Still trapped in the cabin, Doakes tries to convince Dexter to turn himself in. They start to form a rapport with one another, and Dexter takes the advice to heart. Hoping to "finally get some sleep," Dexter starts making plans to get his affairs in order before letting Doakes bring him in: he has Deb sign a living trust agreement, and even gives Rita the minivan.
Meanwhile, Lila has decided to go ahead with pressing charges on Angel for the "rape." Luckily, Deb decides to use Lundy's power in the Bureau to do some research on LMPMT to see if there's anything wrong with her. Turns out that Tournay isn't Lila's real last name, because Deb can't find anything on her. Angel brings a microwave that Lila used at his place in to the station, and from her fingerprints, Deb is able to ascertain that Lila West is in fact in the country on an expired visa. Deb goes to her loft to tell her to get the fuck out of town, lickety-split, making Lila angry, obviously.
While Dexter's running around taking care of stuff, Doakes breaks out of his cage at the cabin. He makes his way to a swamp, where two guys in a boat find him. Turns out Doakes is really shit out of luck, because the two guys are friends of Chris Harlow (whom Dexter chopped up last week), and they're looking for the cocaine cabin. They knock Doakes out and drag him back to where he started, but Dexter returns just in time. He makes eye contact with Doakes, and their unspoken bond helps them overcome the captors. It's pretty awesome, and I was hoping that the new friendship would result in some other unspoken possibilities (namely, Dexter letting Doakes go, and somehow everything working out), but no. Besides, Dexter's gone too far in framing Doakes for it to ever really work out, which adds an interesting dynamic. So, Dexter puts Doakes back in his newly reinforced cage, and they share a really great scene where Dexter tells him he's thinking of turning himself in. Dexter even got Doakes grapes.
LaGuerta goes to Haiti to investigate Doakes's trail, and she calls Lundy when she finds out that Doakes wanted the slides analyzed. Lundy finds it interesting, because why would Doakes want that?
As Dexter takes Rita and the kids out on the boat, Lila (who's been trailing them) goes to Dexter's car and snags his GPS. After Deb confronts her, she heads to an address in the Everglades that she's not familiar with (i.e. the cabin). I know: not cool.
Dex invites Deb over for some steaks and to tell her who he is and that he's turning himself in, but when Deb tells him that he's her rock, and she couldn't have gotten through the whole ITK debacle without him, his confidence is boosted and he decides to go through with his frame-up of Doakes and not follow through with turning himself in after all.
The episode ends with Lila arriving at the cabin, and Doakes wondering who the fuck this British chick could possibly be. Oh, man, what's gonna happen? Well, it's Lila and Doakes, so I see some flames and some "muthafucka"s in our not-so-distant future.
Previously: Doakes caught Dexter as he packed Jimenez's body into his boat in the Everglades. They struggled, and Dexter put Doakes in a cage in the cabin. Nobody puts Doakesy in the cage! Sorry. LaGuerta told Deb that not reporting Doakes's phone call to her was "worth the risk," but Lundy saw it differently, telling her she compromised her own integrity as an agent of the law, and that she couldn't be trusted. Go Lundy! Dexter and Rita started to patch things up. Lundy and Deb got into some silly beef over what's going to happen when the whole BHB mess is done with. Angel and Lila boned (roughly), and then she took a bunch of roofies to make it look like he raped her, which is severely uncool. Dex decided he'd frame Doakes really hard, so he put his fingerprints all over his knives when Doakes was passed out, and then planted them by a dock where he knew a diving class would find them. Dex also found out from Matthews that Harry actually committed suicide, a rather demoralizing discovery.
We're in the cabin on the same night we left off last episode, and Dexter VOs, "I always thought hardened arteries squeezed the life out of my father." Dexter starts taking down the plastic wrap he used for Chris Harlow's killing. "But it was me. Harry gazed into the eyes of his creation and saw evil, pure and simple. My evil. It killed him." "That shit about your father?" says Doakes. "You want to talk about it?" "About what? That my life is one tragic mistake?" Doakes tries to comfort Dexter by saying, "We've all thought about that at one time or another. I know I have." "Did you happen to be stuffing a human leg into a garbage bag at that point?" "You want to make a change, Morgan? Now's the time. All you gotta do is let me out of here. It's over, man." Dexter, not wanting to hear that, rushes the cage and yells, "It is over when I say it is!" It reminds of the pilot episode, when he yells, "Open your eyes and look at what you did!" Doakes tells him it's good for Dexter to let his anger out. Dexter says that since he's "flying without a code," he could "unleash the beast," and Doakes could suffer the consequences. "Morgan, you know that's not the answer." "But it would feel fucking great." "Yeah, but you would hate yourself for the rest of your life." Dexter lies down on the table, feeling defeated, and says that everything Harry taught him was bullshit: "But it's the only way I know how to live." "Turn yourself in," says Doakes quietly. "Rule number one: don't get caught." Doakes tries to talk reason into Dexter by telling him it's only a matter of time until he hurts someone close to him, like Rita or Deb or the kids, "not on purpose, but you can't control that shit that's growing inside of you. It's like a cancer, and in case you haven't noticed, it's spreading." He continues to implore Dexter to "take responsibility" for who he is: "We'll go to the station together. I'll help you." Dexter looks like he's actually taking the advice to heart, and the two men share a long look at each other. Dexter's phone rings, and despite Doakes's request that he not answer it, he takes the phone outside.
