Cry For Me

S07E08

I have to say, my first reaction is that this was the best episode in memory – thematically cohesive and emotionally resonant – even though it's really a bridge to the action that surely is coming in the final four eps of the season. So:

LaGuerta keeps digging and finds the extremely salient information that Dexter left his old boat slip with eight months to go on his lease – right after the Bay Harbor Butcher case came to light in May 2007. In the end, she locates the Slice Of Life, and I have no idea what she's going to do with the information but it can't be good.

Even as he's struggling with Deb's request from the end of last episode, Dexter gets to know Hannah and learns that she still longs for her vision of Argentina, where, as you'll remember, she and Randall were supposed to end up – especially since she and Randall talked about having a big family, and the way she talks about it makes it seem clear that she was genuine when she said last episode that she wanted kids. Dexter goes to Deb in hopes that, in the cold light of day, she'll recant her request for Dexter to kill Hannah, but that hope is futile, as Deb has even gone to the trouble of vetting her for him. Dexter first tries to stonewall Deb on the basis of evidence and then attempts to convince her that she won't be able to live with herself, but between Speltzer and Price, Deb stands firm in her conviction that Hannah must die before she kills again. Dexter mixes in some truth about how he cares about her and how their father would back him in putting his foot down, and later, Deb tells Dexter that maybe he was right, and things seem okay – until Dexter carelessly lets it slip that he and Hannah are A Thing. This leads to an AMAZING breakdown from Deb in which she finally lets slip the reason she went to the church that night, and as horrible an idea I thought Deb being in love with Dexter was, it's used effectively here. Dexter, understandably for once, has no idea what to say to Deb, and she tells him to get out so she can self-loathe in peace.

Isaak Pullo succeeds in losing his police tail, but when he figures out that Isaak Pullo is still after Dexter, Jason Gedrick gives him the advice to drop the revenge quest, as it can only lead to trouble that would be very bad for business. Isaak Pullo, however, does not take the advice to heart, and it's only via a luckily-timed drop of his keys that Dexter avoids instant death from a bullet shot by his nemesis. Feeling like Isaak Pullo has become a loose cannon, Jason Gedrick goes behind his back to someone else in the Koshka hierarchy; from there, he approaches Quinn and, with the aid of a recording of the time Quinn agreed to steal the blood evidence from MM, gets him to supervise a drug shipment coming in that night. We don't see how the latter part develops, but it looks like Jason Gedrick is running the Miami Koshka show now.

Having kept tabs on Isaak Pullo and learned that he's staying in Viktor's old place, Dexter resolves to wait for Isaak Pullo to come home and kill him there – only to find, and kill, a Jason Gedrick-approved assassin there for the same purpose. With a cooling corpse in front of him, Dexter is forced to flee the scene; later, frustrated by how difficult to kill Isaak Pullo is proving to be, Dexter tells Hannah all about his difficulties, and she Murder Coaches him, suggesting that even though he already knows Isaak Pullo to be a killer, Dexter should vet him normally in the hopes of finding his weakness. Meanwhile, recognizing the dead assassin, Isaak Pullo realizes that he now has a Koshka death mark on his head; also knowing that his police tail gives him an alibi, he reports the crime and takes the opportunity to casually and hilariously throw accusations in Dexter's direction. In the end, Dexter tracks Isaak Pullo to a bar, intending yet again to kill him and instead having a drink and listening to Isaak Pullo come out to him – and tell him Viktor was his soul mate. In the best-written scene I can remember on this show in ages, in an eerie parallel to what's going on with Hannah, Isaak Pullo recognizes that on some level, he and Dexter are kindred spirits, but he says that's not going to stop him from taking Dexter's life.

Oh, and also? Astor is a pothead.

As Dexter enters Hannah’s kitchen to find her chopping herbs, DVO wonders if Deb’s call was just a bad dream or if she really wants him to kill Hannah. Dexter asks how he can help, and when Hannah asks him to dice something, he picks out a cleaver reminiscent of the one used in Delicatessen, and given this show’s subject matter I’m kind of surprised it took me this long to make that reference. Regardless of the size of the weapon being wielded in her presence, Hannah is clearly enjoying Dexter’s company, and the fact that he uses the thing only on the herbs probably helps.

