With each new season of Dexter, one can bank on a few sure things: an overarching villain; comically clueless co-workers; Deb making an unfortunate romantic decision; and, in the past few seasons at least, that midseason sinking feeling that things will not come together as well as we'd hoped. While we can debate the overall quality of the past couple seasons (Seasons 4 and 5 both had some great moments), it's becoming clear that to be a Dexter fan one must accept the likelihood that a promising season will go awry somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, it's looking like we may have officially reached that point for Season 6—and we're only halfway through.
Because whoops! Somebody accidentally filmed a rough draft! Sorry guys, but "Just Let Go" was pretty terrible. It was underwritten, hamfisted, and ruinous of the more promising Season 6 innovations. While I admit I've been down on the show's season-to-season shortcomings, I was pretty upbeat about the Doomsday Duo and Brother Sam. Those two elements were excellent additions to this long-running series, and just what it needed to enliven an increasingly hoary formula. But now with the inglorious death of Brother Sam plus the increasingly tedious scenes between Travis and his impossibly obvious imaginary friend, Season 6 has started circling the bowl in a pretty serious way. Even this episode's last-minute surprise reappearance of the Ice Truck Killer proved problematic, as it mostly served to point out just how far this show has fallen since its terrific first two seasons.
Last week's episode ended with two dreadful narrative occurrences: Dexter released Travis back into the world, and Brother Sam was gunned down in his own garage. These things were implausible and infuriating, respectively, but they at least had the potential to lead the show down interesting storytelling paths. However, any such potential was quickly smothered in the crib. First off, Travis barely reacted at all to his abduction and near murder. He didn't even appear to have mentioned the incident to his "partner," Professor Gellar, as they simply proceeded with their Whore of Babylon tableau, and they even continued hanging out in public places together? (So much for that headline story!) Then, Dexter only half-heartedly pursued the Doomsday Killer at all, merely tracking Travis into a farmer's market for five minutes before getting called away in the wake of Brother Sam's shooting. (It should go without saying that Professor Gellar wasn't visible until Dexter had left the premises.)
I touched on this last week, but in seasons past, Dexter has extended his targets to include rapists and mere accomplices to murder, so it seriously makes no sense that he'd allow Travis to go free. Sure, he'd prefer to nab Gellar, but why not kill Travis and then get Gellar separately? (LOL but still.) It was a frustrating contrivance in a season filled with them, particularly in light of the idea that 98 percent of us believe Professor Gellar isn't real and Dexter should've seen those signs himself. Every scene in this episode that involved Gellar telegraphed that he is imaginary: Clarissa's insistence that the real man wasn't particularly religious; Travis's sister telling her students that Travis is an excellent artist (we've only seen Gellar painting so far); Gellar instructing Travis to perform any tasks that involve physically touching something. So unless Dexter is setting up the biggest fakeout of all time, the scenes between the two of them—which have now devolved into mostly bickering—are incredibly low-stakes and boring. Travis has come to doubt the merits of hastening the apocalypse, especially after an unbearable scene involving children telling him what they want to be when they grow up. Who cares? His other personality is still an a-hole. Do your job, Dark Passenger.
For his part, Dexter spent most of the episode investigating the shooting of Brother Sam. A couple things: First of all, did his "investigation" into Sam's death seem incredibly convenient to anybody else? In the span of what seemed like twenty minutes, he'd recovered a blood sample from an old baseball bat, ascertained the prime suspect's living situation, and run a lightning-fast DNA test. Even after this lead proved a red herring, the investigation into the second suspect was also ludicrous: Good thing there was an easily-removable bullet in the drywall of the suspect's apartment that could be immediately matched to the shooter's gun! Frankly, Dexter-as-detective has long been one of my favorite parts of this series, but now it seems like the show doesn't even care about that element anymore, so it's been phoning it in like crazy lately. When the killer was revealed to be the ex-con that Sam had baptized earlier in the season, his motive was about as inconsequential as "I disagreed with his philosophy and junk."
