Okay, I think I'm done reviewing this season. I remember previous seasons being mediocre and I even didn't watch the end of the third season, but I don't remember a season with this many boring ideas. Maybe Brian showing up and Dexter going full-on serial killer will change things, but I'm not confident about that.
I don't even want to comment on the rest of the episode, but I have a question. Did the writers include Ryan's theft of the Ice Truck Killer's hand earlier in the season solely so we'd remember who Brian was when he did pop up? I actually wouldn't be surprised if they did, given their continuing incompetence.
Score: 7.5/10
Showing posts with label Dexter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dexter. Show all posts
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Review - Dexter Season 6 Episode 5 The Angel of Death
I was going to begin my review by stating that Brother Sam was wearing thin, but then he got shot and I'm waiting to see what happens with him. While Mos Def has been great, the only bright light in an otherwise bland new characters, the writers didn't give him anything to do other than repeat religious platitudes. It was the doomsday end of the world stuff from Gellar, but the generic statements everyone knows by heart. Maybe Sam getting shot will improve his character--or maybe he'll die and that's the last we see of him.
Generally, Dexter is the smartest character and doesn't do anything stupid other than think the most obvious things during his voiceovers. In this episode, though, it seemed like he was competing with Quinn for dummy of the week. First, Dexter finds it necessary to compare Travis's Bible pages to the rectangle cutouts, when it would be plainly obvious to anyone that they were the same. Even then, all Dexter does is look at the rectangles without even taking them to try to fit into the cutouts. So why look at them in the first place? But Dexter decides to be even more stupid, letting Travis go after he says Gellar's been killing. While that may be true, how about some extra digging. Dexter always gets the truth when he's on the hunt--except when it comes to main villain. Come on, writers.
Score: 7.8/10
Generally, Dexter is the smartest character and doesn't do anything stupid other than think the most obvious things during his voiceovers. In this episode, though, it seemed like he was competing with Quinn for dummy of the week. First, Dexter finds it necessary to compare Travis's Bible pages to the rectangle cutouts, when it would be plainly obvious to anyone that they were the same. Even then, all Dexter does is look at the rectangles without even taking them to try to fit into the cutouts. So why look at them in the first place? But Dexter decides to be even more stupid, letting Travis go after he says Gellar's been killing. While that may be true, how about some extra digging. Dexter always gets the truth when he's on the hunt--except when it comes to main villain. Come on, writers.
Score: 7.8/10
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Review - Dexter Season 6 Episode 4 A Horse of a Different Color
The religious theme for this season of Dexter is very broad, and I guess you could say that about any show that randomly drops in on religion six seasons into its run. The previous seasons of the show had themes that were intimately tied to Dexter whether it was a serial killer with a family or a serial killer someone could accept. All the conceptualizing more or less pointed directly to Dexter, much like the religious themes on Big Love would point to the Hendricksons. Here, though, characters are talking about religion, but none of it is particularly relevant to Dexter's religion The writers contrive an entire scenario surrounding Harrison in order for Dexter to pray, and it feels really, really cheap.
The useless Dexter subplot may have hit a new low with Batista and Quinn smoking it up. It's kind of funny, but they're supposed to be cops, not Harold and Kumar. As an aside in last week's review, I said that Ryan might have stolen the Ice Truck Killer stuff to for serial killer black market, and it actually turned out to be partially what happened. It's one of the most boring things that could have come from the theft--that Ryan needed money and thought no one would notice its disappearance.
Travis and Professor Geller continue to do what they've been doing. It's obvious Geller is the one in charge while Travis dutifully follows, even if he harbors some initial reluctance. There was some evidence indicating that Geller is a real person rather than a ghost, as he binds the woman while Travis is sleeping, but Travis could also be doing things unconsciously. I'm hoping Dexter spotting Travis, who is stupid enough to hang around, will lead to more answers about them next week. Even though we don't know much about them, I have to say, the way they stage bodies has been pretty cool.
Score: 8.4/10
The useless Dexter subplot may have hit a new low with Batista and Quinn smoking it up. It's kind of funny, but they're supposed to be cops, not Harold and Kumar. As an aside in last week's review, I said that Ryan might have stolen the Ice Truck Killer stuff to for serial killer black market, and it actually turned out to be partially what happened. It's one of the most boring things that could have come from the theft--that Ryan needed money and thought no one would notice its disappearance.
Travis and Professor Geller continue to do what they've been doing. It's obvious Geller is the one in charge while Travis dutifully follows, even if he harbors some initial reluctance. There was some evidence indicating that Geller is a real person rather than a ghost, as he binds the woman while Travis is sleeping, but Travis could also be doing things unconsciously. I'm hoping Dexter spotting Travis, who is stupid enough to hang around, will lead to more answers about them next week. Even though we don't know much about them, I have to say, the way they stage bodies has been pretty cool.
Score: 8.4/10
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Review - Dexter Season 6 Episode 3 Smokey and the Bandit
The implication at the end of "Smokey and the Bandit" is that Dexter will end up being a lame, old man like the Tooth Fairy, without anything left besides the desire to kill and no physical ability to carry out the act. Then, Dexter drops his slides and they scatter over the ground, some broken and all in the wrong place. OK, fine, so Dexter in 30 years might have a bad life. But what does this have to do with the present? Looking at what's been going on this season, there's a clear answer: religion--more specifically, Christianity. If there was ever a dead end plot, it's forcing religion onto a character. I can't imagine anything remotely interesting the show can do with this idea.
