web counter
 

"Sh*t on My Face, You Ever Use Words Like 'We' and 'Married' in the Same F**king Sentence Again"

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under TV Reviews | Comments (17)

Dexter-Michael-Hall_320.jpg

Why was Boyd Fowler murdering those women? That’s the question that the episode left hanging, when a dirty almost unrecognizable Julia Stiles shows up and witnesses Dexter’s Boyd kill. “You don’t know what you’re getting into,” Boyd says before Dexter plunges the knife into his chest, achieving no sense of relief.

Why was Boyd killing those women? Were they addicts who asked to be killed? Was Boyd doing them a solid? Does that make it OK? I’m going to miss Boyd and his roadkill; his been one of the few highlights of the season so far. And then scene between Dexter and Boyd in the ambulance — after they double-tranquilized one another — was hilariously fantastic. There was definitely more to Boyd than roadkill bumpkin, and I hope we learn more about his back-story through Julia Stiles.

Most of us knew that Stiles would be on the show this season, and as soon as Deb began interrogating nannies, I assumed Stiles would end up with the position. It was a nice twist to find her that she was a bedraggled unkilled victim of Boyd.

It was another instance of a sloppy kill for Dexter, both in the final execution and in the botched attempt. This is going to get him in trouble, and I have a vague feeling that Dexter might end up as a suspect in the murders that Boyd committed. Has anyone noticed that Dexter hasn’t shown up for work in a while, either? Earn your paycheck, dude.

Speaking of the nanny, she’s definitely too good to be true, isn’t she? And the fact that she was disarming enough to prevent Deb from doing a harsher investigation (or running a detailed background check) suggests that there’s more to her than a nice accent and a motherly touch. I mean, come on: She likes to watch Harrison sleep. How creepy is that? (Hint: It’s not creepy at all, but still, she’s bad news, because Dexter is a show about bad people, ergo …)

Meanwhile, there are people being serially decapitated, and for whatever reason, it’s hard to get into that subplot, which Deb and the uniform officer, Cira, are running. The showrunners are developing that subplot slowly, and so far, there’s nothing compelling about it besides decapitations, which seems tame in Dexter’s world.

Elsewhere, Quinn is still up in Deb and Dexter’s business, and the sooner Dexter kills Quinn, the better. He’s getting on my nerves. More Masuka, please.

Is it me, or do Maria and Angel have their own separate show going on, something completely separate from the main plotlines of “Dexter”? Last year, they spent the entire season hiding their affair, up and until they were married, which had nothing to do with everything else that was happening. And this year, Angel is being investigated by internal affairs for defending his wife’s honor in a bar fight. What does this have to do with anything? Why don’t we just give them their own spin-off sitcom, so I can not watch it?

There’s a lot going on this season, but none of it seems to matter much, yet. There are a lot of frazzled plot-lines. Nothing has gelled, and last night, they killed off the best thing about this season so far.









Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance

← "Carry On, My Wayward, al Qaida-Loving Son" | Last night on Rubicon | "Doctor Who" Coming to America | That's a Hell of a House Call →









Comments

The Mister was lamenting the fact last night that he hasn't been pulled in to this season either. Boyd was funny, and did anyone else notice Johnny Miller's face on those cd's that Boyd was listening to? I wonder how he's going to fit into the show... Angel and Maria are annoying, I kinda sorta maybe think Quinn's ok so I'm at least interested in seeing how his side investigation is going to develop.

Mostly what I like the least this season is how quickly (and badly) they did away with Rita's kids. Not that they were a huge part of the show, but I thought it was a bit of a hack job how they ended that entire part of Dexter's life.

Posted by: Stella at October 11, 2010 10:49 AM

"Has anyone noticed that Dexter hasn’t shown up for work in a while, either? Earn your paycheck, dude."

I am pretty sure that your spouse is horrifically killed, you get more than a few days compassionate leave.

Posted by: Garko at October 11, 2010 11:04 AM

re: Dexter hasn't shown up for work in a while.

Dexter is on extended leave, since he is recovering from the murder of his wife.

