Dexter Pilot Recapped

Dexter.

Season one. Episode one.

I love this show so much! I’m glad I got to go back and watch the pilot, which was just so completely awesome.

RECAP:

We begin with a shot of a full moon reflected in a puddle on the ground. Then it moves up to the view through the side-view mirror of a car. Silhouette of the super-hot Michael C. Hall as Dexter, driving his car. He voiceovers:

Tonight’s the night.
And it’s going to happen again and again.
It has to happen.

He looks out his window at the Miami nightlife.

Nice night.
Miami is a great town.

Shot of Dexter’s eyes through the rear-view mirror taking it all in.

I love the Cuban food. Pork sandwiches. My favorite.

Shots of Cubans playing music and dancing.
More shots of the colorful Miami citizens.

He continues:

But I’m hungry for something different now.

We enter at the end of some kind of gala event where a boy’s choir is performing. The camera further pans out to show the leader of the boy’s choir. A middle-aged man with a sanctimonious smile. Rut roh. I can already tell smug asshole+little kids=creepy stuff to follow.

Dexter VO: There he is. Mike Donovan. (He spits out the word Donovan like it’s a bad taste in his mouth). He’s the one.

Mike Donovan smiles his fake smile and shakes hands.

Later that evening, ol’ Mikey gets into his Volvo, which is parked on a very deserted street. He starts his car…

And immediately gets some piano wire around his throat.

There’s Dexter in the backseat. You wouldn’t know what he was doing from the expression on his face, which is impassive. He pulls the wire even tighter.

Dexter: You’re mine now, so do exactly as I say.

Donovan: What do you want?

Dexter: I want you to be quiet.. And drive.

Close-up of piano wire going into windpipe just to show how serious Dexter is.

They drive. Dexter keeping a good hold on that piano wire. Still really supernaturally calm.

Dexter: “Turn here.”

They come upon a secluded wooded area. Dark and really creepy. Dexter removes the piano wire, gets out, comes around, yanks the guy out by the throat and throws him to the ground.

Dexter circles Donovan.

Dexter: “You have to listen.”

Donovan is listening. He’s also looking up at Dexter pleadingly. It won’t do any good Donovan. Save your energy. You’re gonna need it.

Dexter: “Do what I say.”

He gets the piano wire wrapped around Donovan’s throat again and drags him along the ground.

They’re now in some abandoned shack or building. Donovan is against the wall, gasping for air.

Dexter: Look

Donovan: No

Dexter: Uh…yes

You have to watch this show to appreciate how awesomely Michael C. Hall says those one and two word sentences.

Donovan is still resisting.

Dexter: “It’s horrible. Isn’t it? Isn’t it!?

Donovan: Wait

Oh Donovan you stupid, stupid man. Didn’t he tell you to do what he said? Now you’ve done it. Dexter loses his shit. He lunges at Donovan and wraps his fingers around his throat.

Dexter: OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!

Donovan: Crying like a baby and gasping.

Dexter: Look, or I'll cut your eyelids right off your face."

Donovan has no choice now as Dexter swings his face around to look at the bodies of three young boys who have obviously been dug up.

Dexter: It took me a long time to get these little boys clean. One of them had been in the ground so long he was falling apart. I pulled him out in bits and pieces.

Well, it seems Donovan has found religion suddenly as he begins to pray “Hail Mary, full of grace…”

To which Dexter replies by slapping him in the face and saying:

Stop. That never helped anybody.

Donovan now commences with the pleading, telling Dexter he can have anything. What Dexter wants is his head on a platter, so this isn’t really helping him either.
Dexter: "That's good, beg. Did these little boys beg?"
Donovan: "I couldn't help myself! Please, you have to understand!"
Dexter: "Trust me, I definitely understand. See,I can't help myself either. But, children...I could never do that, not like you. Never. Ever. Kids.
Donovan: "Why?"
Dexter: "I have standards."
Then he hits Donovan with a syringe to the neck and he slides to the floor.

There ya go. The premise of Dexter. The premise of the show and the premise of the man. Beautifully done.
For those of you who were a bit squeamish over what’s already been written, you might want to sit out this next part. It’s about to get a whole lot worse.

Note: if you wake up after a man has put a syringe in your throat and you’re naked and saran-wrapped to a table with cotton in your mouth, and you look up at your captor and he’s wearing something like a rubber suit and what looks like a kind of welder’s mask, and you’ve molested and murdered young boys, you might want to start making those reservations in hell.

Dexter makes a small cut on the guy’s cheek (Donovan cries out over this – man is he gonna hate what’s coming in just a few moments – he should really cherish this time). Then Dexter sucks up the blood into a syringe, and puts it on a glass slide.

Dexter: "Soon, you'll be packed into a few neatly wrapped Hefties, and my own small corner of the world will be a neater, happier place. A better place."

Dexter goes to a table and gets a small chainsaw, walks back over to Donovan and pulls down the clear welder’s-type mask. From the back you can see Dexter makes with the back and forth motions and Donovan screams as much as he can with the cotton shoved in his mouth. You can’t see anything gory, but your imagination tells you plenty.

Then…BOOM. It’s daylight. Dexter is on his boat and some lovely jazz music is playing.

Dexter VO: My name is Dexter Morgan. I don't know what made me the way I am, but whatever it was left a hollow place inside. People fake a lot of human interactions, but I feel like I fake them all, and I fake them very well.