The rest of "Smokey and the Bandit" is standard fare. LaGuerta is being a bitch yet again, Quinn is mad at Deb and getting back at her by hooking up with different women, and Ryan is revealed to be a possible psycho obsessed with the Ice Truck Killer. Either that or there's a black market out there for serial killer wares.
Score: 8.4/10
The rest of "Smokey and the Bandit" is standard fare. LaGuerta is being a bitch yet again, Quinn is mad at Deb and getting back at her by hooking up with different women, and Ryan is revealed to be a possible psycho obsessed with the Ice Truck Killer. Either that or there's a black market out there for serial killer wares.
Score: 8.4/10
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Review - Dexter Season 6 Episode 2 Once Upon a Time
We're episodes into Dexter's sixth season and there isn't a clear path for the season. The serial killer, Travis, parallels Dexter, hiding in the open to subdue people and has an old guy (Eddie James Olmos) telling him things who like Harry. There's something religious going on, but nothing clear yet. This week, Dexter investigates Brother Sam (Mos Def) who he believes to be an unreformed killer. Dexter discovers that he's not a killer--for now--but again there is a religious thing going around. None of this is particularly clear and this lack of focus is troubling.
Deb becoming lieutenant was a bit gimmicky, with Matthews making the promotion only to get back at LaGuerta, but it has promise. (And let's be honest--Deb isn't really worse than the rest of the boneheads at Miami Metro.) As Dexter points out in an all-too-obvious voiceover, Deb may be the one in charge of hunting him down when the time comes. Of course, that will probably happen 10 seasons later when the ratings start falling. Until now, though, it is a looming possibility that's far more exciting than Deb and Quinn.
Score: 8.3/10
Deb becoming lieutenant was a bit gimmicky, with Matthews making the promotion only to get back at LaGuerta, but it has promise. (And let's be honest--Deb isn't really worse than the rest of the boneheads at Miami Metro.) As Dexter points out in an all-too-obvious voiceover, Deb may be the one in charge of hunting him down when the time comes. Of course, that will probably happen 10 seasons later when the ratings start falling. Until now, though, it is a looming possibility that's far more exciting than Deb and Quinn.
Score: 8.3/10
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Review - Dexter Season 6 Episode 1 Those Kinds of Things
After five seasons of Dexter, viewers know the drill. Dexter needs to kill, so he spends the episode tracking a bad guy down while navigating around his work and personal life. Meanwhile, yet another serial killer murders people so Miami Metro is hard at work cracking the case. And in between this, various relationship dramas play out among the characters not named Dexter, always in the most vapid, undeserving ways.
So for those who enjoyed the previous seasons--the false sense of dread, the multiple fake outs, the serial killer per season, Dexter victim per episode--nothing has changed. Dexter is simply a show which is going nowhere. Certainly, the writers could take gambles with the marvelous concept they have, but they refuse to even after years of maintaining the status quo. Alas, I keep watching not for plot but for Michael C. Hall, and part of me always reminds me that the show could be so much more.
"Those Kinds of Things" is as standard as it gets. Dexter goes to his high school reunion to kill a former classmate while traversing this bizarre world where high school status meant nothing. There are some fun moments sprinkled in there, offsetting the expectedness of the kill. Then there's the rest of the episode--LaGuerta having divorced Batista and been promoted, Quinn about to propose to Deb before a guy shoots up the restaurant--which is as uninteresting as the filler content as ever been. On the plus side, there are two serial killers this season, played by Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks. Their technique, placing young snakes into bodies, is very grisly, so it's somewhat better than the generic slasher serial killer.
Thematically, this season is on far shakier ground than the previous season, with an emphasis on religion than someone who can accept Dexter's dark passenger. The posters for the sixth season portray Dexter as an avenging angel, and it's a dumb idea, as if Dexter, after five seasons, magically stumbled upon religion and decided to apply it to his extracurricular activities.
Score: 8.5/10
So for those who enjoyed the previous seasons--the false sense of dread, the multiple fake outs, the serial killer per season, Dexter victim per episode--nothing has changed. Dexter is simply a show which is going nowhere. Certainly, the writers could take gambles with the marvelous concept they have, but they refuse to even after years of maintaining the status quo. Alas, I keep watching not for plot but for Michael C. Hall, and part of me always reminds me that the show could be so much more.
"Those Kinds of Things" is as standard as it gets. Dexter goes to his high school reunion to kill a former classmate while traversing this bizarre world where high school status meant nothing. There are some fun moments sprinkled in there, offsetting the expectedness of the kill. Then there's the rest of the episode--LaGuerta having divorced Batista and been promoted, Quinn about to propose to Deb before a guy shoots up the restaurant--which is as uninteresting as the filler content as ever been. On the plus side, there are two serial killers this season, played by Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks. Their technique, placing young snakes into bodies, is very grisly, so it's somewhat better than the generic slasher serial killer.
Thematically, this season is on far shakier ground than the previous season, with an emphasis on religion than someone who can accept Dexter's dark passenger. The posters for the sixth season portray Dexter as an avenging angel, and it's a dumb idea, as if Dexter, after five seasons, magically stumbled upon religion and decided to apply it to his extracurricular activities.
