Pretty hard to miss... might want to stock up on those Alzheimer's meds ;P

I'm definitely curious to see how Dexter gets himself out of this one with Rita. Will he accept some degree of guilt, like in season 2, or will he profess his innocence?

Does it feel that Dexter is completely out of character this season? He used to be cool, calm, and cautious while this season he is emotional and reckless.

Not really. Every season has been about him facing a new challenge, and discovering something new about himself in the process. He's much more cool, calm, and cautious this season than he was in season 2.

Completely out of control? Nah, I don't think so. Mostly, he's a new father and he's really tired. Something tells me he'll get it together by the end of the season.

I like that Dexter is developing emotions. Sorta.

As for the last episode.. NICE way to end it on the cliffhanger.

Guess I'm the only one left watching this show. I have to say that I was giving this season the benefit of the doubt, but the writing kept deteriorating. That is until last episode... suddenly the writers must have found new inspiration because I was really pleased. Did anyone else notice this?

Yeah, it was nice to get back to Dexter's former glory. The relationship between Trinity and Dex is better related to Dexter adapting to family life than previous seasons' obvious parallel story lines.

You're not the only one watching, I just don't have much to say typically besides "another good episode!" after watching :p Plus, ono and I haven't seen the latest episode yet.

notch me onto that list, too.

I was going to watch the latest ep. tonight, but it's getting kinda late, and I'm more into catching up on podcasts, and then afterwards, probably some Zzz...'s

I'm still watching, and can't wait for the next episode.

Thoughts on Trinity's past trigger, and what has now become his ritual of three?

In my mind, I think it was a suicide of angst, followed by a suicide of grief, and then a vengeful murder on what seemed to be the failing party.
Then again, it could have been a murder in the home, a suicide to escape the reality, and then the true murderer back then was murdered by the boy, who has now become this season's murderer, aka Trinity.

I don't think I'm spoiling anything because unless you've watched the episode, I doubt this makes any sense.

Either way, I think Arthur wacked his father.

Trinity isn't going to be the mentor that Dexter was looking for and it is too bad. Whatever drives him to kill isn't free will like Dexter. Trinity is looney toons while Dexter is just a sociopath that has found a way to keep himself from harming innocent people (barring an occasional mistake or two).

Trinity isn't Dexter, and I suspect Dexter's known that all along. Just like, as the smuggling and murdering couple laid on their final beds, covered in plastic wrap, Dexter was able to glean some enlightenment about the nature of coupling, Dexter is using the opportunity with Trinity to help him adapt and grow. Trinity isn't in control, he's not got the same kind of dark passenger, but he's made the family disguise/connection work for a very long time. Dexter can't really rely on Harry to learn how to be a father because Harry was more of an obsessed coach than anything else. In order to father normal, well adjusted kids, Dex needs to assimilate this serial-killing sociopath meets paternal provider and teacher skill-set.

Ultimately, these slowly developing skills are building Dexter into a better and more complete human being. Trinity will, in the end, have contributed to Dexter possibly overcoming the dark passenger. It's really fascinating.

I totally called the twist in the last episode.

Dexter Morgan is probably the most interesting character on TV right now.

I was wondering what it was once you mentioned it (hadn't watched it 'til midweek), but I kinda got clued into it about 15-20 min. before the episode was through.

I kinda half-knew what was going to unravel at the end, but I must've forgot about it until the last scene. It just seemed to me that Dexter wasn't doing his usual diligent research for 'candidates', and that he was getting overworked and tired. I'm already hazy on who his last victim was, (was it the hard-ass cop chick?) and how much evidence he compiled against them, but extending from then onto this latest episode, I just got the vibe that Dexter was going to mess up bad because of it.

It was a pretty well-telegraphed twist. I think I knew from when Spoiler: the assistant locked up the shop and the photographer was nowhere to be seen.

That was a rough kill scene, though, because on some level we knew it wasn't right. They didn't play it different from many others--the vic screaming his innocence to the end is something we've seen before. But somehow we KNEW. Or I did, anyway.

This "Quinn suspecting Dexter" subplot is unneccesary. Didn't we already do this once? This "Batista and LaGuerta" subplot is actually annoying now.

I'd like them to stop messing up Deb, too. Just a couple episode without massive trauma for Deb is too much to ask?

Yes, stop picking on Deb, primarily because her acting ability can't handle it.

I don't like how they keep killing the interesting subplots (literally) - I didn't like Lundy, but since they brought him back, I would have foreseen him actually suspecting Dexter. And Deb NEEDED to keep researching those CI's. Damn.. and yet they still hold on to the crappy subplots.

Ooh, well I disagree with you there. I think she's one-tone as a function of the writing, not the acting. Her meltdown in the parking lot earlier this season was exceptionally well done.

No argument there, though. It's way more interesting when Dexter's under threat. Watching him try to figure out domestic life is kind of cute, but doesn't have anything like the Ice Truck kind of chill and threat to it.

All I gotta say is Spoiler: the person who shot Deb better not be that stupid fucking reporter.