Then he puts on a big fake smile, honks his horn at a passing boat and says “AHOY THERE! And says some more stuff that people who actually go boating say to each other. I don’t know. I avoid boats since I get sick in the back seat of a car.

Dexter chomps on some sort of breakfast bar as he explains further:

Dexter VO: And that’s my burden, I guess. I don’t blame my foster parents for that. Harry and Doris Morgan did a wonderful job raising me. But they’re both dead now. “I didn’t kill them. Honest.” Heh.

Flashback: OK, the other thing I love about this show, besides MCH is that JAMES REMAR plays his dad in flashbacks. I totally adore James Remar. That is one sexy older man. I thought he and Samantha were the perfect match on Sex and the City and was pissed when they made him an asshole. I digress. Back to the flashback:

Harry is sitting with young Dexter (I’d say he’s about 12 here). Harry is telling Dex he’s. different. Dexter asks him to define “different”. Weeeeellll…

Harry: The Phillips’ say Buddy disappeared..

Oh, THAT kind of different.

Apparently Harry found the grave.

Little Dex goes on to explain that the dog was a “noisy little creep” that kept barking while his poor mom, who was sick, was trying to sleep. Harry points out there were more bones in that grave than just Buddy’s. Dex just hangs his head as we go back to present-day Dexter in his boat “Slice of Life” speeding away after what must have been his dump of Hefty bags full of Donovan.

Dexter goes back to his VERY neat and organized apartment and heads straight for the air-conditioning unit. He removes the cover and filter and pulls out a small wooden box. He opens the box and pulls out the slide we saw him make earlier. He stares at it with fascination.

Dexter VO: "Blood. Sometimes it sets my teeth on edge. Other times it helps me control the chaos."

He goes to put the slide in the box and there is a crapload of other slides in there, so you can tell he’s been at this a while. He places the slide into the box, and closes it with a satisfied grin on his face.

Over at his desk, he pulls out a file folder.

Dexter VO: The code of Harry, my foster father, is satisfied. And so am I. Harry was a great cop here in Miami. He taught me how to think like one. Taught me how to cover my tracks...I'm a very neat monster.

He looks over at his machine and sees a message flashing. A woman’s voice asking if he’s there. She’s pleading with him, saying she’s at a shithole near the Seven Seas Motel and she needs him there. “Pretty fucking please with cheese on top.” Dexter looks like he genuinely smiles at this as he glances at a picture of someone I’m sure is the woman on the machine. Dexter clarifies:

Dexter VO: That’s my foul-mouthed foster sister Deborah. She has a big heart but won’t let anyone see it. She’s the only person in the world who loves me. I think that’s nice.

Hold on. MCH is walking around without a shirt. A moment of silence, please.

OK, to continue:

Dexter VO: I don’t have feelings about anything, but if I could have them at all, I’d have them for Deb.

Now, see, here’s the thing. Many of us on the boards swear that Dexter really does have feelings, but has to convince himself he’s really empty inside because it might be difficult to saran wrap child murderers to a table and rip them open with a chainsaw if he had actual feelings, and since he feels this is his mission…well…

ANYway, Dexter arrives at the crime scene.

Dexter VO: there's something strange and disarming about looking at a homicide crime scene in the daylight of Miami. It makes the most grotesque killings look staged, like you're in a new and daring section of Disney World. Dahmer Land.

As Dexter goes under the yellow tape, some jerk cop tells him he’d better be a cop. Dex flashes his badge without even looking at the guy.

Dexter: No, forensics.

And just keeps walking.

Deb is waiting for him. She’s got on high-heeled sandals, tiny cut-off shorts, and a halter top. Deb is really tall and as the camera pans up, you can see she’s all legs. She’s obviously undercover as a hookah.

Dexter: Geez, Deb, where the hell do you keep your gun? He joins her in a motel room.

OK, you know how I was saying how it was hysterical that he and the actress who plays Deb were dating because of how tall she is? MAN, I had forgotten how huge the disparity was. I think when she’s wearing heels he comes up to her boobs.

So, “another” hooker has been found chopped into bits and pieces in the pool. Third one in five months. Dexter is all “that means…” Yes, Dexter. It’s a serial killer. As Dexter tries to hide his interest under a look of shock, he peers out the window, Deb goes on to say the two other women in Broward were hacked up the same way. Dexter asks casually if there are any suspects.

Deb: Wish I knew. I'm on vice, so Laguerta sent me to my room and told me to stay out of sight.

Dexter, still looking out the window, sees Laguerta, an attractive Hispanic woman in her forties dressed in a business suit, hair in a bun.

Deb wants to know how someone so dumb has so much power. Dexter thinks it’s because she knows how to play the game, and maybe Deb should learn how to play it.

Deb isn’t interested in “ass kissing”. Dexter prefers to call it “politics”. Deb wants to catch the creep before he kills another one of her girls. Dexter tells her not to get so emotionally invested, but I have a feeling Deb is emotionally invested in her toothbrush.

Deb says that’s what Dexter always says and he counters with “so did dad”. Deb reminds him that dad also said to go for what you want and she wants out of vice and into homicide. He asks what he can do to help. She says he gets these “hunches” when it comes to these kinds of murders. Dexter pshaws “only sometimes.” Yeah. Uh huh. She asks if she can bounce some ideas off of him because she “gets smarter” when she talks to him. Dexter tells her she needs more confidence. She looks away. He agrees to take a look. In the meantime, he tells her to skip over Laguerta and go straight to the Big Kahuna, Captain Matthews. The Captain and their dad were tight, so he might put her on the case. I guess Deb got that extra boost of confidence from her big brother because she tells him she feels smarter already.