Score: 8.5/10
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 12 The Big One
If you've read my Dexter reviews, you'd know I don't have high expectations for the show. Ever since the third season, I've been thoroughly unimpressed with how stagnant the show is. Nothing ever changes. We may learn more information about Dexter, but the format of the seasons and episodes are pretty much the same: Dexter is a serial killer, finds himself in tight spots, wriggles out, continues killing. Whether it's the serial killers, friends, Rita, coworkers, and another number of outside factors, the show remains very standard through and through.
With "The Big One," there were a couple of bold directions the writers could have taken the show. Lumen and Dexter could have gone of killing people together or Lumen could have been arrested, among many other choices. Instead, however, the writers take the easy way out, letting Lumen leave. Just like that, we're back to square one. Dexter has no one to care about but himself and the knowledge that he can care about someone else.
For a brief moment, when Deb had Dexter and Lumen at gunpoint, I held my breath, my heart beat faster, and then I realized, "oh wait, she'll let them go." And that's exactly what happens. The tension will always resolved itself and the show will return back to equilibrium. After five seasons of watching this happen, it's just frustrating
Following in suit, Quinn is freed after briefly being suspected of Liddy's murder, an all too easy conclusion for what could have become a gamechanger. Sure he probably still suspects Dexter, but how far are the writers willing to go? Probably not far enough.
At the end of the season, looking back on the various subplots of the season, there was a lot of useless bullshit. Santa Muerte went nowhere, office politics went nowhere, LaGuerta the bitch went nowhere, and the relationship stuff was as flat as ever.
Showtime announced last week that Dexter is getting at least another season, and since the show is still getting great ratings for the network, there are probably more than a few executives who want to squeeze out every last drop out of the show. Already, the show is wobbling all over the place with Dexter the character as the only steadying factor. Soon, though, that could disappear, and with the other elements of the show, turn to a total crapfest.
Score: 8.3/10
With "The Big One," there were a couple of bold directions the writers could have taken the show. Lumen and Dexter could have gone of killing people together or Lumen could have been arrested, among many other choices. Instead, however, the writers take the easy way out, letting Lumen leave. Just like that, we're back to square one. Dexter has no one to care about but himself and the knowledge that he can care about someone else.
For a brief moment, when Deb had Dexter and Lumen at gunpoint, I held my breath, my heart beat faster, and then I realized, "oh wait, she'll let them go." And that's exactly what happens. The tension will always resolved itself and the show will return back to equilibrium. After five seasons of watching this happen, it's just frustrating
Following in suit, Quinn is freed after briefly being suspected of Liddy's murder, an all too easy conclusion for what could have become a gamechanger. Sure he probably still suspects Dexter, but how far are the writers willing to go? Probably not far enough.
At the end of the season, looking back on the various subplots of the season, there was a lot of useless bullshit. Santa Muerte went nowhere, office politics went nowhere, LaGuerta the bitch went nowhere, and the relationship stuff was as flat as ever.
Showtime announced last week that Dexter is getting at least another season, and since the show is still getting great ratings for the network, there are probably more than a few executives who want to squeeze out every last drop out of the show. Already, the show is wobbling all over the place with Dexter the character as the only steadying factor. Soon, though, that could disappear, and with the other elements of the show, turn to a total crapfest.
Score: 8.3/10
Preview of Week 12/12/10 - 12/18/10
Dexter - Showtime, Sunday, December 12, 9:00pm ET
We all know Dexter will get away clean (unless the writers finally decide to change the status quo), but what will happen to Lumen, the only person who understands Dexter?
Leverage - TNT, Sunday, December 12, 9:00pm ET
Leverage returns with three more episodes. This week's episode is titled "The Ho, Ho, Ho Job," so we'll see what Christmas shenanigans happen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, December 14, 10:00pm ET
As anyone who's watched the preview can attest, it sure implies something steamy may happen between Will and Alicia.
Burn Notice - USA, Thursday, December 16, 10:00pm ET
Oh no, the list was stolen! What will happen? Of course I'm being facetious, seeing as this is Burn Notice. I can already guess that nothing will happen and Michael will still be doing his normal thing even after the season finale.
Sanctuary - Syfy, Friday, December 17, 10:00pm ET
We're headed to Hollow Earth!!
We all know Dexter will get away clean (unless the writers finally decide to change the status quo), but what will happen to Lumen, the only person who understands Dexter?
Leverage - TNT, Sunday, December 12, 9:00pm ET
Leverage returns with three more episodes. This week's episode is titled "The Ho, Ho, Ho Job," so we'll see what Christmas shenanigans happen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, December 14, 10:00pm ET
As anyone who's watched the preview can attest, it sure implies something steamy may happen between Will and Alicia.
Burn Notice - USA, Thursday, December 16, 10:00pm ET
Oh no, the list was stolen! What will happen? Of course I'm being facetious, seeing as this is Burn Notice. I can already guess that nothing will happen and Michael will still be doing his normal thing even after the season finale.
Sanctuary - Syfy, Friday, December 17, 10:00pm ET
We're headed to Hollow Earth!!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 11 Hop a Freighter
One week before the season, the plot advances at a fervent pace, in true Dexter fashion with everything that can go wrong going wrong. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, just that we've seen similar situations go down before. The biggest difference this time around is that Lumen is in the picture, and she's not the usual expendable adversary. Dexter comes to the realization that he may love Lumen, risking him well-being for her sake.