Cut to Hannah bringing their plates out to the table, whereupon Dexter, pointing out the calendar that I believe is from 1996, makes a joke about it before noting that it’s the year she ran off with Randall. Hannah, however, says she keeps it not for that reason but because the picture she has it open to is of Argentina, which she imagines to be “nice, happy. Home.” Dexter then gets a text from “my sister and my lieutenant,” and frankly I’m surprised Hannah doesn’t start slapping him right there in an homage to Chinatown, but she is taken aback that the woman who in no uncertain terms called her a murderer just the day before is Dexter’s kin. Hilariously, Dexter is like, “Yeah, I didn’t mention that,” and Hannah agrees that he did not indeed. They both laugh, and then Hannah wonders if what they’re doing is crazy; she then goes on that she knows they agreed never to see each other again, so if the night before was a one-time thing, she’s okay with that. “But if you never want to see each other again tomorrow night, then I’m okay with that too.” Dexter’s completely noncommittal about the whole thing, which, luckily, Hannah seems to find charming, but DVO is preoccupied anyway with the idea that he’s got to find a way to get her out of Deb’s head. Don’t worry, Dexter, now that Price has been dead like a whole twelve hours, I’m sure Deb’s ready to move on.

Speaking of Deb, she opens up for Dexter and offers him coffee, which she’s apparently made in abundance since she “couldn’t fucking sleep.” Forestalling his errand for a moment, Dexter accepts, but he sees even more clearly how cut out his work is for him when he observes a bunch of Hannah-related material Deb’s apparently been examining. Dexter cautiously asks Deb if she really means what she said the night before, and she evenly tells him yes; not only that, she’s already vetted her for him. So among all the reasons Deb’s going to lose it later, we can add the fact that she did all this work it turns out Dexter had already done. Dexter tries to play obstructionist, telling Deb she doesn’t even know Price was murdered, but when Deb plays Price’s tape of Hannah’s confession, the point becomes hard to argue. Dexter tries anyway, telling Deb that Hannah was just a kid back then, but Deb won’t back down, so Dexter has to flat-out tell her he’s not killing Hannah. Deb gets emotional as she tells him how hard it was for her to ask him to do so, and she tried and tried to come up with something she could use against Hannah, but ultimately, she can’t let her kill again — not after what happened with Speltzer. “You’re all I have left.” Dexter looks at her, honestly unsure what to do, but his phone lets him know he has a text – from Astor, saying her grandfather’s kidney stones are acting up. I’ve had gallstones, which I think kidney stones put to shame, so I’m going to say OUCH for poor Grandpa. Having had a moment to think, Dexter reminds Deb that she told him she didn’t want to be part of his world, and if she could hardly live with herself for lying to Batista, how’s she going to feel about essentially ordering someone’s death? Deb, however, informs Dexter that there’s actually quite a lot she can live with these days, but Dexter tells her he cares about her too much to let her do this, and by the way, Harry would back him up. Deb is forced to accept this, prompting DVO to intone, “Even though everything I said is true, it doesn’t make me any less of a liar.” Thanks for saving me the trouble, DVO. For once.

In front of the strip club, someone darts into Isaak Pullo’s car, which is then driven away by Lurch. Taking the bait, Isaak Pullo’s police tail follows, whereupon Isaak Pullo and Jason Gedrick emerge from the club. Isaak Pullo gets into a black SUV and says that by the time the police figure out the ruse, he’ll have taken care of his little problem, but Jason Gedrick is like, if your problem is still Dexter Morgan, you’re not really thinking straight, because the last thing we need is to kill another PD employee when we have inventory to move tonight. Isaak Pullo’s response to Jason Gedrick is a stare colder than a bottle of Siberian vodka, but Jason Gedrick at least pretends to be unfazed as he claps Isaak Pullo on the arm and tells him to go home. When Jason Gedrick is gone, though, Isaak Pullo takes out a gun so big its silencer alone puts most pieces to shame. He loads it, and given the look I just described to you, Jason Gedrick should count himself lucky it’s not pointed in his direction.

