What I’m Watching: Dexter

Dexter: Season 4, Episode 3 “Blinded By The Light” (B+)

Dexter needs a serious lesson in social skills. He’s not really aware of how to function in social situations, like when he pushes Astor into the pool after seeing another father do the same to his son, and dealing with a neighborhood burglar. Donning a ski mask to give a perpetrator a good scare is far more effective with truly threatening serial killers than a mere local troublemaker. The parallels between the methods the Trinity Killer uses to force his victim to commit suicide and the threats Dexter makes up when he’s talking to the cat burglar are striking, and I think that’s a stunning facet of this particular episode which really shows Dexter’s true colors and demonstrates how his code and killing urges really dictate the way he runs his life. A more personable aspect of Dexter’s personality is also present in this episode – his dry sarcasm. The crutch of Dexter needing to be driven around, by Rita and in the cramped backseat of Quinn’s fancy car, proved to be quite entertaining. His selfless gifting of Quinn’s bribery tickets to Masuka really did backfire as the still seedy Masuka attempted to sell them to the highest bidder (which, of course, happened to be Quinn himself). The intense shootout involving Angel and Laguerta should lead to a very interesting place for their relationship, as they’re brought closer together by the need to lie about their whereabouts. Angel’s quick thinking to explain away the discrepancy was quite impressive. It’s no surprise that Deb is redeveloping a connection with Lundy, though I’d say it’s certainly a step up from the less-than-engaging Anton. Ordering takeout or profiling serial killers? I’d go with the latter.