More and more points to us Dexter's world falling apart in spectacular fashion.

Posted by: litmus0001 at October 11, 2010 11:31 AM

Yeah, Dexter tried to go to work (last episode?) and LaGuerta insisted he take more time off.

The Julia Stiles thing definitely took me by surprise. That's an interesting twist. Is she going to end up a love interest for Dexter? One who already knows he's a killer? Or is he going to have to kill someone who isn't (as far as we know) a murderer? He killed that photographer last season who ended up being innocent; I thought he'd have a little more reaction to his breaking his code.

And I'm really curious about why these Santa Muerta murders are dragging on. Did the Venezuelan she-cop do them? If so, this is yet ANOTHER killer who's gotten the drop on Deb. She may be the worst detective ever born.

Posted by: The Wandering Parakeet at October 11, 2010 12:09 PM

I think the eps have been getting progressively better as the season goes on. I'm really excited about what's going to happen with Julia Stiles, b/c she is supposed to be in at least a few eps I thought, so is he going to keep her captive? This is a real moral dilema for Dexter. If she goes free she can expose him, but he doesn't kill innocent people and just told Boyd he was killing him because Boyd killed people like Julia's character. Really excited to see where this goes.

I'm also happy Astor is gone. She was getting on my nerves.

Posted by: Katie at October 11, 2010 12:14 PM

Soap opera-ugh. The cop Deb's working with is obviously the killer. Deb and Quinn make me wanna puke. As do Angel and the Chief. Boyd was the only decent thing happening. That nanny is totally evil. When did this show become so transparent? I would've been totally down if they had taken a full year to really script out a phenomenal season. Either that or they should've just ended the show on last year's finale. I may stop watching before I forget why I loved this show.

Posted by: Gem at October 11, 2010 1:27 PM

I imagine that Julia Stiles' character will realise she owes Dexter a lot and keep his secret... I believe she's signed on for quite a few episodes so it won't be completely cut-and-dry but Dexter is supposed to be (and has remained) a sympathetic character. Having him save a pretty young girl, then interact with her for a few episodes, then girl her to save himself would be a pretty nasty move.

And dear lord do Angel and LaGuerta need to sort their shit out and fade into the background. Did some focus group imply that people watching a show about a heroic serial killer actually really, really wanted to see petty squabbling between poorly developed supporting characters?

Posted by: Gia at October 11, 2010 1:42 PM

Ambulance scene was great.

Deb again gets quote of the week with the "shit on my face" quip.

Batista was great in S1 when he was partying and missing his wife. The current "sitcom" with La Guerta SUCKS.

I can't believe the other guy is pressing charges against Batista. Aren't cops supposed to protect each other? Lame storyline.

Posted by: Riles at October 11, 2010 2:37 PM

Yeah, I don't give a crap about Batista and LaGuerta's relationship problems either, and the Quinn stuff still feels like Doakes Lite, as someone mentioned earlier. Also, isn't that whole "interviewing a bunch of mentally unstable potential babysitters/nannies" thing getting a little old? Bah.

I did like all the stuff with Boyd though, and I'm curious to find out more.

Posted by: Thijs at October 11, 2010 3:18 PM

Is it just me? I'm seeing some chemistry or UST between Deb and the uniform officer (Cira (sp??)). Probably that's just because the one thing you can count on with Deb is that she'll ALWAYS sleep with the most inappropriate person possible.

Mostly I like Deb's dialogue, but sometimes the cursing goes a little overboard and I gotta think to figure what she's actually saying. (Not that I care about god***m language one f**king bit, but I think the writers are trying too hard to make her coarse.)

I really liked the twist at the end of the episode, and I think it's going to be an interesting story arc that changes up the show a bit. Michael C. Hall's definitely more than capable of pulling off a morally twisted storyline.

Posted by: Val Vadynia at October 11, 2010 4:29 PM

I love Debra Morgan and her artful Tourette's. Everything about her is trying too hard coupled with zero emotional intelligence. She remains one of my favorite TV characters of all time, all bony and angles jabbing every which way verbally and physically.

