Dexter ‘Scar Tissue’ recap: You’ll Always Choose Dexter

The show may be called Dexter, but this season belongs to the ladies in the namesake’s life. Debra Morgan and Dr. Evelyn Vogel are calling the shots and Dexter’s just along for the ride…even if it ends at the bottom of a lake.

Deb kicks the booze to the curb this episode and comes to terms with her decision to kill LaGuerta and begins to understand the conception of Dexter’s Dark Passenger. Two trips to the trailer makes Deb realize that shooting the “right” person in that trailer would not have made her feel better, and there was no victory in any option she had in the LaGuerta/Big Bro face-off.  As Deb is watching the videotapes of Harry, Vogel is taking Deb down a path of reconciliation and filling in the gaps along the way. You can almost see Deb’s mind working as the puzzle pieces fit together. Like the monsters a la Gaga, Dexter was born this way. From anger to acceptance, she finally looks defeated and asks Vogel what she can to make things right.

As Deb’s mind is furiously reviewing the family history she knew nothing about, Vogel remains calm and in control for the majority of the episode. She’s guiding Deb’s acceptance of Dexter and herself, and it’s not immediately known whether her intentions are altruistic or ulterior. We begin the episode with Vogel and Deb already acquainted. I would have loved to see/hear Deb’s WTF outburst when she woke up in Vogel’s home after being drugged. While the majority of the action between these two was verbal, perhaps the most interesting storyline is what is not being said. Vogel is playing both sides, Deb and Dexter individually, and seems hell bent on keeping them apart. She seems tougher on Deb who is the only one out of the threesome recognizing that serial murder is not cool. Vogel’s maternal treatment of Dexter continues, but not without reminding him that he is the primary cause of his sister’s demise, with almost no chance of reuniting without causing her more pain.  Additionally, she makes no mention of the brain surgery that Yates, suspected Melon Ball Killer (AKA Brain Surgeon) had on account of her own recommendation. For someone who talks a lot, Vogel doesn’t admit to the motivation for her involvement in the life of the Morgan’s and only provides speculation of her other patients prognosis, but no resolution. By episode end, it looks like both Morgan’s preferred their Vogel-less life and don’t much appreciate her creation of the Code or interactions with their father.

In other news, the Miami Metro crew is making progress in all ways, except solving murders. Quinn passed his sergeant exams and seems to be back in the good graces of the Batista’s. Masuka successfully hits on his unknown daughter who shares the same creepy laugh. There is a murder of a young woman that the gang all shows up for, but there’s not a whole lot of investigating going on.

In Melon Ball Killer news, Dexter has eliminated three more suspects, but begins to close in on AJ Yates, a former Vogel patient with a violent childhood background. During Dexter’s home visit he finds women’s shoes, and we see a stalking Yates in the midst. Dexter’s obviously distracted by the sister-less, monster seeds that Vogel is planting, because his spidey-sense is off while Yates is lurking around the corner. Yates has a high creep factor and he did have a brain surgery recommended by Vogel that she neither remembered nor followed up on, but there are a few unspoken points that don’t exactly add up. He appears shaken at the mention of Vogel’s name and surprised that she has an anti-hero doing her due diligence. Also, he left Janet Thorton, the curly haired girl in a cage, alive and did not remove a part of her brain, so he may not have the melons to be the primary villain. There isn’t a ton revealed about him, except that he has excellent surveillance equipment, very quick shoe packing skills, and keeps women in cages, but does that a Melon Ball Killer make?

One thing is clear: Vogel is not good at mitigating serial killers. Thus far, it does not seem that any of her former ‘patients’ have been removed from society and instead are still performing heinous acts while they hold down steady jobs of cable bundler, mall fitness expert, forensic analyst, etc.  Also she is not much of a sly guy, as it is revealed that Vogel’s been keeping notes on her interactions with Dexter. In them, she seems to mock Dexter’s impression that he has feelings, specifically for Deb. Dexter turns on Vogel and for the first time this season, the calm psycho whisperer looks unnerved in his presence. It’s a sad thought that the maternal substitute Dexter thought he found in episode one doesn’t recognize the humane qualities that Dexter is capable of and by episode four’s end, he’s finished with buying into her analysis. Dexter confirms that, while they are few and far between, there are people in his life worth fighting for unselfishly. The experiment is over and Dexter has rejected Vogel’s hypothesis.

Yates and Vogel were exposed and Dexter came into his own, but this episode belonged to Deb. Historically, Debra Morgan is the hard-nosed cop who views right and wrong as black and white. When faced with this enormity of gray, how can we expect her to react? The law and righteousness dictates that killing is bad and not killing is good. But looking through Deb’s eyes, as I think we as viewers are supposed to, the gray is overwhelming. Up until 6 months ago the only fulfilling relationship she seemed to have was with her brother, who’s Dark Passenger was born in a trailer of death. He kills other killers in the name of a Code that was instilled upon him to thwart his killer instinct, but is also sprinkled with a sense of moral responsibility when the law fails. There is a reputable psychiatrist telling her that Dexter is perfect, and she, in fact, is flawed. Deb wants so desperately to restore the order of black and white that she takes on Harry’s burden. Fresh-faced and humble, she takes a drive with an unassuming Dexter. Perhaps others saw this coming, but I audibly gasped when she grabbed the wheel and caused the car to crash into the lake. After an on looking fisherman saves her from the car, she retracts her decision and jumps back in the lake to save her brother. Did she expect to die in that car as well and the thought of surviving without Dexter was too much? Or perhaps Vogel was right and when faced with any decision, right or wrong, Deb will always choose Dexter.

Other Thoughts:

• Dexter ‘made an impression’ on his neighbor. Excuse me – he has no time for a love interest right now! But, is this the perfect bait for a Hanna McCay reappearance? Survey says yes!
• Oh Joey Quinn, welcome to the world of every woman ever – caught between the one you should be with and the one you want to be with. *Sigh*
• AGAIN, there is no mention of Harrison by Vogel. Does she accept that the ‘monster’ in Dexter can have an emotional attachment to his child or is he simply seen as a responsibility or façade that Dexter accepts to fit into society?
• Speaking of sons, Yates hears Dexter mention him while speaking with Vogel. Does this make Harrison a target to potentially get to Dexter?
• Vogel is making comparisons between Harry and the way Deb saved Dex. Will Deb meet a similar fate?