Dexter season 3 episode 9 review

This season of Dexter is moving into a critical phase for both of its major plots. Dexter’s relationship with Miguel moved up an entire notch last week when he participated in a killing. What makes Dexter even more nervous is that Miguel then went missing for most of the night, and Ellen Wolf appears to have disappeared also. A coincidence? Unlikely.

What’s kept Dexter free all these years is his lack of emotional connection, a virtue Miguel doesn’t have. If Dexter looks increasingly nervous here, it’s with some justification. Miguel might share his interest, but he doesn’t have the same survival instincts or self control.

The other key storyline that’s reaching a climax is the skinner case. They’ve already interviewed the man, a tree trimmer. They need to find him, and get him to give up the location of Anton before he dies of the skinning injuries that have already been caused to him.

About Last Night  thus starts with Miguel’s wife turning up at the Morgan household to ask where Miguel was last night. She’s convinced that he’s having an affair. Dexter unwittingly puts Miguel deeper in trouble by saying what time he came home, which was a long time before Miguel.

Dexter goes over to see Miguel before work and warn him, and solicits what he concludes is a lie about where he went after they separated.

Meanwhile, Anton is tied to a chair, a guest of the tree and person trimmer, George King, a man with a dark past in the jungle of Nicaragua. Evidence at Anton’s apartment is starting to freak out Debra, who is starting to wear her heart on her sleeve for this particular victim.

She and Joey catch up with George, and bring him in for questioning. Dexter can tell he’s a killer, but finds it’s difficult to say why directly to Debra. But he’s got other things on his mind, like where’s Ellen Wolf?

Dexter needs to know now! He heads over to her office. Her car is still there…and he find’s trace evidence of blood…. Has Miguel being freelancing?

Back at Metro Police HQ, can Debra and Joey break George and find Anton?

Dexter goes to a cemetery, the same one where he showed Miguel how to hide a body in the bottom of a fresh grave, and finds the body of Ellen Wolf. Dexter heads directly to see Miguel at lunch, for a difficult conversation…. They have entirely different agendas; Dexter needs to teach him a stark lesson. Dexter heads back to the grave! And not soon after that, the body of Ellen Wolf is found. Dexter attends the discovery, as do Angel Batista, Vince Masuka and close friend, Maria Laguerta. So does Miguel, to be taken to one side by Dexter for his lesson in humility. But has Miguel learned this lesson? I get the distinct feeling that the second time Miguel breaks Dexter’s trust, the result might be less theatrical, and more permanent.

And then the chameleon nature of Miguel is revealed in a conversation with Rita, where she recounts to Dexter his words when confronted by her over ‘the affair’. They’re the same words of comfort he used with Dexter, and now he’s really worried about how allowing this connection to develop might end. Dexter’s mind races to the shirt that Miguel gave him with Freebo’s blood on it, to establish trust. Whose blood is actually on this shirt, and whose shirt is it?

Dexter tests it and….the story moves to George who’s been released. But Debra uses a clever trick to find George’s secret location and they find Anton.

The blood…it’s sort of crucial it’s Freebo’s. Because otherwise Dexter’s been entirely duped into revealing his true nature! Shame it’s not even human.

Dexter goes nuts…in his mind. On the surface he’s a buddy, but inside he’s ready to kill for real!

This story sent a shiver down my spine. It was so well written, and brilliantly played. I predicted early on that Miguel’s character wouldn’t survive the season, but I’m not sure he’ll even make the final episode now.

The best Dexter season yet, I can’t wait for episode 10.

Read our review of the previous episode here.