What I’m Watching: Dexter

Dexter: Season 5, Episode 2 “Hello, Bandit” (B+)

As Dexter’s life calms down and returns to anything but normal, this show is finding its footing again, establishing a few threads that show last a good portion of the season. Dexter’s inability to sit around and lead a normal life is unsurprising, and the energy with which he is pursuing that tiny bit of blood he saw in the truck is extraordinary. With that, we have the introduction of one of the many actors who have been announced as recurring players on this season, and that’s Shawn Hatosy as Boyd Fowler. He’s hardly the most compelling villain we’ve seen yet, but it doesn’t take much to get under Dexter’s skin, and despite the most ardent advice from dear old dad, he’s going to have a lot of trouble escaping his old ways. As Deb moves further away from her brother into the arms of a very receptive Quinn, it’s going to make Quinn’s continued pursuit of Dexter all the more painful when Deb (or Dexter) finally pieces his investigation together. The idea of Astor and Cody living at their grandparents’ home makes sense since we wouldn’t really want to see Dexter benched for the unspecified future, and it still establishes Dexter as a sort of adoptive parent for them. On the lighter side of things, Masuka’s distaste for Dexter’s work, and Deb’s vengeful request to Batista for him to do more of it, was entertaining, as was the very different reaction from Quinn and Deb to Batista’s hypothetical question, where they both immediately assumed which spouse was the one with all the cash.