The worst part of this plotline was Brother Sam's death itself. Mos Def did his best with what he was given, but were his dying words not the most trite final words possible? He basically said, "I know you're a serial killer, but it's cool, just be sure and do better. Also, tell my killer I forgive him." Now, first of all, NO, Brother Sam. Those are terrible final words. Second of all, keep in mind that Brother Sam has known Dexter for about a week. Why is he using his last ounce of strength on this earth to deliver some weaksauce Christianity 101 moral to a man he barely knew? And the lesson ended up falling on deaf ears anyway, because when Dexter finally confronted Sam's killer and dutifully delivered the message of forgiveness, the killer laughed in Dexter's face and Dexter just drowned him right away. Useless! What a useless death Brother Sam's was! I understand that Brother Sam's entire purpose this season was to show Dexter an alternative channel into which he can funnel his righteous impulses, but yuck. This turn of events was as graceless and clumsy as possible. Brother Sam was a great character, and up until this point his conversations with Dexter had been so interesting—enlightening, even—that they single-handedly energized the show. So his death was really quite a shame; I just hope this episode's low-quality script doesn't prevent Mos Def from getting the Emmy nomination he dearly deserves.
Ultimately, Dexter's final offing of Sam's killer was a roundabout way of introducing us to this season's next big "twist": The return of Rudy, a.k.a. Brian, Dexter's older brother and the infamous Season 1 Big Bad, the Ice Truck Killer. For those who have pangs of nostalgia for the first (terrific) season of Dexter, it was a refreshing development to see a familiar face onscreen again. However, if you are like me and you're completely tired of imaginary characters, this was a pretty ho-hum moment. Aren't Harry and Professor Gellar enough? Rudy's obviously meant to represent the devil on Dexter's shoulder as opposed to Harry's angel, but why is this necessary? Dexter's voiceover is devil enough! Trading Brother Sam for yet another ghost is not an upgrade.
As far as the co-workers go, Deb attempted to ingratiate herself with the office by throwing a super-sad house party in her murder home. Plus Quinn was especially awful after Deb found out he'd screwed a material witness; when she took issue with outrageously unprofessional conduct, he accused her of being jealous and then drunkenly crashed her party with a bimbo he'd picked up at a bar AND THEN got himself punched in the face for hitting on Batista's sister. You know, typical Quinn stuff. Also, the new tech guy, Louis, had a huge crush on Dexter for some reason? And at one point LaGuerta showed up for 45 seconds, and it was more than enough to remind us that she is the worst.
It's really quite exasperating to see the things I'd hoped for evaporate so quickly, but in true Dexter fashion, right when I was ready to throw in the towel on this show, the scenes from the next episode looked pretty fun. The return of the Trinity Killer's son! Fine, Dexter. Do whatever you want. I'll probably complain about it, but I'll still be watching. And isn't that Showtime's #1 wish?
I'm sure there will be some differences in opinion regarding this episode, but spill it: What did you think?
RANDOM BLOOD SPLATTERS:
... One bright spot: Is it just me, or is new Detective Mike kind of awesome?
... Should bringing a toddler to a house party be considered a party foul?
... Did Brother Sam die too soon? Or just in time?
... Masuka: "This is Miami f*ckin' Metro. We're all f*ckin' rock stars." Please discuss the accuracy of this statement.
So over imaginary characters. Who came up with them anyway? Dead Harry... Dead Rudy and Dead Gellar. Fabulous. Let's just MOVE ON, guys.
Mos Def was a non-character... he was just there to crowbar in more connections about religion for Dexter to barely think about... the writing has plummeted this season.. the police have gone from semi-realistic to down right cartoony and Dexter just wanders around doing whatever he likes... there's no danger for him it seems.. he can murder on impulse without consequence now it seems.
yeah...98% of us believe Gellar is fake. That percentage is way too high. Why would the writers waste a good surprise with tons and tons of clues giving it away early in the season? I think we are playing right into the writers trap...wanting us to believe Gellar is fake only to reveal later that he is actually real. THAT, I believe, will be the surprise they are going for. Just my opinion...
WTH was that. Brother Sam is dead, dang. I'm not understanding why ppl think Mos Def shouldn't get an Emmy Nod, he was great. His performance was sutble and lowkey, before you knew it you loved the guy. He was saying all the things we wished imaginery Harry would've said to his son. Now he's gone and his murder was really solved by a dog's action. I didn't think the eppy was that bad though, I think Brother Sam gave us the opportunity to see what Dexter would be like if he had a true friend. Dexter was concerned for someone outside his family circle. I really don't care one way or the other about the Doomsday Killer anymore. But Trinity's son as a possible killer is interesting. And it would be different. I still love the show and I really am enjoying Detective Mike.moreless
Yeah I don't think Gellar is in Travis' imagination. I mean the guy actually called Gellar on the phone (6x05). Moreover, Brother Sam's death was important to this season's storyline. I have faith to the writers that everything will pan out.