"Dexter Morgan," he answers. A Dr. Hill is on the other end, from Good Samaritan Hospital, and he's calling for Lila. "How did you get this number?" It seems Dexter is listed as her emergency contact. Oh, brother. This should be fun. "Ms. Tournay was rushed to our ER in respiratory arrest. Can you come to the hospital?" Dexter informs the good doctor that he's two hours away: "Call somebody else." "Mr. Morgan, there's a legal complication." "What kind of complication?" "I can't discuss it over the phone. You really need to be here." Oh, no! I hope Lila's okay! Not! I hate her! Dexter goes back inside to gather his things as Doakes asks where he's going. "Don't worry," replies Dex, "I'll send the FBI your way soon enough." "You're still going to try to frame me?" "Yeah, I'm kind of down a path, here. You'll get your chance to tell them I'm a killer, and they'll ignore you like before, and I'll --" "You'll burn in Hell is what you'll do." "Yeah, something like that." Dexter's outta there, and once Doakes is sure he's gone, he moves a couple boxes in his cage that have been covering what he's been working on: a hole that he's been kicking at to get free. He wraps a towel around his leg, and gets kickin'.
Over at the hospital, Dexter walks down the corridor in slow-motion and quickly flashes back to younger, wigged Deb, who's crying and walking down the same corridor. "He's gone, Dex. Dad's heart finally gave out." Back in the present, Dex VOs, "Harry's heart gave out when he saw what's inside me. He thought he could tame it, give it a purpose, help it find a place in the natural order. Guess he was wrong." Hmm, yeah, guess so. Whatever, Harry was a dick. Fuck that guy. Dexter rounds a corner, and finds Angel talking to a doctor. Angel sees Dexter and stands up, saying his name in disbelief. The doctor stops Angel from approaching Dexter, telling him he needs a minute alone. "Dr. Hill, we spoke on the phone regarding your girlfriend, Ms. Tournay." "She's not my girlfriend," says Dex. "Oh. I thought she said she was." "Yeah, she probably did." "So, you're --" "It's complicated. Look, why is Angel here?" The doctor explains that they found Rohypnol in Lila's system, and that "with the bruising and a wound to the back of her head, we may be looking at sexual assault." "No, no that didn't happen," says Dexter adamantly. Dr. Hill mentions that Lila has requested a rape kit. Fuck. "I need to talk to her," says Dexter, looking vexed.
In Lila's room, Dexter approaches her bed and she looks over at him. "Dextah," she whispers, "come to see me? So sweet." "The doctors think Angel raped you," he says bluntly. "Did he? It feels a bit fuzzy." "This is desperate. It won't work." "What are you talking about?" she bullshits. "I'm just glad you're here. I missed you so much." "And this is how you win me back? Framing a good man to get what you want." "Which is precisely what I'm doing to Doakes," he VOs. Heh, true, good point. Except, he's not exactly a "good" man, but I'll let it slide. I mean, he's a good character, but a good man? Lila reaches out and strokes Dexter's hand. "What's the mattah, Dextah? You look so sahd." Dexter pulls his hand away abruptly, giving her a serious hate face. "Don't do this." "I won't press charges against Angel, I'll do whatever you want, if you promise to take me back." "Why can't you just let me go?" "Because I'm your real soul-mate." Have I ever mentioned how much I hate that term, "soul-mate"? It makes me want to punch infants, or club seals. Put sugar in gas tanks. Fart on the pillows of strangers. I hate it! Sorry. "Not Rita, me. I see you inside. I'm the only one." "Look where it's gotten you," says Dexter right before he peaces out. Lila looks unamused, and a bit scary. Well, she's always a bit scary.
