'Breaking Bad' Final Episodes Recap - Buried

After last week's phenomenal season premiere (specifically, it's final five minutes), many expected a bit of a letdown in this week's follow-up episode, a 'fallout' if you will.

While it's safe to say the level of intensity brought to the five-season-long anticipated confrontation between Walt and Hank is hard to top, I felt this week's Breaking Bad was nearly just as good as last week's entry.

For starters, the acting across-the-board is nothing short of exceptional.

Unlike last week where Walt and Hank were really the main focus, this week we get every main cast member (besides RJ Mitte's Flynn) a chance to shine.  Aaron Paul once again proves he's a force on-screen without uttering a single word, Anna Gunn displays a wide range of emotions which still makes you scratch your head of why she has yet to win an Emmy herself, and even everyone's favorite bitch, Betsy Brandt (Marie) kills it in the mere two but vital scenes she's in.

As for the story well...what's there left to say?

Hank now knows Walt's secret, and it's pretty obvious the shit has hit the fan at this point.

I thought it was pretty tactical by Hank to get Marie to coerce Skyler into talking after his blatantly failed attempt.  The reaction Marie had though when she learned the extent of her sister's knowledge and the danger she had potentially (and indirectly inflicted) on her family?  Wow.  That was a hell of a scene of a family literally tearing apart.

Meanwhile, Walt once again exemplifies both the intellect and will that has gotten him this far.  Putting all your money into barrels then digging for hours upon hours in the beating hot sun, then memorizing the location's coordinates to put on a lottery ticket?  Truly amazing.  It's almost understanding to hear Walt tell Skyler (after he's past out in the bathroom from exhaustion) to not give up the money, to not let all that he has done be for nothing.

Finally, we have Jessie.

In probably the most dynamic of developments, Jessie has finally broken down, leading to his arrest by police for throwing (literally) millions of dollars out his car window.  His interrogation is obviously going nowhere until good ol' Hank learns of what's going on.

All we're left with is Hank entering the interrogation room, alone with Jessie, as the door shuts behind him.

Will Jessie turn on Walt?  Will Hank get the evidence he needs?

We'll find out next week.

Notes:

• "I just got to man."  Laying on that stack of money...priceless.

• You know them two took some of the cash.

• How'd you like to be that old man finding all that money on the sidewalk?

• Still have to love the ball-busting between Hank and Steve Gomez even in such dire situations.

Grade: A-

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - Dress Code

What a mess.

I'm sorry Dexter fans, if you expecting a great send-off for the show's final season, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

This season is just a jumbled wreck at this point.  Too many storylines (too many pointless storylines), bad writing, choppy editing, nothing at stake, no life; Dexter has become in every sense of the term 'a shell of its former self'.

I was honeslty debating whether to even write a recap considering how bad I thought this week's episode was but I figured I'd do it anyway since I owe it to any of you who have actually been following these.

After sparing Zack's life last week in hopes of turning him into a protege, Dexter's plan backfires in the worst way when - after Dexter is too busy catching up with Hannah - Zack murder's the cute, young neighbor Cassie who probably did us all a favor as this character was going nowhere.

Deb meanwhile is curious about why Hannah is back and is in fear that Dexter still is in-love with her (which he is) and will try and get back together with her (which he basically does).  Deb also is finally facing up to the fact that her boss, Elway (who actually has been a pretty likable, well-rounded character surprise by Sean Patrick Flanhery) has feelings for her.

Oh, and also in this atrocity of an episode, Jamie and Quinn decide to move in together, Masuka realizes his daughter is working at a strip bar, and Dr. Vogel is still around for some reason giving advice to everyone.

Once again, all these storylines - which I'm sure on paper sound great - are just lazy and uninspired.  It's like the writers of the show just hit a roadblock and said 'Let's just throw whatever we can come up with into the final season and hope people still watch'.

Such a sad state of affairs for a show that was once considered the best on TV.  Damn shame.

Notes:

• That was probably the least most attractive topless scene I've watched in a long time

• Elway's insult to Deb where he ends it by calling her a 'fucking bitch'...priceless

• Dexter sneaking into a nightclub?  Really?  What has this show become?

• Honestly, watch this episode again and take notice of the lousy editing job done from scene-to-scene...terrible

Grade: D+

'Breaking Bad' Final Episodes Recap - Blood Money

Wow.

Hey Dexter, that is how you do a premiere for a final season (though your end should have come about four years ago).