I agree about Gellar. one instance that makes believe he is real (can't remember the ep) is when him and Travis are at the diner having a conversation. I just feel like if you're a crazy guy having a conversation with your imaginary friend in public at the very least people would be giving you a wtf look. Also, I am very disappointed with the death of Brother Sam as he was personally my favorite secondary character.
LOL! The "accuracy" of Masuka's statement actually made me laugh maniacally at my TV screen!
Does anyone else feel that Dexter needs a girlfriend or a hook up or something! Also, I was hoping for a conversation between Sam and Dexter about Harrison's mom ... I think Dexter needs a love connection! Even a one night stand would do!
RIP Brother Sam you were the most interesting secondary character this show has ever had :(
it will get better next episode, did u saw the preview?? HAHAHA
OMG BEST SHOW EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Since 24 ^^
Can't somebody else write the Dexter reviews? Someone who Actually like the show?
i do believe that Brother Sam was killed off too soon, and i also believe Dexter is one of those shows you keep watching no matter what ridiculous things they do or say.
While you call it "Midseason Sinking Feeling" I would call this episode "Midseason Rush". It was clearly mentioned by the producers, last year, and hinted at the very beginning, that this season was going to be mainly about Dexter's inner questioning. And from that point of view, this is probably the fastest paced season of all. And it is no surprise that those who watch the show for the kills and the pursuits are disappointed. The series has never been about that anyway. The first two years were solely aimed at setting the character's dynamic well, before entering the journey.
It all began with the birth of Harrison. It intensified when he met the Trinity killer. It deepened when he found ... more Harrison in his mother's pool of blood (as himself was found by Harry). It then got hopeful with the Lumen experience. This season, it has accelerated with Harrison entering school, Brother Sam and the "Tooth Fairy Killer" where it got a speedboost. This episode was the cumulative effect.
Harrison is the key here. Is it a coincidence that the writers have decided to name him "Harry's son"? Haven't we seen him more in this half season than on any other season? Without Harrison the questioning in Dexter's mind could not occur.
This is not about faith. It is about the changes in Dexter's inner self. That is probably why the writers needed to have Brother Sam killed. And if we all have been disappointed or sadden by his death, he has achieved his purpose because Dexter was also shook. That guy was no Miguel Prado to Dexter. He is beginning to feel true emotions which he has never shown before: happiness when he found out that they were dealing with a serial killer at the "Angel of Death" scene, disappointment when Leo got killed by the cops, profound disappointment and sadness when the doctor gave the news of Sam's death, and now, this growling rage when he killed Nick...
Dexter is changing, thus his vision of Harry is changing. He has been more "reflective" than "directive" as this season progressed, even beginning to question his own judgment: "It's because he's [Sam] traveled both roads that he understand the darkness in you... and he sees the light. I wish I did. Maybe things could have been different". The comforting presence of Brother Sam in his life has lead Dexter to let Harry, his "safety valve", slowly fade away. If Harry fades away someone else may slip in... and there, is Brian, applauding.
A very intense episode for our dear Dexter. He has boldly gone where no Dexter had gone before. He never was half that disturbed when Rita died. Harry never prepared him for that. While he may now seek refuge in his brother to avoid the suffering, I believe it is temporary. Dexter has to exorcise his brother through Harrison before he can move into a lighter shade of life. The Jonah story, next week, is a perfect setup for that.
Still, I believe that his greatest turmoil has yet to come when he really comes face to face with Travis, the other traveler.
Travis is also beginning to question himself. What horrible story lays behind his dark passenger? He still has to face the wrath of Gellar next week. Will he ask Dexter for help? "Oh, trust me, I know more about darkness than most, and Gellar is pure darkness" said Dexter in the car.
As for the other stuff at Miami Metro:
Masuka thinks that they are all rock stars but they all closed the case on Brother Sam's killer with the wrong guy.
