Good episode - all hell is starting to break loose. It's hard keeping things neat and tidy when you're a serial killer - Dexter's code has allowed him to do so. But the new friendship with Miguel, and his pal's interest in murder, is threatening to unravel the saran wrap and tape holding his life together. The ep begins with Dexter talking about the butterfly effect - and, in this case, he's the serial-killing butterfly. (Hey, that would be cool. Someone needs to write a script.) Miguel tells Dex about Billy Fleeter, a murderous enforcer for bookies. Miguel wants to kill the guy himself. Whaaaat? Is Dex going to tell him how to do this? Is he being set up? Can he control this guy? Should he ever let someone in? Why are we asking so many questions?
Meanwhile, Rita's very tense about the wedding and pregnancy - her hormones are crazy, and she's taking it out on everybody. Deb is officially with Anton the CI, they're kissing. And later, Batista and Barbara the cop are kissing too. But that's it, once you think it's going to go all soap opera like last week. Deb also finds big bags of weed in Anton's cereal box. That cereal is excellent! We used to eat it all the time in college.
Dex talks to Miguel about the code, keeps having visions of his dad telling him not to talk, saying because of who he is, he doesn't get to have friends. Is this true? What will all this opening up set off? Deb finds out Anton doesn't get paychecks - Quinn pays him in cash, which is a big no-no. Turns out Anton's not officially a CI, and could file a huge lawsuit against the department if he knew. It's real tense between Deb and Quinn, but they're on this skinner case together, and interview a hedgecutter named Mario who's got a temper and may have killed a guy in Nicaragua. But who hasn't? That's a great travel deal - go to Nicaragua, 5 nights hotel, kill a guy, $799.
Miguel and Dex scout Billy Fleeter's apartment, Dex puts together a starter murder kit for Miguel. They set everything up together. But when scoping out, Miguel is way too conspicuous, and even says hello to someone. Dex's dad is lecturing Dex from the grave to call it off. But does he need this as much as Miguel does?
Mario the hedgecutter tries to run away from the cops, and when they bring him in for questioning he knows nothing, and seems really terrified of a guy named George King. Is that the skinner? Deb tells Anton he's free from being a CI, and then doesn't hear from him for a couple of days. Did he skip town? Dex says the kill is off, Miguel asks him how many guys he's killed. He opens up to Dexter, says he felt great when he kicked the shit out of his abusive father. Wants to talk to Dexter about "the darkness." He says "I just want to let some of mine out too. I know you understand that." When he says that, Dexter just melts. They get Billy Fleeter, and Miguel does the dirty deed, Dexter-style. Dex asks how he feels, and Miguel says "fantastic." Then he wants to take Fltter's ring, but that's against the code. Dexter stays to clean up the mess, literally and metaphorically. Did he just start something he can't control?
Deb looks for Anton - and sees there are trimmed trees right by his apartment. Oh shit, the skinner's been in for a visit. Dexter shows Rita a beautiful wedding ring, and she apologizes for her behavior, saying "it's like there's a monster inside of me." Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Then, as the episode draws to a close, we see Miguel and his darkness paying a visit to his arch nemesis and constant pain in his ass, Ellen Wolf. Uh-oh.
-- Jake Kalish is the author of Santa vs. Satan: The Official Compendium of Imaginary Fights