Friday, July 26, 2013

My Review of Dexter's 8x04: "Scar Tissue"



Written by Tim Schlattmann
Directed by Stefan Schwartz

Deb (to Dexter, re Harry): “I think I know how he felt when he killed himself but he only got it half right.”

Well, it had to happen, didn’t it? Of course with the way Deb has been spiralling and unable to deal with her guilt over LaGuerta’s death would she do something extreme. The strange thing was that although trying to drown her and Dexter in the car was shocking, it wasn’t surprising.

In fact, what’s probably more surprising was that it took her to watch the wrong DVD from Vogel’s sessions with Harry in order to prompt her into doing such an extreme action. I’m actually glad though the end of the episode resulted in both Deb and Dexter being spared but that rift between them has certainly widened all the more.

Dexter went to lengths in this episode to prove that his caring for Dexter wasn’t just because he needed her to see the good in him and Vogel spent a good portion of the episode trying to tear it down. I don’t like that Vogel seems a little hell bent on separating Dexter and Deb from each other but her scenes with both of them this week were definitely the highlights of the episode.

With Deb, it was nice/bizarre that Vogel took her to the shipping crate twice where Maria was murdered in order to ‘help’ Deb. Deb admitting that she originally dreamed of shooting Dexter was a good foreshadowing moment for the ending of the episode but the second time, Vogel convinced her that she was right to protect her brother after all. It’s just too bad that the combination of the wrong DVD and Elway’s rant about family got in the way of that.

As for Dexter himself – he turned on Vogel here but only after learning that she was keeping notes on him with their recent encounters. Dexter had a right to be annoyed with Vogel for that but why was he shocked though? She’s still kept her recorded sessions with Harry, so if anything Dexter should’ve seen this coming as well.

Also his promise of breaking away from Vogel probably won’t last long either given that Dexter messed up with catching AJ Yates as well. I don’t know what possessed Dexter to show off the way he did at the hospital but aside from the episode making comparisons with Dexter and Yates, I’m still not sure if he’s the Brain Surgeon. The episode seemed to indicate that he might be though.

The other thing episode indicated more vocally though was the fact that Vogel has a thing for grooming/mentoring serial killers into ‘heroes’. Yates seemed to be a failed attempt judging by his reaction to learning about Dexter and the latter is someone that Vogel has only just about managed to keep her under her control but for how much longer though? I think one more false move and Vogel will end up regretting getting on Dexter’s bad side.

Also in “Scar Tissue”

Yates was played by Aaron McCusker, who UK viewers will recognise as Jamie Maguire from the original version of Shameless.

Vogel: “When you shot Dexter, how did that make you feel?”
Deb: “Better. Worse. I don’t fucking know.”

Jamie and Quinn are still having problems in their relationship over Deb. I really care though I did like Quinn defending Deb’s honour and his scene with her this week. However Dexter did seem keen on Jamie’s friend, Cassie in this one.

Dexter: “When I do what I do, I have to know everything.”
Vogel: “Sorry for the oversight.”

Yates (re Dexter): “Vogel, she found herself a hero.”

In this episode alone, Masuka found out that he had a daughter named Nikki. I think we could’ve done without him trying it on with her though.

Deb: “How do I make it right?”
Vogel: “By accepting that you’re a good person who was forced to do a terrible thing and that you made the best of an impossible situation.”

Dexter (to Vogel): “You were experimenting on me with Harry and you still are. I’m nothing but a lab rat, just like Yates.”

Chronology: It’s been a week since the events of the previous episode.

“Scar Tissue” is a pretty solid episode, though I think the ending was more impacting along with any scene involving Dexter, Deb and Vogel. The rest at this point still feels like padding, especially with the tedium of Angel and the sergeant exam but overall, still a great episode.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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