In a doughnut shop, Dexter is looking at a map on his phone and gloating about how he now knows where Isaak Pullo is at all times, going on that he’s moved into Viktor’s apartment and hasn’t visited many places other than the club. I’m shocked that Dexter has such confidence in MM to believe that Isaak Pullo won’t shake them, considering he, you know, works there. Dexter asks for some Boston creams, as they’re Deb’s favorite, and the proprietor goes to get some. Dexter then gets a text, and when he takes his phone out, he drops his keys. He leans down to get them – just in time to avoid a shot from Isaak Pullo’s gun. Isaak Pullo fires off a few more rounds, but Dexter manages to take cover, so, possibly because it’s broad daylight, Isaak Pullo decides his best play is to flee the scene. The proprietor returns, declares his assumption that it was gang kids (who are well-known for using silencers, I’m sure), and goes to call the police…

In front of the strip club, someone darts into Isaak Pullo's car, which is then driven away by Lurch. Taking the bait, Isaak Pullo's police tail follows, whereupon Isaak Pullo and Jason Gedrick emerge from the club. Isaak Pullo gets into a black SUV and says that by the time the police figure out the ruse, he'll have taken care of his little problem, but Jason Gedrick is like, if your problem is still Dexter Morgan, you're not really thinking straight, because the last thing we need is to kill another PD employee when we have inventory to move tonight. Isaak Pullo's response to Jason Gedrick is a stare colder than a bottle of Siberian vodka, but Jason Gedrick at least pretends to be unfazed as he claps Isaak Pullo on the arm and tells him to go home. When Jason Gedrick is gone, though, Isaak Pullo takes out a gun so big its silencer alone puts most pieces to shame. He loads it, and given the look I just described to you, Jason Gedrick should count himself lucky it's not pointed in his direction.

In a doughnut shop, Dexter is looking at a map on his phone and gloating about how he now knows where Isaak Pullo is at all times, going on that he's moved into Viktor's apartment and hasn't visited many places other than the club. I'm shocked that Dexter has such confidence in MM to believe that Isaak Pullo won't shake them, considering he, you know, works there. Dexter asks for some Boston creams, as they're Deb's favorite, and the proprietor goes to get some. Dexter then gets a text, and when he takes his phone out, he drops his keys. He leans down to get them - just in time to avoid a shot from Isaak Pullo's gun. Isaak Pullo fires off a few more rounds, but Dexter manages to take cover, so, possibly because it's broad daylight, Isaak Pullo decides his best play is to flee the scene. The proprietor returns, declares his assumption that it was gang kids (who are well-known for using silencers, I'm sure), and goes to call the police...

...and then, in the car, the good news keeps piling up, as Dexter gets a message saying the grandfather has to have surgery, so all three kids are going to have to come stay with him. He reluctantly gives Jamie a call to get her to go pick the kids up, like REALLY, Dex? I'd sooner send them on safari without a guide than expose them to the dangers of your life at present.

By Couch Baron

Montpelier Metro. Deb decides that the doughnuts can wait, as she asks if Dexter saw Isaak Pullo; when he tells her yes, she thinks she can make an arrest, but Dexter's like, (a) that already didn't work, and (b) maybe an investigation into Isaak Pullo's motivations for trying to kill me is not something we need at the moment? He asks her to let him handle it, and for once she realizes she doesn't have a choice in the matter, so she puts on a brave face and tells him to be careful. Dexter's like, yeah, about that, and breaks the news about the kids coming, and Deb once again has little choice but to offer to have them stay with her, adding that she'll claim she suspects Isaak Pullo of wanting revenge on her as a reason to keep a patrol car on her place 24/7. It's kind of funny how much more competent Deb is when she allows herself to be at least a little dishonest. Dexter then lightly tells her what she'll need to do to make her house kid-friendly - lock up her gun, block pay-TV channels, and buy some actual food. She doesn't reply "Okay, Mr. Blood Slides In The Air Conditioner," but only because she knows he has a point. With reasonably good humor, Deb says this will be great, and that she loves kids. Off Dexter's obligatory and pointed look, she clarifies, "I love your kids." Hee. Dexter thanks her, but then sees she's printed out a map of how to get to Hannah's house. Hahaha, Deb doesn't have a GPS in her phone! Or maybe she does and just doesn't know how to use it. If that's the case, it's a really good thing that she's got kids coming to stay. They can explain Instagram to her too! Dexter asks the purpose of her errand, so Deb swivels her head toward him: "Just because you're not gonna do what you do? Doesn't mean she gets to live happily ever after." Dexter can't really say anything to this, but I can only imagine he's figuring an earful's going to be coming his way.