At some café, Dexter and Angel are finishing up a meal, talking about all this craziness. "You know that I could never do anything like that, right?" asks Angel. "You don't even have to say anything, Angel," says Dexter earnestly. "You warned me about her, but my dick wouldn't listen. I could lose everything over this. What would I say to my little girl?" Dexter mentions that the doctor said that Lila has seventy-two hours to press charges, and that hopefully she'll come to her senses. Angel looks pained, which David Zayas really plays well, what with his furrowed brow and whatnot. "I should get home and grab a few hours of sleep," says Dexter, motioning to pay the bill. "No, I got it," says Angel. "You know, Angel," says Dex, "if I got to choose a person, a real person, to be like? Out of anyone, it'd be you." Angel looks touched, but confused: "I'm not really sure what that means, but thanks, Dex. I'll see you in the morning." Aw, poor Angel! I don't say it enough, but he really is one of my favorite characters on this show. David Zayas plays him perfectly, this down-on-his-luck guy. He conveys so well Angel's optimism despite the mess his personal life has become. Before he leaves, Angel tells Dex he'd appreciate it if he didn't mention this whole situation to anyone at work, and Dexter agrees. "How did it come to this?" Dex VOs. "I've always gone after criminals, now I have the fate of two cops in my hands. Doakes was right; the cancer is spreading."
morning, Deb bitches that Lundy's out of yogurt. They small-talk about who's going to pick up more, and Lundy mentions that they're already late for work. "Hey, who joined who in the shower this morning?" asks Deb. "How about in the future I set the alarm ten minutes earlier?" "Make it twenty." Okay, that's enough, you two. "The future? I'm liking the sound of that," says Deb. Lundy's phone rings with a text message, and he says, "We're being ordered to work." "Fuck that! You're the head of the task force, you do the ordering!" Deb then gets the same text message. "Who's D. D. Adams?" she asks. "My boss." Duhn-duhn-duuuuuhn!
"Mission accomplished," Dex VOs, looking down at a set of knives that looks familiar. "The weapons I tossed into the ocean were found as planned. One more nail in Doakes's coffin." Matthews tells everybody to listen up, and he introduces Deputy Director Max Adams, Lundy's boss. "He's gonna be helping us out for a while." Lundy enters with Deb and gives Adams a look. "Max." "Frank." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." Just kidding. Max takes the helm, and addresses everyone in the room: "The murder weapons before you were recovered yesterday by a beginning scuba-diving class. The instructor contacted the FBI directly, which brought them to my attention. Fingerprint analysis ties them to one James Doakes." Maria bitches to Matthews about how the knives don't prove anything, and he tells her to bring it up later. "Why wasn't I brought in on this?" asks Lundy. "You just were, Frank." Oh, damn! Burn! "Lundy better watch his back," Angel whispers to Deb. Adams shows some footage from a Mobil station just outside of Naples, and we can Doakes filling up his rental car. "Ladies and gentlemen, Sergeant James Doakes." "Can't believe it," whispers Masuka to Dex. "$3.49 for regular?" God, shut up, Masuka. You used to be funny and quirky, but now you're just an afterthought. Shut your cake-hole. "So, we have let our target get away once," continues Adams smarmily. "Let's not drop the ball again." "Asshole," whispers Deb under her breath. "It won't be long, now," Dex VOs as Adams lays out the plan. "I can hang this on Doakes, and then...then what? Years of trials and appeals with him pointing his finger and calling me killer? For such a neat monster, I'm making an awfully big mess." What're you thinking, Dex? Don't tell me you're actually entertaining the notion of bringing yourself in! That's not like you. What about "rule number one"?
Over at the cabin, Doakes has finally kicked a big enough hole in the cage to escape, so he grabs whatever food and water he can, and heads out. This can't be good.
"Where does this prick Adams get off taking such cheap shots at Lundy?" Deb asks Angel as they leave the task force room. "I heard that Doakes walked off in the middle of Lundy's questioning, and that Lundy didn't stop him." Deb shoots darts out of her eyes. "I might have heard that wrong," says Angel, and he walks away. "Morgan?" says a voice off-screen. Deb turns around to see a couple of plain clothes walking her way. She recognizes them both, and ribs one of them for rocking a "Duran Duran look." The cops don't laugh, though. In fact, they look downright somber. Deb asks if they've lost their senses of humor, but Angel steps in and says it wasn't funny. "We have a warrant for Detective Batista's arrest," says Duran. Dex looks on from afar, looking like he's seen a ghost. Angel nods understandingly. "Bullshit, for what?" asks Deb incredulously. "A woman named Lila Tournay has filed sexual assault charges against him." "That fuckin' bitch!" says Deb, looking at Angel, knowing full well he's not capable of such a thing. Angel says it's okay, and that he knew this was coming. Matthews and LaGuerta step out as Deb yells at the cops to put their cuffs away. LaGuerta asks what's going on, and Duran tells her the deal. "I am sure Detective Batista will go along with you peacefully," says Matthews, indicating the cuffs won't be necessary. Angel hands the Captain his sidearm and his badge, and heads out with the two cops. As he passes Dexter, he tells him, "It's not your fault. I'll be okay." Man, poor fucking Angel, man! He doesn't deserve this crap, and it's written all over Dex's face: "It isn't my fault. I warned Angel. Still, I hate to see him disgraced in front of everyone. And LaGuerta, about to lose her former partner, a friend. Even Lundy is caught in Hurricane Dexter's path of destruction. Maybe this is how evil works, destroying everything it touches, including my father." Dex's phone rings, and it's Lila. Her pimp-mobile, which Dexter got her from impound last season when FND's coke buddy showed up and took her RAV4, has broken down on the side of the road, and she needs help. "You're not going to believe the morning I'm having," she says, and Dexter says he's knows the feeling. She explains the problem, and asks if Dex can come get her. He tells her he'll be right there, and hangs up. "I'm the helpful handyman, how evil can I possibly be? I'm sparing Rita and Deb by framing Doakes. Right?" Don't ask me, dude. Probably.
