What I’m Watching: Dexter

Dexter: Season 5, Episode 8 “Take It” (B+)

This was a terrific episode, mostly because it’s fascinating to see Dexter operate as he usually does when someone else is fully aware of what he’s up to. That’s doubly true, considering the fact that, in addition to Lumen participating with Dexter in his ritual, Cole is also aware of Dexter’s true identity and the fact that he works for the police department. Lumen’s presence at the hotel predictably caused some problems, and Cole spotting her and breaking down the door made for one particularly intense scene, the likes of which this show hasn’t had in a while. Lumen’s breakdown during Cole’s late-night romp was also pretty powerful, and it’s really interesting to see her next to Dexter while he’s ending the life of one of her tormentors. Dexter getting called into Jordan’s hotel suite and then up onto stage gave our serial killer hero much more social interaction to do than usual, and it’s a wonder he managed to complete his murder as planned. I also enjoyed his reaction to the fact that Jordan said exactly what he thought to himself. His discovery of Jordan’s complicity in the murders thanks to his signature “tick tick tick” tagline is sure to make next week’s mission even more volatile, though that’s hardly the biggest revelation of this episode. Stan has proven himself to be quite a dedicated detective, and his photos of Dexter and Lumen getting rid of Cole’s head are definitely going to make Dexter’s life infinitely more complicated and stressful. Laguerta serving up Deb was unfortunate, mostly because of the inevitable ensuing martial drama that will involve Batista and Laguerta.

Two fun notes: My roommate is just getting into this show now, and therefore I’ve seen snippets of the first season this past week. It feels so dated, but it’s great to see Doakes again (and even Rita – I guess she wasn’t as annoying in season one). Also, David Zayas, who plays Batista, was in “Skyline,” the horrifically awful film that came out this weekend. Entertaining to see him in another role, but the film is truly horrendous.