What I'm Watching: Dexter

Dexter: Season 5, Episode 11 "Hop a Freighter" (A-)

Penultimate episodes have the tendency to be really awesome, and this one is no exception. It doesn't just create anticipation for the season closer but also contains its own share of intense events. In fact, all plotlines were firing on all cylinders, which is rather rare for this admittedly good show. I’m talking about Laguerta, who managed to actually be helpful when she went and got a court order from another judge even though Deb went behind her back and then came into her office cursing her out for not being supportive. Also Quinn managed to reveal some depth he hadn’t seemed to have before by offering a bumbling confession of his affection for Deb. My favorite line, which made me laugh out loud, was when he said “you’re like a guy,” to which she did not react well. And then we have our main characters, both of whom end up in serious danger, the likes of which we haven’t seen before, after discussing the idea of running away together. Lumen walked straight into a trap set by Jordan, who’s now essentially on the lam, and then watched him murder someone right in front of her, for the first time getting physically involved because he’s now on his own. Liddy zapping Dexter was a shock, but fortunately he managed to outmaneuver and kill him and avoid an extraordinarily close call with Quinn. The closing scene was reminiscent of season one’s eleventh episode, in which Deb found herself abducted by the Ice Truck Killer, and Dexter now has just as much affection for the captive but no sympathy from the captor. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for next week.