Showtime
(Season 3, Episode 5)
When explaining what this show’s about to someone who’d never heard of it before, do you feel compelled to start with “I know this is going to sound like a pretty sick and weird show, but … ?” No? Seems to happen to me every time.
Tonight was one of those episodes where, if someone I had just introduced to the show started here, they might think, “Well now I know why Keith told me it was pretty sick and weird.” But that’s not to take away from the episode for us fans, of course. To us this was classic bite your nails, holy crap time again.
I loved that the writers played with Dexter’s need for independence, some of the “classic” issues single men go through when marriage is close on the to-do list, and related them to how they’d interfere with his little hobby rather than with his manly freedom. The comment about “no children allowed” was great.
I’ve been saying all along that Dexter has been taking riskier and, quite frankly, stupider decisions for his choices of who, when and where of his victims. This episode was the epitome of Dexter blunders, right from the moment he raised an eyebrow of interest to Miguel’s “opportunity.”
I’m going to take back the theory that Ramon is the Skinner after seeing his reaction at the station during Masuka’s reveal during this episode. It’s pretty clear that Ramon either knows who’s responsible for the latest copycat kill, or he did it himself. So, if that’s the case, then Ramon is not the real Skinner and simply used this latest kill to get his ass into the investigation to track down his brother’s killer.
So now the question remains: who is the skinner, and why are they doing this? It’s definitely possible that we haven’t met the killer yet, just as it took some time to meet the Ice Truck Killer in season one. I guess it could be Quinn. Or Miguel, even? Also, is it the Skinner who was staking out Windell?
Miguel’s continual nurturing of Dexter to be his own personal vigilante was something likely everyone saw coming a long time ago. Obviously this isn’t going to end up anywhere good … for Miguel. This is the thing I sometimes have a problem with when it comes to guest stars. If they’re put in this sort of position in the show, you can bet money that things are not going to turn out well for them before the season’s over. And since Dexter was just signed for two more seasons, we all know Dexter Morgan is safe for a while. Although Dexter nurturing his Dark Passenger in prison might be a neat twist.
Lastly, if Miguel isn’t the Skinner, then I have to imagine he’d be sickened at the sight of one of Dexter’s conquests, just as much as Harry was long ago.
Masuka: “Your victim was smothered. That’s not opinion; that’s science. And science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14-inch strap-on.”
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Oct 26, 2008 @ 22:42 EST5EDT
Masuka’s story was the most interesting part to me. He has always been the competent, but gross talking tech. His storyline has emphasized that he is very competent but doesn’t know how he fits in (shades of Dex?).After this episode, Masuka knows that he IS accepted, even if the detectives don’t understand the science of his job. Just as Dexter has been learning that, contrary to Harry’s lessons, he CAN fit in and be accepted. Rita has accepted him as a human and a mate and a father to her children. Now Prado has accepted the part of him that is a killer.