Back with Doakes, who's in the thick of the Everglades's marshes. He stops for a drink of water, and notices a huge alligator nearby. He slowly makes his way around it. After a while, Doakes reaches some water, and sees an airboat (I prefer "Fantoonaire") with two men on it. He yells out to them and motions to the shore a few yards away. The two men stop on the shore, and Doakes thanks them profusely. He explains that he's been held prisoner in a cabin, and the men speak to each other in Spanish. Understanding what they said, Doakes replies, "No! I don't want to go back to the cabin! I need you to get my ass out of here, I'm a police Sergeant..." Before he can finish, the smaller guy gets the drop on Doakes with his pistol, slamming into the back of his neck and knocking him out. Well, that's just great. Poor Doakes just can't catch a break! I'm guessing these guys are friends of the late Chris Harlow, Jimenez's coke contact that Dexter sliced up last week. How they found the cabin is anyone's guess, though.
Deb walks purposefully into Lundy's office and tells him she has to head upstairs to deal with the Angel thing, but she wanted to see if they were on for lunch. "Doubtful," says Lundy. "I've got to write up a status report for Deputy Director Adams." "Why'd they send that dip-shit?" "Washington gets nervous when there's no movement on a case, especially one as big as this." "No movement? You're the reason they found the blood-slides in Doakes's car." "I'm also the one who let him get away." "We all let him get away." "I was in charge." Lundy keeps talking shit about himself and making himself feel bad, but Deb tells him to "stop it." "Stop what?" "Acting like me. You're a god. Don't you forget it." Aw, that was nice. But, "a god"? Really? Really?
Dex is with Rita, and he's pretty convinced that the carburetor is the problem, but he's not totally sure: "I'm more of a boat guy." "Last thing I need right now is a major repair bill. Then throw in a tow and a rental car...there goes Astor's piano lessons." Dex tells her to take the minivan, but she doesn't want to put him out. "You can drop me off back at work. I'll borrow something from the motor pool." Rita's unsure, but eventually agrees, and she thanks Dexter. "I'll make it up to you. Dinner?" "I have a better idea. Pack a lunch, bring the kids, and let me take you out on the ocean tomorrow." Rita says the kids have school, but Dexter tells her to "think of it as a field trip." "You don't know Cody's teacher --" "It's just one day, just one more day." Sounds like he's preparing for something. "One more day"? Rita asks him if everything is okay, and he replies, "After everything we've been through lately, I just want to be together with you guys. Is that selfish?" "No. No, it's lovely." Yeah, it is.
Later on, Dexter returns to the cabin. Boy, is he in for a treat! "Sergeant Doakes can rejoice: I come bearing real food." As soon as he gets in front of the cabin, he stops and sees the front door is open. He quietly makes his way inside and sees the busted-up cage. "Shit!" he whispers, and then, as if in response, he hears a voice speaking Spanish. Quickly, Dex takes cover behind the porch as Doakes leads the two men to the cabin. The Sergeant is wearing some makeshift rope handcuffs, and the smaller guy runs in to the cabin as the other guy holds Doakes at gunpoint. Once the little guy's inside, Dexter catches Doakes's eye. Doakes smiles a little bit as Dexter holds a finger up to his mouth in a "shh" motion. The little guy returns with an armload of coke, and places it all in Doakes's arms. He returns to the cabin, and Dexter quietly follows him in. Doakes, who totally understands what's up, motions to head back to the Fantoonaire, distracting the gunman from Dexter's actions. We hear a brief struggle from inside, and Doakes continues to talk shit to the gunman. Dexter heads back outside, and moves around the cabin to get a clear shot. Once he and Doakes make eye contact, Doakes throws the coke in the guy's face and Dexter pops a shot (with the little guy's gun) into his chest, killing him. Doakes, who's hunched over on the ground, pants as Dexter comes out from the brush and kicks the guy over to make sure he's deceased. Satisfied that he is, he asks Doakes, "Friends of yours?" "From what I can tell, they're friends of that drug dealer," he replies, referring to Harlow. "They would have killed me once I had all that coke on the boat. Thanks, Morgan." They share a brief moment, and Doakes stands up, having relieved himself of his rope-cuffs. Dexter points the pistol at him. "Oh, this is awkward," says Dex.