Quinn is suffering a lot more about Debra leaving him then he wanted to show. I began to feel sorry for him.
LaGuerta's voice was all shaky when she talked to Debra. I think she is a very sad woman.
The new intern is absolutely useless and a bit creepy at times. Maybe there is a surprising twist there. If the Ryan story was solely to introduce the reappearance of Brian it was totally unnecessary. In fact, the impact would have been better without that.
Great episode of a great season but the best has yet to come.
An Emmy for Mos Def while they ignore the "Sons of Anarchy" cast? Really?moreless
Honestly didn't even think about the fact that Prof Gellar was just Travis's imagination! But yes, I agree with you! They keep going back and forth, having something totally amazing, then do something stupid like kill off brother Sam. I'm not saying that I wanted to see dexter become a whole new person and just suddenly stop killing (cause that just isn't going to happen) but I really thought it was a great side plot to go with how dexter doesn't want his son to know about his dark passenger. I kind of liked the mini bromance that was forming. Dexter was hilarious when bro sam came over to see harrison, then when he went to put harrison to sleep he thinks, 'i guess me and sam are going to hang out?' so funny! I'm stilling holding out hope that dexter get's over this minor slump. Oh and YES brother sam died too soon!!!moreless
Too tired to go into the whole episode but where I really do agree with you Price is on the imaginary characters. Is everybody just standing around talking to ghosts? Starting to feel like Ghost Whisperer. And yes, Detective Mike is pretty awesome, should've used him more. I know a lot of people don't like Deb but she's one of my favorites. Maybe I just got a soft spot for her. I'll have to judge the season after the finale because up until this episode I really liked the direction it was taking, now it just feels like a final battle will take place in imagination land. Still I'll watch with an open mind, I'm a huge Dexter fan, as you can tell by my avatar I've been too lazy to change for 2 years.moreless
I'd say that nearly every Dexter season starts out terrible and then gets better. I'm glad they've evened it out some, but I'm sure it will race to the end. And an Emmy for Mos Def? For what, mumbling cliches through a few episodes as a supporting character?
I liked Mos Def, but I agree he wasn't quite Emmy worthy in my eyes either. I'd say Edward James Olmos deserves some talk for it though... he's been all kinds of creepy.
Just like with John Lithgows performance in season 4 making it hard to rewatch episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun... EJO's performance this season is making it hard for me to see him in BSG and not be creeped out.
It really is sad how bad Dexter has been in the last several seasons. The first two were perfect, up near Breaking Bad quality.
I think part of the problem is that season 2 was so damn good. It was the only season that Dexter being caught was a seemingly realistic story possibility. Dexter vs. Dokes was the high point of the show. Ever since then, any sense of danger for the main character is gone.
Go frak yourself.
Price's Dexter articles are always horrible. If it was up to him then every scene would include Dexter and every other main character would be killed off. Dexter is a great show the way it is and Season 4 is not a season that should really be debated about the quality because it was fantastic and perhaps the series' best run of 12 episodes.
Completely agree with you about Season 4 being one of the best seasons of Dexter
You couldn't be more wrong. The first 2 seasons were near perfect TV. Everything since has been terrible.
Terrible? Really? I can get people saying bad or average, but terrible is saying it had no redeemable qualities... and that just isn't true.
John Lithgow was an amazing presence in season 4... and the character of Dexter has been amazing the whole way through. I will chalk 'terrible' up to hyperbole and agree to disagree. It's had it's bumps, but the core of the show has remained wildly entertaining.
I thought it was dead on.
The article certainly raises some controversy and as an original fan from the beginning I agree and disagree with certain aspects. I think the article jumps to conclusions and speculation in turn leading to your own disappointments but I liked the episode over all and thought there was great growth and development, though there were some losses that shouldn't have happened yet.
Detective Mike is awesome, no kids at the party, Brother Sam died way too soon and between him and Detective Mike they could have been the ones making us wonder if Dexter will be finally caught, but we still have Mike for now. Masuka's statement speaks for itself being that it came from him, haha.
I have to disagree with the post, too. Sure, this episode wasn't great, but it did what it had to do:
We saw a new side to Quinn, and I actually felt sorry for him for the first time in the whole show.