Batista-LaGuerta ar approaching a Roperesque Level of Fuckpuddleness, Deb Might Say.

Quinn is so skinny and tawny. He's one half cocked hat away from a herpes tablet.

Posted by: Stacy D at October 11, 2010 10:05 PM

Stella that was Jonny Lee Miller's picture on the cd. I recognized his voice in the last episode.

I'm not even going to bother with my speculations here anymore. Clearly no one reads my comments.

Posted by: Uda at October 12, 2010 2:17 AM

The Batista/LaGuerta storyline has got to stop. Every time she coos "An-hell" at him and he gives her the pedo-eyes, I get shivers up my spine (and not in a good way). Plus their Spanish-tinged dialogue sounds so fake and forced.

To answer a question upthread...

*SORT-OF SPOILER ALERT*
In a few interviews, Julia Stiles and Michael C. Hall have said that their characters' relationship will not be romantic. No further details were given in the articles I've read.
*END SORT-OF SPOILER*

Posted by: Another Jen at October 12, 2010 2:44 AM

Dexter has always been transparent in its villians. in the first season you knew it was Brian that was the ice truck killer. the surprise was finding out it was his brother.

Season 2 from the start it was clear that lila was bad news and Doaks was going to find out about Dexter being a serial killer. what was unexpected was lila killing Doaks.

Season 3 once Dexter befriended Miguel and started taking him for ride alongs in his killings it was obvious he was going to go all rouge and kill that lawyer chick. there was no shocker or big reveal at anytime in this season which was one of the many reasons it was the worst.

Season 4 was the least transparent of them all. all you really knew was that Dexter and Aurthur would eventually clash.

basically while the villian of the season is clear (Quinn and probably the nanny) the fun is in how it all plays out. I just hope the kids don't come back. although i can see Cody running away from his grandparents home and later sitting at Dexter's front door waiting for daddy to come back. see, very transparent but still good.

Posted by: Kevin L at October 14, 2010 12:27 AM

Whenever they cut to Angel and Laguerta they should run a cheesy Spanish soap opera opening. "Apasionado Policia!"

Posted by: steve B. at October 17, 2010 11:47 AM

"Why don’t we just give them their own spin-off sitcom, so I can not watch it?"

Most agreed!

Posted by: invisiblewoman at October 17, 2010 2:52 PM

My husband and I agree that (actor) Quinn looks ill (hope not) and is not long for the show. We think his multi-layered betrayal and history of being a dirty cop is going to come back to haunt him without too much damage to Dexter. But boy! Deb is going to be pissed!
I too think the uniformed officer Cira and Deb are going to ravage eachother at some point(maybe when Deb needs one of her manical sex encounters to try not to feel anything--like the fact that Quinn was secretly after her brother.) I sense, from personal experience, that special awkward interest in eachother and Deb's griping about working with this lowly officer is interesting--afterall, it wasn't too long ago that Deb was stuck in a tube top and hot pants, working in vice. She is way patronizing and that is the biggest clue of all!
I've been reading the books, up to Vol. 2 and in that Cody demonstrates a liking for killing things and Dexter wants to be Harry to him. That would be interesting if he did indeed show up on the doorstep one day, as was suggested by someone else.
I don't mind Angel and La Guerta, I happen to think they have some authentic chemistry, but she sure was nasty and immoral in the first few seasons and a leopard doesn't change her spots...
And based on the fact that everyone who tries to join with Dexter ends up very dead, I can't imagine that Julia Stiles is going to make it too far beyond some mutual using of each other, until she becomes even more complicated to Dexter than she is at this moment. And didn't she understand just who he is without him explaining himself to her? I reckon she will be tricky but nonetheless dead, in the end.
And finally, the Nanny. Yes, seems too good to be true but maybe she will serve as a sort of foil for the Dark Passenger, and her role will be to further confuse Dexter about his having crossed Harry's rules so often lately. Maybe she is his supposed non-existent conscience?

Posted by: surname at October 21, 2010 7:49 PM