Things are starting to get pretty tense. Can Dexter trust Miguel? Who's "The Skinner"? Why are we thirsting for blood and what does that say about us?
The episode starts with Dex and Miguel Prado bonding while fishing, Miguel asking what it's like "to take a guy out." Dex opens up, and says it felt right. Miguel tells him that together they can make a difference, because they're likeminded. Well, either they are - meaning Miguel's a homocidal sociopath, which is trouble for everyone - or they're not, which is trouble for Dexter, because now he's in too deep. When you're a serial killer, friendships aren't all ooey gooey chocolate cakes.
Meanwhile, Dexter keeps having visions of Harry, saying no one can understand him, and he shouldn't bring anyone close. Isn't Michael C.Hall tired of dead daddy visions from that last series? While Hall's thinking about that, this year's other serial killer - "The Skinner" - takes another victim. It's Wendell Owens, the 15 year old who helped Deb with her investigation. So Deb thinks"The Skinner" is tracking her investigation - is it Ramon Prado? And the wheels start turning in viewers' heads across the country - Quinn, who's under internal investigation? Or is it the CI, Anton? He seems sweet, but is a weed dealer, and everyone knows marijuana is a gateway to serial killing.
With the new info from the Chickie Hines case, Miguel Prado's nemesis defense attorney Ellen Wolf is starting to make moves to have Prado disbarred - and when LaGuerta asks why, Wolf says she doesn't know Miguel Prado that well. Meanwhile, Dexter suggests another killing, hoping Miguel will back off - Clemson Gault, a white supremacist who hammers people to death. Little problem: Gault's in a max security prison. Doesn't deter Prado, who comes up with a plan.
In sideplot land, Batista asks out that undercover cop he thought was a hooker, and she eventually says yes. Rita gets asked to start working in real estate by Miguel's wife Sil, as her assistant. Deb keeps getting confronted by that Internal Affairs agent Yuki about Quinn, and then tells Quinn IA is looking into him. And Dex's friend Camilla, who he knew growing up, and who got him those secret files in season 1, is dying of lung cancer and really just wants some good key lime pie, which has something meaningful to do with mortality and relationships. But mostly key lime pie is very delicious, so here's a recipe.
Back to killing. Miguel subpoenaed this Clemson Gault (and "subpoenaed" is the reason spell check was invented) so he and Dex will have a chance to get at him outside the clink. Prado slips him a key, Dex pretends to be his getaway car, but then sticks him with his needle. Prado grabs Dex, and hides him and a prone Gault from the cops on a manhunt. This Miguel is loco!
Deb, meanwhile, is tracking Ramon Prado. She sees Ramon ask a dude "Where's Freebo?", then kneecap him, stuff him in the trunk of his car, and then take him in for "questioning" , Abu Ghraib style. But then he lets the dude go. So he's not the skinner. But they do bring him in for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and torture. Which is a giant headache for La Guerta and the department - and is certain not to sit too well with Miguel Prado.
The ep ends with Dex doing up Clemson Gault like only he can, in the house of Gault's victim, and Miguel walking into that house (but not the killing room) mid murder. Did he track Dexter? How close does this guy really want to be? In a voice over, Dexter calls Miguel "my one true friend." Is our lonely killer finally free?
-- Jake Kalish is the author of Santa vs. Satan: The Official Compendium of Imaginary Fights