"Blinded By The Light" was quite an unusual episode, as a great deal of its time felt like a lighthearted version of the show, with Dex caught in the midst of a suburban crisis: a mystery vandal has been terrorizing the street, resulting in the creation of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme that could prove problematic for Dexter's own nighttime activities. Dex uses his forensic skills to link evidence (a spray can) to fingerprints lifted from a drinks can used by Astor's rebellious new friend, but his attempts to scare the offender into behaving is complicated when he's mistaken for the delinquent by his neighbours...There were some more pressing matters, thankfully. The Trinity Killer's (John Lithgow) modus operandi is revealed in greater detail, as his signature pattern of three kills each have different methods. We saw the first in the premiere (a naked bath with a victim who bleeds out from a thigh cut), and here the second is revealed as provoking a kidnapped woman into jumping out of a warehouse window (effectively staging a "suicide"). Lundy (Keith Carradine) and Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) are convinced the jumper is the second of Trinity's kills, particularly after they find an old case-file of an identical death years ago, which seems to prove their theory that Trinity's started to repeat his 30-year cycle. But without any hard evidence of a homicide, how do they proceed? Surely they can predict the third kill, if Lundy knows it will involve a man being bludgeoned to death?
Everything else in this episode wasn't particularly gripping: Angel (David Zayas) and LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) continue to give each other whispered compliments and sneaky kisses at work; "dirty cop" Quinn (Desmond Harrington) goes overboard trying to bribe Dex to keep him from revealing he stole cash from a crime scene; Deb's boyfriend Anton (David Ramsey) meets her ex (and is freaked by crime scene photos, suggesting that Deb has more common ground with Lundy); and Quinn's reporter girlfriend Christine (Courtney Ford) has apparently inherited Jaime Murray's contract when it comes to exposing breasts.
It was the suburban story that propped up this episode, and it was fortunately very entertaining, even if can be taken as evidence that Dex's character is still being softened. It's hard to imagine any of these neighbourhood scenes appearing in season 1, let's be honest. I know Dex has evolved and is becoming more "human" as a result of the connections he makes (marriage, adopting kids), but the smoothing of his edges is a worrying continuation of season 3.
I prefer being a little sickened by Dexter, or at least in total disagreement with his opinions -- like when he slips up and openly praises the Trinity Killer's longevity in front of Lundy, before adjusting his words. It was a very brief reminder that Dex doesn't see the Trinity Killer quite as we, the audience, see him. For Dex, Trinity isn't just a sicko to be stopped because he kills innocent people, but a folk hero to admire. This is ground already covered with season 1's Ice Truck Killer, but it's still a nice way to show Dexter's twisted nature.
It also occurred to me that Trinity is essentially a hybrid of Lundy and Dexter: like both, he's a lone wolf (a personality type Dex can't admit he shares with Lundy), of similar age to Lundy, with similar urges to Dexter. Was his psyhosis triggered by a tragic family death,,too? It's no wonder it'll take Lundy and Dexter to capture him. And is anyone else predicting that Rita (Julie Benz) will somehow cross Trinity's path, as a "mother of two", or that Lundy could end up being one of the men he likes to bludgeon?Overall, I had fun watching this episode and I'm enjoying the teasing way season 4 is developing, and none of the subplots are boring me as they usually threaten to. I spent half of season 3 waiting for the story to ignite, but this year the plot's already smoldering and promising to become a blaze. It's also interesting to see Dex try and cope with the unpredictable nature of teenagers, as Astor has become a far more complex and confusing person to deal with in her adolescence.
11 October 2009
Showtime, 9/8c
written by: Scott Buck directed by: Marcos Siega starring: Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan), Julie Benz (Rita Bennett), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan), Desmond Harrington (Det. Joey Quinn), C.S. Lee (Vince Masuka), Lauren Vélez (Lt. Maria Laguerta), David Zayas (Sgt. Angel Batista), James Remar (Det. Harry Morgan), Matthew R. Anderson (Neighborhood Watch), Preston Bailey (Cody), Matthew Fahey (Jesse), Courtney Ford (Christine Hill),John Lithgow (Arthur Mitchell), J.C. MacKenzie (Andy Brightman) & Marisa Petroro (Kate)
