
(S02E09) It wasn't a big surprise to me that Doakes would be brought in as the prime suspect in the BHB case. All the elements were there last week, from Doakes taking the slides to the overly-obvious mention of Doakes' father being a butcher. I was, however, taken by surprise in a huge way when Doakes showed up on the dock at the end of the episode. Holy. Crap.
First let's get to some of the rest of the episode ...
The opening dream sequence was something I picked up on pretty quickly, but it still gave us one of the best quotes of the episode (see below).
A few commenters mentioned the title of the finale episode, "The British Invasion", and how that likely means Lila plays a significant part. After seeing this episode, I can see why that's a likely scenario. Lila's become a huge liability to Dexter, and so far we've seen that Dexter isn't killing people just because they're ... inconvenient. With all the flashbacks we get of Dexter with Harry, though, I wonder if we'll eventually find something about about Harry's "rules" about killing to protect oneself. Lila's got to go. Doakes had got to go. Who else but Dexter to do it?
As for Rita, I had a feeling she'd eventually come around to wanting Dexter back in her life. There was definitely a lot of sincerity in what Dexter said to Rita, and he even mentions how rare those feelings are for him.
Random thought: I loved Doakes' voicemail message, using the stock female voice with his own inserted in: "Please leave a message for *JAMES DOAKES* ..."
As for Dexter being brought in for the slides, I admit at first I thought maybe they really did have something on Dexter after all. well dome on the Director's part to make us believe even for a moment that maybe, just maybe, Dexter was a suspect.
Back to the final scenes of the episode. Like I said, I was taken by surprise when Doakes showed up on the docks, and even more surprised that Dexter could take Doakes down so easily. Then again, there was a point made this season to mention that Dexter has a black belt in martial arts. No doubt Harry taught Dexter a thing or two about taking care of himself. Still, I would have expected more from Doakes.
Something I thought Dexter could possibly do to incriminate Doakes even more was to swap one of the slides he was set to test with blood from someone Doakes without-a-doubt killed. Doubtful he'll do that for several reasons, but it crossed my mind.
I don't want to get into the scenes for next week, as I know most of you want to remain spoiler-free. Will Dexter leave Doakes there to rot? Not likely. Will he kill Doakes? Perhaps. More than likely he'll first setup Doakes even more, then kill him in a way that either looks like he killed himself, looks like Dexter defended himself by killing him, or make Doakes appear as though he skipped town for good.
Quote of the episode:
Dexter: "Nice. My subconscious isn't even bothering with symbolism."















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-25-2007 @ 11:09PM
bruce said...
Ugh, the ending of this episode was so frustrating. First, how did Doakes get back into the US from Haiti with the FBI looking for him, and knowing that he had left the country? Seems implausible. Second, how did Doakes know about Dexter's boat, know to put a GPS tracker on his boat, happen to have a GPS tracker, and follow Dexter through the marshes of the Everglades (I didn't see Doakes' boat)?
At this point it is Doakes' word against Dexter's. What could Doakes possibly do to prove that not only that he is not the BHB, but that Dexter is? "Oh I got those slides from Dexter's apartment" is not gonna work at this point. Doake's has nothing on Dexter. Yeah there's a dead body (which does happen to be the guy who killed dex'x mother many years ago).
Maybe the slide of blood was already in the box of slides. But that's great, just more evidence that Doakes killed the guy in the Everglades. He was a drug dealer and murderer, totally fits the "profile" of Doakes the serial killer.
I suppose what really frustrated me the most about this episode is that Dexter went back to the swamp to dispose of that body. It was already hidden, there was no evidence Dexter did it, in fact with all the coke around it, it certainly looked like a drug deal gone bad. How could they possibly tie that body to Dexter? Why didn't he just leave it alone? It made no sense, there was no compelling reason for him to go back. And it turned out quite badly.
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11-26-2007 @ 12:02AM
burgerbat said...
Bruce, Dexter would have been implicated and investigated had the FBI found Doakes. As Dexter said, his story "would have to be better than [Doakes']". They would have to at least examine the possibility that Dexter is the BHB if Doakes accused him, considering they had very little evidence on Doakes (other than the slides in his possession, which carried none of his fingerprints). Dexter doesn't need to be the focus of any investigation, as he gave us a pretty good idea at what they would find by simply searching his condo (weapons, blood). I think the records lady would probably be the biggest witness Dexter would have to worry about.
