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Dexter Review: “Make Your Own Kind Of Music” (Season 8, Episode 9)

For the past few seasons, I've been a little rough on Dexter. I'm sure I've come off like I hate the show more than once, but that couldn't be any further from the truth. I've loved this show since the first episode, almost like a father taking care of a particularly stupid child. And like this particularly stupid child, Dexter threw itself in front of traffic again and I just don't feel like pulling it back anymore.

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The most disappointing thing about the Brain Surgeon plot is that this type of villain has already been done. Remember in Season 1 how Brian left little gifts for Dexter to find? How he was a relative forgotten from the past who came back to wreak havoc? How he hooked up with Deb just to get closer to Dexter? Daniel is a rehash of a better, more exciting villain, making the lame reveal feel like a slap in the face to everyone who’s suffered through the past through weeks faithfully.

I’ve tried to avoid the comparison, but I can’t anymore. It really is a shame that Breaking Bad is ending its run at the same time Dexter is. The two are just about polar opposites when it comes to their approaches. The former exploded onto the scene, told a fantastic story, and is now bowing out because it’s written itself into a dark, shadowy corner. And that’s not a bad thing! Breaking Bad will finish its story and bow out on a high note. Dexter‘s story has been done since last season, and it could have been ended multiple times before that. Yet still it trudges on, like a zombie the writers refuse to kill because it’s their mom.

The greatest aspect of Dexter is that feeling that Dexter will never be safe and secure. He’s always at risk of being caught, and watching him deal with the problem used to be spellbinding. But at this point, so many people know his secret that it’s just a countdown until someone squeals. There’s no suspense because there’s no secret anymore.

I’ve never sighed, thrown up my arms and screamed “What?!” at my TV so many times in one night. By the end of the episode, I was about to lock up the first four seasons of Dexter in a vault to shield them from the mess that was coming. Everybody was guessing that Vogel was the villain, or at least involved, and they were right. Everybody thought Cassie’s boyfriend was shady, and they were right again. When the biggest twists of the season can be called weeks ahead of when they’re shown, that’s a bad sign for the show.

There are only three episodes left, so there’s still time for everything to come to a satisfying head, but all signs point to a disappointingly bland ending. For a show so obsessed with the darkness inside people, it’s hardly doing anything to explore that concept anymore. Let’s just hope that Dexter remembers what it used to be in time for a somewhat decent ending.

Notes from other plots:

  • Deb might be back on Miami Metro. Good for her, she’s my favorite of the season, so she deserves a happy ending more than anyone else. Also, Quinn kissed her, but no one cares about that either.
  • Masuka’s daughter is hanging around. Maybe she could be the actual real killer? Please?
  • Elway got the Marshals on the case, and they’ve already caught onto the fact that Dexter is super suspicious. Good, now catch him, please.
  • Hannah is now living with Deb. Cue the wacky sitcom theme song.