Dexter Review: “Scar Tissue” (Season 8, Episode 4)

One qualm I’ve always had with TV shows is that there is always a general lack of surprises. When the episodes per season are numbered, it can be easy to spot trick endings and twists coming from miles away. A few shows have been able to avoid this in the past, and Dexter has always been one of them. I like to think that since this is the final season, anything goes and everyone’s lives are up for grabs. But I was proven wrong with the ending of Scar Tissue.

Since I’m not a master filmmaker, let’s just start from the beginning. It’s been about a week since Deb attempted to confess to the murder of LaGuerta, and apparently she’s not angry at Dexter for drugging and then handcuffing her to her couch. In fact, she’s been living with Dr. Vogel and going through her own form of therapy, working towards coming to terms with what Dexter is. Vogel uses videos of her father’s sessions about Dexter to help her realize she wasn’t the only one going through this situation.

One of the better moments comes from within the shipping container where Deb killed LaGuerta. While there with Vogel, she relives the scenario, instead killing Dexter. Much of this episode is spent exploring Deb’s thoughts as she attempts to recover from the trauma Dexter put her through, and it’s done extremely well. This season has seen Deb flourish as a character, and seeing her swing through a spectrum of emotions is fantastic. She is no longer the one-dimensional tough girl she used to be, and seeing her sensitive side shine through sheds a ton of light on how Dexter’s secrets are taking their toll on her.

Meanwhile, Dexter has moved onto another one of Vogel’s patients, A.J. Yates, a creeper who kidnaps women and collects their shoes. Has anybody else noticed that every one of Vogel’s patients that Dexter tracks down is still a psycho? Her “unconventional” methods are apparently ineffective, because Dexter is the most normal of her patients, and he’s not even close to fitting into society.

Yates catches Dexter investigating his house and escapes before getting caught, adding a bit of excitement to the “Psycho of the Week” for this episode. It seems like a sure shot that Yates is the Brain Surgeon, but since it’s only four episodes in, who knows if this is our big baddie or not? This investigation brings to light the notes that Vogel is keeping on Dexter, killing any trust he still had. He claims that once the Brain Surgeon is done, so is he.

Is it smart for him to burn that bridge now that Deb relies on Vogel as well? And what about all of the secrets she knows? Not only has Dexter spilled his guts, but so has Harry and Deb, meaning the whole Morgan clan is resting squarely in Vogel’s hands. Plus, let’s not forget that only a week or so ago, Vogel was asking Dexter why he never killed Deb, making it seem like she sure wouldn’t mind pulling the trigger.

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