(MAYBE I’m 2 months late on this article…but with On Demand ruling the world these days, wanted to let a few more people finish the season. DISCLAIMER: If you watch Dexter and don’t want to know about Season 4 just yet, do not read this. And if you don’t watch Dexter, you are an idiot – read this to punish yourself.)- Holy CRAP! I knew after a relatively week ending to Season 3 (all loose ends tied off for the most part – no real cliff hanger) that Season 4 was going to end with something crazy. What I love about Dexter is they do a good job of disguising twists and turns in the plot. I’m one of those annoying people who predict what is going to happen, often ruining the surprise for myself. My first instincts when Dexter found Rita’s phone in the house was that Rita had witnessed something that was going to blow Dexter’s secret life wide open. Couldn’t have been more wrong.
- I’ve raved about Lithgow’s performance as the Trinity killer in this blog, but I’ll do it again. Unbelievable performance that honestly sent chills down my spine. I’ve re-watched that last scene with Dexter, and as Lithgow and Michael C. Hall mention right after the end of the season in their interview, the scene is really wild to watch the second time around.
- Rita was on a long list of people who died in Season 4 because Dexter got sloppy and left Trinity alive. I’m curious, after Dexter’s newfound love for his family and a desire to ditch his dark passenger, how can he rationalize all these deaths? He glossed over it in his pursuit of Trinity, but it certainly sets an interesting plot line for Season 5. He has no one to avenge for Rita’s death. The startling revelation that Dexter wants to get rid of his dark passenger (spurred on by his new emotional feelings for his family and others) will also be a key start to Season 5. Never before has Dexter approached this type of radical change, and it remains to be seen whether it can be done.
With the recent events of Rita, Trinity, Deb, and the disintegration of his family, where does Dexter go from here? I’ve had people argue that this will likely not be the end of this plot line, essentially making Season 5 more like a Season 4B. 1) Dexter left too many loose ends and evidence all over the place that can be traced back to him (Trinity’s family, fingerprints in their house) and 2) Rita’s death creates a whole new very personal investigation for the Miami Homicide Department that will have them ratchet up their investigation on Trinity.
I’ve had a very different thought about Season 5 and everyone knows I’m willing to make bold predictions for the sake of blog traffic! The show has a very solid reoccurring premise/theme (although shakable to create tension at times): Dexter is smarter than everyone and can get out of anything allowing him to kill time after time without getting caught. Kind of the same thought in 24 where we know Jack Bauer can’t possible die (although he was dead for a little in one season…don’t know how to rationalize that). I really don’t think this is the time to shatter this premise – not yet. I actually see season 5 taking place 4-5 years down the road. I think the ending with Dexter’s son in the blood is key. The show is really focused on the relationship between Dexter and his dad, and what better way to bring it full circle than accelerate the age of his son to the point where he becomes a focal point of the show. Maybe he shows early Dexter-like tendencies that lead Dexter struggling with how to advise his son in the same way his father struggled.
The only flaw with this is taking an infant child to say age 6 and then down the road age 15 or 16 might be tough to ‘age’ the other characters, but certainly could be done.
The other plot lines I see jumping back into the fray are A) the evolution of Dexter’s dark passenger we’ve touched on earlier B) any fallout with Deb discovering Dexter’s mother and brother and C) one thing glossed over was Cody getting into a fight with a kid who saw Dexter leave the campsite inexplicably in the middle of the night. My final prediction: Someone else will learn Dexter’s secret life next season and unlike Miguel Prado in Season 3, I think it will be of an accidental nature. My guess would be Deb considering how excellent a detective she is and with her approaching deeper aspects of Dexter’s past.
-Steve Lugerner
3 comments:
Great read...Lets get a Jersey Shore post!!
-Solo
The best aspect of Season 4 was Deb's evolution as a character. Lugie, you only briefly mentioned her plot lines in your article: Throughout the season, her instincts were right there with Dexter's. She broke the Trinity case just as Dexter was breaking it. But, more importantly don't forget how much she discovered about Dexter this season! She knows his brother is the ice-truck killer. She saw him at the Trinity crime scene before everyone else in the garage! She is learning a lot more about her dad. Season 5 will be the season that Deb finally learns everything about Dexter and becomes his...wait for it...partner in crime.
Also, shout-out to my boy Jonah. His character was excellent. It's rare that you get an accurate depiction of a teenager on TV, but I think we got that with Jonah.
Good addition Jeff. I only briefly touched on Deb, but yes - she is coming up strong right behind Dexter and I agree with that prediction that Deb will be the one who finally discover what Dexter has been doing.
It remains to be seen though how she responds. She has become very critical of her father's affairs, and I'm curious if she does a 180 for the sake of family if she discovers Dexter's dark passenger, and her father's involvement with it.
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