Doakes is back in his cage, looking surly, but also understanding, in a weird way. "I think we made some alligators very happy," says Dexter as he comes around to the side of the cage. He pulls up a bench and sits down. "So, here we are," says Doakes, "back to fuckin' square one." "Not exactly," says Dex as he rattles the lock and chain he's put on the cage to prevent Doakes from escaping again. "Tell you what, James. Can I call you James?" "Knock yourself out." "I'm toying with an idea. I've been under Federal investigation for two months. My trophies were stolen." "Sorry," says Doakes, and I think he might actually mean it. "The code I live by has been shattered," Dex continues, "and I have a coworker in a cage. Things aren't going so well." "No shit," laughs Doakes bitterly. "I can see that." "You told me to take responsibility for who I am. You were right. Harry killed the wrong person." "Morgan, you're not thinkin' about --" "Killing myself? No, that's pathetic. But I can't live in this house of cards, anymore, waiting for it all to fall down. I need to do something, you know?" Dexter takes a deep breath. "I'm thinking about turning myself in." Doakes looks shocked, and he grabs his shit bucket to pull up a seat so he can and Dexter can talk eye to eye. "That's...that's a good call, Morgan," he says amiably. "That's a tough call, but that's a good call, man." "Gah, I need some fucking relief!" "Yeah, you can't keep runnin', man. That's for pussies." Doakes is clearly trying to reinforce the decision by setting this new Dexter against his self. "You're just going to end up in exactly the same situation, sooner or later." "Prison? I could finally get some sleep." "Yeah." "In the long run, it'd be easier on Deb, Rita. Better than watching me dragged in like an animal, which, let's face it, will happen...some day." "Yeah. Morgan, we'll do it together," says Doakes quietly, trying to assure Dexter that he's making the right call. "I'll go with you. Come on, let's go." Dexter stops him: "If I do this, I need a day to get my affairs in order." Doakes says that he's cool with that: "Tie me up, throw me in the trunk. Come on, let's go." Dexter tells him that he brought Doakes some fresh fruit to eat while he waits: "Make sure you mention that when they interview you for the story of my life." "Goddammit, Morgan, you're not gonna leave me in this cage again, are you? Anything could happen!" Dexter's not convinced, though, and he gets up to leave. On his way out, he faces Doakes and says, "I've really enjoyed our conversations, James. I lie to everyone I know, except my victims, right before I kill them. It's hard to establish much of a rapport, there. Sorry about the cage." He heads out, and Doakes continues to call out his name in vain.
Dexter stands on the porch for a while, basking in the moonlight. After a minute, he grabs his phone and makes a call to Deb. "What?" she answers saltily. "Hey, Deb, it's me. What are you doing tonight?" "I'm about to get off work, why?" "I've got some papers I need you to sign." Confused, she asks him what kind of papers. "I'll explain when I see you." Deb mentions that she's going out for drinks with Angel and Masuka, and that Dexter should come out and bring the papers with him. Dex asks how Angel's holding up. "How do you think he's doing? This is all your fault, you know, if you hadn't fucked Elvira..." "I'm not the best brother, am I?" "Dexter, are you smoking something?" asks Deb, having noticed Dexter's odd tone. "No. I've always been curious to try, do you have any? Weed?" "Okay, now I'm really worried." "There's no need to worry. I'll bring by the papers tomorrow. Bye, Deb." Dex hangs up and VOs, "It's strange; this should be difficult, but a sense of peace is settling over me. Calm. Maybe it's the moonlight."
At the station, Matthews is walking with Adams, and LaGuerta asks him for a moment. "Tom, I need a personal day." He hopes that she's joking, but she assures him she's not: "Just one day. I think I can prove that James is innocent." After she mentions some leads in Haiti, Matthews stops her: "Jesus Christ, Maria, we are in the middle of a manhunt! You're down two detectives, and now you want time off? The answer's no, the department can't spare you, right now." "This wasn't a request, Tom. I won't be here, tomorrow. I just wanted you to know that." Hmph. Wonder where this is heading.
Angel, Deb, and Masuka all take a shot at the bar, and they all immediately recoil from whatever foul liquor they just imbibed. "What is this shit, Masuka?" demands Deb. "Hey, tequila's all the same." "Not when it's made from pumpkins!" "Hey, we're not all on the same pay grade!" Angel chimes in, "If I lose my job over this, bro, I won't have a pay grade." Deb assures him that won't happen because everyone knows he's innocent. Angel wants to know how he's supposed to prove it, though: "I can't explain the roofies, the rough sex." "There was rough sex?" asks Masuka. "It was her idea. Now it's my word against hers. I'm screwed." Deb insists that Angel fight back, and Masuka agrees. Angel tells them he appreciates the support, and Masuka changes the subject: "Does it ever floor you guys that we had a killer right under our noses this whole time? I mean, who doesn't see that shit?" Deb gives him a look, and he tries to backpedal. "It's alright," says Deb. "That stuff doesn't bother me, anymore." She goes to get another round.
