Dexter 5.2: “Hello Bandit”

Funny and heartfelt: not two words that always come to mind with this show, but this is the best way to describe episode two of this season of Dexter. This show is so successful because its ability to blend intense drama with dark humor, and this was beautifully executed in this episode. With such a serious and important episode for a season opener, the fans needed a little bit of humor and joviality to lighten the mood.

Dexter opens the episode with an inner monologue in which he explains how he has begun going through the seven stages of grief. Stage one: anger…that’s how he explains the un-Dexter style kill of a nameless man in a bathroom stall at the end of the last episode. He and the kids have now inserted themselves into Deb’s tiny apartment and as much as she wants to help Dex in any way she can, she’s definitely feeling the pressure.

This leads to her spending the night at Quinn’s apartment, but only in a platonic way, which she makes perfectly clear when he tries to kiss her at his door. She sleeps on the couch. Deb, who is ruled by her emotions, but oftentimes can’t control them, cannot openly admit that she and Quinn have slept together until the end of the episode. But there will definitely be more where that came from. She and Quinn shared an interesting and fun-to-watch dynamic throughout this episode. I only hope Quinn will just stop pursuing Dexter, because it never turns out well for those who do (lest we forget Sgt. Doakes), but this unfortunately won’t be the case.

In this episode we see Dexter fall back into his old routine, always hunting his next prey. But the manner in which he begins this next project is priceless. He goes to rent a moving van and sees a spot of blood in the van. Later that night he brings baby Harrison with him to investigate the blood spatter, not the best environment for a baby, especially if you want them to grow up into a healthy, fully functioning adult. I don’t know if all bets are off for Harrison yet, but Dexter’s life is certainly not the most baby-friendly. He sits in the darkened truck and marvels at how pretty the glow of dried blood is on the inside of the door. He then goes on to equate it to a fairy tale, “once upon a time there was a prince,” the blood is all that remains of him now. You couldn’t help but laugh in shock at this scene.

Dexter’s suspect for this bloody crime is a man named Boyd, an animal control guy. He definitely seems an odd ball, as made evident when Dexter is snooping through Boyd’s house when he gets home on a lunch break from work. It is not until the end of the episode that we see he is a killer. We’ll be seeing more of him next week.

Angel and Maria continue to struggle with adjusting to married life, especially after he discovers she has a large savings account that she failed to mention to him. These adjustments will be a continuing theme for these two throughout this season.

Also, a decapitated head is found in a Spanish neighborhood, seemingly set up in a ritualistic manner. Could this be a lead-in to this season’s arch-nemesis serial killer?

Now even though this episode was light at points, this is not to say that there were not some important developments in Dexter’s home life. Astor decides she can’t live with what has happened to her mother and leaves for Orlando, taking a reluctant Cody, to live with her grandparents. This might not be the best idea for her emotionally, being that baby Harrison still lives with Dexter in Miami and her whole life has been in Miami, but perhaps her grandparents will be able to provide more stability than Dexter would. I’m hoping to see these two come back soon, because while Dexter will miss them, having two less kids to worry about would make his life easier, and as we know nothing is ever easy for Dexter Morgan.