What is there to say about Breaking Bad that hasn't been said already?  It is the greatest drama in the history of television, period.  Yes, I've heard all about The Wire, but no show has ever been so concise in it's storytelling that there is never a loose-end or poor plot point; everything is exactly where it should be, encompassed over five, breathtaking seasons.

Here we are though, Part 2 of Season 5 which will serve us the final 8 episodes of the finite journey of Walter White.

In typical Breaking Bad fashion, we open this episode unsure of why we are seeing teenage kids skateboarding around a park.  We realize soon enough though that this park isn't a park, rather an empty pool, Walter White's pool!  We've jump forward yet again to the future to find the White home completely abandoned and left for vandalism (that Heisenberg sign, perfect).

The Walt we saw the beginning of last year on his 52nd birthday, we find back at his old home to retrieve something he left behind... resin!  That little pellet he's been hiding in the outlet is still there.  The question though is who's he after...or is it, who's after him?

Flash back to the present, after Hank nearly has a heart attack once realizing the truth about Walter in the bombshell dropped in the closing of moments of last year, the man gets to work in going over each and every detail of the Heisenberg case, culminating with the episode's explosive final scene.

Before getting to that though, let's catch up on a few other important characters.

Jessie is bottled up inside and wants nothing to do with the money Walt left him.  He tries bringing it to Saul to give to the parents of that kid who was shot last year on the motorbike and Mike's granddaughter, only to be told by Saul - in a pretty rational perspective - it's a bad idea.

Walt visits Jessie to console him, though at this point, Jessie now knows what type of man Walt is, who can't be trusted.  He knows Walt killed Mike, and Jessie isn't going to buy into his BS anymore.

Skyler seems to be getting by with the fact that Walt is 'out' of the business, though we see another side of her completely after Rita shows up at the car wash to try and get Walt back due to a drop in product quality, only to be threatened by Skyler to never come back again.

Finally, we get Walt, realizing Hank is on to him and needing to pay his good ol' brother-in-law a visit to his garage where he's been putting the pieces together.

Just when you think Walter's about to walk out of that garage after tiptoeing around Hank and what he's up to, making us believe we're going to have to wait to see Hank and Walt finally square off, we get it.  That moment when Hank closes the garage door said all you needed to know, "It's on!"

You have to love how Walt is able to go from denying the accusations, to accepting them, to preaching for sympathy now that we know his cancer's back, to ultimately threatening Hank that if he has no idea who he's talking to, he better tread lightly.

Notes:

• The one thing that bugged me about Jessie in this premiere was that, once again, he's back to being his depressed, sad self.  Honestly, we've seen this song and dance before.  Do something!  Take action!  10 bucks says he ends up teaming up with Hank to take down Walt (though I bet somewhere in the process he bangs that Rita...just a hunch).

• Interesting how Walt is trying to revert back to his pre-Heisenberg days, dressing in plain white and tan colors.  We all know that evil son-of-a-bitch is still there though, and he hasn't left, at all.

• Skyler seems OK with her lifestyle now in owning the car wash and taking comfort Walt is 'out', though I anticipate something is still brewing there where she's either going to turn on Walt or, as she stated last year, wait for him to die.

• How great was Badger's Star Trek story?  I mean honestly, I would pay money to see that short scene (which sure enough, someone's already taken the liberty to put an animated segment together).  Gotta love the popularity of Breaking Bad.

Grade: A

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - A Little Reflection

Not bad.

That sums up my impression of this week's Dexter, which puts us halfway through the show's final season.

A lot of storylines upped their ante this episode including Quinn not getting the Sergeant position, Masuka realizing his daughter isn't after his money, and Deb finding out her boss, Elway, has feelings for her.  The biggest uptick of all though - besides Dexter and Deb getting seemingly 'back together' which I'll get into later - was the development of Dexter Jr. aka Zack Hamilton who went from being on Dexter's table (literally) to being taken under Dexter's wing.

We learn throughout the episode that Zack was indeed the one who killed his father's house maid (also his mistress) as well as the fact that Zack has a sick infatuation with blood, like our favorite anti-hero.  Dexter - already under the impression Zack is the maid's killer - sees this and while befriending him, learns the kid plans on killing his father's other mistress as well.  Dexter of course intervenes, and is about ready to kill little Zack Hamilton, before he realizes Zack is exactly how he was at that age: a yearning serial killer (something Dr. Vogel had notated to Dexter earlier in the episode when we find out Zack his being treated by her as well and wanting to teach him 'the code').  Dexter lets Zack go free and suddenly we have an idea of where this rumored 'spin-off' might be going.