Dexter: And keep the sex suit on when you talk to the captain. It’ll help your cause.

Deb goes to fake hit him as he walks out the door. These two are really great together.

Dexter puts on gloves and walks into the drained swimming pool. An Asian man approaches him excitedly. He’s literally bouncing up and down in front of Dexter who looks at him bemusedly. His name is Masuka and Dexter compliments him on his haircut (it’s a buzz cut).

Masuka goes straight to the ‘ewwww” list when he tells Dexter he saw his sister and says she’s lookin’ hot. Dexter tries to take the ewww factor down a notch by saying “yeah she should. It’s hot as hell out here.”

Masuka: Errrrrrrr???

Then he shakes it off and asks Dexter what he’s doing there. Dexter’s all “uh, crime scene?” Masuka reminds Dexter that he does blood spatter and “there’s no blood here”. I think Dexter’s toes just curled. He asks for clarification. Masuka says there’s no blood on, in or near the body. Then he calls over “Angel”, a detective, to show Dexter the body.

Dexter VO: No blood. No sticky, hot, messy, awful blood. No blood at all. Why hadn’t I thought of that? No blood. What a beautiful idea!...

as Masuka and Angel take the cover off the body lying on some sort of table and Dexter gets an awed look on his face. They’ve obviously assembled the pieces where they should go. It looks like a very life-like mannequin, all chopped up. Some parts are wrapped with brown paper and string.

Dexter wants to know how the killer gets rid of all the blood. Angel says he doesn’t know, then proceeds to say how hot the dead body once was and what a great ass she had. Please Angel, stop. He tells Dexter where the head is, should he want to see it, but Dexter’s too busy staring at the body like I look at Jared Padalecki. Dexter calls it unique. Masuka agrees and says there also weren’t any prints.

Dexter VO: I’ve never seen such clean dry neat-looking dead flesh. Wonderful.

Angel thinks the killer didn’t finish the job. Dexter thinks the guy was pretty thorough, but Angel points out that one leg was cut into four pieces and the other only in three. He even started to make a fourth cut. Masuka says they’re trying to find a witness. Then he does this really creepy-weird laugh. Ugh.

Dexter VO: No blood. I can’t think. I have to get out of here.

Dexter tries not to run out of the pool as he pulls off his gloves and walks away. Angel wants to know where he’s going, but as Masuka already pointed out, no blood, no need for Dexter.

Dexter walks away and looks like his mind is blown. Everyone is in slow motion. He passes Laguerta, who winks at him WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TV INTERVIEW. He nods her way and smiles.

Dexter VO: I wish she’d stop that. It’s one of those mating rituals which I really don’t understand. But that bloodless body. This guy may have exceeded my own abilities.

Dexter instantly becomes my hero as he walks into the police station with a huge box of Krispy Kremes. Eh, so he’s a serial killer, but he brings Krispy Kremes to his co-workers. It all evens out. He fakey-fakies being interested in the goings-on of his co-worker’s families while dispensing donuts. MCH is so awesome.

He watches them in slow-mo from a distance talking to each other and chowing down on donuts.

Dexter VO: "Salt of the earth, these people. And they work hard. But with the solve rate for murders at about twenty percent, Miami is a great place. A great place for me to hone my craft.”

Deb comes walking up looking quite different with almost no make-up, hair pulled back wearing her police uniform. Dexter says he likes her other outfit better as she grabs a donut and calls him a sick bastard. She’s got good news! The Captain put her on the case. Laguerta isn’t too happy about this, but Deb thinks she just needs to get laid. I’m guessing she already has a certain hot serial killer in mind…

Dexter congratulates her and she asks if he has any ideas. He doesn’t. She asks him to do a mental autopsy and get back to her.

He heads for the file room and offers the file lady a donut. He’s obviously charmed this woman before. He asks what’s new and she hands him a file (which you kinda get she’s not supposed to), saying “one of these days you’re gonna tell me”. He says that blood spatter is his life and it takes up his nights. She says he has a “morbid sense of fun” (ya think?) and tells him to find a pretty girl. Dexter, the charmer says “I found you”. She giggles like a schoolgirl and tells him he’s charming like his father, then says not to get her fired. Dexter asks who he’d bring donuts to and she smiles at him, but when he turns away, she gets a very knowing look on her face. Hmmmm…

Dexter gives the last donut to Angel and looks inside the empty box.

Dexter VO: Just like me. Empty inside.

Dexter is sitting and spinning around in his chair in his lab. Cool blood spatter pictures line the walls. Sargeant Doakes comes up and demands to know where the hell he’s been. Dexter calmly tells him “crime scene” as Doakes throws some blood spatter pictures at him. They’re “The hotel coke head murders”. Dealer and “a girl”. Lovely pics of a woman on her side, blood around her and a guy with some holes in his chest, also covered in blood.

Dexter looks and immediately knows they weren’t killed by a professional. He says it’s “child’s play”. It’s all a mess with lots of blood on the walls and remarks that “it looks like finger painting” and makes a funny face as he turns the picture around to Doakes, who’s clearly immune to the Dexter charm.

Doakes: You give me the fuckin’ creeps, you know that Dexter?

Dexter laughs it off, says he knows and apologizes.