By Couch Baron

But first we have to attend to a little MM business out in the main area: Masuka makes a lame joke about Dexter's near miss; LaGuerta shiftily informs Deb she's going off-site, Batista tells the group that he's been approved to take over the restaurant; LaGuerta asks him what the fuck happened to his two weeks' notice. Well, actually she tells him that she's really happy for him, but am I right? Also, remember that these two used to be married? God, that was boring.

Hannah is on the phone ordering nursery supplies when she looks up to see Deb and gets off the call in a hurry. Hannah tries to be conciliatory, but Deb comes back twice as aggressive, telling her that Price shared all his information with her, and whatever Hannah's hiding, Deb's going to find it. Hannah, possibly testing the truth of Deb's statement, tries to say that Price was a storyteller who just wanted to sell books, but Deb throws Hannah's taped confession back in her face. "How convenient that he died before he had a chance to write about it!" Hannah tries to tell Deb, I think at least partially sincerely, that back then, she was a young, dumb farm girl in over her head, but Deb isn't trying to hear that: "You knew exactly what you were doing then. You're in over your head now." As Liz Lemon would say, that's a pretty good burn, Deb. Hannah says that she cares what Deb thinks, although she doesn't know why, and maybe it's because you could ONE DAY BE SISTERS-IN-LAW? Deb leaves with yet another threat, and when she's gone, Hannah looks like the exchange unnerved her more than she'd care to admit.

In his car in the parking lot, Jason Gedrick is on the phone with, presumably, someone higher in the Koshka power structure than Isaak Pullo; he says that he's only suggesting a "realignment" rather than a coup, but he still feels like something has to be done. He listens for a bit and then assures the other party that whatever he ordered will be done; as if on cue, Quinn pulls up to drop Nadia off. Once she's entered safely, Jason Gedrick hangs on Quinn's car door and invites him to come in for some free drinks, but Quinn is like, that's not going to make up for the way you screwed me. Jason Gedrick apologizes, saying that Nadia's passport is something he wasn't in a position to deliver, but does offer Quinn some cash if he'll do one more job for him, but Quinn, who we know already gave away the first payment, invites Jason Gedrick to go fuck himself once more, adding that if he tries to make Nadia pay for Quinn's intransigence, he'll have Immigration swarm the place. It's not a bad threat, but you know who's had the last laugh between these two every time, and it's not the one dumb enough to date a stripper at a place at which he has history that he's trying to forget.

By Couch Baron

From his car, Dexter watches Isaak Pullo head into a restaurant as DVO proclaims his intention to lie in wait for Isaak Pullo in his apartment. He then gets a call from Jamie, who tells him she's got the kids and will be in Miami in roughly three hours. Dexter suggests they meet at her brother's restaurant, and then gets treated to Astor and Cody sniping at each other, which is obligatory between siblings on a car ride but in this case has that certain teenage vibe. I hope Jamie's getting time and a half for this.

As slightly wacky anticipatory music plays, Dexter enters Isaak Pullo's apartment as DVO says he'll leave the body there and wait for the Colombians to be blamed, and I have to say if the Colombians ever get wind of the stuff Dexter's pulled this season, he's going to have another entry on the already-too-long list of people who want to kill him. And speaking of, some dude appears and asks who the hell Dexter is; Dexter smoothly tries to say he's the building super come to fix a faucet, but the explanation is belied by the latex gloves Dexter's wearing -- it's not that a super might never wear gloves, but the surgical kind that Dexter's wearing are far too thin for the work a super would do. Dexter, in turn, asks who the hell the guy is, and he replies by whipping out a gun and saying he's the Avon lady. Dexter: "Well, that's just silly." Hee. The guy RATHER CONVENIENTLY allows Dexter to approach him as he says they must be there for the same reason, but he's not going "halfsies" with anyone. And while you could be forgiven for thinking that statement fits a real-estate broker, I don't think they're quite ruthless enough to use guns to settle commission disputes. I'm willing to be proven wrong, though. Anyway, before the guy can blather further, Dexter has twisted the his arm away (not without the gun going off, though), and, quickly and efficiently, he gets the guy down on the ground, draws a knife, and slashes the guy's throat from behind, after which he sighs, "We could have just gone halfsies." And he has reason to be frustrated, as now, with a gunshot having rung out and a rapidly cooling and bleeding corpse on the floor, he's going to be forced to clear out. Before he does, though, he lifts a photo out of the guy's back pocket, which just so happens to be of Isaak Pullo. Dexter wonders why, if so many people want to kill Isaak Pullo, it's proving to be so difficult, and I'd suggest that maybe time, you try not killing a dude who would gladly have put a bullet in Isaak Pullo's brain? Dexter replaces the photo and gets the hell out of there...

