(S01E11) Oh. My. God. This may very well have been a perfect hour of television. Could this show possibly be any better? Frankly, I have no idea how I'm going to spend my Sunday nights after next week's season finale. Maybe I'll take up crocheting? Or try watching Brothers and Sisters? Nah... Sally Field freaks me out. Doesn't matter really. Nothing else will compare to Dexter. For those that have doubted Showtime and this show still hasn't sold you on the quality of the network? Man, maybe you should be the one taking up crocheting.
So this episode was the unveiling of Rudy. Everything fell into place and Dexter came up with the answers he needed. For Rudy that is... not himself. The majority of the episode, Dexter spent his time digging through newspaper microfilms. But much like him, we're in the dark still. We know his mother (her name was Laura Mohser) was killed with three other people who had been stealing cocaine. They were butchered inside a shipping canister down at the pier and Dex witnessed it all as a boy. The date is what had relevance. It happened on October 3, 1973. 10/3/73. 10 and 3. 103. That newspaper article is what Rudy wanted Dexter to find all along. I still think we're going to find out they're brothers. Why else would Rudy be invested in something like this unless there was a blood relation?
Even more confusing is Camilla's (remember her? the police records lady? loves bear-claws?) admission that she destroyed the original case file per Harry's request. There is something in there that Harry didn't want Dex to ever find out. My guess? There was a brother. My second guess? We're not going to find out until next season. It looks like there's way too much going on in the finale next week. How bad could it be though that Camilla is still keeping her lips sealed? The Nine is all but canceled, so can we start using the tagline "What Happened in There" for this show?
OK, moving on. So how cool was it as it all unfolded for Dexter? First he found blood on the back of Angel's shirt. Then he found teeth marks on the back on Angel's head. And BOOM! Angel said something about giving the guy a fat lip and it hit Dexter. Rudy had a fat lip, slightly bloody, day old maybe. Checked out his apartment, grabbed a bloody cotton ball from the trash. Saw the industrial grade door lock, the security camera. Despite the fact that we've known what was going on for a while now, the way they did this, I still felt like I was finding out for the first time too. It was great.
So of course the blood from the trash and from Angel's shirt matched. And as if we didn't need more proof, Masuka found the connection between the latest prostitute victim and her prosthetic arm. Then Rudy, who was with Deb, popped a menthol cough drop (remember Tucci's description?) in his mouth. The final blow before he knocked her unconscious. We literally got everything we possibly could have gotten to confirm Rudy was the ITK. I loved it.
Way too much going on, but some other observations:
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I honestly can't believe Matthews came out clean and he demoted LaGuerta. I guess it's like Doakes said: "It's who you know and who you blow." I wonder if we'll meet the new Lieutenant, Esme Pasquale, in the finale?
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I feel so bad for Angel. His ex-wife totally shot him down in the hospital when he broached the topic of them getting back together. Maybe she shouldn't be spending every second by his bedside then? You have to admit, anyone would have come to the same conclusion he did.
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Doakes totally wants Deb. There's been flirting all season, but there was that one scene... he was undressing her with his eyes. She was returning the favor though. They were all smiles. Again, we definitely won't see a payoff on this until next season.
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Even though Rita took Dexter's advice and had Paul lay out the truth for his kids, she still seemed pretty angry that Dexter was offering parenting advice. I wonder if they'll continue to fight?
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Is it wrong that I laughed as Rudy was humming "Deck the Halls" while wrapping up all those body parts?
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How mean was Rudy to Deb on the yacht? Remember what he said to her when he described how easy it was to trick her? Because she was desperate to fall in love. Ouch. And he proposed to her using the dead hooker's ring!
Wow... I should really stop talking. I could keep going on this write-up all night. This is just such an incredibly good show and I can't get over how great this episode was. Your turn now. Who's got theories about next week's finale?
Oh man, quotes! I forgot quotes!
Dexter (lamenting over his current dreams): "I've never had much concept for Hell. But if Hell exists? I'm in it."
Deb (declining Masuka's sexual advances): "No thanks. Last thing on my wish list is a burning sensation when I pee."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
12-11-2006 @ 2:26AM
Erik said...
I think the ITK is Dex's bio brother...and I think that Deb's going to find out about Dex's secret life...and she better live. I don't think I can take it if they kill her off. I was so tense at the end of the episode as Rudy became a raving maniac in front of her eyes (or behind her, rather). Harshest way to end a relationship ever.
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12-11-2006 @ 8:17AM
THE MIKEY said...
WOW. I'm nervous about next week. I hope that SHOtime doesn't pull a WEEDS Season Finale and end the season in the middle of a scene. I just plan on reading the books over the holiday.
There was a bed in the flashback and white walls. Do you think that Dexter's mom was killed in the hotel room or in some other place?
What exactly was in the newspaper? How much do we know about his mother?
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12-11-2006 @ 8:17AM
devin said...
can't wait for next week. It'll be a long winter until the next season starts, does anyone know when it starts?
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12-11-2006 @ 8:17AM
Tim Dorr said...
For the bookworms out there, does S1 pretty much follow the path of the first book? I'd like to read them while we wait for S2, but I don't want to be spoiled on anything either.
And yes, this was seriously like my favorite episode of any show ever. I kept feeling like this was the finale with the amount of excitement and quality production work we were seeing. Normally they pull out all the stops for the last episode of a season, but with this show it's the norm. Dexter is easily now my #1 show of all time. It's *that* good.
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12-11-2006 @ 8:17AM
radwimp said...
God damn! I cannot wait until next week, this episode was AMAZING. I've never been so nervous for a character in my entire life.