Doakes: Fuck you.

Raise your hands if you think Doakes wouldn’t be quite so antagonistic if he knew how Dexter was moonlighting.

Dexter’s like…OhhhhhhhhhhhhhhK…is there something I can do for you? Before he gets the sentence out of his mouth, Doakes shouts at him that he can get him a fuckin’ analysis on the blood spatter on these killers.

Doakes: You think I’m here to invite you to my nephew’s bris?

Dexter: I didn’t know you were Jewish.

Me: That’s what *I* was thinking!

Doakes: STFU and write your report already…grab a crayon, PSYCHO and scribble this down: Rival dealer came in. Two scumbags slashed to hell. Dealer stole the drugs.

Wham, bam, done. And I don’t give a shit what you say, because that’s what happened and that’s who I’m lookin’ for.

Then he makes Dexter look him in the eye like “are we in agreement here?” Dexter’s saying “I guess” which means he doesn’t agree with Doakes, but he knows better than to disagree with him at this point. Dexter says he’d better get over there.

Doakes: Then get over there already, you fuckin’ weirdo. I need it quick.

Dexter says he’s “on it” as he continues to study the photos. Doakes gives with the stink-eye and walks away.

Dexter VO: The only real question I have is, why, in a building full of cops, all supposedly with a keen insight into the human soul, is Doakes the only one who gets the creeps from me?

Crime scene. Stark white room. Dexter has a camera around his neck and is informing the cop who’s with him that the murder was done with a very sharp knife. Then takes the time to show the cop how the blood spatter tells the story, pointing out all the patterns. He says the murderer really knew how to use a blade. The dim-witted cop thinks they’re looking for a sushi chef. Dexter stops in his tracks.

Dexter: Yeah, sushi chef is possible. Wouldn't be my first choice, but hey, you never know.

He continues to take pictures as the cop says “now what?” Now he eats.

Sure enough, Dexter’s driving in his car and eating.

Dexter VO: The problem with eating and driving, which I love to do, is not being able to employ the 10-2 hand position on the wheel. It’s a matter of public safety. But there’s always a sacrifice…

So I guess Dexter also likes to eat and stake out his victims. Like killing two birds with one…ummm…stone?

He stops and observes a chubby fellow who’s obviously a valet,.

Dexter: VO: "This guy. Jamie Jaworski. Six months ago I think he fell in love with a pretty brunette, Mrs. Jane Saunders."

He pulls out a file and looks at a picture of a very pretty woman in her 30’s.

She was a sweet mother of two, married to a successful banker (picture of the lady, her handsome husband and two cute kids). They lived a pleasant life until she disappeared leaving her two kids without a mom (picture of kids looking unhappy).

He looks back across the street as Jowarski, with some sort of weird devil/lady tattoo on his arm, hands a pretty blonde lady her parking stub and ogles her as she walks by him.

Dexter VO: The cops arrested my favorite valet, but his lawyer got him off on a faulty search warrant. It's a good thing I don't bother with them.

Jowarski’s House: Dexter picks the lock for the back door and gets in easily. He puts on his gloves and walks slowly through the house. Suddenly a big dog comes running down the hall. He closes some sort of sliding divider, leaving the dog trapped on the other side..

Dexter VO: Animals don’t like me. Especially dogs. I don’t think they approve of what I sometimes do to their masters, and that dog recognizes me as easily as I can recognize Jowarski…or any other killer.

Dexter makes his way through the house and heads over to the computer table. He picks up a video camera, puts it down, and then takes a magazine off of the stack lying there. Bondage porn (black and white stuff. Not all that graphic). Dexter remarks that it’s “interesting literature” and the guy’s taste is “evolving”. Turning violent. He’s on the “fast track”.

Now’s as good a time as any for a flashback. Same scene as before. Young Dexter with his dad., who wants to know if he ever wanted to kill anything bigger than a dog. Dexter admits it. Harry presses further and asks if it was a person. Dexter admits it again, but says it was “nobody in particular”. When Harry asks why he didn’t act on it, Dexter says he was worried Harry and Doris wouldn’t like it. Harry puts his arm around Dexter and it seems he knows what he has to do.

Back to the present. Dexter puts the magazine back where he found it. I don’t think this will be the last time this hour he’ll be in Jaworski’s apartment and I’m pretty sure next time Jaworski will be there.

It’s nighttime. Dexter walks along the street eating an ice cream cone, once again checking out the nightlife.

Dexter VO: Friday night. Date night in Miami. Every night is date night in Miami. And everyone’s having sex. For me, sex never enters into it. I don’t understand sex. Not that I have anything against women, and I certainly have an appropriate sensibility about men, but when it comes to the actual act of sex, it's always seemed so...(and I shit you not, there’s a man and woman kissing and I don’t know if they realize they’re at a restaurant, OUTSIDE, but she’s petting Mr. Happy)… Dexter finishes his thought…”Undignified." Well, he may find it undignified, but he’s standing there watching it in that state where someone has to wave their hand in front of your face to snap you out of it and eating his ice cream cone with a whole lotta gusto.

Dexter VO: But I have to play the game, and after years of trying to look normal, I think I met the right woman for me.

As Dexter pulls up in front of a nice suburban house, he says that Deb saved this woman’s life on a domestic dispute call, introduced them, and they’ve been dating for six months.

A pretty fresh-faced blonde answers the door. He explains that Rita is, in her own way, just as damaged as he is. Huh.