It's safe to say that Dexter will get away by the end of the season, so I'm not too concerned about him. In another season, when Lumen isn't around, I'd say that Dexter getting away again is boring. However, since Lumen is here, so many great developments could happen. Will Lumen die, driving Dexter further into the darkness? Will Lumen survive and stay out of law enforcement's reach, ending the season on a sunny note? Or will Lumen survive but be arrested, complicating matters for Dexter for the next season?
Emily is disposed of quickly before we can learn more about her. It's a shame, really. Unless her backstory is somehow tied back in postmortem, she'll be completely wasted, because she was the one parallel to Lumen who went in an entirely different direction.
Likewise, Liddy proves to be another minor barrier, as he's killed instantly before much can come of the kidnapping. His recording, however, is a big deal which needs to be taken care of.
There was the usual Quinn loves Deb stuff, and LaGuerta partially making up for Deb by getting a court order. Basically, lots of people trying to make Deb feel better after she got shit on this season.
"Hop a Freighter" is pretty standard episode with big plot development, easy deaths, and not much else. We'll see how the season finale plays out next week.
Score: 8.5/10
It's safe to say that Dexter will get away by the end of the season, so I'm not too concerned about him. In another season, when Lumen isn't around, I'd say that Dexter getting away again is boring. However, since Lumen is here, so many great developments could happen. Will Lumen die, driving Dexter further into the darkness? Will Lumen survive and stay out of law enforcement's reach, ending the season on a sunny note? Or will Lumen survive but be arrested, complicating matters for Dexter for the next season?
Emily is disposed of quickly before we can learn more about her. It's a shame, really. Unless her backstory is somehow tied back in postmortem, she'll be completely wasted, because she was the one parallel to Lumen who went in an entirely different direction.
Likewise, Liddy proves to be another minor barrier, as he's killed instantly before much can come of the kidnapping. His recording, however, is a big deal which needs to be taken care of.
There was the usual Quinn loves Deb stuff, and LaGuerta partially making up for Deb by getting a court order. Basically, lots of people trying to make Deb feel better after she got shit on this season.
"Hop a Freighter" is pretty standard episode with big plot development, easy deaths, and not much else. We'll see how the season finale plays out next week.
Score: 8.5/10
Monday, November 29, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 10 In the Beginning
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
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
Monday, November 22, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 9 Teenage Wasteland
While "Teenage Wasteland" offers little storyline development and any excitement, it poses some interesting questions about Dexter and his entire existence. The usual tension on Dexter rarely gets to me because I know Dexter will get away scot-free, so I don't watch the show for the moments where Dexter may or may not get caught, knowing the momentum will be dissipated at the end of the season. Inevitably, the layers of problems pile up, but Dexter will always slip out.
On the other hand, Dexter's pathology is inescapable. It's been established that he's a sociopathic killer who managed to stay out of prison and mostly dishedout justice because Harry taught him how and who to kill. Other than that, Dexter doesn't really want anything and does stuff to either help his killings or keep up a believable facade.
When Astor shows up on Dexter's doorstep with a friend, however, everything we see about Dexter is turned on its head. Dexter really connects with Astor, forcing himself to listen to her, and at the same time, kicking the shit out of Astor's friend's mother's boyfriend (three possessives in a row ftw!) to protect Astor and her friend. Dexter hits a moment of clarity at the end of the episode: he wants to be a good father. We may have seen Dexter do things out of character in the past, but this is the first time he's internalized his behavior into a coherent though which can carry over to the future.
And Harry wonders, seeing Dexter care so deeply about Astor, whether he was correct in leading Dexter down this murderous path. What if he could have prevented Dexter from killing entirely? Although there's no going back, it raises the question whether it was, in fact, Harry who led Dexter down the wrong path.
After Dexter gets a blood sample from Jordan Shaw's necklace and runs the DNA, he gets a hit on a woman. Shaw, meanwhile, realizes something is amiss and calls Dexter's home. Lumen picks up, in a scene Julia Stiles does very well, and she nearly breaks down every time Shaw speaks. The final kicker is that Shaw knows Lumen's on the other end.
There was less of the subplots than usual and there's a good reason why. The couples are fighting and being boring.
I've never liked Dexter for the tension, possibility of people getting killed, or Dexter overcomming insurmountable odds, but for the character of Dexter, not that he kills people, but how he views himself and who he actually is. "Teenage Wasteland" adds yet another layer to his character as we see him care for Astor first and foremost, all the while tending to Lumen's needs.
Score: 9.0/10
On the other hand, Dexter's pathology is inescapable. It's been established that he's a sociopathic killer who managed to stay out of prison and mostly dishedout justice because Harry taught him how and who to kill. Other than that, Dexter doesn't really want anything and does stuff to either help his killings or keep up a believable facade.
When Astor shows up on Dexter's doorstep with a friend, however, everything we see about Dexter is turned on its head. Dexter really connects with Astor, forcing himself to listen to her, and at the same time, kicking the shit out of Astor's friend's mother's boyfriend (three possessives in a row ftw!) to protect Astor and her friend. Dexter hits a moment of clarity at the end of the episode: he wants to be a good father. We may have seen Dexter do things out of character in the past, but this is the first time he's internalized his behavior into a coherent though which can carry over to the future.
And Harry wonders, seeing Dexter care so deeply about Astor, whether he was correct in leading Dexter down this murderous path. What if he could have prevented Dexter from killing entirely? Although there's no going back, it raises the question whether it was, in fact, Harry who led Dexter down the wrong path.
