The Waiver Wire

Throughout the seventh season of Showtime’s Dexter, Vinny Ginardi will hand out his thoughts on each episode. Beware of spoilers.

After next week’s episode we will be halfway through this pleasantly different seventh season of Dexter. This fifth episode, entitled “Swim Deep”, felt almost like a transition episode. The first four episodes of this season focused almost entirely on Deb’s reaction to finding out that Dexter is a killer and how that affected her, Dexter, and mostly, their relationship with one another. On the side, we were also introduced to this season’s main antagonist (Isaak) and another character whose intentions are unclear (Hannah), while also watching other characters and their storylines get written off (Louis, Mike).

But this episode appears to be the end of the “Deb getting used to Dexter being a killer” era and the beginning of the main stories of the season. Deb’s now reached a point where she accepts Dexter for what he is, but no longer wants to be involved in protecting him. This feels like an appropriate narrative decision (even if lying to Angel being Deb’s final straw felt like a bit of a stretch). Another episode or two of Deb not knowing how to react would have dragged out the story and now Dexter will be able to roam more freely. And judging by what else he has going on, he’s going to need to bring his A-game. 

After discovering Isaak killed Louis, Dexter lured him into a bar to be killed by a few of his enemies. Unfortunately for Dexter, it didn’t work. Isaak killed all the men in the bar, making him an even more dangerous man than we first anticipated; one who isn’t afraid to the dirty work himself (in that respect this reminded me a little bit of this scene from Breaking Bad). Isaak ended up behind bars because his blood could be linked to the murders, but his storyline won’t be going away anytime soon. Isaak delivered a convincing speech in his final conversation with Dexter, assuring their cat and mouse game is anything but over. Ray Stevenson brings such a sense of calmness to the character that makes him that much more frightening.

Dexter also discovered that Hannah isn’t just an accomplice to murder, but a killer herself. Whether it’s because he’s attracted to her or because her being a killer has piqued his interest in some way (perhaps to be his next victim), Dexter decides not to turn her in (she does also have immunity). Hannah obviously also has interest in Dexter, but if it’s attraction or her next target (or both) is still unclear.

In addition, Dexter now needs to deal with the fact that LaGuerta is back on the trail of the Bay Harbor Butcher, and believes that the Butcher is someone in law enforcement. Please, oh please, let this end with LaGuerta on Dexter’s table. Please.

Needless to say, Dexter could be in danger in all directions (part of me also thinks Isaak’s boys could pay Quinn to tail him too). Maybe he will wish he still had Deb’s protection after all.