After watching this episode I was surprised at how good it actually was. The key to its success lies not just in the heartfelt interactions and motivational insight into certain characters, but more importantly in the way it connects all the main protagonists in a profound and elemental way where murderers, cops, villains and antiheroes are all flawed in a sea of moral and emotional gray.
This is achieved through some excellent performances in an episode that was more dark and laid back in tone than usual (though it's not completely devoid of action), as the emotional detachment characteristic of the show and Dexter himself explodes into an undeniable web of human contemplation and soul searching. It is as if Dexter's plans take a back seat to the struggles of everyone around him and we realize that it's all connected. Themes of love, loss, family, belonging and sacrifice are all present as the characters struggle with each other and themselves. In a show that is ripe with moral ambiguity, this is the first episode I can remember that effectively addresses the human condition in a way that paints not only Dexter but those around him as equals- both justifiable and corrupt, weighing instinct and feelings against a moral code.
The show often tries to conclude episodes by summarizing events in a coherent way (some more successfully than others), but for me this episode came together before this point- when Dexter was talking to Isaac at the bar. This pivotal moment unites the narratives of not only Dexter, Deborah and Isaac, but also LeGuerta and Quinn, who are all ultimately left unfulfilled as we realize that their actions are driven by a yearning for something unattainable, belonging to the past, and contradicting the reality of the situation.
This is probably as much as I can say without giving away major plot points. For a show that has been becoming more mundane and less original with every passing season (in my opinion), it is exciting to see season 7 shaping up to be hopefully one of the best of the series.
This is achieved through some excellent performances in an episode that was more dark and laid back in tone than usual (though it's not completely devoid of action), as the emotional detachment characteristic of the show and Dexter himself explodes into an undeniable web of human contemplation and soul searching. It is as if Dexter's plans take a back seat to the struggles of everyone around him and we realize that it's all connected. Themes of love, loss, family, belonging and sacrifice are all present as the characters struggle with each other and themselves. In a show that is ripe with moral ambiguity, this is the first episode I can remember that effectively addresses the human condition in a way that paints not only Dexter but those around him as equals- both justifiable and corrupt, weighing instinct and feelings against a moral code.
The show often tries to conclude episodes by summarizing events in a coherent way (some more successfully than others), but for me this episode came together before this point- when Dexter was talking to Isaac at the bar. This pivotal moment unites the narratives of not only Dexter, Deborah and Isaac, but also LeGuerta and Quinn, who are all ultimately left unfulfilled as we realize that their actions are driven by a yearning for something unattainable, belonging to the past, and contradicting the reality of the situation.
This is probably as much as I can say without giving away major plot points. For a show that has been becoming more mundane and less original with every passing season (in my opinion), it is exciting to see season 7 shaping up to be hopefully one of the best of the series.