After Dexter gets a blood sample from Jordan Shaw's necklace and runs the DNA, he gets a hit on a woman. Shaw, meanwhile, realizes something is amiss and calls Dexter's home. Lumen picks up, in a scene Julia Stiles does very well, and she nearly breaks down every time Shaw speaks. The final kicker is that Shaw knows Lumen's on the other end.
There was less of the subplots than usual and there's a good reason why. The couples are fighting and being boring.
I've never liked Dexter for the tension, possibility of people getting killed, or Dexter overcomming insurmountable odds, but for the character of Dexter, not that he kills people, but how he views himself and who he actually is. "Teenage Wasteland" adds yet another layer to his character as we see him care for Astor first and foremost, all the while tending to Lumen's needs.
Score: 9.0/10
Monday, November 15, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 8 Take It
Season 5 of Dexter doesn't have the usual serial killer Dexter chases. Instead, it's an introspective look into Dexter vis-a-vis Lumen. While Dexter grapples with who he is and who he's been for so many years, Lumen steps into his life, broken as she is, and more or less accepts who he is, knowing exactly who he is. Lumen digs around and realizes that Dexter is not a vigilante for her cause, but that he's a killer who happens to be helping her. And at the same time, can Dexter change? Has he already changed?
As far as plot development goes, Dexter takes out Cole with Lumen watching and confirms that Shaw is guilty. The team of Dexter and Lumen continue to work well together. However, if previous season examples stand, something tragic will happen by the end of the season.
Liddy has photos of Dexter and Lumen loading the suitcases onto the boat, moving one step closer to the truth. At the same time, he continues pushing Quinn for money. Oh boy, will Quinn find out? And if so, Dexter has to get rid of him, right?
Deb is the character who's consistently piled on. Nothing ever goes right for her and everything good she's had in the five seasons, with the exception of Dexter, ends disastrously. Sadly, Dexter being her focal point isn't positive either. This time, both LaGuerta and Manzon turn on bitch mode and pin the nightclub shooting on Deb. Batista says he'll help her, but he'll have to push LaGuerta for that to happen and he may be unwilling to go the distance.
As much as I dislike the non-Dexter material on the show, I can't help but look look forward to the show now that Dexter, Lumen, and Liddy have reached the point of no return.
Score: 9.0/10
As far as plot development goes, Dexter takes out Cole with Lumen watching and confirms that Shaw is guilty. The team of Dexter and Lumen continue to work well together. However, if previous season examples stand, something tragic will happen by the end of the season.
Liddy has photos of Dexter and Lumen loading the suitcases onto the boat, moving one step closer to the truth. At the same time, he continues pushing Quinn for money. Oh boy, will Quinn find out? And if so, Dexter has to get rid of him, right?
Deb is the character who's consistently piled on. Nothing ever goes right for her and everything good she's had in the five seasons, with the exception of Dexter, ends disastrously. Sadly, Dexter being her focal point isn't positive either. This time, both LaGuerta and Manzon turn on bitch mode and pin the nightclub shooting on Deb. Batista says he'll help her, but he'll have to push LaGuerta for that to happen and he may be unwilling to go the distance.
As much as I dislike the non-Dexter material on the show, I can't help but look look forward to the show now that Dexter, Lumen, and Liddy have reached the point of no return.
Score: 9.0/10
Monday, November 8, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 7 Circle Us
I know it's getting repetitive, but "Circle Us" is one of the clearest examples why the focus of the show and every episode must be on Dexter. For the first three-fourths of the episode I was thinking, "Damn, this is a good episode, maybe in the 9 range." But of course LaGuerta has to ruin everything. She wants to arrest the Fuentes brothers outside. What does she do, knowing there's a secret door inside the club? First she sends the informant to sit with them, then sends an armed undercover cop to sit with them for no good reason. And she has the gall to say "If mistakes were made, they were certainly not mine." I thought we'd gotten over the LaGuerta-is-a-total-bitch phase!
Still, I really liked a large majority of the episode. With Dexter and Lumen working together, "Circle Us" contains a bunch of revelations. It turns out that Jordan Shaw, the speaker Boyd listened to, was one of the guys who kidnapped Lumen. In addition, it looks like Shaw's bodyguard Cole, who was also in on it, Shaw, and Boyd were all buddies years ago.
Dexter and Lumen are shaping up to be an awesome team, and oddly enough, a team you get root for. Together they're fighting against true evil, and there's little room to budge: Dexter and Lumen are the good guys.
What's going on with the nanny? Dexter doesn't like the statue, but accepts it at the end of the episode. Are we supposed to care about the nanny at this point? I don't see any clues pointing to the nanny being a villain of some sort, other than that it's the nature of the show to turn seemingly innocuous characters into crazy people.
Quinn wants to get a place with Deb, but Robocop keeps pushing him for more money in exchange for information. Robocop does a great job enticing Quinn by telling him a few accurate details to whet his appetite.
Score: 8.8/10
Still, I really liked a large majority of the episode. With Dexter and Lumen working together, "Circle Us" contains a bunch of revelations. It turns out that Jordan Shaw, the speaker Boyd listened to, was one of the guys who kidnapped Lumen. In addition, it looks like Shaw's bodyguard Cole, who was also in on it, Shaw, and Boyd were all buddies years ago.
Dexter and Lumen are shaping up to be an awesome team, and oddly enough, a team you get root for. Together they're fighting against true evil, and there's little room to budge: Dexter and Lumen are the good guys.
