My Review of Dexter's 6x09: "Get Gellar"

Written by Karen Campbell
Directed by Seith Mann

Dexter: “Gellar. He’s been dead all along. Did Travis act alone? Did Travis kill all those people?”

Oh crap – they actually went there. I was really, really hoping that Gellar was actually real and instead, he’s a dead man in a freezer and it’s been Travis who has been the Doomsday Killer all along. I suppose I should’ve seen this coming but I was really hoping that Gellar was alive.

Though it does explain how lifeless Edward James Olmos’s performances have been all this season – he’s been playing a figment of Travis’s imagination and in life; Gellar was hardly fun a minute. Travis must have been the student that made Gellar suffer for his beliefs. I do hope there’s a flashback in one of the last three episodes showing us how Gellar died.

Travis talked about Gellar being influential to him and it made sense that he killed him. He did manage to fool Dexter long enough in this episode with the goose chases the latter went on in order to find Gellar, including the one where Dexter was heralded as a false prophet. Now Dexter better hope there’s a way out before he winds up on Travis’s next tableau and fast.

Travis did manage to get in another kill this week with Trent Casey. The blood coming from the ceiling was a pretty nifty and gross thing to do to Miami Metro but it certainly had the desired effect in freaking Deb and her team out rather well. Still though, it’s nice to see that Deb made it her business to try and further track down the idiots who were commenting on Gellar’s doomsday blog as well.

It’s not the only bout of professionalism Deb undertook in this episode. She even went one better and reopened Jessica’s case in spite of Maria’s warnings. I’m glad this show decided to quickly reveal that Matthews was responsible for Jessica’s death but Deb better not suffer as a result of his incompetence, though I have a horrible feeling her professionalism could cost her being a lieutenant.

As for her meetings with the shrink – they really annoyed me this week. I don’t think Michelle was being that professional with some of the comments Deb made. Yes, Deb has made some bad romantic choices and maybe her dynamic with Dexter needed assessing but Michelle made it sound like everything was Deb’s fault. It certainly wasn’t Deb’s fault that her father largely ignored her after her mother’s death, that’s for sure.

Still, at least Deb is trying to tackle her problems and she did manage to make things up with Dexter (who rightfully apologised to her for the previous episode), so there’s a start. Personally though, I think the shrink was being far too harsh on Deb but maybe that’s my own bias for the character seeping out again.

Speaking of bias, yes, I’ve grown bored of both Angel and Quinn this season. Quinn needs to get over himself. Yes, he got jilted but being even more reckless than usual and taking cheap shots at Angel has become tiresome to watch. Even their fisticuffs was more fast forward worthy than actually being entertaining.

And then there’s Angel as well. I get that things have gone for him – another divorce, no promotion, etc but sticking his nose into his sister’s love life and scrapping with Quinn isn’t going to make things any better. It’s amazing that as these two seem to be losing the plot; Masuka is the mature one of the bunch.

Even though Masuka is probably one of the last few people I’d take dating advice from, the pointers he gave to Louis about Jamie seemed to be on the mark. I guess maybe Masuka is a lot smarter at times than he’s given credit for because his advice seemed to work well when it came to Louis and Jamie.

However the reveal of Louis owning the mannequin hand from the Ice Truck Killer is now worrying. I guess it was too much to ask that he’d be a normal computer geek. I wonder if the writers are setting something up for next season with Louis and that hand because it almost seems too late to have him strike out now. On the other hand, a fanatical Louis could be more interesting than the Doomsday stuff right about now.

Also in “Get Gellar”

Is it really that shocking that Dexter’s motives for trying to get rid of Travis’s dark passenger so he could be a better dad to Harrison? Probably not but it was never going to work.

Harry: “What’s this about Dexter?”
Dexter: “It’s what Brother Sam would’ve wanted.”
Harry: “Are you sure this is about Brother Sam?”
Dexter: “I know what I’m doing.”

I wonder if anyone of Brother Sam’s flock are going to report Nick being missing? Also for that matter, are we going to get an update on Clarissa as well?

Angel: “You look confused.”
Dexter: “Your sister ever say anything that absolutely makes no sense whatsoever?”
Angel: “All the time.”

Dexter: “I hate to root against my own team but I want a shot at Gellar first.”

Harrison was offering cookies to his playgroup in this episode. Maybe it’s Jamie’s influence but it’s a step up from scratching kids from last season.

Travis (re Casey’s death): “This is all my fault.”
Dexter (to himself): “Travis is proving to be my penance.”

Deb (to Michelle): “I’m not sure I believe in God but I’m pretty sure he hates me.”

Deb/Dexter’s relationship got compared to both chairs and tables with the latter being described as a chair. Chairs are mostly dependable, aren’t they?

Dexter: “Are we okay?”
Deb: “I have no idea if you are. I’m sure not but I’m working on it.”

Gellar (to Travis): “God has given you so many chances and you disappoint him time after time.”

Chronology: From where “Sins Of Omission” left off.

I was disappointed with “Get Gellar”. It should’ve been better, it should’ve shocking and game changing and while the season has improved, I hate to admit it but the Doomsday plot is actually rather boring. Travis is an even lamer villain than the Skinner and we all know he wasn’t an interesting character. Hopefully the final few episodes give the show a boost and up the ante.

Rating: 7 out of 10