Deb's as broken as always, but they showed us she's realizing she's broken and needs help.
Brother Sam tried to make Dexter fight his darkness with the light he had in him as his final death wish, but Dexter failed, making him think he may not have any light in him. That's what all his conversations with Bro. Sam were about, and he finally got his answer. And that's why he saw his dead brother. I think he's there because Dexter killed out of hatred, instead of out of need. He didn't act as the killer his father taught him to be, he's just like his brother.
Dexter's last few season's have always been 6 episodes of setup, 6 episodes of madness and fun. This season, unlike the last few, has had some very fun first six episodes in which quite a lot of stuff has happened. The problem with this season is it's sooo close to getting into "predictable" territory. If it turns out that "Travis has a double personality" is the season's big twist, this season will be the worst. If, however, the writers have another trick up their sleave (which is what I'm hoping) this season might be great.
In other seasons, Dexter's writers have always been a step ahead of us. We'll have to wait and see what happens in this season.moreless
opinions opinions...
What do you want, everything in the final episode??
I don`t understand this reviews. In one review they bitchin about The Walking Dead slow episode where nothing happens, and in the shows that it really happens greatness, u criticise...
Just go out and see the sun for once in a while...
FFS
I have to disagree with a lot of this post. I thought it was good episode. The stuff about Dexters investigation and finding the bullet is VERY harsh as it was set up in a previous episode so it wasn't just coincidence. I might not read your reviews for a couple of episodes because it's putting a downer on a series that i'm quite enjoying :(
These comments are so angry I thought I accidentally stumbled onto Fox News' website. I was ambivalent about the episode, not terrible but not a series best but it all pales in comparison to the stuff I just read below. Crazy... crazy entertaining.
Thanks Price for cleaning the place. lt was becoming such a downer.
A few of us (if not many) have disagree with you or with each other without harshly insulting anyone. (Well, except a few minor and discrete exceptions.)
And btw I had totally forgotten about last week little spoiler that you gave so when I saw the show I had the surprise. :)
I can't put into words how grateful I am that you've helped keep things level-headed. Our biggest goal here at TV.com is to encourage good discussions with our stories, like this is a virtual living room and we're arguing amongst friends. I certainly do read comments and it's a bummer to think that people would rather shut me down than explain why I'm wrong or show me a different perspective. I'm coming at this show as a longtime Dexter viewer... I obviously like it enough to keep watching, and I DO actually point out things I like. I'm glad that even when you or others disagree, that we can all agree Dexter is worth talking about.
I'm going to man up and apologize. I had an awful week and I directed a lot of crap in all the wrong places at all the wrong people. I should be better than that, much better. I know it's just the internet, but I'd feel bad if I didn't say I was sorry Price.
I do enjoy this site, and I appreciate all the work that goes into it. Again, amazingly sorry for my poor attitude and thanks for the hard work.
i was loving season 6 until i read this :s i have a tendency to agree with anything i read so now season 6 is becoming the worst season ever... omg why!!
-Gellar is imaginary.. wait what ? i never noticed but after reading this i am starting to think it might be true :s
-Rudy's intro "hey little brother, miss me ?" was the bestest omfg moment ever.
i don't understand why mos had to die, it doesn't make sense the guy took 3 bullets! 3!! why the hell didnt they just have him shot in the head and be done with it instead of teasing us with "omg hes going to hospital" yay hes saved!.
-Mike ? cool guy but he is clearly not as good a detective as he thinks he is. brother sam's "supposed" shooter who ran into the house and came out with a shotgun to face off with them cops... dude wtf? forget about the stupidly absurd reaction for no apparent reason, he didn't shoot sam so why the "i run and come back with my shotgun" reaction. and this guy was supposedly running a gang ? bro!!.
-Masuka's new lab partner.. GAY!. his conversation with (batistas sister) jaimy ?.. nuff said. now quinn had the right idea, but the execution was poorly done.
Masuka is always right even if he is wrong.moreless
Brother sam was a good guy, liked him a lot. I don't think he was referring to Dexter as serial killer but realized that he had some Darkness in him ... doubt he knew what the Darkness exactly was. But yeah, it is kind of demotivating to see him go like that ... it was a huge disappointment for me ...
