Bopping back to talk about Dexter, which is now up to Episode 5 on Showtime. As I mentioned in my preview review of the first four episodes, I think this season is even better than the first - more subtle, multi-dimensional, and dangerous - which is saying a lot, because the first season was outstanding.Sunday's episode was entitled "The Dark Defender," and captures the new self-respect and even confidence that Dexter is finding in himself. On the one hand, the discovery of his victims in the bay, and Keith Carradine's masterful Federal agent leading the investigation, is posing far more of threat to Dexter than Doakes (who is not out of the picture yet, either) ever did. On the other hand, Dexter has Lila.
Unlike Rita, Lila empowers Dexter. Although she doesn't know the specifics of Dexter's addiction - a taste for cutting people up, fortunately bad people - she is powerfully in synch with what Dexter is going through. And she supports him. In Sunday's show, she talks Dexter out of butchering one of the guys who butchered his mother (Lila does this on the phone).
If Rita is Lois Lane to Dexter's Clark Kent, Lila is Batgirl to Dexter's Batman. (I know, the metaphor seems a little stretched, but it's a complex story). So far, Lila is Dexter's ally in all things ... and it looks like they are moving towards a passionate sexual relationship, as well. In contrast, Dexter last year tolerated to enjoyed sex with Rita, but was never really passionate about it.
As Heroes on NBC struggles this year to find a little more cohesion in a central story, Dexter on Showtime is instantly mesmerizing as a solitary dark hero in a sea of real and potential adversaries (including, possibly, his sister - though I think, in the end, she will be loyal to him) ... and one dark-haired beauty (played by Jaime Murray) who seems his steadfast soul mate.
4-minute podcast of this Dexter review
See also Dexter's Back: A Preview and 6. Dexter and De-Lila-h and 7. Best Line About Dexter - from Lila and 8. How Will Dexter Get Out Of This? and 9. The Plot Gets Even Tighter and Sharper and 10. Dex, Doakes, Harry and Deb's Belief Saves Dex and Season 2 Finale: All's ... Well
The Plot to Save Socrates
"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News
"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book