She tells him she’s running late and she’ll be ready in a sec.

Dexter: Okey doke.

LOVE!

So he walks in to find two precious little kids on the couch. I guess it’s good we found out he doesn’t kill kids, right? Oh, you’re still creeped out? OK then.

The little girl, Astor, about 11 or 12 , is sitting there with a little purple tiara on her head. The little boy slouching next to her looks a couple of years younger.

Astor: Hey Dexter.
Dexter: May I say that you look lovely this evening?
Astor: OK

Astor has yet to form an expression on her face. Dexter turns to the little boy, Cody, who goes from slouching to running at Dexter and they roughhouse and he’s laughing like crazy and now even Astor is grinning. It’s really cute.

Dexter brought ice cream. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Of course Cody wants coffee ice cream. YUM!

Rita’s now ready for the date. As she talks to the babysitter, Dexter fills us in on her life.

Dexter VO: Rita’s ex-hubby repeatedly raped her. Knocked her around. Ever since then she’s been completely uninterested in sex.

We see Dexter and Rita, fully clothed sitting at opposite ends of a couch, eating pizza. There’s even a pillow between them as an extra barrier.

Dexter VO: Ever since then she’s been completely uninterested in sex. That works for me!

Back to the present. Rita kisses her kids goodbye and they head out to…some sort of outdoor seafood place where there’s music and dancing. I don’t know. Rita proceeds to beat the living daylights out of a crab with a mallet. Everyone is doing the same thing, except Dexter.

Dexter VO: Needless to say, I have some unusual habits, yet all these socially acceptable people can’t wait to pick up hammers and smash their food to bits. Normal people are so hostile.

Rita picks up some crab meat and smiles at him as she eats it.

Dexter VO: But not her…

Awww…that was said kinda tenderly.

Dexter looks up at the lights and notices something strange. Then there’s the sound of a police siren and some officers in the distance. Dexter goes to investigate, taking Rita with him. She’s still got the mallet in her hands and is licking her fingers as he drags her along. She’s rightfully confused and asks where they’re going. Dexter just answers that they might need him. He leaves Rita and her mallet at the edge of the crowd, telling her to stay there and he’ll be right back. He runs off towards the commotion.

He flashes his badge and gets under the yellow tape. There’s Angel circling a body laid out on plastic that looks exactly like the previous one. Bloodless. Chopped into pieces.

Angel is upset because this “savage” kills on a Friday night. How very rude of him.

Dexter: Mondays through Thursdays, that’s what I always say.

Angel misses the sarcasm and thinks Dexter is agreeing with him. Talks about how it’s Friday and he has “needs”. Angel wants to know what he’s doing there. Dexter explains he was in the neighborhood on a date. Angel thanks him for rubbing it in, but Dexter is too busy looking at the body. He can’t take his eyes off of it.

They agree it’s the same guy, but Angel notices differences in the cuts. At the ankle, rough with emotion. Knee, less emotion. Thigh. Clean cut. Then, at the top of the thigh, there’s bone sticking out and it’s clean as a whistle. The killer totally flayed the flesh completely off. Angel wants to know why he did that.

Dexter explains the guy is experimenting and trying to find the right way. Angel wants to know if he’s experimenting with the head, since it’s not there.

Dexter VO: He’s certainly raising the bar. Damn, this guy is good.

Ewwww…

Dex and Rita are parked in front of her house. Dexter is telling her the killer is an artist. He begins to describe the “technique” as he makes a slicing motion on Rita’s thigh and appears to get all hot and bothered as he now grabs her thigh and says “it’s incredible” and leans towards her.

Rita recoils at his touch. Dexter notices and his whole demeanor changes. She says shakily that she doesn’t think she “wants to”. She pulls his hand away, says “dammit Dexter!” and runs out of the car. Dexter looks after her, wide-eyed.

Dexter VO: What have I done now…

Oh Dex…he worries about that for a second before…

Dexter VO: and why can’t I get that neat stack of body parts out of my head? No blood.

Then he asks himself why he touched her that way.

Dexter at his laptop. Dexter VO saying he needs to get back to his “work”. He has a website up called “Scream Bitch Scream”. It’s Jaworski’s website. Dexter calls it “the mother of all rape sites”. He watches a video on the site of a woman bound and gagged, chained to a bed. She doesn’t look like she’s having a good time with the man on top of her. Dexter watches with cold eyes. Another video with a bare arm holding a knife. The same tattoo we saw on Jaworski earlier is there.

Dexter VO: That's it. He's definitely the one. Now it's just a matter of time before he becomes a drop of blood in my glass slide collection. But I have to wait. I have to be careful, and follow the Code of Harry...

FLASHBACK.

Teenage Dexter is working on a skateboard in the garage. Harry comes in and opens up a rolled-up knife set in front of Dexter. Dexter gets frantic, saying he can explain.

Harry: You and I had an understanding. Whenever you get the urge, you come to me, you tell me and we deal with it together!

Dexter, all flustered, says he does, but Harry begs to differ and picks up one of the knives and points out the blood on it. Dexter says he just finds animals. Harry asks if he’s sure. Dexter tells him yes. Harry says he thought they had it under control as Dexter looks away. Harry wants to know if Dexter remembers anything from before they took him in (as a foster kid). Dexter says he doesn’t and wants to know if that’s why he has these urges.

Harry: What happened changed something inside you. It got into you too early. I'm afraid your urge to kill is only going to get stronger.