What's going on with the nanny? Dexter doesn't like the statue, but accepts it at the end of the episode. Are we supposed to care about the nanny at this point? I don't see any clues pointing to the nanny being a villain of some sort, other than that it's the nature of the show to turn seemingly innocuous characters into crazy people.
Quinn wants to get a place with Deb, but Robocop keeps pushing him for more money in exchange for information. Robocop does a great job enticing Quinn by telling him a few accurate details to whet his appetite.
Score: 8.8/10
Monday, November 1, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 6 Everything Is Illumenated
Dexter is not a well-rounded show. It can oscillate from the amazing, whenever Michael C. Hall is on screen and the various serial killers through the seasons, to the god-awful, basically the relationships and random subplots. It doesn't bode well for "Everything Is Illumenated" that it's completely about the relationships with hardly any plot development to speak of other than on the Dexter front, but the episode turns out much better than it could have been.
First the bad: Angela and LaGuerta fighting again and kind of making up. It's a plot that has no upside or value, but the writers decide to plow through with the two of them still married. Seeing Quinn with a girl as part of an undercover operation, Deb declares her feelings for Quinn and he reciprocates. Yawn.
Dexter and Lumen were hit-and-miss, and I'm a bit worried how they'll proceed. The combination of bad lines and Julia Stiles's overly enthusiastic acting made the initial scene at the marina cringe-worthy, as Lumen continued to pepper absurd questions while Dexter tried to ignore her. Instead of seeming charming or funny, Lumen seemed more goofy and annoying. She's been mopey all the time, but this had to be the worst possible time for her to not to be silent and teary.
Lumen finally starts acting like she has been, violent and agitated, before the guy calls his buddy about Lumen and is killed by Dexter. But the episode takes humorous turn when Dexter puts the body he originally had with the Lumen's body which Masuka chalks up to some wild sexual thing.
The final scene is very good and Julia Stiles redeems herself. While she does seem like an undue burden, Dexter finds a kindred spirit in her. She, too, has a dark passenger and like Dexter has a need to get revenge on those who harmed her, and recruits Dexter to her cause. This solves Dexter's problems of finding people to kill, but it also forms a stronger link between the two and thus another avenue for Dexter to be caught. Well, as long as Dexter is still around, the show will survive, despite the uselessness of the other characters.
We're halfway into the season and things haven't picked up much. The Santa Muerte stuff is uninteresting, Peter Weller's character has yet to do anything other than say a few irrelevant lines. At least Dexter has a clear goal of killing for Lumen.
Score: 8.4/10
First the bad: Angela and LaGuerta fighting again and kind of making up. It's a plot that has no upside or value, but the writers decide to plow through with the two of them still married. Seeing Quinn with a girl as part of an undercover operation, Deb declares her feelings for Quinn and he reciprocates. Yawn.
Dexter and Lumen were hit-and-miss, and I'm a bit worried how they'll proceed. The combination of bad lines and Julia Stiles's overly enthusiastic acting made the initial scene at the marina cringe-worthy, as Lumen continued to pepper absurd questions while Dexter tried to ignore her. Instead of seeming charming or funny, Lumen seemed more goofy and annoying. She's been mopey all the time, but this had to be the worst possible time for her to not to be silent and teary.
Lumen finally starts acting like she has been, violent and agitated, before the guy calls his buddy about Lumen and is killed by Dexter. But the episode takes humorous turn when Dexter puts the body he originally had with the Lumen's body which Masuka chalks up to some wild sexual thing.
The final scene is very good and Julia Stiles redeems herself. While she does seem like an undue burden, Dexter finds a kindred spirit in her. She, too, has a dark passenger and like Dexter has a need to get revenge on those who harmed her, and recruits Dexter to her cause. This solves Dexter's problems of finding people to kill, but it also forms a stronger link between the two and thus another avenue for Dexter to be caught. Well, as long as Dexter is still around, the show will survive, despite the uselessness of the other characters.
We're halfway into the season and things haven't picked up much. The Santa Muerte stuff is uninteresting, Peter Weller's character has yet to do anything other than say a few irrelevant lines. At least Dexter has a clear goal of killing for Lumen.
Score: 8.4/10
Monday, October 25, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 5 First Blood
For the longest time, I haven't been impressed by Dexter when everything is amped up and Dexter is running around the place. Even the Trinity Killer last season never got too much out of me. I mostly watch the scenes with indifference, knowing Dexter will get away in the end.
"First Blood" has few of those moments, but delivers on what draws me to the show--Dexter and his mind. To me, exploration into Dexter as a character is far better than the actually killings. Dexter must handle two potential killers, Lumen and Harrison. In both cases, he realizes they should not go down the path he did and tries to get Lumen out of town, first preventing her from killing the wrong person and then giving her a plane ticket to leave. There's something calming about Dexter trying to turn someone away from the life of murder, but despite that, Lumen is still in Miami at the end of the episode. As for Harrison, it's stupid to believe he could be exhibiting signs of a serial killer at 8.
I'm repeating myself, but as always I don't care about LaGuerta and Angel's marital problems or the intersection of Quinn's buddy, played by Peter Weller, with LaGuerta and Dexter. They just aren't well-developed characters and their storylines don't have anything close to what Dexter's doing or even the Santa Muerte stuff.