I have to say I was suprisingly pleased wtih the Doakes storyline. The scene in Haiti was a nice touch. I think they've sealed his fate now though. Dexter HAS to kill him. Gotta follow rule #1. Don't get caught. And Doakes most certainly caught Dexter. They've established Doakes as a killer time and time again (who might be fit for death under "Harry's Code") but I still believe he's the only true "hero" on this show. I kinda cheered for him during his conversation with LaGuerta. Why couldn't they have pinned the crime on Angel or Masuka?
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11-26-2007 @ 1:24AM
e said...
Cheap, this episode was cheap. I love the show as I can't think of a better one on TV right now. Dexter is number one, Journeyman two and Chuck number three. Isn't the Wire beginning in January?
First Doakes and Dexter should have had a bit of a fight. I mean, come on, they almost had one by the slave container last season and that looked good. Not having a fight was a let down. But forget that. What is this with Dexter tying up Doakes as a loose end so easily? I'm sorry the GPS thing was not convincing at all. Even the trip to haity was ridiculous. Doakes should have had contacts in the US that should have been able to help him, even the lieutenant. This is the perfect story line that could have been left over to next season, no need to connect all the dots! It would have been good to have Dexter have to deal with Rita with both the FBI protecting him and Doakes gunning for him.
The solution to Lila is simple. She killed her ex and my try to either kill Rita or wasshisname? Either way all Dexter needs is to find out that she's killed and is willing to kill someone he loves to get rid of her. But he has to be careful. Too many people disappearing/dying close to him may be suspicious.
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11-26-2007 @ 2:04AM
SJ said...
Definitely a "holy crap!" episode, but yeah, I agree with the other commenters...the writers did take some liberties in various ways...
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11-26-2007 @ 2:33AM
rajashree said...
I officially hate Lila now that she's moving in on my man, Angel.
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11-26-2007 @ 4:37AM
Henri said...
Hey guys,
What book should I order if I want to pick-up from where I am at the series in the book? I can't wait for these episodes, once a week is not enough! :)
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11-26-2007 @ 5:45AM
bruce said...
Doakes is a bad cop and should be taken off the streets. How many people has he shot and killed under questionable circumstances? I'm not saying he doesn't have the skills or background training to be a good, competent police officer. I just think what we've seen of Doakes makes it clear that he's a heavy-handed, brutal, mean, ignorant, "everyone is guilty" shoot first type cop. They're bad for everyone. I don't think any of the Miami-Metro PD officers shown on Dexter are competent law enforcement officers. Angel is a moron. Deb is too green and emotional (though she's smart and one day could mature into a good cop). Laguerta is a selfish administratrix, nothing more. Yeh there are more than 3 cops but we don't get to see too many of them in the show.
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11-26-2007 @ 7:06AM
Jen said...
I'm surprised no one has mentioned it - how is Dex going to give a believable explanation for the wound in his leg?
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11-26-2007 @ 8:35AM
Kevinc said...
Henri - The first season was loosely based on the first book, but this season has little to do with the second or third book. (The second and third books are really different.)
The GPS/sneaking back into the country was idiotic. Nuff said.
Why do I need to see Deb in bed with Lundy? They could have had that talk over breakfast.
Since the first rule is never get caught, it seems to me Dex can disregard the other rules and kill Doakes or Lila. Also I don't think Harry could have gotten Dex into an execution.
Having Doakes as the BHB pisses me off. Doakes is the best thing, other than Dex, in this show. They should have blamed Lila, or LaGuerta, since she has no story. I don't see how Doakes can survive and be a part of season 3.
And while I like Doakes, he leaves the slides in the car trunk, AFTER walking out of his interview with the FBI?? How ****ing stupid is that? I think the fact that the writers have no framework to build on is showing as this season progresses.
The conversation with Rita should have ended with Dex saying, I feel. Period. Since he has never had feelings, he should have been made to voice how he felt, just that he felt.
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11-26-2007 @ 9:35AM
Jen said...
Oh, another thing -
If it does end up with Doakes going down for the murders, end of story, I will be rather disappointed. I really, really, really hope there is a massive twist somewhere. If an unexpected one doesn't show up, I'll be sadface.
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11-26-2007 @ 10:10AM
Joey Geraci said...
Your not supposed to reveal spoilers in the initial teaser bit!! At least that has been the policy on every TVSquad review I have read. Come on guys!
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11-26-2007 @ 10:33AM
Bonesaw said...
Re:
"Why didn't he just leave it alone? It made no sense, there was no compelling reason for him to go back. And it turned out quite badly."
I think because telltale m.o. was everywhere in that cabin. Plus, lots of DNA that Dexter would normally clean up.