Lila's buzzer rings, and she heads to the front door. When she opens it, she finds Dexter standing there. "Dextah, I was wondering when you'd show up." "We need to talk." "Sounds good to me. I'm, eh, making coffee, do you want one?" Dexter dives right in: "I'm here to ask you respectfully to drop the charges against Angel." "Dextah, if Angel molested me, as the evidence seems to indicate, then he should face the consequences, don't you think?" God, I fucking hate her so much. Stupid twunt. "Doesn't matter what I think," says Dex, "but here's what I know: after tomorrow, I won't be around, anymore, so there's no endgame in this for you." "You going somewhere?" "It's looking more and more likely." "Where?" "All that matters is that I'll be out of reach, permanently." "Come on, Dextah! Tell me! I have roight to knower!" "You're the one who taught me to accept the things you can't change! This is one of those things." Heh, nice. You tell that ass-face, Dex. "Goodbye, Lila." He shuts the door behind him. Nice. Take that, LMPMT.
Over at Lundy's, Deb is complaining that men are stupid. It's true. We're all fools. "How else could Dex and Batista be so easily duped by Lila?" she asks. "I took one look at her and I knew she was a walking nightmare." "It's not stupidity, it's simply in our DNA," says Lundy. "When a pretty girl smiles and bats her eyelashes, we're powerless to resist." Yeah, we suck. Damn you, penis! Khaaaaaaaaan! Wait, huh? Sorry. Deb says she's worried about Angel: "This is so fucked. There's no way I'm going to let him take the fall for this." "What can you do?" asks Lundy. Deb has an idea. Batting her eyelashes, she walks over to him and says, "Well, Special Agent Lundy, I was wondering if you might access those great big FBI files of yours and do a search on Ms. Lila Tournay?" He sighs, and says, "You see? Powerless to resist." Heh, nice one Deb. Lundy opens up his laptop, and with a few keystrokes, he's in the system. Deb asks him if Adams will be pissed for using the FBI files for this, and he says, "I certainly hope so." Yeah, stick it to the man! Apparently, Lila has no warrants, no criminal record, and no Social Security number. "What about visas, or green cards, or whatever?" asks Deb. Lundy tells her there's nothing on her. "That's impossible. Everyone has a paper trail." "Everyone real," replies Lundy. "That sneaky bitch! She's using an alias." Lundy agrees, and Deb wonders aloud how she's supposed to find out Lila's real name. "I think you know the answer to that," says Lundy. "Cut off her head and look for a label!" "There's probably an easier way."
Angel opens up his trunk, and grabs the microwave that's sitting there. He hands it to Masuka, who asks, "You got something smaller?" "The last time Lila was in my apartment, she microwaved some popcorn." Mmm, popcorn. Hold on a sec, you guys? I'll be right back, promise.
(Crunch, crunch). Okay, sorry. Anyway, Angel assures Masuka that Lila's prints are on the microwave somewhere. "time, make her a cup of tea." Yeah, like, ha ha, Masuka. As if there's going to be a time.
In the office, Dexter walks with some woman over to Deb's desk. "This is Marlene, from accounting." "Hi, Marlene, from accounting," says Deb. "She's also a notary public." "Good for you," says Deb. Deb, stop being an asshole. "I met with a lawyer, yesterday, and he helped me prepare a living trust. It gives you control of all my assets in the event of my death, or certain other situations." "Oh, God. Go away, this is creepy." Dex says his financial planner said a guy his age should have a will: "It's just a precaution." "We're all going to die eventually," says Marlene. Someone get this lady a SAG card! Deb agrees to sing everything, and asks Dex if this is why he was acting so weird on the phone. "Probably." "Thanks for showing up last night to support Batista," Deb snarks. "I am supporting Batista. I stopped by Lila's this morning." "And?" "And, I talked to her. I don't think she's going to be a problem." Yeah, my ass. "Yeah, because she certainly hasn't been one, so far." Word, Deb. It's like you read my mind! Dexter invited Deb over for steaks and beers later: "There's something I want to talk to you about." "Sure! Sounds good!" Yeah, it does. Mmm, steak. No, Mr. S, you've already got popcorn! I know, but steak! I'm sorry you guys had to read that.
"Special Agent Lundy? It's Lieutenant LaGuerta, I'm calling you from Haiti." "Lovely this time of year." "Look, I understand that I'm not your favorite person at the station right now, but I really need your help." "How so?" "I just met with Leonis, the travel agent that Doakes saw?" "There's nothing new, there. I had two agents question him for hours." "Yet, he never told them about the blood-slides." "What does he know about the blood-slides?" "Doakes was looking for a lab to have them analyzed." "Why?" "I don't know why." "If he's our killer, he'd be keeping them for trophies. He'd have no reason to have them analyzed." "I'm not so sure Leonis is our most reliable witness." "No, but it's worth looking into, isn't it?" Lundy agrees. This could be trouble. Or it could be a red herring. We'll see.