Even worse is the return of of his brother ... yeah more ghosts ... zZZZzzZzz ... would nto be surprised to see good and bad ghosts ... maybe borther sam as ghost, too!
Don't like Detective Mike yet ... he seems so prejudiced about everything ... how young his new boss is, how weird the new colleagues are, etc ... yet (the rpevious episode) batista and quinn - stoned like hell - found a great clue for the case.
And yep was wondering if Dexter becmae a 1 man csi team :D I mean he was examining the corpse of the woman, etc ... which goes a bit beyond the "blood splatter guy" ...
Also I miss the cruel kills of the first episodes ... you know the pedo ... or the other guy ... getting cut to pieces alive ... now they all die rather swift and painless with a knive ... I liked that they used to have to pay for their crimes in pain, etc ...moreless
Well, I'm really at a fork myself. Price, I like what you're doing but between spoilers and constant negativity (that you seem to try to correct the next week by saying that not everything was that bad); I really come to less appreciate the viewing of the show. So I think I'll enjoy the rest of the show on my own. I'll comment the finale as well but the following is my last review until then.
As heavily discussed the previous weeks, the question of the realness of Gellar is still uncertain. The bi-dimensional clues are still coming and they are very hard on us. It not just about opening doors or eye contacts but about Travis's personality and actions and the fact that Gellar is never without him. I think the big reveal is close because we would have been supposed, as lone viewers (and not theories sharing commentators), to have our suspicions about Gellar's fictitiousness around now.
About Brother Sam's death. I'm quite upset. I would have really like him to be an important character till the end of the show. But I'm quite confident that his actions weren't for nothing and that Dexter will be very different for the last half of this season.
I'm not eager of Rudy's return. I'm not a big fan of previous characters returns but I hope it will be really pertinent (just like Landy/Lundy (can't recall the right spelling) in season 4) with the main story.
The other storylines don't bother me that much. Actually, the whole quinn/debra mess is quite interesting.
I was quite found of the spirituality dimension of the main arc. I just hope the second half of the season will still be into that trend.moreless
I very much respect your decision but I have difficulties understanding why the opinion of one person can make you "less appreciate the viewing of the show". Whatever he writes has never influenced my view of the show.
I know (and you know) that Dexter cannot be viewed as any other show just like "Twin Peaks" was not to be viewed as other shows. (don't know if you've seen that series by David Lynch).
Price and other people are concentrating on the 'movement' of everybody on the show while the show is STRICTLY about the 'movements' of Dexter, the man.
Therefore, while many consider this season slow compared to others it is the fastest paced season so far... if one watches it from Dexter's perspective.
I wish I had the time to go through the 60+ episodes since season 1 and cut and paste together just Dexter's voiceover track. That would be an amazing trip and would make people understand what the show is really about. Everything else, everyone in MM are like the dancers behind Lady Gaga: they only have meaning and greatness because of what she goes through with her music. No Gaga, no music, they would look boring, lengthy at times, and what they do incomprehensible or stupid.
Watch the show from Dexter's perspective and it is just another, and such amazing, story.
You were the first to mention that the characters are shown to us AS DEXTER SEES THEM not as they really are. That is why they look corny, useless, and bland at times. This is how Dexter sees them. Except his sister and those who have had close encounters with him. This is observable by the superior caliber of actors that were/are brought in to play those roles. Doakes, Trinity, Lunden. Why does this new detective shines so much amongst the twits of MM? Because he his an outsider, seems competent and Dexter sees him as an eventual threat.
Its all about Dexter's movements... Only about Dexter's movements.
I was sorry to loose Brother Sam this week, and I'm sorry to loose your contribution but I sincerely respect your decision.
Hope you stick with Ringer and Person of Interest.moreless
I agree with all that you said. I can't explain exactly how I feel. I enjoy every episode and when I come here I feel like I'm a bit dumb to have appreciate it. I'm not one of those saying that the reviewer has to be a huge fan of the show to review it, but I just feel like Price is trying to point every tiny error and that his critics are unfair. His comment right under mine (replying yours as well) tends toward the fact that he really likes the show so my feeling is probably wrong.
I 100% agree about the greatness of the Dexter character. It's one reason why this show frustrates me sometimes. Anytime Dexter is not actually on camera, I feel like I'm waiting patiently for him to appear again.