While there was also the development of a relationship between Dexter and Cassie (who I think is getting the ax soo enough), things are seemingly A-OK again in the Morgan household with Deb and Dex enjoying steaks and beer again.  Kind of surprising considering just two episodes ago one wanted to kill the other, but hey, this season has been kind of up and down anyway so why not?

Oh and I forgot just one last point: the return of Hannah McKay!

Common, who was expecting in the last scene of Deb and Dex just enjoying coffee that Hannah was going to show up after poisoning their drinks?

All I'll say is this: this better be going somewhere or else it's going to look like the writers threw her into this season for more shock factor than story purpose.  I mean really, besides Rita, what other Dexter lover interest has come back for a 2nd season?  Exactly.

Notes:

• Poor Masuka.  Not only does this guy get a shitty storyline for the show's final season, but his daughter now wants nothing to do with him.  Maybe he'll at least get laid before seasons's end?

• Kind of messed up that Batista pushed Quinn for the Sergeant position only to give it to the token black...er I mean Detective Miller.  Maybe now Quinn will bust that Nora Rivera case wide open (even though Dexter already solved it).

• Not much Dr. Vogel this week...OK.

• So Elway has the hots for Deb.  Pretty much saw that one coming.  Not too sure if it will go anywhere though.  Nice to see he caught his brother-in-law red handed though.  POS deserved it.

Grade: B

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - This Little Piggy

Note:  My apologies for not getting this recap up sooner as I've been on vacation this week.

Funny enough, just now before writing this, I came across a recap of this episode on Entertainment Weekly's website which notated how we're almost halfway through the final season of Dexter and everything feels more of the same.

It's hard not to agree with that sentiment.

Everything so far as felt just kind of 'typical'.  There are no higher stakes shown this year (yet), and it looks by the end of this episode things between Deb and Dex are back to normal.  I'll explain.

After Deb tries killing Dexter via a car accident into the river (then saving him), we find the two in a psycho-therapy session with Dr. Vogel.  Dexter shows a side to himself we've really never seen before which is that of a pissed off, hurt individual.  He screams at Deb telling her how she could have made his son an orphan and how he's 'so fucking happy for her' that she feels better about herself.

Meanwhile, this mediocre killer of the season, Yates, ends up kidnapping Vogel not too long after her session with the Morgan siblings which brings the two together to save the good ol' Doc.  In a not so surprising turn of events, Dex and Deb arrive just in time to save the day and Yates is made into a permanent under-the-bed fixture.  At this point, the duo who seemed to hate each other by the beginning of the episode or are seemingly both chummy chummy again.

Updates on a few other storylines going on this season worth mentioning (but aren't seemingly getting anymore interesting) are stated below:

• Masuka is suddenly under the impression his new found daughter is out to get him for money and wants to hire Deb and Elway's firm to investigate her.
• Quinn is caught in a predicament of who will get the Sergeant position with the all-of-the-sudden important character of Smith (though this resolution is pretty much spoiled in the preview for next week's episode).
• Finally, a new storyline is developing with a murdered maid (was she mentioned last week?  I don't know, that's how boring this plot point is) which leads Dex coming face-to-face with the apparent teenage version of himself (so stupid).
• Oh also, Dex looks like he's getting laid soon with his new neighbor, Cassie (what's the point of this?)

 I know I usually ad notes for each episode but I'm going to go on a little rant regarding this season that will pretty much sum up my thoughts of this episode.

This is the final season of Dexter.  A show that became the cornerstone of Showtime's network.  It deserves better than this.

For one, this last season was rushed into production so it could help launch the network's newest drama, Ray Donovan (which by the way, if you keep running promos every friggin second for this damn show before and after a Dexter episode, you are going to turn off viewers to watch, like myself).

Also, there are rumors there is going to be a spin-off series centering around Debra.  Really Showtime?  You're going to sacrifice the quality of the show that launched your network so you can promote the hell out of a annoyingly advertised new show and hopefully launch a not-so-needed other one?

And here I thought only the film industry had gotten greedy...

Grade: C+

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - Scar Tissue

So after this week's Dexter, we find ourselves 1/3 of the way through the show's final season, and to say things are getting a bit nuts is an understatement.