Dexter loads the Bennett family onto the Slice of Life as Lila watches from afar, looking woebegone. After they all take off in the boat, Lila runs over to Dexter's van and breaks in (the window is open, and she unlocks the door by reaching her arm in). After rummaging around in the glove-box for a while, she finds Dex's GPS unit, and takes off with it. Oh, boy, this could be real trouble. If she finds that cabin...
"For so long, this boat has been a tool of my dark trade," Dex VOs as he hands the kids fishing rods. "A graveyard transport. I'd almost forgotten it could double as a pleasure craft." Dexter jokes with the kids about catching a whale, and then returns to the back of the boat, where Rita is sitting. "It's peaceful out here," he says, soaking up what could be his last enjoyable moments with Rita and the kids. Rita smiles. "Rita, I've never been a very good boyfriend," he says. That's total bullshit. Rita thinks so, too: "I wouldn't say that." "I just need you to know that you and the kids are very important to me. No matter what happens, I want you to always know that." "Okay, Dexter." The way she says that sounds like she's prefacing something else, like, "What the fuck is going on with you?" Alas, no, she's just taking what he said at face value. Sensing something is wrong, Rita assures Dexter that everything is going to be okay. Dexter mentions that he has a gift for Rita, and reaches into his pocket and procures the pink slip to his car. Rita tries to protest, but Dexter isn't having it: "Please, I want you to have it, for the kids. It'll keep them safer than a broken-down convertible." Rita smiles and accepts the gift, smiling. Rita talks about her feelings for a minute, which...blah, blah, blah, relationship-cakes. Dexter plants a kiss on Rita. That was kind of a weird scene.
Deb finds Lundy at the station, and tells him that Lila's prints came back: "We hit the jackpot! Turns out her real name is Lila West, and her visa expired two years ago!" "Bad girl." "I can have her deported." "Not as easy as it sounds. Miami's swamped with criminal immigrants, refugees from third world countries. They all take priority over some British girl." Not deterred by this, Deb says, "Then I'll deport her myself!" "We got him!" says Adams, barging into the office. "Doakes?" asks Lundy. Apparently, Adams was able to find a Park Service manager in the Everglades who gave Doakes directions. "So, you have a tip, not Doakes?" says Lundy, clearly satisfied with himself. "We'll have the son of a bitch in handcuffs in twenty-four hours!" "I'd like to urge strong caution in apprehending the suspect," says Lundy, unimpressed with Adams's bravado. "I'm looking into new information that might come in to play." "Yeah, I got your email about Leonis. The man will say anything for a dollar." "I agree we have to be circumspect about this, which is exactly why I'd like some time." "Show a little guts, for Christ's sake!" Deb can't take it any longer, and demands that Adams show some respect: "You wouldn't be closing in on a suspect right now if it wasn't for the work of this man!" Adams laughs in her face, and says, "As much as I enjoy hearing from the local talent, I'm really rather busy right now." What a douche. Oh, well. Lundy smiles warmly at Deb: "Guess you don't need me to fight your battles, anymore, huh?" "Yeah, well maybe you need to fight yours!" "Aren't you a tough one?" "I'm just warmin' up!" Boring.
Lila's hanging some fabric in her apartment, and Deb strolls in as if she owns the place. Fucking cops. "Wow, I thought I lived in a shit can," says Deb, mocking Lila's "decor." "Officah Mohgan, 'ave you come to inquiah about my welfeh?" Deb gets right to it: "I want you to leave Miami tonight. Don't ever come back, don't ever contact Angel or Dexter again." Lila puts on her best bitch face (not exactly a difficult task), and says, "And, em, why would I listen to you?" "'Cause I'm a cop, and you're here on an expired visa." Lila looks like she was slapped. "I know your real name, and I've contacted immigration. Officers will be here any day now. They'll arrest you, and deport you, and it won't be pretty." "If this is true, why ah you telling me this?" "Because I want you the fuck out of here, now. Whether you leave on your own, or immigration hauls your sorry ass away, I don't give a shit. But I don't want to give you one more day to fuck with the people I care about. I want you gone!" I wonder if she wants her to leave. Lila tells her, "You don't want to do this." "It's done. Tonight." Nice, Deb! You give that beyotch the what for! Lila looks extra big-ass not psyched.
Moments later, she runs to her car and busts out Dexter's GPS. She scrolls through destinations, and finds one at 113 County Road 16, Gator Key, FL , and puts the pedal to the metal. Dude, this has the potential to get really fucked up. Or awesome. Or both!
Dexter's prepping some steaks for his dinner with Deb, and VOing, "I keep expecting to come to my senses, but the pressure is lifting with each step I take. I've spent a lifetime keeping up my guard, watching my back, wearing my mask. Relief was never in sight, until now. If anyone deserves to take me in to custody, it's Deb, but how do I tell her what I am?" Dexter throws the steak into the pan, and they start to sizzle immediately.