Tim, I've heard that the show pretty much broke away from the book when Rudy was introduced. But I'm staying far away from book/show/any spoilers myself so I can't confirm.
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12-11-2006 @ 8:18AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Word is the 2nd season will be the 2nd book, so if you stay away from the 2nd book before next season you should be safe.
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12-11-2006 @ 8:18AM
Bebop said...
I have a feeling that Rudy is going to try to put Deb's body where Dexter keeps all of his victims. It's a feeling though I don't believe they're going to kill Deb.
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12-11-2006 @ 8:18AM
David4 said...
Devin, they haven't said when the show will return but I would guess in about 9-10 months.
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12-11-2006 @ 10:02AM
Mark said...
The show does break away from the book about halfway through. Many events are the same, but the show has done an incredible job fleshing things out, especially the supporting characters. The big reveal of the ITK in the book is quite a bit different and he doesn't mess with Dexter nearly as much throughout the course of the story. Overall I'd say the show is much better than the book.
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12-11-2006 @ 11:10AM
Steve said...
I hope Rudy kills Deb before Dexter can save her. She is one of the most annoying characters on television.
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12-11-2006 @ 11:10AM
MacGuffin said...
Television Perfection.
I watched Sleeper Cell and Dexter back-to-back and then back-to-back again because it was soooooooooooo good.
What am I going to do after next week? I don't think even HBO has original programming since The Wire Season 5 has just concluded.
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12-11-2006 @ 11:47AM
Wayne said...
This was a great episode. I just got into this show this weekend. I saw all 10 Episodes on Sat and saw last night episode. I wished I was on to this show from Episode 1 but thank god for Shotime On Demand.
With the wire gone. Sleeper Cell is going to have to carry me until Prison Break, 24 and Heroes return.
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12-11-2006 @ 2:31PM
Jose said...
The way it all came crashing down on Deb, she went through the stages of death so quickly. It was like being hit on the head with a psychological sledge hammer.
Amazing show.
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12-11-2006 @ 3:01PM
Blackhellpig said...
I thought the exchange between dexter and doakes in the hospital was very interesting and is going to be the foundation for a significant part of season two. When Dex said 'Get your f#ck!ng hand off me' and doakes said 'i thought so' (or something like that), i think that was the first time doakes ever saw the real dexter that he suspected existed all along.
It would also be interesting if doakes found out that Dexter only kills very bad criminals. Doakes did the same thing himself when he killed the haitan guy. Maybe doakes will find out about dexter and not do anything about it.
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12-11-2006 @ 4:59PM
orchidee said...
I have no idea how I'm going to spend my Sunday nights after next week's season finale.
Watch Battlestar Galactica.
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12-11-2006 @ 5:00PM
Bebop said...
Doakes also said "Tell me if you feel anything" of something along those lines involving feelings. Then when dexter yelled at him, he said "Thought so" so i think he has an inkling about Dexter and next week's preview seems like he finds out more.
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12-11-2006 @ 9:46PM
Dexters' Cousin said...
Had to comment....
This is the Best show ever on TV! EVER!
Best quotes from this Ep:
ITK:"Deck the halls with parts of Holly!"
Dexter: "Oasis of calm, in my desert of confusion".
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12-12-2006 @ 10:27AM
Dot said...
I just watched all 11 episodes in the past couple of days. My prediction: Dex's bio father was involved in the killing of his mother (remember he was in narc-anon, so he had drug issues, and also was in prison -- likely either on drug charges, or murder). This was what Dex was being protected from (file destroyed) -- that his father murdered his mother. Likely Rudy is Dex's brother, but was not rescued by Harry as Dex was. So, Dex and Rudy have their father's DNA and killer instinct. Since the file of the crime (where Harry met Dex) had been destroyed (upon Harry's death), how would Rudy otherwise know about Dex's biological father?
Now, when Rudy lures Dex to where he is holding Deb, Rudy will reveal Dex in front of Deb, and Dex will have to face whether he can live with Deb knowing who he is. Rudy may challenge Dex to kill her. But he won't.
I haven't read the books, this just seems like what is coming.
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12-12-2006 @ 10:28AM
Shaft said...
Camilla said that Dexter was left at the scene for 3 days. Camilla also said that Harry saw something that day that changed him. Something else happened during the time that Dexter was left there, something horrifying that Harry saw.
My guess: 3 year old kids get hungry and Dexter was left with plenty to snack on.
I'm still not sure Rudy and Dexter are brothers. There are two other possibilities. Rudy's parents were also killed that day or Rudy's parents did the killing.
I don't think Joe committed the murders for 2 reasons.
1. Dexter remembers being in a car with Joe and seeing the spiderweb tattoo - a prison tattoo. Joe was in and out of prison BEFORE Dexter's mother was killed. He may have gone back to prison for his involvement in the drug deal gone bad, but he didn't commit the murders himself.
2. As I've stated before, in the state of Florida, you don't cut up 4 people with a chainsaw & leave a 3 year old at the crime scene without getting a ticket straight to the electric chair (at that time FL wasn't yet using lethal injection). If Joe had committed the murders himself, he never would have gotten out of prison.
I haven't read the book, I'll wait until after next weekend.
This is by far the best series on cable. I could be way off on my theories, but at least this show makes it fun to theorize.
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12-12-2006 @ 11:45AM
David said...
I'm right there with Shaft. After watching my wife said, "What could be worse than being trapped in 2 inches of blood for three days alone when you're a child?"
Getting hungry after the first day.
Ditto on not reading the book, that's what the time between seasons is for.
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