Episode Report Card Jeff Long: A | 2 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT It's A Battle of Kills
By Jeff Long | Season 3 | Episode 10 | Aired on 11.30.2008
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Miguel and Dexter -- it's safe to say the honeymoon is over. Miguel says to Rita and Dexter that the Prado's are paying for the catering for their wedding. It's just a way for Miguel to try to keep Dexter under his thumb. Dexter says to Rita later that Miguel is not who he thought he was and she stretches that remark into believing that Miguel and Maria are having an affair. Maria is fired up to solve Ellen Wolf's murder. She brings in the bartender that Ellen flirted with and questions him. He mentions seeing an SUV with halogen beams -- just like Miguel has.
Deb and Anton spend the night together because they fall asleep on her couch -- which means it will be in the report from protective surveillance. Quinn apologizes to Anton for not putting him on the books as a CI (which he didn't know, because Deb didn't tell him) and he punches him. He is angry at Deb for lying to him and she doesn't do much to make it better. Vince is planning Dex's bachelor party. Barbara gets beaten up while on the job and Angel goes all vigilante. Dexter tells him to think carefully about his actions, because some doors should never be walked through. He takes Dexter's advice and arrests the culprit, instead of killing him.
Miguel makes the moves on Maria to take her mind off of Ellen Wolf's case. Dexter wants Miguel's attention on him though, so he interrupts them. Meanwhile, Rita had told Syl that Miguel and Maria were having an affair, so she caught them at Maria's place. She wants a divorce. During their argument, Maria hears that Miguel was out all hours the night Ellen was killed. And, she noticed his halogen beams. Who can't notice the Smits' halogen beams, though?
Miguel told Dexter, in veiled terms, that he needed to make sure the Wolf case didn't go anywhere, or he'd make sure Deb was investigated for ethics violations. So, Dexter goes to Miguel's house and finds the ring of Ellen's that Miguel kept as a souvenir (just like he tried to do with Billy Fleeter). He leaves in its place a dry cleaning ticket, for… the shirt he'd given to Dexter as collateral. They had a blowout on the roof of the station where he told Dexter that he was messing with the wrong guy and that he would do what he wanted, when he wanted. Dexter notes that there's no reasoning with Miguel. He thanks him as he walks away. While he's thanking Miguel, Miguel's on the phone with freaking George "The Skinner" King. He'd made a deal with him to do his bidding. He wanted to make sure that he got a good look at Dexter so he could take care of him.
Dexter has decided to kill Miguel. Unfortunately, he gets nabbed and thrown into the trunk of a car by The Skinner before he can do any of that.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously:Maria and Ellen bonded over a little light sexual harassment of their bartender. Ellen turned up missing and Dexter found out that Miguel had killed her. Maria was devastated and Miguel told her he'd comfort her. Syl thinks that Miguel is having an affair. The Skinner kidnapped Anton and we found out that George King was the culprit. Deb saved him before he was completely skinned, but the problems are only beginning. She thinks that Anton could sue the department for not putting him on the books as a CI. Barbara and Angel are getting closer. Dexter checked the blood on the shirt that Miguel gave him -- it's cow blood, not Freebo blood.
Rita and Dexter are out at a nice restaurant with the Prados. Miguel is excitedly telling a story about how it took Dexter 7 or 8 golf balls to make a shot of some lake while they were golfing. Dexter replies that putting the 18th hole before a body of water is "criminal." No, what's criminal is subjecting poor Syl and Rita to this conversation. Who fucking cares if he's having an affair? Syl should divorce him for this. Miguel claims that he kept begging Dexter to "take the Mulligan! But, not this guy!" Seriously, I'd kill myself.
Their dinner arrives via four waiters (fancy place!) and Dexter VO's, "Just what I ordered. Feigned civility with a heaping side of betrayal." That's a holiday classic in my home. He continues, saying that it has become increasingly clear that he's going to have to "deal" with Miguel. Syl interrupts his VO to thank the chef. Miguel stands and greets him as well. Those Prados are such hot shots. Dexter figures that his options for dealing with Miguel are as follows: Option Number 1 -- He could kill him. This, of course, would spark a huge manhunt and everyone in Miguel's life would be scrutinized, including Dexter. Also, since Miguel is Dexter's best man, Dex would be required to grieve. That would be the most difficult part for our Dex, I'm guessing. Option Number 2 -- He could get Miguel out of his life, which is not very simple. Dex VO's "He taught me how to golf. I taught him how to kill." He's responsible for Miguel now.
Suddenly Syl tells Miguel to tell Rita and Dexter some sort of surprise -- she can't wait. Miguel tells them that he has a wedding gift for them. Chef Babia (of the restaurant they are currently dining in) and his staff are going to cater their wedding. Hmm, that's funny. As I recall, Rita went on and on about the caterers like she was going to have to write their damn recipes for them. What did Dexter want to eat, no you can't just have steak, blah, blah, blah. And, she hasn't made a deposit on another caterer already? Because Syl would know if she had. It's just another excuse for them to mention this fucking albatross of a wedding that his been dragging this whole season down. No more wedding. Just get married. Done. DONE. Rita is thrilled. Dexter tries to say that it's too much, but Miguel says that he won't take no for an answer. Dexter VO's that Miguel is making it clear that Option 2 is not actually an option. Miguel won't let their partnership dissolve. He's trying to keep Dexter under his thumb and he's using Rita to help him now. Dexter acknowledges that it's working.