- Directed By: Alik Sakharov
- Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, C.S. Lee, Lauren Velez, Desmond Harrington, David Zayas, James Remar
- Guest Stars: Ray Stevenson, Aimee Garcia, Jason Gedrick, Yvonne Strahovski, Katia Winter, Santiago Cabrera
The first five episodes of DEXTER’s seventh season have brought the show back to its previous great heights, with “Run” being one of the best episodes the show has had, bar none. With that success, however, comes greater scrutiny, as well as a strong desire for the sweet run to continue. Unfortunately, the tension and craziness has dialed back a little bit since, with Deb giving up on her plan to fix Dexter by living with him, which seems like a missed opportunity. Plus, Isaac Sirko was arrested and jailed for the murder of a few Colombians, inhibiting the clear cut main villain of the season (though LaGuerta’s investigation into the Bay Harbor Butcher may be the biggest threat to Dexter’s life). For now, this all seems temporary, or so I hope.
Last week, Dexter figured out that Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski), Wayne Randall’s old flame/runaway killer partner, wasn’t just a hapless standby. She was killing as well. And Dexter knows it in his guts that she’s killed again since then, and will continue to do so. Target acquired. Of course, this does little to stymie the sexual tension between them, as they go back and forth to Dexter’s apartment and Hannah’s plant shop, on the pretense of plants for his apartment. Puh-lease. Dexter’s hunch about her killing ways is mostly just that, a hunch, but when True Crime writer Sal Price (Santiago Cabrera) stops by the precinct, he lets slip the subject of his next novel: Hannah McKay. He has a theory that Hannah isn’t as innocent as people think, and that she poisoned her husband, her employer, etc., arousing Dexter’s dark passenger.
In exchange for spilling info on his new novel, Dexter puts in a good word for the guy to Deb. Deb has no time for dating, she thinks, but when Batista admits that he’s mulling retirement, that he’s burnt out and yearning for a life beyond the law, she reconsiders that idea. If Batista is killed off on his last case before retirement a la so many cop movies/shows, I’m going to cry.
Quinn’s love of strippers and money is getting him into trouble, predictably. I’ve always wanted to like Quinn, but you always knew he was going to screw up big time, and it almost rubs me the wrong way that it’s going to happen just how you always thought it would. I’m sure he’s being set up for some last minute sacrifice that saves them all, but right now, he’s playing himself right into the hands of Isaac and George (Jason Gedrick). They want Quinn to misplace the blood evidence in Sirko’s case. Police procedure is infuriating (particularly the TV version of it), but it just can’t be as easy as stealing a blood sample from the evidence room to clear a guy’s name. Especially when it’s a multiple homicide concerning gangs and a big name like Sirko.
The ending of this episode will certainly have people talking and debating. I think it’s a divisive love/hate moment. I saw one review that labeled it a “jump the shark” travesty, with a slew of comments barking against that notion, and I tend to agree. It didn’t surprise me in the least, but was a great scene that will put Dexter into even more hot water with a few more people. With Sirko angling to get out (even in a lame way), I think we can look forward to DEXTER’s renaissance continueing in the coming weeks.
