Dexter Asks Us to Make a Leap of Disbelief

The theme of this week's episode, titled "Beauty and the Beast," seemed to be making a leap of faith. But for viewers, I'd say it was more like a leap of disbelief.  I still like where things are going.  I think.

After a slow beginning, last week's cliffhanger finally had me on the hook for this fifth season of Dexter.  Where everything else felt stale and repetitive (Quinn taking up Doakes' cause, Deb's disastrous taste in men, LaGuerta and Batisita continuing a storyline most fans seem to hate), seeing Dexter presented with a conundrum he's yet to face - a survivor of one of his victims - gave an interesting new twist to what has so far, felt like a rehash of season one.

As Dexter episodes go, "Beauty and the Beast" was neither great nor terrible.  It was a pivotal hour, setting up the Lumen/Dexter arc that will carry us through the season.  I'm disappointed by the preview for next week, which suggests their relationship might take the Miguel Prado route (Dexter dealing with an unseasoned wannabe serial killer) but I think there will be enough emotional notes to differentiate it.

We start off with Harry reiterating the mantra of the code.  For Dexter, it seems the serial killer's constitution may have changed, especially after Rita's death.  Whereas Harry's number one rule is "don't get caught," for Dexter, the most important point is not killing innocent people.

With that in mind, what's interesting to me is that Dexter is more concerned with Lumen knowing his truth than his new nanny, who already seems hip to Dex' double life.  By episode's end, Dex too, seems to be aware of the paradox, but still it's going to be fun to watch both relationships play out through the season.

Back to the notion of suspending our disbelief, there were a number of moments in the episode that called on it heavily - Trinity's family in WitPo living in a house with giant floor-to-ceiling windows?  Dexter's ability to break down a locked door in seconds after his prisoner, one would presume, attempted to all day long?  I think I'm pretty forgiving of this stuff, but this week it was particularly distracting.

The LaGuerta/Batisita/Lopez storyline continues to the point where I'd rather they just slap the word "filler" on a black screen for a minute and thirty-seconds than make us watch it.

Quinn is now obsessed with linking Dex to Trinity, to the point where he's able to successfully surveil an FBI safe house (remember that part about disbelief?).  I may only have a layman's knowledge of such things but I'm pretty sure Witness Protection programs involve a new identity (the Fed called Trinity's son "Jonah" in the convenience store) and moving, to like, at least another zip code.

I'm not even going to get into my disappointment in Deb dealing with her on-the-job stress by insisting that Quinn take her home.  Doing so would suggest interest in their storyline, which I have none of.  To be clear, I love Deb and I love Quinn, just not together, just yet.

One moment that did make this episode actually work for me?  Dex and Lumen's scene in the swamp, where Dex reveals Boyd Fowler's victims in the barrels.  I actually got a little teary-eyed over this.  Dex deals with his emotions and pain through killing so it makes perfect sense that he can connect with Lumen this way, explaining his M.O. and coming clean about the blood on his hands.  I'm really hoping their relationship doesn't turn into another Miguel Prado, killer protégé out of control situation.  There's an opportunity to hit some emotional chords here that the writers have yet to strum and if they do, Dexter and Lumen could make some beautifully sweet, sad music together.