By Couch Baron

...while LaGuerta's secret errand entails going to the harbor at which Dexter used to dock the Slice Of Life. I mean, we're at the point of no return here, right? Unless she dies before revealing what she's learned to anyone else, I can't see how Dexter's not going to be exposed - especially not after the proprietor informs LaGuerta that Dexter used to have a slip there, but cleared out despite having eight months to go on his lease - in May 2007. I'm not going back to check the exact dates, but if I recall correctly that would be about the time that the BHB bodies were discovered; in any case, LaGuerta looks stunned, and asks the guy to confirm that he's sure. When he does, we push in on her as her mind reels, and earlier in the season I thought they were dragging this out, but shit is getting TENSE.

At the restaurant, Dexter, Deb, Jamie, and the kids sit for a bit, and then Jamie goes to take Harrison down to the beach, declaring that she needs a break from Astor and Cody's snittery anyway. Speaking of which, after we see the attraction of the place for Dexter - it's swarming with cop customers, so Isaak Pullo presumably will keep his distance - Astor and Cody get into it again, and soon Cody has yanked out a bag of pot from her purse for all the world to see. With all the murders she's been covering up, making the bag disappear before any of the cops see it is a piece of cake for Deb, but that doesn't stop Astor from stomping off, after which Dexter sighs that he should talk to her. Deb joins him, leaving Cody alone at the table, and the show has been so taut this season I was half worried that they'd come back to find him gone. Regardless, they go find Astor, who immediately tells them she doesn't do it a lot, and besides, in some states it's not even against the law YEAH COLORADO AND WASHINGTON. Dexter, however, gently points out that it's illegal at her age everywhere, and although Astor (or at least the actress, Christina Robertson, that plays her) has grown up a lot - she's now fifteen -- he's still got a point. Dexter and Deb give her advice that's a thinly-veiled (not that Astor would know this) parallel to their situation; Deb talks about how things that seem right, you might regret later, while Dexter chimes in that certain vices can relieve stress, but sometimes they're worse than the original problem. Astor doesn't take too much of this to heart, but Deb and Dexter look like they've gotten through to each other. Enjoy it while it lasts.

At Nadia's, she tries to tell Quinn that she's only on the hook with Jason Gedrick for two more years, as he likes his dancers young. Well, he's someone who's familiar with the ravages of age, that's for sure. She makes Quinn promise that he'll never do anything for the Koshkas again, not even for her, and I don't know why they bother making him say the words if they're not even going to wait a scene for him to go back on them. You see, once Nadia goes to take a shower, Jason Gedrick turns up and tells Quinn that he'd like his assistance making sure the drug-moving events of the evening go smoothly, and if he doesn't, he'll release the recorded conversation of Quinn agreeing to steal Isaak Pullo's blood evidence he just so happens to have made. Oh, Quinn, you sad bastard.

As we see the Avon Lady is a large pool of his own blood, Lurch reports to Isaak Pullo that no one else is there. Lurch also IDs the Avon Lady as one of Jason Gedrick's men, and since Isaak Pullo knows that Jason Gedrick would never make such a move without approval from Kiev, it's clear that Isaak Pullo is no longer part of the Brotherhood. He then tries to tell Lurch that he doesn't need to stay with him, but Lurch is with Isaak Pullo to the end, which is kind of touching, in a Ukrainian-murderer kind of way. Isaak Pullo, probably realizing that building security isn't up to snuff, notes that they'll need a new place to stay, and then, when Lurch asks who Isaak Pullo thinks killed the Avon Lady, replies, "Well, that's a job for the police, isn't it?" It's good that he can keep his sense of humor at a time like this.