It is, but wait until you find out why. If it's what I'm thinking, it's more interesting than just Spoiler: being jealous.

It's pretty clear they're going in that direction, which I don't necessarily mind, but it better not be because Spoiler: she's Lundy's estranged daughter which is a theory I saw on IMDB.

Now that'd be a twist worthy of Dexter.

Boy I hope you guys are wrong. Because that's immediately who I suspected, too, and how boring would that be.

I don't think there's really any doubt as to the identity of the shooter. The motive, on the other hand, is harder to pin down.

Not to mention the preview for next week sets up an interesting situation between Trinity and the alleged shooter. That could end up being interesting.

got a link to the preview?

---------- Post added at 02:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:15 AM ----------

hmmmmm..... you know, there are some other possibilities besides the one we've been talking about. Definitely curious to see where this is heading...

I read a review somewhere, I forget where exactly, that theorized that the shooter Spoiler: was one of Trinity's children or wife who was trying to protect his/her father because they know his secret. That's actually not a bad theory, and much more interesting to me than Spoiler: the reporter. I haven't seen the preview for next week either, so maybe that gives some hints?

Yeah, that's one of the other possibilities I mentioned.

Here's next week's preview:

Some time ago i enjoyed the first part, but unfortunitely i have not much time for watching, but i hope i will. Dexter is really charming, i liked also Laguerta. Though from the beginning i knew already who is the refrigerator killer, the show was absorbing.)

Okay, holy shit. I'm still in the middle of watching this (DVR), but wow, Trinity's family is a big ball of fucked up, and it's scaring Dexter to his core about Rita and the kids. What he doesn't understand is that his caring for them is moving him farther and farther away from the likes of Trinity. I hope he can get past this so he can fill his role as father and husband more and more completely.

BTW, great twist at the end.

I agree, that was a great episode. I've been watching this show since Season 1 and while there were a few episodes this season that I wasn't a huge fan of, this episode was freakin' awesome. I thought it was a really good meld between "old" Dexter (pre-kids and marriage) and this "new" Dexter trying to adjust to being a family man.

Spoiler: When he flipped out on Trinity and dragged him into the kitchen, I thought for sure he was going to kill him right there in cold blood, seeing such anger in Dexter and loss of control was really something. You really got a feel for his killer instinct there.

Anyway, awesome episode can't wait for next week!

AWESOME episode. That last scene with Trinity's family put me on the edge of my seat!

All the stuff with the Mitchell family was great - the best, most tense, most horrifying moments of the season.

But that twist at the end? Come on, it's just ridiculous. There is no reason I can see for that to not be a huge mistake. I hope I'm wrong, but this could even be the shark-jump moment.

I really, really hope I'm wrong.

Yeah... ridiculous... like the Ice Truck Killer being Dexter's brother ;)

There's been something off about Christine the whole time, makes sense there's more to her than just being a pushy reporter.

The ITK was built in to the DNA of the show (and book) - the whole point was that these two kids survived witnessing an event so horrible it scarred them tremendously for life. That wasn't coincidence.

But having Mitchell's daughter be a police beat reporter who happens to be sleeping with the partner of the woman who happens to be an old flame of the one guy who ever caught on to her dad's serial killing and just now decided to return to Miami to investigate? Please.

And I agree something was off about Christine. I just thought it was going to be a lame story about how she shot Deb and Lundy for the headlines, not this.

I do agree about Christine being another one of Trinity's daughters was kind of a lame and unnecessary twist. It's like a twist that would be in an M. Knight Shyamalan movie.

The direction I thought they were going with her was that she shot Deb because she was jealous of her an Quinn's partnership and/or to get a good story in the paper.


On a different note, I'm pretty sure Masuka's reaction to Rita and that d-bag neighbor's actions was one of the funniest moments this season.

Christine's not sleeping with Quinn because she likes him (though she may have developed feelings for him along the way), she was sleeping with him to get to Lundy and now to get to Deb. She's protecting her insane father. It fits, albeit roughly.

That twist at the end was the most provocative thing they've done all season. We were left discussing the implications of it, here at our house. That hasn't happened after an episode since Season 1.

The Mitchell Family Descent into Madness was about the scariest thing I've ever seen done on TV. Amazing work. And it just kept getting worse. I thought the kid's hand was as horrible as it could get. Then the daughter offers to be a whore for her freedom, and I thought that was as horrible as it could get. Then the mother is WILLING to whore out her daughter for Dexter's silence, and I thought THAT was as horrible as it could get. And then it got about 100 times more horrible...

I wonder what happened last Thanksgiving when nobody said they were grateful for their beautiful home. I'll bet it was bad. They all knew for damn sure to say it this year!

Dex has a new real problem, though. The family had no idea they were having dinner with two sociopaths. Something came out of "Kyle" there that they totally weren't expecting, and I think it was new and scary in a whole different way from how Arthur is known and familiar and scary. What's going to happen when Trinity disappears into the gulf stream? They'll have to know it was Dex. Yes, Trinity will be on guard against him now, but he's also revealed himself to the rest of the Mitchells, which is a major Code violation.

I'm calling that the whole family has to die :)