Dexter wants to know if he’ll be like this forever. Harry reassures Dex that he’s a good kid, otherwise it would have been a lot worse than animals. Harry says they can’t stop it, but they can “channel it”. Use it for good. Dexter wants to know how it can ever be good.

Harry: Son, there are people out there who do really bad things. Terrible people. The police can’t catch them all. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Dexter understands. Harry’s saying “they deserve it”.

Harry: That’s right. But of course you have to learn how to spot them. How to cover your tracks. But I can teach you.

Dexter has doubts, but Harry assures him he’ll be OK. That he can’t help what happened to him, but he can “make the best of it”.

Harry: Remember this forever. You are my son. You are not alone and you are loved.

Dexter looks reassured.

Back to the present. Dexter is looking at a blueprint of what I’m sure will be the special Jaworski killing place.

Dexter VO: Preparation is vital. No detail can be overlooked.

He draws on the blueprint.

Dexter: And the ritual is intoxicating.

Indeed. He looks quite pleased with himself.

The killing room: Cinder blocks. Unfinished walls and beams. Dexter duct tapes trash bags to the walls and lays out a rubber sheet on a table. He pulls up a layer of saran wrap. Calls all this the “necessary tools of the trade”.

Dexter and Deb having lunch. Deb says LaGuerta still has her working vice. She begs her brother for some insight. He gets her to come to the conclusion the killer is trying to get it right. Deb wants to know about his date with Rita. He tells her it was great and she should try it sometime. She says once she’s transferred to homicide, she’ll think about dating. He wants to talk about little nieces and nephews. She tells him he sounds like mom, then switches the subject back to the case. She asks what Dexter knows about “cell crystallization”. She overheard the coroner talk about the body. She said she got to the body before Dexter and noticed that the body was cold. Like “meat-packing cold”. At this, Dexter goes to another land in his head. Deb goes on to ask if that’s what “cell crystallization means.

Dexter VO: My God. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s beautiful.

Deb brings him back. He says it makes sense…cold. It slows the flow of blood. Deb pushes him to give her something. The other guys are saying the only way she can close a case is “on her back”. Dexter keeps thinking. Suddenly:

Dexter: Refrigerated Truck.

Deb’s like uhhhhh…what? Dexter clarifies:

Dexter: A refrigerated truck. He wants a cold environment to slow the flow of blood. Clean and mobile so he can dump the garbage afterwards.

Dexter thinks the truck was stolen, so Deb has to look into stolen trucks..

Back at the station, a woman is crying over her lost husband. Dexter stands looking at her, but off into space, wondering if he covered his tracks. Doakes comes walking up, asking what he cares about that woman. Dex says he doesn’t. Doakes baits Dexter, asking if he likes it when women cry.

Doakes: What’s your thing, psycho?

Sheet Doakes! If you really think he’s psycho, should you really antagonize the animal?

Dexter just smiles and aw shucks that he’s just headed for the briefing room. Doakes tells him he doesn’t belong there, then repeats this sentiment to LaGuerta, who just came along (with Angel) and is also headed for the briefing room, adding that Dexter still hasn’t given him the blood spatter analysis on the coke head murders. Dexter goes to leave, saying he doesn’t want to upset anybody. LaGuerta, of course, is hot for Dexter and sides with him, saying she wants his input (yeah, I BET) and they will discuss his case after the meeting. Doakes looks puh-hissed.

Briefing Room. Dexter finds Deb (in her uniform) and sits beside her, asking her if she’s ready. Deb says she’s going to “shame this bitch” but Dexter reminds her to state her case clean and easy and she’ll be the hero.

LaGuerta begins the meeting asking if anyone has found the witness to the pool murder. Nobody says anything. When LaGuerta berates them for not having anything, Deb raises her hand tentatively.

LaGuerta: Oh, officer Morgan. I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.

Deb, now 5,000 miles from “shaming this bitch” looks down and says she has a new idea in a different direction. LaGuerta says “an idea?” like she thinks Deb is waaaay too stupid to have one of those, and asks her to share it with them. Deb stands up and with all the confidence of a second grader forced to speak in front of the whole class, twists her fingers around each other and says “ummmm…cell crystallization”. LaGuerta puts her finger to her ear like she can’t hear and says “excuse me?” Dexter side-mouths “a little more confidence please”. Deb stammers and stutters about the last victim and how she would like to check if any refrigerated trucks have been stolen in the last week or so.

LaGuerta: (sarcastically) Refrigerated trucks like ice cream trucks?

The whole room laughs at her. Deb says no, not ice cream trucks. A “refrigerated vehicle” that could cause that kind of tissue damage. She tries to say what Dexter said about how the refrigerated truck is mobile so he’ll be harder to catch. Only she says it with much less panache and LaGuerta puts her in her place, saying it’s “interesting” and “creative” but they should continue to look for the witness. She says the interrupted cut proves there was a witness. When Deb raises her hand saying, “but…” LaGuerta stops her with “just keep talking to your hookers.” DAYUM!

Deb talks to Dexter afterwards asking what she should do, since the only reason she’s at the briefing at all is because the captain said she could attend them. Dexter points out that he didn’t say they had to listen to her. Deb’s all doom and gloom, saying she’s going to die a meter maid. Dexter says there’s another way. Find the truck. Just then LaGuerta comes back into the room. She kind of seductively tells Dexter to come to her office. Deb caught the vibe and looks at Dexter, accuses him of “boning her” to which Dexter gets the “YUCK” look on his face and denies it, but Deb leaves in a huff, sure she’s right.

