I've never really felt that Dexter was going anywhere. There's this serial killer who only kills the worst of the worst and comes into conflict with the numerous other serial killers in the Miami area. He evades capture despite all circumstances and hides his deeds by acting normally. All in all, there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.
But season 5 rolls around, and Dexter is changing. "In the Beginning" reinforces the fact that Dexter's destiny wasn't set in stone and Harry may have wrongly pegged him. We see Dexter and Lumen again on the hunt, taking down their last victim before Jordan Shaw and getting closer and closer until the final scene in which the relationship turns romantic. Clearly they aren't normal people but together they're good for each other in a disturbing sort of way.
No Batista and LaGuerta this week! It also looks like the Santa Muerte is gone for good, and the storyline as a whole was used to gin up some conflict between the characters. I would have preferred if the writers hadn't gone this route in the first place, but now that it happened, at least it's over with.
As we approach the season finale, there are limitless options. For instance, could Lumen remain a character next season as her relationship with Dexter grows? That would certainly be an interesting possibility. Or, will Lumen die, adding another mark to Dexter's soul? Another possibility is that with Liddy snooping around, Lumen might have to take the blame for the murders and head to prison. We'll find out soon enough.
Score: 8.9/10
