While I do love it when "Dexter" picks up a plot line and lets it gathermomentum quickly, there's a big difference between how it was handledon "Dex Takes a Holiday," in which we learned why police Officer ZoeyKruger (Christina Cox) must die and enjoyed Dexter (Michael C. Hall) toying with this prey. Tonight'sepisode, in which Dexter killed a fashion photographer whose violent artallegedly spilled into real life, lacked the same edge. Possibly it'sbecause the whole "violent artist must be violent" plot line has beencovered before (I can think of a "Law & Order" episode, for instance, that followed this plot) and also because I can't imagine Dexter beingoffended by graphic photography and accepting that as evidence of evil. Eventhe character of John Farrow as a sarcastic, snobbish hard-partyingBrit seemed cliche. Of course in the end the true story was thatDexter killed Farrow and found out, via some actual detective work bythe police department, that he got the wrong man. I'm not sointerested in figuring out what Dexter will do next but learning whatmade him go off his game.
Perhaps it has something to do with Dexter disobeying Harry (James Remar) and goingout and actively finding a father figure in Arthur/Trinity. I wish the wholeepisode could be Dexter and Trinity -- Trinity brings something out ofDexter that we don't see that often, almost a playful violence (seethe way he wielded the chainsaw in the woods). I'm loving John Lithgowas Trinity, too -- he seems like he's having a lot of fun alternately playing Arthuras a man full of shame, violence and sometimes old-fashionedpeevishness. I'm sure Arthur, while glad not to have been killed by achainsaw, would agree that Dexter should have listened to his ownfather by now, too.
I'm looking forward to the final showdown between Quinn (Desmond Harrington) andDexter -- Quinn's been an obnoxious character since he debuted (someonein HR at the Miami Metro Police Department is a bad judge of character) butmoreover he just makes me miss Doakes (Erik King), who possessed a brand ofcoldness that even Dexter clearly delighted in and who wasn't justsome jerk.
Once again, an episode of "Dexter" can get one or two things done really well but leave you wanting more for the rest.
-- Claire Zulkey
Photo: Michael C. Hall, left, as Dexter Morgan and John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell. Credit: Randy Tepper / Showtime