Dexter’s in LaGuera’s office and so is Doakes. Dexter is insisting it’s not a drug kill. Doakes is saying it’s a waste of their time. LaGuerta agrees. Dexter said he read the reports and the coke head murders had nothing to do with cocaine. It was a crime of passion. Dexter has the pictures of the crime scene all blowed up and on easels. He points to them as he talks, The murderer came to do the woman, because he killed the dealer quick, but took his “sweet time” slicing up the lady and you don’t do that unless you have a close personal relationship with someone. He says….”like an ex-boyfriend…” Then stops. He snaps his fingers and says that’s who he’d look for. LaGuerta agrees with Dexter. She says it’s a bit of a push, but tells Doakes to check it out. Doakes is sitting there with a WTF? Look on his face, because he was pretty sure LaGuerta was going to agree with him. Doakes may be in-tune with figuring out Dexter, but he hasn’t figured out LaGuerta totally has the hots for him. Dexter looks at one of the photos and brushes away something as Doakes approaches him.

Doakes: I’m watchin’ you muthafucka

Then he walks away. Dexter, oddly enough, does not look scared in any way. LaGuerta just smiles seductively at him.

OK. Here we go. Dexter’s going to his real job. Murder. He’s at the building he was making his preparations in earlier. His VO explains that Jaworski has been coming there for weeks. He likes to steal the copper plumbing. Sure enough, there’s Jaworski with the wire cutters, taking out the copper plumbing. Dexter VO notes there are no security guards. Well, yeah, I’d assume that because Jaworski isn’t trying to be the least bit secretive here. Those pipes make a helluva noise when they hit the ground. Suddenly Jaworski realizes he’s not alone and swings the wirecutters over his shoulder, as if he’d use it as a weapon if he had to. Jaworski keeps walking towards the noises and comes upon a picture of Jane just hanging there in the middle of the room. Dexter approaches Jaworski from behind, his face and neck all wrapped with saran wrap, and shoots him in the neck with the syringe. Creepy.

Killing time! Dexter’s got his nice apron and the saran wrap on his head. Jaworski is strapped to the table. He’s awake now. Dexter rips the duct tape off his mouth.

Dexter: Talk

Jaworski: What do you mean?

Dexter: I think you know what I mean.

He does the cut into Jaworski’s chin. Jaworski screams.

Dexter: Talk to me about Jane Saunders

Jaworski (breathing heavy): OK, I did her.

Dexter: How?

Jaworski: In a movie. Snuff film. But I’m not sorry.

Dexter: Of course not.

He stuffs the cotton in Jaworski’s mouth. We all know what that means…

He goes around to the side of Jaworski with a cleaver in his hand.

Dexter: I’m not sorry either.

He brings the cleaver down. You don’t see him cut the guy,

Aftermath: There’s Jaworski’s leg, from mid-calf down to the foot, lying there on the table. Dexter picks it up and puts it in one of his Hefties just as his phone rings. He calmly takes off his gloves to answer it.

It’s Rita. She apologizes for the other night and seems in a whole different mood. Kinda giddy and breathless. She asks Dexter what he’s doing now.

Dexter (covered in blood): I’m just finishing up a little project, but I’ll come by later.

HA!

Dexter’s out driving. He stops and looks at the slide. His VO says that all in all, it was a good night. One less amateur film maker polluting the internet. A truck pulls up behind him. The lights are blinding. He keeps looking in his rear view mirror. Dexter remains stopped and the truck goes around him. Turns out it’s an ice delivery truck. Huh.

Dexter VO: No way.

He follows the truck. When he tries to pull alongside it, the truck veers to the left. The truck pulls a little ahead, stops, and turns around and comes straight for Dexter who.just sits there. Suddenly a FLYING HEAD comes towards him and hits his windshield. The truck drives off. Dexter does not follow the truck, but instead gets out to investigate this flying head thing.

Then the police are there, including Deb and he gives her the thumbs up. They bag the head. LaGuerta talks to Dexter. He makes a joke about tailgating, but she’s more interested in the huge coincidence about “of all the ice trucks in Miami…” Dexter said that during business hours he wouldn’t give it a second thought, but at this time of night a truck like that sticks out. LaGuerta asks if he ever saw the driver. Dexter says it was just “high beams and a flying head”. LaGuerta says that the guy must have had the head with him and wonders why. Dexter makes a joke about being able to use the carpool lane. She thinks it’s odd that Deb had the ice truck theory and there’s Dexter to back it up. Dexter takes this opportunity to talk up his sister, saying she’s good and she should give Deb a chance. She seductively tells him to call her “Maria” and follows that up by saying he’s the one who’s good. Turns out he was right about Doakes’ case. It was the boyfriend, but says that Doakes still hates him. They laugh and she gets all up in his personal space and he squirms away and stands up. Not picking up on any of that body language, she continues to flirt, asking him how he got that smart. He tells her it’s “plenty of sleep” and asks if he can fill out the paperwork tomorrow. She tells him it’s OK since he’s tired and kind of rubs his hand. He uses that hand to salute, says goodnight, and hightails it outta there. And I thought guys were slow on the uptake.

