Post by BloodyMonkeyZ on Jul 1, 2013 10:25:09 GMT -6
"A Beautiful Day" is the beginning of the end of Dexter. Well, the season 7 finale was really the catalyst towards the end. Having Deb kill LaGuerta in the last minute of season 7 was certain to have ramifications.
Season 8 picks up 6 months after the finale of 7, but the allusions of a new closeness and camaraderie between Dexter and Deb have been shattered. We start off with a lot of recap and montage and voice over from Dexter explaining how things have gotten better over the last 6 months, which leads right into a memorial service for LaGuerta. Batista is back on the force (as is Matthews) and not happy that LaGuerta's legacy has amounted to nothing more than a memorial bench.
Deb appears to be coping with her decisions by turning to a seedy life filled with drugs, booze, and scumbags in smoke filled motel rooms. But we soon learn that she has chosen a life away from the force working as a private undercover agent. She has made the decision to cross lines into a habit. And one that looks like she will be balancing how far she allows herself to spiral down to catch bad guys. Really not too terribly different than where Dexter has been, but the other side of the tracks.
Dexter on the other hand seems to have become a bit unhinged emotionally. Deb was more than just his sister, she was the one who kept him grounded. His anchor that prevented him from straying too far into the darkness. While he always struggled to be the good dad that Harrison needed, that was just a role he was trying to fill. The cracks in the daddy facade are growing without Deb there to keep him balanced and patch them up. A number of times in this episode we see Dexter lose control of his emotions and react violently in awkward moments. Even with Harrison.
Some of the other usual suspects from the series have had changes as well. Quinn is now sleeping with Batistas sister (Harrison's nanny.) Batista has left his retirement and life as a restauranteur to go back to catching bad guys. Harry is still a ghost trying to guide Dexter, but it isn't going well for him. Masuka still seems to be the same though.
A peculiar case with a dead body who had his skull surgically cut open and a piece of brain removed has brought a new character to the show. Dr. Vogel. She seems to be a really fascinating new character. She instantly confronts Dexter about some very awkward things. It doesn't take long for her to reveal to him that she knows more about him than he thinks. Hell, it seems she knows more about him than even Dexter does. By the end of the first episode we don't know the details yet, but my guess is that while Harry was alive he confided in her extensively about Dexter. Perhaps she even helped him to guide and groom Dexter towards the idea of being a force for good rather than simply a rogue killer. I am really excited to see how her relationship with Dexter develops and where they take it.
The final portion of the premiere centers around Dexter trying to save Deb. He learns that a hit man is gunning for the scum she is deep undercover with. At any cost he is willing to sweep her away from danger. That includes taking Harrison along into an area where he is expecting a possible gunfight and leaving him alone in his car. And when Deb disagrees about him rescuing her, Dexter decides to kill the scum she is trying to seductively bust. I think that the Deb/Dexter relationship is going to be even more twisted and potentially incestuous than it was last season. Both of their lives are falling apart as the gulf between them has grown. What will it take to fix that?
I think this episode was a bit lacking for me. Dexter is always good, but this is an episode that focuses a lot on setting up what will be happening throughout the season. I don't recall other seasons needing to do that, they allowed things to unfurl organically. For me this was a decent episode with a 3.5 star rating.
Season 8 picks up 6 months after the finale of 7, but the allusions of a new closeness and camaraderie between Dexter and Deb have been shattered. We start off with a lot of recap and montage and voice over from Dexter explaining how things have gotten better over the last 6 months, which leads right into a memorial service for LaGuerta. Batista is back on the force (as is Matthews) and not happy that LaGuerta's legacy has amounted to nothing more than a memorial bench.
Deb appears to be coping with her decisions by turning to a seedy life filled with drugs, booze, and scumbags in smoke filled motel rooms. But we soon learn that she has chosen a life away from the force working as a private undercover agent. She has made the decision to cross lines into a habit. And one that looks like she will be balancing how far she allows herself to spiral down to catch bad guys. Really not too terribly different than where Dexter has been, but the other side of the tracks.
Dexter on the other hand seems to have become a bit unhinged emotionally. Deb was more than just his sister, she was the one who kept him grounded. His anchor that prevented him from straying too far into the darkness. While he always struggled to be the good dad that Harrison needed, that was just a role he was trying to fill. The cracks in the daddy facade are growing without Deb there to keep him balanced and patch them up. A number of times in this episode we see Dexter lose control of his emotions and react violently in awkward moments. Even with Harrison.
Some of the other usual suspects from the series have had changes as well. Quinn is now sleeping with Batistas sister (Harrison's nanny.) Batista has left his retirement and life as a restauranteur to go back to catching bad guys. Harry is still a ghost trying to guide Dexter, but it isn't going well for him. Masuka still seems to be the same though.
A peculiar case with a dead body who had his skull surgically cut open and a piece of brain removed has brought a new character to the show. Dr. Vogel. She seems to be a really fascinating new character. She instantly confronts Dexter about some very awkward things. It doesn't take long for her to reveal to him that she knows more about him than he thinks. Hell, it seems she knows more about him than even Dexter does. By the end of the first episode we don't know the details yet, but my guess is that while Harry was alive he confided in her extensively about Dexter. Perhaps she even helped him to guide and groom Dexter towards the idea of being a force for good rather than simply a rogue killer. I am really excited to see how her relationship with Dexter develops and where they take it.
The final portion of the premiere centers around Dexter trying to save Deb. He learns that a hit man is gunning for the scum she is deep undercover with. At any cost he is willing to sweep her away from danger. That includes taking Harrison along into an area where he is expecting a possible gunfight and leaving him alone in his car. And when Deb disagrees about him rescuing her, Dexter decides to kill the scum she is trying to seductively bust. I think that the Deb/Dexter relationship is going to be even more twisted and potentially incestuous than it was last season. Both of their lives are falling apart as the gulf between them has grown. What will it take to fix that?
I think this episode was a bit lacking for me. Dexter is always good, but this is an episode that focuses a lot on setting up what will be happening throughout the season. I don't recall other seasons needing to do that, they allowed things to unfurl organically. For me this was a decent episode with a 3.5 star rating.
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