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11-26-2007 @ 10:37AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Regarding the opening paragraph, sorry if it was spoilery to you all, but you really didn't see that coming anyway? The image I used isn't much different than what the promos showed, so I'm not sorry for that.
As for why Dexter went back to the scene to clean up, it's in his nature to be orderly and finish what he started. Do remember, though, that he still has the slide from that scene somewhere -- did he put it in the box with the others and will he use it to further frame Doakes?
Doakes being locked up in that cage for days is a lot more dangerous for Dexter than a dead body laying around. At least a dead body doesn't yell.
As for Doakes getting out of the country, notice he said he used his own boat to get to Haiti. No idea if he drove or used a boat to get to where Dexter was, but I'm betting Doakes knows how to slip in and out of international waters undercover with his own boat.
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11-26-2007 @ 4:39PM
brad said...
how lame was it that doakes' dad being a butcher ACTUALLY was brought up as part of the reason why he is suspected as the bay harbor butcher? that coincidence is absolutely inconsequential.
"his father was the profession that is part of the media's nickname for a serial killer!"
"perfect! write up a warrant!"
absolutely retarded.
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11-26-2007 @ 11:04AM
Ken Shane said...
I think that the writers have painted themselves into a corner, and I look forward to seeing how they get out of it. I don't like what's happening to Doakes. He may indeed be a brutal, nasty cop, but the fact is that he's been right about Dexter all along, which indicates to me that he's a good cop. Now it seems that it has to be either him or Dexter going down for the crimes, and neither of those options works for me. So as I said, I'm waiting for the twist. The best outcome would be for Dexter to pin the Bay Harbor Butcher crimes on someone who actually is a serial killer, or otherwise bad person. Lila comes to mind as a possibility, and that would really tie up some loose ends. I've had enough of her act anyway
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11-26-2007 @ 12:11PM
Dan said...
I hate Doakes and am happy to see him going down...Lila is a psycho and will probably be revealed to be a killer and Dexter will be able to get rid of her. The leg wound to me is the biggest loose end. Doakes in the cabin to me is a little less incriminating to Dexter than the fact that he has a gunshot wound in his leg after sneaking away from protective FBI custody. I liked how Deb revealed her affair with Lundy, that was funny. What would be best for Dexter would be to kill and hide Doakes so the manhunt for him never ends.
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11-26-2007 @ 1:02PM
furrypeanut said...
Doakes profile as relayed by Lundy is that he has a deep need to see bad guys killed. Dexter will somehow bring him around to his way of thinking while framing Doakes further should he surrender (or better yet threaten to frame someone he cares about like Doakes former partner and C.O.) Doakes will agree to keep his secret and take off to live on. Lila is a goner. I predict she is going to try to burn down Rita's house - once Dex puts it together that she's a serial arsonist... its lights out for her. Shes such a flake no one would miss her. She's probably already killed her whole family or something.
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11-26-2007 @ 1:27PM
Brian said...
Lila has already stated she accidentally(?) killed her boyfriend in a fire she set, if she was telling the truth. Considering she is a psycho. I think she was telling the truth.
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11-26-2007 @ 2:09PM
Keith McDuffee said...
@furrypeanut -- I can't imagine Doakes suddenly coming around to Dexter's way of thinking. If the writers can somehow pull that off realistically, then that will certainly be a huge twist. But honestly I can't see that happening at all. Doakes *hates* Dexter already and, as you could already see when he confronted Dexter on the dock, he's appalled at what Dexter is. For him to somehow figure Dexter's in the right *and* just simply let him live his life without turning him in is unfathomable.
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11-26-2007 @ 2:36PM
mb said...
First of all, should we start a poll as to whom Dexter will kill by the "shocking" season finale? Everybody post the name that you think will be the victim.
I vote Lundy. Lila will disappear on her own without Dexter's involvement, because she's a train wreck waiting to happen. Perhaps Angel Bautista will do the job for Dexter without knowing it. But Lundy's a dead man in my book (that's what you get for bedding Debra with your "mad skillz").
Next, I have to admit that I have a great respect for the actor Erik King (plays Doakes), because he does his job well. I hope that the writers somehow keep him on the show, perhaps as an anti-hero to Dexter (but isn't Dexter considered an anti-hero?). As Ken Shane mentioned above, the writers have seemingly painted themselves into a corner, possibly forcing an end to Sgt. Doakes... but I really hope he stays. And I find Lt. Laguerta's desperation to save him compelling.
This is the finest show on television, hands down. At least we have several episodes left until the writers' strike delays both BSG and The Wire.
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