Dexter – “My Bad” (5.01) – review

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In the aftermath of last season’s chilling finale, Rita’s death has left Dexter feeling responsible, possibly even…guilty. Unable to deal with the trauma, Dexter makes a drastic decision that will impact everyone around him. Quinn stirs up trouble at the station when he notes that Rita’s murder, which is being pinned on the Trinity Killer, doesn’t fit his normal murder profile. Things get even more heated when Quinn suggests to LaGuerta that they look at the husband:  Dexter Morgan. Meanwhile, Quinn offers Debra much needed support, causing her to see Quinn in a new light.

Dexter is back!

I have been waiting for this season more than any other. Why, you ask? Well, it is quite simply really:  Rita is dead! Dexter’s moral compass and attachment to normality has been slain by the monster he toyed with all last season, the dreaded “Trinity Killer.” The irony on this is just earth-shattering for both Dexter and fans of this great show. Michael Hall does both a thrilling and chilling job portraying America’s favorite serial killer, unable to cope with the death of his wife, due to a serial killer.

Dexter is totally numb, and he cannot act his way out of this situation, as the deadness of his soul comes to the surface and all around him see it. Where is the grieving father and husband? Dexter cannot play that part, and it begins to unnerve all those around him. Fearing for his own discovery, Dexter sets off to flee like a wild animal, and it is only in an unexpected moment of sheer brutality that Dexter shows he can feel. For the very first time, Dexter kills out of emotion, and ”Harry’s Code” is broken.  I was on the edge of my seat, feeling a chill as Dexter moved like a zombie through the aftermath of his wife’s death. I could feel his anger as he slew a belligerent stranger in cold blood at an out-of-the-way gas station. It was the first “human” thing Dexter had done in five seasons and maybe his life. I was amazed at the sheer greatness of Michael Hall’s acting and his ability to appear almost catatonic and reptilian on the screen. Dexter was numb, and I could feel it oozing from the screen, and it made me feel very sorry for him.

The rest of the cast was great, and I felt they all did a fine job portraying both shock and grief for Dexter and his lost wife. Debra was emotional as usual, but this time it was her taking charge for Dexter. In the past Dexter was always caring for his “little” sister, so this was a much appreciated change. I have watched Dexter since it started; it is truly amazing to see how far this show has come, and the superb acting that its cast has been able to maintain through four previous seasons. As the credits rolled, I felt numb like Dexter. Where is this headed? What will happen to Rita’s kids and the newborn Harrison? Can Dexter be a serial killer and a single dad? This episode drained all the happiness out of me and left me numb, much like its title character.Like Dexter, I longed  for happier days when Rita was alive and Dexter tried his best to be human.

Season five of Dexter opened with a wash of numbing change, and I know the storm of newfound emotion for Dexter has only begun.

One Comment

1. 

   Domn31

   September 29, 2010 at 12:03 pm

   I agree 100 percent with this. Nice job capturing the first episode.

   I felt episode 1 was written brilliantly, showing the effects of such a murder (little things like the clean-up between Quinn and Deb) and how Dexter and Deb just kinda walk into his old apartment and start discussing funeral arrangements. It’s reality, and the pace captured it great!

   And, yes, Hall was brilliant again, and you’re right, he couldn’t hide this time.

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