DEXTER 2.11 – "Left Turn Ahead"

Writers: Scott Buck & Tim Schlattmann
Director: Marcos Siega

Cast: Julie Benz (Rita Bennett), David Zayas (Angel Batista), Erik King (Sgt. Doakes), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan), Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan), C.S. Lee (Vince Masuka), Christina Robinson (Astor), Preston Bailey (Cody), Jaime Murray (Lila Tournay), Keith Carradine (Special Agent Frank Lundy), Jonathan Banks (FBI Deputy Director Max Adams), Geoff Pierson (Captain Matthews), Mary Ostrow (Marlene), Wilmer Calderon (Teo), Peter Macon (Leonis), Cedric Duplechain (Peters), Alistair Tober (Borelli) & Gilbert Saldivar (Esteban)

Dexter debates turning himself into the authorities, Doakes escapes, Angel is arrested for date-rape, and Debra investigates Lila...

"For so long my boat has been a tool of my dark trade: a graveyard transport. I'd almost forgotten it can double as a pleasure craft."

-- Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall)

The penultimate episode finds Dexter (Michael C. Hall) struggling with his inner demons, now he knows his adopted father committed suicide because he couldn't handle the guilt of channeling Dex's bloodlust into vigilantism.

An imprisoned Sgt Doakes (Erik King) is trying desperately to appeal to his captors' sense of morality, by lending an understanding ear to Dex's anger and self-loathing, and suggesting the only way out is to give himself up...

Elsewhere, Lila (Jaime Murray) is rushed to hospital after framing Angel (David Zayas) with date-rape, with the doctors discovering rohypnol in her system and calling her emergency contact: Dexter. Now we're late in the game, it's disappointing to see Lila's storyline continue into such conventional territory, as it was far more intriguing when she was enigmatic and a possible confidant for Dexter's dark desires.

But the Lila situation at least allows David Zayas the opportunity for a few good scenes that show Angel's nice-guy persona. The parallels between Lila and Dex (who are both framing innocent people to get what they want) also helps soften the irritation regarding Lila's treatment by the writers. A little scene between Dex and Angel, where Dex admits he'd like to actually be Angel, also works very well.

Quite oddly, Left Turn Ahead introduces a new character -- in the gruff shape of Deputy Director Max Adams (Jonathan Banks), who arrives to chew-out Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine), believing his investigation is becoming incompetent now that prime suspect Doakes has slipped through their fingers.

The decision to bring in a new character at the eleventh hour (literally) somehow makes me uneasy about Lundy's position in the series. Is his character about to become a season 2 casualty?

LaGuerta (Lauren Velez) is still adamant her old friend Doakes isn't the Bay Harbor Butcher, so takes a day-off to try and prove his innocence -- despite the fact the FBI have found Doakes' fingerprints on murder weapons dropped near a SCUBA diving school, by Dex. Incidentally, I always thought fingerprints wash off under water! Her mission takes her to Haiti, where she traces Doakes' movements and realizes he was trying to get the blood slide trophies analyzed by a lab, causing Lundy to rethink his position slightly.

But the real meat of the story is in the Dex/Doakes two-hander, with Michael C. Hall on fine form and Erik King similarly magnetic. Indeed, King has always been quite one-dimensional as Doakes, with his physical presence and dead-eyed stares the only arsenal in his acting range -- but in recent week's he's shown more growth and has undoubtedly put in his best work on the show.

Later, Doakes manages to escape from the remote cabin while Dex is away, and flees across the Everglades, before plot-convenience has him captured by some opportunist Latinos. It's not long before he's being used to help them ransack Jiminez's cabin for drugs. Fortunately, Dex arrives back and the captor/captive are forced to work together to stop the thieves.

The moment when Dex essentially saves Doakes' life is particularly good, as it stirs another ingredient into the pair's relationship. They begin to have an easier rapport, with Dexter even calling Doakes "James" for the first time, and appearing genuinely relieved to have had the chance to talk freely about who he is with someone. Adopted father Harry has been dead for years, and understanding psycho brother Rudy was killed soon after his identity was revealed, so you can imagine how thankful Dex is for someone to converse freely with.

Indeed, Dex comes to decide the only option available to him is confession... but now before he puts his house in order. In some interesting scenes, Dex makes Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) his beneficiary in a living will, tells Lila to drop the charges against Angel because he'll soon be gone, and takes Rita (Julie Benz) and her kids on a fishing trip in his boat.

With Dex living out his last day as a loving brother/boyfriend, Debra has been investigating Lila with the help of Lundy's FBI access. It appears that Lila Tournay has "no records", as her real identity is Lila West and her visa has long since expired. Debra takes great delight in threatening to have Lila arrested and exported unless she disappears of her own accord, and later returns home to tell Dex all about her big moment.

At the same time, Dex is trying to build up the confidence to tell his sister he's the real Bay Harbor Butcher (as he feels he owes her that, and an explanation, before things go crazy in the public eye). In one the series' funniest scenes, we see a humorous montage of Dex imagining the various ways Deb will take the news: astonishment, tears, whipping out her gun and shooting him in the forehead...

But, despite the fact a great chunk of the episode revolves around Dexter preparing to give himself up, it's never really in doubt that Dex will choose survival. We want a third season, after all! And it's Debra who inadvertently persuades her brother to "ride it out"—because, as Dex comes to understand... Debra believes in him, even if Harry didn't...

In a weak moment of plot contrivance, bunny boiler Lila breaks into Dex's car, steals his GPS system, and uses it to find Jiminez's cabin... which she cautiously approaches, Doakes yelling for help from inside...

Overall, Left Turn Ahead was a solid episode for the most part, although it's slightly disappointing when compared to the more intense run of episodes in season 1's climax. This is more about characterization and story maneuvering, although I'm sure fireworks will fly in next week's finale.

As usual, it's Michael C. Hall who shoulders most of the episode and you're always in capable hands, and Erik King should also be congratulated for rising to the acting challenge in recent weeks. I'm a little disappointed the Debra/Lundy subplot hasn't had more baring on the show, but it's at least remained consistent, which you can't say for Lila's treatment...

But I'm glad Lila's story has crashed into the main plot now, and she'll doubtless discover her ex-boyfriend is a serial-killer once Doakes begins to talk. Will she still consider Dex her soul mate after hearing what Doakes has to say? It's a testament to the show's slippery nature that I'm not sure -- as Lila could be crazy enough to find it a turn-on. Mind you, perhaps it's too much to ask that Lila and Doakes even survive season 2 now, as I think they're too much of a thorn in Dexter's side...

Left Turn Ahead is good stuff, if a little dumb in places and lacking the full-throttle thrills I expected, based on season 1's blistering climax. But this is still a compelling, intriguing and unpredictable preamble to next week's finale.


9 December 2007
Showtime, 9.30 pm