Foe Becomes ‘Bro Becomes Foe on ‘Dexter’

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

“Does this make it easier for you? Because I can go on …”

Miami: The City of Brotherly Love.

Are we still recovering from last night’s first season finale of Dexter?

So. Good.

Even the second time around (and since the Cold Case season finale was less than stellar and/or an outright bore, Dex rescued Sunday night for me).

I still remain amazingly impressed with how they managed to take all the twists and turns of each character’s development, round it out and set it up for the second season (which all PTR readers should now be required to either a) watch over on Sho.com or b) put in their Netflix que).

I like to think this finale gave us the man with the missing arm (or woman, literally).

The smoking gun.

The gunman on the grassy knoll.

The reveal of Rudy as Dex’s real, honest to goodness brother – abandoned in that nightmare of a chainsaw massacre when real-life mom’s drug deal went bad – was just so insanely clever and clicked everything into place (the idea both could actually be serial killers … eh, a bit of stretch, but whatever).

Dex picked up and saved by Harry.

Rudy left to fend for himself in a mental institution, then spend the next umpteen years planning an ever gruesome reunion.

One duty-bound by a code to co-exist in the regular world, albeit in a constant state of disguise; the other willing to forgo any sense of code to showcase a true identity and live in utter honesty with the one other person who would be able to accept him as-is.

Decisions, decisions.

Often, the question has been raised about Dexter’s morality. That is, he is a killer underneath it all, so how could he really be a good guy? Contrasted against Rudy’s rather self-absorbed mom-told-me-to-always-look-after-you-let’s-run-away-and-be-free-together-routine, well … it’s pretty clear Dex is incredibly moral, incredibly diligent about the handling of the condition from which he suffers, and he – most importantly – knows right from wrong.

Rudy, in contrast, does not. Even more cold-blooded and void of a moral code than Dex, all his warm-fuzzy-greatest guy in the world routine was just an act, a means to an ultimate selfish end.

And whilst one could make the argument Dex lives in a constant state of betrayal, he remains an integral part of so many people’s lives, and remains rather unselfish when it comes right down to it.

And yes, you can be a killer and a hero. It does work that way, Rudy.

So, aside from Rudy v. Dex … what wasn’t going on in this finale?

We have poor Deb. So desperate to fall in love. As irritated as I am with Lilly Rush’s inability to do the same, I definitely do not want her falling for a serial killer. Er, at least the bad kind since Dex has proven there is actually a good kind. Can we just say Amen to Jennifer Carpenter again? I was having a few Exorcism of Emily Rose flashbacks when she was tied up in the car screaming and/or sobbing uncontrollably … but hey, it’s all good.

Can we get another Amen for Rita (and Julie Benz)? She really came into her true sense of being, standing up to Paul, delivering on behalf of her kids.

“You broke my heart. You broke my bones, and I took it so those kids wouldn’t have to.”

Ok, I’m willing to overlook Paul suddenly working overtime to prove his innocence in being set-up by Dexter (which, ok, he was, but what goes around, comes around; it’s not like Paul doesn’t deserve to be where he is – even if had some help getting there).

Laguerta being demoted so that Captain Matthews could save his own job given the botched handling of this whole Icetruck Killer escapade (hey, we know stuff always rolls downhill, doesn’ it?). And yet, Laguerta actually was on her game in this finale – moving quick and swift to try and save ol’ Deb. It’s finally at this point this character does not get on my nerves.

Sgt. Doakes v. Dex: all I have to say is watch the second to see how that little tit-for-tat develops. Doakes was always on to Dex’s unusualness, and boy, that is never more true now. Erik King’s tougher than tough, unrelenting portrayal of Doakes is the one thing that makes it seem as if Dex doesn’t just get to have his cake and eat it, too. It’s the external balance to Dex’s own internal dialog of how he can survive, specifically amongst those who are trained to find him out.

Go Dex.

You can (and should) catch up on the second season of Dexter over on the show's official Web site on Sho.com. PTR will be bringing the third season of Dex to you when new episodes resume in the fall.