Masuka learned he has a daughter (played by Friday Night Lights' Dora Madison Burge), Quinn not only passed the Sgt exam but then screwed up his chances defending Deb's 'honor', and of course, Deb got herself out of her rut with Dr. Vogel's help only to try and kill Dexter in the process.

Let's start off with the most important element of this week:  Deb trying to kill Dexter.

I don't know about you, but when Deb got all 'at peace' and lovey dovey toward both Quinn and Dexter, I knew something was up.  Especially after just seeing her father, Harry, admit on video that he couldn't live with himself any longer after realizing what Dexter had become.  This should sure be a hell of an opening next week as we'll have to deal with the repercussions of Deb not only attempting to kill Dexter, but deciding to save him too.

Onto this season's killer, one of Dr. Vogel's former patients.  I thought it was quite interesting that this guy was about two feet from shooting Dexter by surprise and yet our favorite serial killer had no idea he was there at the time.  Probably the closest we've seen Dexter to actually getting knocked off (well, until about 30 minutes later).

Oh Quinn, you bastard you.  You pass the Sgt exam with flying colors, celebrate with Jaime and Batista, then somehow screw the whole thing up by socking another officer who was bad mouthing Deb (also your ex-girlfriend) in front of your boss and current girlfriend.  Way to go (though hey, I probably would have done the same thing).

What about Dr. Vogel and her secret agenda to study Dexter?  I knew something was up about this woman from the beginning and I still don't believe we've learned everything.  And her caring and nurturing attitude toward to somehow get her to realize she's a good person?  Please.  I think she wanted her to try and kill Dexter.  But we shall see.

Notes:

• How about Masuka hitting on his own daughter before realizing, well, it's his own daughter.  Hilarious.

• This new character of Cassie who likes Dexter after meeting him for a total of 10 seconds and one dialogue exchange?  Please.  She's going to serve some purpose of getting killed-off soon enough.

• Why do the writers feel the need to bring in a new character to the police force in the last season?  Is it because Deb's not there anymore?  I'm talking about this 'King' person who's also up for Sgt as well.  Common, it gets a bit annoying when we have to listen to her talk and have a purpose to the story when we know she's only there to fill a void.

We will see next what happens next week when we get the aftermath of Deb's sudden urge to kill Dexter and what this new killer has for Dr. Vogel after he kidnaps her.

Grade: B-

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - What's Eating Dexter Morgan?

After last week's phenomenally well-done 2nd episode of Dexter's final season, this week we have our first taste - as well as a reminder - that this is indeed the end for Dexter Morgan and things are never going to be OK again.

Rather than get into too many details like I feel I did last week (though I'm still trying to introduce you to what new plot points will be developing this season), I'm going to basically give you the important facts and highlights that happened this week.

We start off the episode with the reminder that Dexter still has a son named Harrison - in a sequence that harkens back to the infamous Rita reveal - but soon jump to good ol' Deb, drunk off her ass in her car and sleeping peacefully until a cop finds her.  Little to Deb's realization, she's hit a pole and sure enough, gets arrested.

This leads us to everyone's favorite jerk-off/yet nice guy, Quinn, who while sleeping comfortably with Jaime, gets a call from Deb to come bail her out.  Quinn - of course still in love with Deb - comes right away after lying to Jaime that he needs to go to work.

Quinn comes to the rescue, bails Deb out, then we get a nice little dialogue scene where Quinn basically implies he still has feelings for Deb...and Deb might too.

Meanwhile, Dexter's still trying to figure out what happened with what he thought was Dr. Vogel's killer/stalker after he finds the guy that certainty hung himself, on the floor at his cabin with half his head blown off.  Miami Metro is there to investigate the scene, and of course, Dex gets curious.

I had a theory last week that Dr. Vogel is behind this so-called 'new killer' in town, but seemingly was put to rest when we find the good doctor getting an anonymous text message to look outside and finds two boxes with brain pieces in each, one addressed to her (Dr. Vogel) and the other addressed to him (DEXTER!).

After talking this new development over with Dr. Vogel, Dexter gets asked a not so friendly question from the good doctor herself:  Why didn't he kill Debra after she learned who he really was?

Dexter of course exclaims that he loves Deb and that he can never kill her, but somehow can't describe why exactly he does love Deb.  Only to be poised by the idea from Dr. Vogel that he needs Deb to exist, and that he really is selfish to want to help her.

