What I'm Watching: Dexter (Season Finale)

Dexter: Season 2, Episode 12 “The British Invasion” (B)

I feel that Lila’s massive intervention is sort of cheating – after all Dexter has worked so hard to do, Lila destroys it all in a matter of seconds with a match and a flick of a switch. I suppose there was no other way out, but I would have liked to see Dexter and Doakes at least have one final confrontation. Maria is a bit out of control with the passing out of flyers for donations for a memorial service for the recently deceased serial killer, and hopefully she can go back to being a strong-willed, contemptuous leader who still steps on the toes of authority but whines about a little less when the show returns for its planned third season. I would hope the same for Deb, who let her vulnerability and abandonment issues get the best of her and turn her into a broken record, moving quickly from the Ice Truck Killer to Gabriel to Special Agent Fossil. Lundy, for his part, proved not to be as fascinating a pursuer as the season went on, and I was really hoping that he would discover Dexter’s true identity, after being so hot on trail, and a dramatic confrontation would lead to Lundy protecting Dexter in some way. Lila’s exit was predictable, but man, that girl was nuts. And how exactly did Dexter track her down?

I will briefly note that I did love the credit-like sequence in which Dexter essentially gave thanks for all the freedoms he does have. Very similar to the dismemberment of the credits on “Weeds” towards the end of that Showtime series’ season finale, this scene brilliantly incorporates easily recognizable shots from the show’s Emmy-winning titles to make for an enjoyable and dramatic few minutes. It is almost as good as last season’s closing scene, in which Dexter imagines himself praised for the way he took care of everything with the Ice Truck Killer. “Dexter” still does have a few tricks up its sleeve.

This season as a whole was impressive because it continued right off a truly astounding first season without missing a beat, throwing itself completely into an equally engaging plotline, introducing minor characters like Lundy and Lila, who supported the story well and interacted with the cast tremendously well. Not to imply that it threw it all away, but I think most of the elements were taken too far. Dexter sleeping with Lila was one thing, but after breaking up with Lila, I think she should have been let go and Dexter should have resumed things with Rita without having his crazy stalker ex running after him all the time breaking into his car. Once Deb and Lundy became an established couple, Deb became almost unbearable with her constant insecurity and need to be addressed as a woman rather than just one of the pack (which happened once in this episode). As I mentioned earlier, Lundy was fascinating at the beginning, but pretty lame and defunct by the end, as all his dinosaur allusions would suggest. For next year, I would suggest that someone else, definitely Deb, find out about Dexter’s true self, but I like where the last scene is heading, with Dexter’s declaration that does not really know if he can control himself anymore, or if he wants to.

Season grade: B+