Cut to the MM team bustling about as Isaak Pullo hilariously reclines on his sectional sofa like he's waiting for someone to feed him a grape. After putting on a one-man show for a bit - topics covered are "the gang's all here," the thought that perhaps the assassination attempt demonstrates he needs a police escort OH WAIT, that sort of thing - Isaak Pullo tosses some comments "Dex"'s way that suggest he knows exactly who his guardian angel was, and then Dexter bails to go pick up the kids, but not without whispering to Deb to keep Isaak Pullo occupied for as long as she can. I'd tell him to rule out her having sex with him, but we'll see at the end that it would have been moot anyway.

At the beach, Dexter sees Astor sitting by herself and goes to talk to her; she confesses that she misses the beach, as it reminds her of Rita. Out of respect to what Astor's going through, I'll forego any indignant comments on behalf of the beach. Astor tells Dexter that Orlando doesn't feel like home, but neither does Miami, anymore - there's no place she feels like she belongs. Dexter sympathizes, and Astor goes on that if her grandparents find out about the pot, they'll think she's turning into her dad, and it seems like they're waiting for that to happen. Dexter replies that when he was younger, "someone" told him who he was, and if he hadn't taken that assessment at face value, he might have turned out differently. Astor smiles that he didn't turn out so bad, and the fact that she's completely wrong doesn't make the sentiment less sweet. Dexter assures her that the pot news does not have to make the Orlando papers, and after Astor gives a small, grateful smile, Dexter's phone rings, and he steps away to talk to Hannah, who tells him she left her greenhouse keys in the van. He's reluctant (I WONDER WHY), but does tell her where he is so she can swing by...

By Couch Baron

...but to see Hannah, who opens the door and snarks, "Look who's not here again." Hee. After some stuff about Dexter not knowing what the term "booty call" is that I won't dignify, Dexter tells her that he's going to be busy for the few days, and when she invites him to explain, he takes a moment and then comes clean about Isaak Pullo and Viktor, explaining that he killed one of Isaak Pullo's key guys. Hannah: "Well, it happens." HA! I'm not going to get tired of this consciousness of kind Hannah and Dexter have anytime soon. Hannah wonders what Dexter knows about Isaak Pullo, and when he confesses he knows to nothing, she suggests that, even though the vetting process is unnecessary here for purposes of his code, Dexter do it anyway to see if he can dig up information that might be useful in planning his downfall. She even lends him her van, just in case Isaak Pullo knows his car. "Plus, it'll give you a decent excuse to come by and not see me again." They kiss, and then Dexter, not without wonder, tells Hannah he's never been able to talk about his kills with anyone before - not like he does with her, "no judgment, no fear, no panic." They agree that it's nice, and then hit the bedroom to celebrate. I wonder if they're going to start referring to this activity as "visiting Santa's Holiday Adventure."

Yup, she finally tells him why she went to the church that night, and as creepy and wrong as it was, I give the writers credit for crafting this season in such a way that it makes sense to play this card now. Dexter takes a long, long moment to take that in before repeating her words back to her, and Deb sits and tells him she was in love with him, and seriously, she sounds like she's vomiting every bit of dialogue in this scene; it's fantastically gross. She starts almost hysterically giggling as she notes that she's not even sure if she likes him anymore, and sister, pull up a chair and tell me about it. Dexter, however, isn't quite ready to let an explanation go, so Deb cry-vomits that she knows it's weird and gross and he doesn't feel the same way, and isn't she just so fucked up? Dexter mostly just looks sorry for what he's done to her, but after a while. she asks if he's going to say anything. At a loss, he apologizes and says he doesn't know what to say, but she cry-sighs, "You never do!" and as much as I don't know what to say either, you kind of have to give her that one. She asks him to go, gasping that she can't look at him before heading inside, and GOD do I hope those kids are sound sleepers.