Dexter gets to Rita’s and it’s obviously early in the a.m., because the sun is shining. Rita greets him at the door looking upset, saying she didn’t know what happened to him and she called in sick to work. He explains there was another…he makes a slashing motion on his neck. She tells him the kids are sleeping over next door. Dexter, also slow on the uptake, says “OK”. She invites him in. She explains she doesn’t want to lose him. He says “OK…sure!” Then she says “I want to…I mean…” and she removes her robe to reveal some sexy lingerie. Dexter stares and gulps all Ohhh…OK. Thanks. Rita says “You’re welcome”. They share a kiss. She sits Dexter on the couch and goes to straddle him, but first asks if he minds. “Ummm…no” She begins to remove the shoulder strap when the phone rings. She says it may be the kids and he tells her to answer it. It’s Cody. He’s crying. He threw up all over Colleen’s couch. Dexter looks very relieved. Rita kisses him again and asks if they’re OK. Dexter does a very reassuring and loving “better than”. Rita seems pleased and goes to get Cody. Dexter sits there like HOLY SHIT!

He gets back to his apartment and looks way more shaken up than when he murders someone.

Dexter VO: OK, that was close. I’ll admit making out with Rita was interesting, but if I don’t keep a lid on this, it could be the end of us.

Dexter looks up and suddenly notices a small doll head on his refrigerator. He approaches the fridge, staring at it. He flicks it then opens his freezer. There, sitting in the middle of the freezer is the rest of the doll, hacked up just like the dead bodies with little red ribbons tied around the torso, forearms, thighs and calves.

Dexter VO: I suppose I should be upset, even feel violated, but I'm not.

He picks up one of the doll’s forearms/hand and it’s holding a mirror. We see his reflection in the mirror.

No, in fact, I think this is a friendly message, kind of like, 'Hey, wanna play?

He stares at the doll part in fascination.

Dexter VO: And yes, I wanna play. I really really do.

Then he breaks the fourth wall and looks DIRECTLY INTO THE CAMERA with this intense look.

OMG. I’m so glad I recapped this. Made me really see things I might not have before. I also intend to watch the second season when all my shows aren’t running, so this was a good reminder.

I usually can’t handle blood and guts (even though I love horror movies, I turn away at the killing part) but I was able to watch the whole thing.

Yay! I hope you like the recap!

OMG, OMG!!!!! I absolutely loved it!!!! *mad applause and standing ovation*

What a wonderful prize....so entertaining and well done! I enjoyed all your clever, witty comments too...I got to see the show from your eyes which is the bomb!

The story line is so out there and fascinating..and I can so imagine Michael C. Hall thoroughout every scene in your recap! This part had to have been written especially for him!

Love the underlying sexual tension. Yes, I am drawn to dark horror and serial killer films. Does that make us strange? Guess not since this series has already gotten recognized as a piece of art!

This is so great that I can get up to speed on the shows i have missed while preparing for the start of the second series! When does it start btw?

Thanks again GE! *squishes in a massive hug*

Well, Luca, this was for you, so I'm glad you loved it!

I wish you lived nearer so we could see all the scary movies together. Most of my friends are total wimps. I like to be scared outta my mind. I've always said that if I don't leave a horror movie looking over my shoulder, it wasn't that scary.

This show is so amazing. You should really watch it from the beginning.
The MCH/James Remar pairing is so beautiful (in later episodes, they do appear together in the flashbacks). When I heard the premise for this show, I knew it would become my heart. It has.

The second season is already airing. You should try to get the first season on Netflix.

Damn! That's a LOT of typing

Since you warned it was really graphic I am going to skip it, but I am happy Luca was so pleased with her prize!! That was a super sweet thing to do!

Well, I'm a writer, so I type a lot.

There's more typing here than for other recaps because this is from a paid cable show. Most one-hour network shows are more like 45 minutes or so if you remove the commercials. This show is 53 minutes. No commercials.

Yes, that would be a kick having a scary movie partner other than my husband to eat popcorn with. Most of my friends are total wimps too and hate the weird, horror, sci-fi, and twisted flicks I like! I am usually not one for war flicks or the run of the mill formula action films...are you?.

I so plan on watching Dexter from the beginning. I will buy the DVD of the first season for sure. Is there a certain night that the new season is on? How much have I missed this season?

It's funny. My two favorite kinds of films are scare the shit outta me horror movies and goofy romantic comedies.

I've been known to catch indie films and find the deviation from the formula very interesting. With an indie film, the star could die, etc. You usually don't get the typical hollywood ending. One that falls into my horror movie/indie category is the original "The Vanishing". When the Jeff Bridges/Kiefer Sutherland film came out, everyone said to see the original. I did. Waaaaaaaaaaay scarier. It has subtitles, but I don't mind.

I also saw "Ringu" instead of "The Ring". Funny, because I was forced to get it on VHS instead of DVD. I thought it was hysterical.

One action movie I did love, which I saw recently and was going to put in the "movies" section was "Iron Man". NOT your typical action film. Maybe because Jon Favreau directed it. My friend said that's why it has heart. He's not an action-adventure film kinda guy (Swingers). Also, Robert Downey Jr. who I will love till the end of time. His comedic timing is so impeccable, it's scary. The movie is quite funny and also a nail-biter. That's why it's made over 121 million dollars. Really good popcorn film.

I believe the second season is almost over, so I would just watch the first season and then get the second. Nothing will make sense unless you watch the first season in its entirety.

I ADORE Robert Downey Jr.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy for him that he got this major movie and it is doing so well!