DEXTER Season 5 Discussion & Spoilers

[Guy Gardener]

There WAS only one reason to keep Angel around.

Waiting for the off chance that Rita might say his name in passing.

When I guess the chances of that ever happening again are toast.

I hadn't yet realized how pisspoor this season was.

Peter Weller doesn't act.

I'm almost positive that that is how he talks as a real person to other real people.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Manny Coto took over? That's depressing news. If he's doing to Dexter what he did to Enterprise, cancel Dexter now. (Yes I know that Coto's lack of success is somehow still invisible to the majority of the bbs.)

The difference is that on Enterprise Coto was the showrunner and on Dexter he's just a writer/producer. Chip Johannessen is the showrunner.

 

[LitmusDragon]

I liked some of Coto's work on Enterprise. Most of the damage was already done before he got there.

 

[Harvey]

Manny Coto took over? That's depressing news. If he's doing to Dexter what he did to Enterprise, cancel Dexter now. (Yes I know that Coto's lack of success is somehow still invisible to the majority of the bbs.)

Manny Coto isn't the showrunner. That would be Chip Johannessen, who also had a short run as the showrunner of MOONLIGHT before it was cancelled. Both are refugees from the cancelled 24 (where Howard Gordon was the showrunner).

EDIT: I should have flipped to the next page. Jack Bauer beat me to it.

 

[LitmusDragon]

I'm beginning to worry about the writing on this show. Several scenes in this last episode came off as being clumsily handled: a) Masuka immediately buying into the scene that Dexter had laid out b) Quinn's drinking and dancing in the club while undercover (is this believable?) c) Rapey guy picking up the phone and calling his rapey friends as soon as Dexter and Lumen left the room. I did enjoy the final scene with Dexter and Lumen at the scene of Rita's death however.

 

[Dream]

I'm beginning to worry about the writing on this show.

Yeah, I'm not liking this season as much as season 4. They really should have kept Trinity for another season I think. This season is missing an awesome actor like John Lithgow.

 

[Starbreaker]

I'm not loving this season yet. I'm not sure killing Rita was a great idea now.

 

[Dream]

I'm not loving this season yet. I'm not sure killing Rita was a great idea now.

I've never big a fan of Rita even though I love the actress that plays her. Rita does nothing but nag and keep Dexter down. I thought this season would be my favorite since she was gone. I guess not.

 

[Tulin]

WTF has happened to Agent Orange?!?

Guy looks like he has lost about fifteen kilos in between seasons!!!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I'm not loving this season yet. I'm not sure killing Rita was a great idea now.

I wanted it to be a way to catapult the show into new territory, with Dexter increasingly finding it hard to maintain control.

 

[Harvey]

It really seems like the writers have completely forgotten about the guy Dexter killed in the bathroom in the first episode of this season. It's a really annoying dangling plot thread, and I'll probably bring it up until the finale.

Still, this most recent episode (in the Dexter scenes) was wrought with tension, something I haven't felt in any other episode this year. Yes, Masuka's explanation for the murder was ridiculous and unbelievable...but it was also hilarious. Does that justify giving Dexter such an easy out? Probably not, but it works in the moment.

I'm less pleased that the guy Lumen abducted revealed himself so easily as being one of the rapists (he doesn't call the police, he calls one of his rapist friends, and he doesn't call for help, but he calls to warn his rapist friend that he's been discovered--all on Lumen's phone while she is barely in the next room!). Talk about a plot device.

It seems like Julia Stiles' out this season is the fact that her character is completely unstable, which isn't terribly interesting.

I also stand by my prediction that the finale will end with Debra finding out Dexter's secret, and having to kill Quinn over it. It sure seems like they're headed towards a triangle that won't have a happy ending. Where Peter Weller fits into this I have no idea. His acting is still far too over-the-top for this show.

And, God, I hope that was the end of the Angel/LaGuerta relationship nonsense.

 

[Geck]

I agree with most of what Harvey just said. There were a few too many conveniences this episode, and some writing choices I wouldn't have made, but the episode was still put together well and certainly the most intense of the season.

I really hoped the dentist guy wouldn't turn out to be one of the rapists, and would lead to Lumen going on an increasingly insane and random killing spree, thinking every man who looks at her was one of her attackers, while Dexter has to try to keep her in control and clean up after her. Meanwhile, crime scenes and homicide calls keep stacking up, keeping the cops on their trail until eventually they can't get away in time, Deb finds Dexter helping Lumen, shit hits the fan. No more last second, nick-of-time lucky escapes please - they're too contrived.

Still a good ep overall, and I'm still enjoying this season more than season 3. And I still think the Batista/LaGuerta stuff is at least being handled a lot better/more interestingly than last year. It doesn't feel quite as much like a waste of 7-8 minutes each episode.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

It'd be a good twist for Lumen to identify Quinn as one of the guys who assaulted her.

 

[Starbreaker]

As in Quinn actually being a human trafficker?

 

[Harvey]

It'd be a good twist for Lumen to identify Quinn as one of the guys who assaulted her.

By good twist, you mean awfully easy out for the writers to keep the series going?

I suppose there's potential there, but I'd rather the series head somewhere else.

 

[Jax]

I see Lumen maybe trying to take out Quinn to protect Dexter and Dexter to stop her but in the process his secret could come out.

 

[Aragorn]

Or what if Quinn finds out Dexter's secret and doesn't have an issue with it?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

It'd be an easy out for Dexter, to a degree, but it would make sense, given what we know about Quinn so far. At the very least, it would make a red herring.

We already know he's crooked from last season. He's always been a little skeevy, which has been emphasized in this week's ep.

Before Lumen's rapist was caught on the phone, Dexter was trying to cast doubt by pointing out that the guy was a dentist and family man--a good guy--only to find out Lumen's accusation was true. Meanwhile, Batista is telling Deb that Quinn's a "good guy."

It's possible, and it wouldn't be from left field. In fact, you can pretty much bet that someone we know is involved, whether it's Quinn, Weller, etc. Heck, that's probably who the rapist called to warn.

 

[Jack Bauer]

It really seems like the writers have completely forgotten about the guy Dexter killed in the bathroom in the first episode of this season. It's a really annoying dangling plot thread, and I'll probably bring it up until the finale.

Still, this most recent episode (in the Dexter scenes) was wrought with tension, something I haven't felt in any other episode this year. Yes, Masuka's explanation for the murder was ridiculous and unbelievable...but it was also hilarious. Does that justify giving Dexter such an easy out? Probably not, but it works in the moment.

Yeah, at least it was funny as hell. It made little sense but the hilarity of it kind of saved it from it's own stupidity.

And, God, I hope that was the end of the Angel/LaGuerta relationship nonsense.

I hope so as it's painful to watch...I think I'd rather have a root canal...or hear nails on a chalkboard...

 

[davejames]

Loved this latest episode. Easily the best and most suspenseful so far, and I thought Dexter's last-second solution at the end was absolutely inspired. For me the only thing that strains credibility is the fact Dexter hung around the warehouse as long as he did. With the cops already outside, he should have been gone immediately (and then he could simply alter the evidence after the fact or something).

I do agree the season as a whole has been pretty lackluster though. Kinda reminds me of the third season, which also meandered around too much early on.

And as much as I like Julia Stiles, her character just isn't that interesting at all.