Fast forward to Dex trying to help Deb and pick her up from this dark hole she's gone down, Debra realizes how much of a good person she really is and decides to - in a drunken fashion - go to the police station and confess everything about killing LaGuerta.  Fortunately, Quinn is the one to find her and - foolishly - thinks Deb is delusional and completely out of it (though he does call Dexter for help).

Dexter is able to come in - along with Dr. Vogel - and save the day by, probably for the first time ever, giving Deb a shot to knock her out, and get her out of the station before she can confess to anyone else.

So overall, where does this leave us at the end of the third episode?  Well, Dexter thinks he's still in-control of both Debra and his double-life (which it's obvious he's not), Deb is finally starting to breakout from her funk and realize who she really is, Dr. Vogel is still scaring the shit out of me that she going to turn around and kill someone soon enough, and Quinn is becoming to the go-to good guy yet can't seem to please Jamie at home.

We'll have to see what happens next week.

Notes:

• A little plot point that I glossed over, the workout dude who is really a cannibal.  Kind of reminded me of the earlier Dexter years where he would basically have a killer-of-the-week that he would eventually get on his table and take care of.  Nice to see a glimpse of the Dexter of old.

• How funny was it when Batista let it slip to Jaime that Quinn really wasn't out on a case?  Poor guy just can't catch a break.

• Not too sure where this new guy Elway is going with Deb by giving her weird colored drink and stuff but something tells me he's going to start playing a bigger role once this season hits its final lap.

• Where was Masuka this week?

• Jennifer Carpenter's acting in that confession scene to Quinn?  Fantastic.  Still shocks me she hasn't won an Emmy.

Grade: B-

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - Every Silver Lining...

After last week's so-so premiere, I can see why many die hard Dexter fans were a bit wary of the show's 8th and final season (myself included).  However, after last night's strong and solid episode - which was also directed by Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall - I think it's safe to say things are firmly back on track.

In the opening minutes of the episode, we find Dexter conversing one-on-one with Dr. Evelyn Vogel (who in the closing moments of last week's premiere, revealed herself to know Dexter's secret).

Through this initial scene, we learn how Dr. Vogel knew and treated Harry both as a friend and patient while he was raising Dexter.  Dr. Vogel reveals how she was the one who guided Harry in how to construct Dexter to use his urges for good, including his moral code of who and who not to kill.
We also are given insight as to how this new killer on Miami's scene might be a former patient of Dr. Vogel's, as she shows the missing piece of brain from last week's skull-sliced victim, which was conveniently left on her doorstep.

Dr. Vogel states she wants Dexter to hunt this killer down or else she'll go to the authorities with what she knows about his history.  Dexter begrudgingly accepts.

Meanwhile, we find Deb still recovering from last week's murder of her sort-of boyfriend/case, Briggs, thanks in-part to Dexter.  She's gone in to meet with Elway (her new private investigator boss who was introduced last week, played by Sean Patrick Flanery), and explains how she still has a lead on where Briggs was hiding his stolen jewelry.  This ultimately leads Deb to a storage facility where she indeed finds the stolen jewels, only to be beaten down and ripped off by El Sappo, the hitman who was coming to kill Briggs for the jewels anyway.

It looks as if El Sappo is going to make a breakaway until we learn the next day that he was shot and killed before even starting his car.  Dexter and rest of the Miami Metro team are called to the scene, in which of course Dexter gets suspicious when he realizes this guy is the one who was suppose to kill Briggs as well as possibly Deb.  Dex finds a trace a blood outside the car window, pegging that as one of the shooter, not the victim.

To Dex's surprise, he finds out that Deb is the one who shot and killed El Sappo in a murderous rage.  When Dex confronts her about this, she of course wants nothing to do with him (though she does throw the fact in his face that it's not the first time she's shot and killed someone).

The big reveal at tail-end of the episode though is when we learn the killer previously seen earlier who suffocated an innocent victim, was coerced on camera by an unidentified assailant.  This is learned via a DVD left on Dr. Vogel's laptop that she finds after Dexter searches her home under fear someone had broken in.

Notes:

• While I covered the main plotline of this episode, I should also mention how Batista now knows Quinn's been sleeping with Jamie.  In a funny exchange, he basically tells him to man up or else he can't date his sister.  Curious to see where this one goes, though I'm wondering if something is up now with him and Deb...

