Writer: Scott Buck
Director: John Dahl
Cast: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Julie Benz (Rita), James Remar (Harry), C.S Lee (Masuka), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra), Jimmy Smits (Miguel Prado), Lauren Velez (LaGuerta), David Zayas (Angel), Desmond Harrington (Joey Quinn), David Ramsey (Anton), Preston Bailey (Cody) & Christina Robinson (Astor)
Director: John Dahl
Cast: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Julie Benz (Rita), James Remar (Harry), C.S Lee (Masuka), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra), Jimmy Smits (Miguel Prado), Lauren Velez (LaGuerta), David Zayas (Angel), Desmond Harrington (Joey Quinn), David Ramsey (Anton), Preston Bailey (Cody) & Christina Robinson (Astor)
"A baby?! A motherfuckin', rolly-polly, chubby-cheekedshit machine -- are you kidding me?!"
-- Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter)
Dexter has always had a dark sense of humour coursing through its veins, and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is definitely the funniest episode in ages; eliciting giggles from Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) dependably dry voiceover and the juxtaposition of a cold-blooded killer attending a yoga class with his pregnant girlfriend (Julie Benz)…
While season 3 has lacked an obvious hook, things appear to be headed into fascinating areas, finally. Having killed Freebo and been caught with blood on his hands by Oscar's brother Miguel (Jimmy Smits), Dexter finds he now has an unwanted friend and ally in the city's Assistant District Attorney. Of course, Miguel is unaware that Dexter only killed Freebo to prevent his implication as the real murderer of Miguel's brother, Oscar…
The uneasy alliance between Dexter and Miguel is this episode's most successful element, with Smits giving a riveting performance that keeps you on edge. Does Miguel have a similar flexibility to justice as Dex? Or is he cleverly manipulating Dexter for some reason? In some ways Miguel's a male version of season 2's Lila; a potential companion who appears to intuitively understand Dexter's moods. But will Dex make the same mistake of allowing Miguel to get too close? He already told Miguel private information about how his father was "disgusted" by him. Or will the adage "once bitten, twice shy" hold true? Undoubtedly, this storyline is getting juicy and I'm interested to find out more about Miguel's mental state.
Also of interest is the undercurrent of Dex becoming a father, which creates the theme of this episode. Dex is still unsure about committing to fatherhood -- a misgiving he admits to his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), who gives him the inevitable verbal slapping for his selfish attitude. The episode also cements Dex's affection for young Cody (Preston Bailey) and Astor (Christina Robinson), who become the unwitting targets of a paedophile at the grocery store, and later the beach…
Despite the fact someone on the sex offender's register is outside of "Harry's Code", Dexter finds himself altering his ethics where his family are concerned. While this subplot was a bit thin and clichéd in its handling of paedophilia, I enjoyed seeing Dex stretch his moral boundaries, and the allegory to Dex as a lion prowling the savanna, protecting his cubs, worked very nicely throughout.
Elsewhere, the only storyline of note was Debra growing closer to her informant Anton (David Ramsey), as a thorny romance starts to blossom between the guitarist and foul-mouthed cop. Anton's public serenading of Debra with a love song he'd written about her ("puta flaca mala", or "mean skinny bitch") was another amusing moment, although I'm slightly disappointed that every overarching story for Debra has revolved around her love life. That said, Carpenter's performances have improved considerably in the past few years, and she's now one of the few supporting regulars who can hold a scene.
The ongoing police investigation into the Prado murder continues in the background, with Dex manipulating his colleagues down certain avenues. Miguel just wants the case to end now (knowing that his brother's killer has been dealt with), but Dex comes to realize that Freebo couldn't have killed his girlfriend Teegan. So, there must be another serial-killer out there. I'm pleased to see this direction being taken, as the show could do with a mysterious antagonist to push the story along. Unlike previous seasons, there isn't a big high-concept idea fuelling the season -- it's more fragmented and being delivered piecemeal. Which is fine. But you still need a spine to hang everything off, and I don't think the Miguel/Dexter collusion is up to the task.
Overall, this episode (directed by The Last Seduction's John Dahl) renewed my hope for the season. Maybe I've just adjusted to the new style, but it helps that there are some compelling ideas in play now, and I'm really enjoying Jimmy Smits' performance.
12 October 2008
Showtime, 9/8c
