When Dexter‘s fourth season finale concluded with Rita’s death, I thought for sure the only way the fifth season could work well was with a fast-forward in time. I didn’t want to see Dexter dealing with a funeral, childcare, and trying to act mournful. I wanted to see who the next “big bad” was going to be, right away. I wanted to get past the baby Harrison years and get right into the thick of things. As it turns out, this is the thick of things, and it’s right where this season needed to start from.
First of all, you fans of Six Feet Under will have to let us know if there were any scenes reminiscent of that series, while Dexter was roaming about the funeral home. For those not in the know, Michael C. Hall was a key character on SFU, a show centered around the mortuary and funeral home business. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would get any inkling of a shout-out during those scenes in this episode.
Something that can’t go unmentioned is the appearance of Quinn (Desmond Harrington) in the premiere. He looked … odd, didn’t he? Seeing as this episode took place immediately following the events in the finale, to see Quinn with a new hair style and having lost a bunch of weight was strange. Hey, I’m all for trying something different and shedding some pudge, but the producers of the show must have had a shit fit when Harrington showed up on the set looking markedly different. It’s the next day! No sudden plastic surgery, no suntans, no shaved heads! Remember Vince on Entourage this past season?
Speaking of Quinn, though, he’s once again (or, should I say, continuing) causing trouble for Dexter, though this time Dexter’s not exactly aware of what’s going on. Quinn is being careful not to jump too quickly to make assumptions, but you can’t say his suspicions are unfounded. Right now all of Miami Metro is simply standing behind one of their own in time of grief, while no one is yet asking why Trinity would go after Dexter’s family, of all people. Even Dexter’s not exactly worried that this looks odd, and he’s meticulous about covering tracks. How long will his coworkers turn a blind eye toward the elephant in the room?
A couple of scenes in particular stood out for me in the premiere. First was Dexter sitting in Deb’s apartment with Mickey Mouse ears on, trying to tell the kids their mother is dead. “I’m sorry for your loss” is all he can muster to say, something he simply blurts out from having learned it from the funeral director. It was a very uncomfortable scenario to witness. How do you tell these kids what happened while they were away having fun? How the hell can Dexter pull it off and feel — not feign — actual remorse?
The second scene that stood out is pictured above, when Dexter completely looses his shit on the guy in the bathroom (no pun intended). It’s the first time I can recall having seen Dexter really just lose control, even yelling out like some deranged monster. Like a deranged, lunatic serial killer. The Dark Passenger rearing its ugly head, and there’s Harry at that very moment. Not a coincidence.
Seeing how Dexter has to deal with Rita’s death — and all that comes with it — is a good thing. I know now that I would have felt cheated if we fast-forwarded through all of this.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Sep 26, 2010 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
The episode was really well done, and stayed so true to Dexter’s character. However, I didn’t enjoy all the mourning (much like Buffy’s “The Body”) and I’m very glad we’re moving on from that. It definitely had to be dealt with, and I love watching Dexter’s character grow, but bring on the rest of the season!
Excellent premiere.