall still not won a freaking Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series? Seriously, "Breaking Bad" and Bryan Cranston are excellent, but "Dexter" was here first and it's overdue for a whole ton of awards.
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