Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing 3 Body Problem; Bosch; Citadel; Criminal Minds; Dark Matter; Fauda; For All Mankind; Foundation; Hijack; House of the Dragon; Luther; Outer Range; Outlander; Presumed Innocent; Reacher; Severance; Silo; Slow Horses; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Surface; The: Ark, Diplomat, Last of Us, Lazarus Project, Orville, Way Home; True Detective; You +books, films, music, podcasts, politics

George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Dexter 7.8: Love and Its Demands

There were great, pathbreaking scenes in Dexter 7.8 just about as often as there were scenes, period. Where to start?

Dexter and Isaac have one of the great conversations between Dexter and antagonist, sitting at a bar. Dexter is so impressed with Isaac's understanding of life, Dexter-style, that Dexter even offers that he and Isaac can just let it ride. But Isaac, of course, won't have that. The love that he explained to Dexter, and which Dexter now pretty much feels for and has with Hannah, won't let Isaac relent in his quest for revenge. This season could be seen as the season in which the main threats to Dexter are motivated by revenge on Dexter, for taking their loved ones.
Which brings up LaGuerta. No great scene with her per se, but every scene in which she appears is bringing her closer to the ultimate confrontation with Dexter which will surely be in this season's finale. Just as Isaac is driven by love and loss of Victor, so LaGuerta is driven by love and loss of Doakes. And Dexter's responsible for both.
But back to incandescent scenes: what a conversation between Dex and Deb, who at last tells her brother that she doesn't just love him, she's in love with him. Now, just to make sure we're all on the same page, Deb and Dex are not biologically related - they're brother and sister in the adoptive way only. Still, Dex is weirded out by Deb's confession. And Deb isn't even sure she feels that way anymore herself. She was pretty sure at the end of last season's finale, but now she's not, even though a true passion love for Dexter could explain her support of Dexter's murderous ways, as Deb realizes. That's more than a sister would be likely to do. Indeed, she even wanted Dexter to give Hannah the serial treatment - she's accepted Dexter almost to the point of becoming him. Once again, kudos to Jennifer Carpenter for a memorable performance.
And I left Hannah for last. "I'm not killing Hannah MacKay," Dexter says to Debra early, and that's the least of it. There's a magic between Dex and Hannah, not only when they're together alone, but even when Hannah goes to see Dex and the kids at the beach. In many ways, that was my favorite scene, as Hannah smiles almost like a kid on a date, and says, without wanting to intrude, that she'd like to meet Dexter's family. Yvonne Strahovski's Hannah MacKay is the best woman by far that Dexter has ever romantically, erotically loved - in fact, she may be the only one he's ever loved this way truly.

So, here's what I'd like to see. Dexter with Hannah's help dispatches Isaac, which Hannah has already offered to help Dexter do. Dex said no, but he usually agrees with Hannah's point of view, sooner or later. Dexter will probably need Debra to take care of LaGuerta, and Deb will be probably come through. But what of Hannah vs. Debra? Well, Deb has at least realized that maybe part of the animus she feels towards Hannah is just old-fashioned romantic jealousy. That's a good first step. But will it be enough? The future of Dexter will depend on the answer to that question.