Score: 8.7/10
"First Blood" has few of those moments, but delivers on what draws me to the show--Dexter and his mind. To me, exploration into Dexter as a character is far better than the actually killings. Dexter must handle two potential killers, Lumen and Harrison. In both cases, he realizes they should not go down the path he did and tries to get Lumen out of town, first preventing her from killing the wrong person and then giving her a plane ticket to leave. There's something calming about Dexter trying to turn someone away from the life of murder, but despite that, Lumen is still in Miami at the end of the episode. As for Harrison, it's stupid to believe he could be exhibiting signs of a serial killer at 8.
I'm repeating myself, but as always I don't care about LaGuerta and Angel's marital problems or the intersection of Quinn's buddy, played by Peter Weller, with LaGuerta and Dexter. They just aren't well-developed characters and their storylines don't have anything close to what Dexter's doing or even the Santa Muerte stuff.
Score: 8.7/10
Monday, October 18, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 4 Beauty and the Beast
The arrival of Lumen last week gave Dexter a huge problem. She's an innocent, abused beyond belief, but also saw Dexter's deed. "Beauty and the Beast" works extremely well, building off that. While Harry tries to convince Dexter to kill her, Dexter relates Lumen to Rita, knowing they were both innocent people caught in the crossfire. He goes far beyond his call of duty to make Lumen feel safe, and despite her trying to escape several times, they come to an amicable relationship. I'm definitely looking forward to see how this progresses.
Then there's everything not related to Dexter which belongs on another show. Batista apologizes to the guy he beats up, but the IA investigator won't let things drop and implies to LaGuerta that he wants a blowjob. Come on... Deb loses the Santa Muerte killer and feels bad for herself, so she goes to Quinn. How do these things get into the show?
And Quinn adamantly refuses to give the guy Dexter's photo because it's a sensitive matter, opting to find the safe house himself and then gets caught, resulting in his suspension? Really?
For the most part, I try to avoid factoring in the various police subplots when I review Dexter. They're absolutely horrible and have no place on the show. Somehow, year after year, the writers continue down this path, trying to give the other characters something interesting. The result is almost embarassing.
Score: 8.4/10
Then there's everything not related to Dexter which belongs on another show. Batista apologizes to the guy he beats up, but the IA investigator won't let things drop and implies to LaGuerta that he wants a blowjob. Come on... Deb loses the Santa Muerte killer and feels bad for herself, so she goes to Quinn. How do these things get into the show?
And Quinn adamantly refuses to give the guy Dexter's photo because it's a sensitive matter, opting to find the safe house himself and then gets caught, resulting in his suspension? Really?
For the most part, I try to avoid factoring in the various police subplots when I review Dexter. They're absolutely horrible and have no place on the show. Somehow, year after year, the writers continue down this path, trying to give the other characters something interesting. The result is almost embarassing.
Score: 8.4/10
Monday, October 11, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 3 Practically Perfect
Dexter is a show of constant teases which end up having little relevance. Massive situations with huge implications are built up, Dexter is trapped into corners, and then he escapes with no consequences. The nanny stuff in "Practically Perfect" is the worst offender. Because both the nanny and Harrison are gone, Dexter--and the audience--is led to believe the baby has been kidnapped. But would the writers really do that? Absolutely not. It's an artificial moment everyone knows will end with the baby safe. If the baby were to be kidnapped halfway through the episode, the rest of the season would radically go in a different direction (and be like Sons of Anarchy). And we know Dexter is a show that gravitates to the status quo, the pattern of Dexter killing and police investigations, so the baby will stay safe.
The majority of the episode builds up future conflicts--another severed head, the investigation into Angel, Quinn moving forward--before Dexter kills the animal guy and makes a shocking discovery, a woman (Julia Stiles) locked up in the back. To make matters worse, she saw everything he did.
Score: 8.3/10
The majority of the episode builds up future conflicts--another severed head, the investigation into Angel, Quinn moving forward--before Dexter kills the animal guy and makes a shocking discovery, a woman (Julia Stiles) locked up in the back. To make matters worse, she saw everything he did.
Score: 8.3/10
Monday, October 4, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 2 Hello, Bandit
With Dexter, you can't expect too much. Last week's season premiere really pushed the limit of how close Dexter could get to the edge, and "Hello, Bandit" does not capitalize of those moments, instead holding back and staying in a comfortable zone.
This week, Dexter tracks a killer, which creates the only exciting moment of the episode, and has to let go of Astor and Cody, which rings some kind of feeling out of him. He doesn't want to let go of them, but if Astor refuses to stay, there's not much he can do.
It looks like Quinn is Doakes 2.0. He's already not a fan of Dexter and those sketches of Kyle Butler are awfully familiar. Ah, well it would be Dexter to reuse a plot. Also stupid, Quinn getting Deb to admit they had sex. And speaking of Deb, she's now after
Angel and LaGuerta were back to their usual thing, arguing and being boring. This time, it's over LaGuerta's hefty retirement fund. And Angel punches some guy out at the bar. I wish all they would do is not talk to each other and just work, leaving Dexter to be the only important part of the episode.
Score: 8.5/10
This week, Dexter tracks a killer, which creates the only exciting moment of the episode, and has to let go of Astor and Cody, which rings some kind of feeling out of him. He doesn't want to let go of them, but if Astor refuses to stay, there's not much he can do.