In Hannah's van, Dexter tails Isaak Pullo to a lounge and resolves to give him half of a normal dose of the tranq he uses, whereupon Dexter will look like a guy walking his drunk buddy to his car. Not to spoil you, Dex, but I don't think that's what the clientele of this particular establishment will conclude is going on. After going in the back way (I'm not going to call attention to every innuendo in this scene; I don't get paid enough for that), Dexter sidles up to Isaak Pullo, who, without venom, tells Dexter this is a pleasant surprise, and if he's talking about the surprise of Dexter's apparent orientation OH THERE I GO AGAIN. Dexter says Isaak Pullo can't kill him there, to which Isaak Pullo hilariously demurs that he can, but he won't. He orders Dexter a beer, so Dexter reluctantly sits. Then, observing the same-sex canoodling going on around them, he condescendingly asks Isaak Pullo if he didn't think his enemies would follow him into a gay bar, which is another example of Dexter thinking he's the smartest guy in the room and being, as Ed Rooney would say, sooooooooorely mistaken. Still, it's not like this was made explicit until now; it's nice to have had some ambiguity until this point. Isaak Pullo pointedly says that he's there because he's comfortable there, and realization belatedly dawns on Dexter as Isaak Pullo conversationally goes on that it's ironic - he always feared the Brotherhood would discover his sexual orientation to his detriment, and instead they've cast him out for reasons having nothing to do with it. Well, that's more ironic than a black fly in your Chardonnay, at least. Isaak Pullo winds up by thanking Dexter for saving his life by killing that assassin, and after they put a pin in a discussion of why Dexter doesn't use guns, Dexter replies that Isaak Pullo should cut his losses and head back to Kiev. Isaak Pullo sadly replies that there's nothing waiting for him at home - because Dexter killed the only worthwhile thing there. Dexter's face flattens as realization yet again dawns, and Isaak Pullo looks quite old as he tells Dexter that he took from him something Isaak Pullo's money and power can't restore. He asks Dexter what he did to the man who murdered Rita, and Dexter, without hesitation, admits that he killed him.

Despite Dexter's best efforts, the conversation only goes on to emphasize just how much they have in common, but they diverge on the topic of love - Dexter thinks that it can't defy reason, but Isaak Pullo tells him that logically, he and Viktor should never have been together, as Viktor, unlike Isaak Pullo, was impulsive and always had something to prove. "I suppose the heart knows something that we just don't know." Dexter thinks that maybe the heart is just wrong, and given what Deb just told him it's hard to blame him for that attitude, but Isaak Pullo demurs - while it may be inconvenient and even dangerous, it's not wrong. Frustrated with how much Isaak Pullo is out-acting him in this scene, Dexter tells him they don't have to do this, and when Isaak Pullo disagrees, Dexter asks him what he thinks happens after, say, Isaak Pullo succeeds in killing him. Isaak Pullo is surprised to realize he never even thought about it, but supposes he'll find a secluded spot and while away his existence in obscurity. Dexter breathes, "Argentina," and even though that's not exactly where Isaak Pullo had in mind, it's nice that Dexter is tying this episode up in a thematic little bow. Isaak Pullo then notes that he and Dexter are outsiders, and wistfully and without sarcasm adds that were the circumstances different, he thinks they could have been great friends. I feel like I made that observation before, although maybe I didn't actually put it down in a recap, but I'll point out that what Dexter has in common with Isaak Pullo, he also has in common with Hannah, so maybe Dexter needs to get out of this gay bar before the go-go boys come around with tequila shots. But he gets beaten to the punch, as Isaak Pullo pays the check (Dexter flinches when he reaches for his wallet and gets a hilarious "Oh, come on" face from Isaak Pullo in return) and vanishes into the night...

...and then Dexter is driving as DVO pipes up with an offering that leads us into a closing montage and that's actually worth transcribing: "Everyone wants an Argentina. A place where the slate is wiped clean." Lurch arrives at the new apartment as Isaak Pullo repeatedly listens to the last message he got from Viktor. "But the truth is, Argentina is just Argentina." Quinn keeps an eye on the strip-club delivery and looks like he wants to die. "No matter where we go, we take ourselves and our damage with us." LaGuerta finds the Slice Of Life and looks gobsmacked. "So is home the place we run to, or is it the place we run from?" Deb gets stoned with Astor, who looks understandably concerned about the state of her step-aunt. "Only to hide out in places where we're accepted unconditionally--places that feel more like home to us." Dexter finds Hannah in her greenhouse, and without preamble, falls into her arms. "Because we can finally be who we are." That's an episode right there, you guys.

By Couch Baron

John Ramos is a writer and film producer living in Los Angeles. His current film, "The Trouble With Bliss," starring Michael C. Hall, Lucy Liu, Brie Larson, and Peter Fonda, can currently be seen on iTunes and other digital platforms, cable VOD everywhere, and Showtime. (Facebook and Twitter here.) You can email him at couchbaron@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/couchbaron, or check out his blog, "Pull Up A Chair," which he'd just love for you to stop by.