• Am I the only one who think there's something more to this 'Dr. Vogel' than meets the eye.  Someone 'breaks' into her home and a DVD (which she seems to find popular) is left right on her desk?  Something's off there.

• Poor Masuka really has nothing to contribute to this show anymore....

• The Hispanic actor who played El Sappo just can't seem to catch a break.  If you recognized him, that because he's the same guy who played the unfortunate prisoner who gets a machete to the head in last year's The Walking Dead.  Maybe now he'll land a more recurring role on a show.

• How is it Michael C. Hall the actor, can make an episode so much more interesting with his direction than other directors who seem to do this for a living?  Honestly, how great were some of the long takes or shots in this episode?  Why can't other, more experienced directors be as unique and not stick to such a 'point-shoot' method.

• Is it at all cliche that in the final season we somehow meet the one who 'made' Dexter, as in coming full circle?  Example:  The Dark Knight Rises, The Bourne Ultimatum

Looking forward to next week as it looks like Deb is starting to breakdown to confess everything.

Grade: B+

'Dexter' Final Season Recap - A Beautiful Day

Well, here we are.

After 8 long years and many wondering how America's favorite fictitious serial killer, Dexter Morgan, will meet his demise, we have finally arrived at the last season.

It's funny how the other day I was talking to someone who started watching the show from the very beginning (I myself got hooked during the winter heading into Season 6) and she stated something that I have long thought of as well: the show has gone downhill since the Season 4 finale.

However, she brought up a good point that I had never thought of before.  The great fascination with Dexter from the start was him trying to balance his life as a normal family man by day while being a serial killer by night.  It's what made the first four seasons so great because even though this guy was going around killing people, you wanted to see him grow to have a normal life at the same time.  Obviously, when the Trinity killer murdered Rita, it proved to Dexter that he could never have a normal life because of the monster he is.  It's where I think the series should have just ended because it would have wrapped up the core story of Dexter Morgan perfectly: a serial killer trying to live a normal life, but the consequences of his 'other' life won't allow it.

Anyway, enough with my rant about what should have been.  Let's get to the recap (and if you haven't caught up yet, stop reading now and go finish Season 7).

We find Dexter following the events of last season seemingly doing just fine.  He's coaching Harrison's soccer team, playing the dating field again, and doing a great job as always with work.

We learn soon enough though that this is all a facade.  Deb has left the police force after tragically shooting and killing LaGuerta and has pretty much gone off the deep end.  Doing drugs, popping pills, and banging lowlife scumbags who use to be on Entourage (you know what I mean).  Dexter hasn't heard from Deb in weeks, and has everyone at work under the impression that she's doing great following her sudden departure.

Besides this, we also come to find that Batista has returned to the force after flirting with idea of owning a restaurant (LaGuerta's death obviously brought him back), though it's not clear if he's the new Lieutenant.  Also, Quinn is now banging Jamie which is presented in a pretty, shall we say, sensual fashion, and Tom Matthews is back on the force too, now as a Deputy Chief.

The one thing I picked up on from the start is how stale this show has seemingly become.  Maybe it was just my perception, but it seemed like so many of the characters were just going through the motions.  And this is in no way saying the cast and crew on the show aren't giving their all as I'm sure they are with this being the last season, it just seems like we've seen this same song and dance before.  Dexter no longer being in control, Quinn hiding his new girl toy, Batista dealing with 'stuff', Masuka being, well, Masuka.

The only fresh point about this episode is Deb's complete downward spiral into hell as she admits to Dexter that she should have shot him that night (played wonderfully by the way by Jennifer Carpenter who I'm shocked has never won and Emmy for her work on this show).  Dexter takes issue to this, and ends up killing the scumbag druggie Deb's been sleeping with after learning her life might be in danger by staying with him.

Finally, there's the fresh face to this season in the form of Dr. Evelyn Vogel, played by Charlotte Rampling.  At first, she's brought on by Chief Matthews to consult with a new case being worked on.  It's learned soon enough though that there's more to this woman than meets the eye as she practically interrogates Dexter during an initial one-on-one conversation, then leads to a big reveal in the episode's closing moments (which I will not spoil for you).

Overall, I didn't feel this episode was bad nor did I feel it was good.  It was kind of right in the middle of just...average,  which is basically what Dexter has been teetering on since Season 5 (4 great seasons, followed by 3 mediocre ones).

Hopefully - though I'm not counting on it - the writers are able to pick things up next week and at least start giving this show the great ending it deserves.

Grade: C+