It looks like Quinn is Doakes 2.0. He's already not a fan of Dexter and those sketches of Kyle Butler are awfully familiar. Ah, well it would be Dexter to reuse a plot. Also stupid, Quinn getting Deb to admit they had sex. And speaking of Deb, she's now after
Angel and LaGuerta were back to their usual thing, arguing and being boring. This time, it's over LaGuerta's hefty retirement fund. And Angel punches some guy out at the bar. I wish all they would do is not talk to each other and just work, leaving Dexter to be the only important part of the episode.
Score: 8.5/10
Monday, September 27, 2010
Review - Dexter Season 5 Episode 1 My Bad
To preface this review, I'm not a huge fan of Dexter. I haven't been genuinely impressed with the show since the second season. I liked Trinity, Dexter, and the final twist last season, but rest of the show is terrible at times. And even the big twists don't get much out of me. Lots of people love Dexter; I'm not one of them.
"My Bad" delivers on Rita's death with surprising gumption. There's no outside serial killers (by now, Miami must be oversaturated with them), no outside force driving the story. It's all about Dexter and how he deals with her death in a very dark episode. At one point, Dexter decides to run, and for a moment, I really thought this would be the season where everything blows up. But no, Dexter returns to once again continue hiding his true self.
Looking forward, Dexter doesn't have the typical serial killer hunt to carry the season. Will the writers be able to use Dexter effectively for the entire season?
Score: 9.3/10
"My Bad" delivers on Rita's death with surprising gumption. There's no outside serial killers (by now, Miami must be oversaturated with them), no outside force driving the story. It's all about Dexter and how he deals with her death in a very dark episode. At one point, Dexter decides to run, and for a moment, I really thought this would be the season where everything blows up. But no, Dexter returns to once again continue hiding his true self.
Looking forward, Dexter doesn't have the typical serial killer hunt to carry the season. Will the writers be able to use Dexter effectively for the entire season?
Score: 9.3/10
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Preview of Week 9/26/10 - 10/2/10
Dexter - Showtime, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Ever since the third season, I've been pretty bored with Dexter. Dexter is a fascinating character, but the rest of the characters, with Deb as a small exception, are poorly developed and get a fair amount of screen time. And even the twists within each episode don't do much for me. Still, the huge twist at the end of the fourth season and a change in showrunner might just be enough to lure to back.
Boardwalk Empire - HBO, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Boardwalk Empire opened huge for HBO and was quickly renewed by a second season, so hold on--the ride is just beginning.
No Ordinary Family - ABC, Tuesday, September 28, 8:00pm ET
It's cool seeing Michael Chiklis as a good guy, but the superpowers and family drama are ordinary. Seriously, marital problems, guy problems, super strength, super speed, hearing thoughts, and super intelligence aren't supposed to be ordinary? Come on!
Stargate Universe - Syfy, Tuesday, September 28, 9:00pm ET
The show I love to hate is back. Watching SGU is very frustrating. If you look at the scores I gave the show last season (and my scale has since changed to make all scores slightly lower), they weren't all bad. In fact, there were only a couple bad, bad episodes. The good stuff in each episode is overshadowed by some of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, September 28, 10:00pm ET
Last season's best new drama is back. Continuing from last season's cliffhanger, Alicia will decide between Will and Peter (although I'm guessing the matter will be unresolved).
Law & Order: Los Angeles - NBC, Wednesday, September 29, 10:00pm ET
Prepare for the onslaught of murdered starlets.
Human Target - Fox, Friday, October 1, 8:00pm ET
Human Target started with a mountain of promise and the ratings were pretty good with a few AI lead ins. But then each episode was pretty much the same, a slight variation of a theme, and the ratings dropped, including my opinion of the show. Hopefully, things will be fine this season.
Ever since the third season, I've been pretty bored with Dexter. Dexter is a fascinating character, but the rest of the characters, with Deb as a small exception, are poorly developed and get a fair amount of screen time. And even the twists within each episode don't do much for me. Still, the huge twist at the end of the fourth season and a change in showrunner might just be enough to lure to back.
Boardwalk Empire - HBO, Sunday, September 26, 9:00pm ET
Boardwalk Empire opened huge for HBO and was quickly renewed by a second season, so hold on--the ride is just beginning.
No Ordinary Family - ABC, Tuesday, September 28, 8:00pm ET
It's cool seeing Michael Chiklis as a good guy, but the superpowers and family drama are ordinary. Seriously, marital problems, guy problems, super strength, super speed, hearing thoughts, and super intelligence aren't supposed to be ordinary? Come on!
Stargate Universe - Syfy, Tuesday, September 28, 9:00pm ET
The show I love to hate is back. Watching SGU is very frustrating. If you look at the scores I gave the show last season (and my scale has since changed to make all scores slightly lower), they weren't all bad. In fact, there were only a couple bad, bad episodes. The good stuff in each episode is overshadowed by some of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, September 28, 10:00pm ET
Last season's best new drama is back. Continuing from last season's cliffhanger, Alicia will decide between Will and Peter (although I'm guessing the matter will be unresolved).
Law & Order: Los Angeles - NBC, Wednesday, September 29, 10:00pm ET
Prepare for the onslaught of murdered starlets.
Human Target - Fox, Friday, October 1, 8:00pm ET
Human Target started with a mountain of promise and the ratings were pretty good with a few AI lead ins. But then each episode was pretty much the same, a slight variation of a theme, and the ratings dropped, including my opinion of the show. Hopefully, things will be fine this season.