Later, Deb is sitting in the living room, and Dex plops her plate of steak and potatoes in front of her. She digs right in as Dexter makes his way to the couch and sits across from her. She looks at him, chewing, clearly satisfied with the food. "Deb, I'm the Bay Harbor Butcher," he says, matter-of-factly, and Deb immediately begins to choke on her steak. Dexter rushes to her aid as some silly, upbeat music plays in the score, letting us in on the daydream joke. In another scenario, Dex tells her again, and she immediately jumps to her feet and whips out her sidearm. "On the ground! Down on the ground, motherfucker!" : "It's me. I'm the Bay Harbor Butcher." Deb sobs uncontrollably, saying "No!" over and over again. In the last one, Deb just pops a bullet straight through Dex's face, killing him instantly. "This isn't going to be easy," Dex VOs, back in reality with his sizzling meat. A moment later, Deb comes in, and she's got a couple sixers. "I brought extra beer," she proclaims, proud of herself. Hey, I'm proud too; I love beer! "We're gettin' drunk!" "Fine with me," says Dex. "What's the occasion?" Deb informs Dex that she "ran Lila out of town," and Dex gives her an unbelieving look. "Really?" "Yeah. Turns out she's here illegally. You should have seen me, Dex. I was like an Old West Sheriff." You should know: you're dating Wild Bill Hickok, after all. Deb opens a beer, and starts draining it quickly. Ah, sweet, hoppy nectar of life. Good for you, Deb. Drink it down.
Dexter grabs his beer before Deb can move on to it, and comments, "You're really feelin' good!" "Fuck yeah," she exclaims. "I gotta say, great timing, Dex, getting together tonight? Last few months I was starting to feel like I had my head pretty far up my ass." Dexter tells her that nobody blames her for that, considering what happened with Rudy: "Your world was turned upside-down." "Like mine is now," he VOs. Deb says that for the first time since "all that Ice Truck Killer shit, I'm back. New, and improved, even!" Dex brings dinner over to the breakfast bar, and asks Deb, "When all that stuff was happening, with Rudy, I mean, did you ever consider doing something...drastic?" Deb thinks about it for a moment, showing Dexter that she's taking the question seriously because his face is telling her to. "Are you kidding? All kinds of fucked-up shit went through my head. Thank God I had you." "Really?" he asks, genuinely surprised at the sentiment. "Yeah! Every time I started to spin out of control, I had you to grab on to. Hell, you let me live here for practically forever! It was tough, though. I'd have done almost anything to get out from the weight of it all." Dexter looks perplexed. "How'd you finally do it?" he asks. "I just...saw through it, you know? You decide who you are, who you want to be, and you hold on to that. Ride it out." Dexter looks amazed, and the Piano of Dawning Realization begins to tinkle, low in the mix. "Like an Old West Sheriff," says Dexter quietly, now taking a big swig o' beer, himself. Deb takes a big bite of steak, and compliments Dex on his culinary prowess. "This is worth livin' for!" she says, and forks a bite into Dexter's mouth.
Smiling as he chews, Dexter sighs largely, happy with the taste. "You're absolutely right," he says. Deb asks what he wanted to talk about, and he tells her, "Oh, nothing." As they head to the living room for more meat and beer, they share an enjoyable evening together in slow-motion as Dexter VOs, "So, this is me, riding it out. Harry may have rejected me, but Deb clearly believes in me, so why shouldn't I? I'm not turning myself in! This isn't Harry's life, it's mine. I made a plan to frame Doakes, and I'm going to stick with it." Nice! Do it, dude! You know, if it weren't for the whole "framing Doakes" part, I'd swear you just got back from a Landmark Education meeting.
Deb's phone rings, and she answers. "Morgan. No shit? Okay, okay, I'm on my way." She hangs up and tells Dex, "They found Doakes's fuckin' rental car." Dexter is flabbergasted: "Really? His car? Did they find Doakes?" "No, but the search grid is closin' in. We gotta get to the station!" Deb jumps up, heading for the door, as Dex VOs, "Actually, I've got to make sure they don't find Doakes in a cage."
Speaking of Doakes, here he is at the cabin, munching on some grapes, looking forlorn. He hears the sound of a vehicle rolling up, and stands up to see who it is. Obviously, he can tell it's not Dex's minivan by the amount of noise the car is making, and he starts yelling, "Hey! Hey! I'm in here!" Lila slowly heads up the front steps, looking perturbed by the voice that's yelling from inside. "Hello? Somebody in thah?" The GPS lady tells us all that Lila has arrived at her destination, and Doakes backs up in his cage.
So, here we are. One more to go. How the hell is this going to play out? I seriously can't predict. Unless Doakes and Lila both die, I don't really see this ending well for Dexter. But, I don't want Doakes to die! He's an awesome character. Lila, I'm fine with, but not Doakes. Maybe they can contrive a nice, long trip to Haiti for him. I'm definitely glad Dex came to his senses and didn't turn himself in: that would have sucked, big time.