Dexter Season 5, Episode 1: “My Bad” [Recap]

Welcome to the first official Dexter recap on The Bunker. Recaps can be found HERE every week on Tuesday, 8am. If you need to refresh yourself with what transpired last season, check out our Dexter Season 4 Review HERE.

My recap style is like a delayed live reporting. You read it as I see it, then I go back and edit, fill in details, and try to smooth things out so it makes sense to go along with the narrative. The recaps are meant as a companion to the series and not as a replacement for watching the episodes. My goal is to be a good place to organize your tv addled heads, my dear readers, and be a consistent source for referencing past episodes. Unfortunately I don’t have the set-up to pull screen caps from my DVR right now, so these recaps will be presented media glamour free for the time being.

And now… on with the show.

Air Date:  September 26, 2010

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Opening credits are unchanged. I’ve always thought the opening sequence for Dexter to be excellent.

Aw. A recap of Dex and Rita’s life for the “Previously on.” That bathtub; shivers still.

The show opens where last season left off. To be expected, but a first for Dexter. Dexter is on his knees holding baby Harrison as patrol cars gather at the scene. Dexter is in shock and is getting harangued by a flat foot. Deb shows up and puts an end to that real quick. I love Jennifer Carpenter’s character. She takes the baby from Dexter.

Dexter: “Rita is inside. It was me.” I have a feeling Dex is going to regret those words.

Many new shots of Rita in the tub. I think we may have our first Julie Benz sighting for the season.

Oh, wow. Mazuka is on location. “I’ve imagined Rita naked plenty of times, but never like this.” So wrong. Perfect. He and Quinn are examining the crime scene.

Quinn is already suspicious as was teased throughout the season trailers leading up to the premier. Rita being married does not fit the Trinity profile.

Laguarda and Batista arrive. Laguarda is upset – she’s already ceded jurisdiction to the FBI and is more concerned with the department supporting Dexter. Batista reminds her that Rita is a cop’s wife – one of theirs. The Miami P.D. homicide should be working the case for Dexter.

I wonder how long they can keep Trinity as such a main part of the plot? This is all new ground for the series and it is odd for the plot from last season to overlay so much in this opening episode. My guess is that it and Quinn’s suspicious will slowly be resolved. We do have new adventures to move on to.

Dex is trying to bring the tears but can’t get them to come. Jerk-off neighbor Elliott, however, is having no problem showing the emotion that Dexter so badly wants. Maybe Dex will discover that dude has a dark history and will take his ass out. Quinn is absorbing the scene and contrast between Dex and Elliott.

Unnamed FBI agent takes Dex aside for questioning and immediately goes into the, “It was me,” statement. Dex seems at a loss that he uttered those words. I can rewind it for him if he wants proof.

Dex and the agent walk to where Deb is with the baby. Yeah, mistake. Deb drops about forty-seven words not fit for network television to make her feelings known about the FBI (wasn’t Lundy FBI?). Dexter is not performing too well answering the where he was, why did he say that questions, but Deb and Laguarda buy him some time. Maybe the reprieve will help him get his act together.

Dex and Deb arrive at Deb’s apartment (Dexter’s former apartment). Deb is a little confused by the, “it was me,” statement as well.

Next day at the Miami Police Department (MPD), Mazuka and Quinn are listening to Dex’s 911 call. Dex was clinical and cold during the call, describing the nature and process of the death. Batista walks over followed by Laguarda. They basically tell Mazuka and Quinn to STFU, but it seems to have little effect.

Mazuka is making a slight heel turn – he seems to be a bit suspicious as well. He tells Quinn about Rita and Neighbor Elliott’s make-out session from last season. Rut ro, motive.

Oh my Zeus. Dexter is awoken by a phone call. It is his mother in law. Who has Rita’s children. Astor and Cody are having the best day they claim.

Dexter puts off telling them about Rita and instead gives instruction for mother-in-law to bring the kids to Deb’s apartment that evening. (Is this the same actress that played Rita’s mom a few seasons ago? Seems different – or I have something confused.) Deb isn’t so sure about Dex’s stalling tactics, but other things need to happen as well. One of those things is making funeral arrangements. While I have it paused on the opening scene at the funeral home, I have to wonder what the purpose of this minutia is for? I wonder if we are about to meet a character at the home that is going to draw the attention of Dexter’s Dark Passenger? Or perhaps Rita is going to get a zombie-conscious scene?

Deb and Dex arrive at the funeral home. Dexter is impressed by the funeral director’s false empathy. Jealous, really. “There are Kleenex’s here if you need them,” says the director. Dex looks a bit puzzled, but takes one and folds it into a square.

The director informs Dexter of the processes of a funeral and how the obituary is a good place to start because it gives the grieved a chance to express their feelings. That puts Dexter into panic mode. He abruptly leaves and Deb takes over the proceedings.

Dexter walks around and observes an in-progress funeral. He wishes he could bring forth that emotion. And that triggers… FLASHBACK!

Here we have the actual Julie Benz sighting as a living Rita. Dexter is remembering their first blind date. It’s funny, they’ve done a good job of de-glamming Benz to what she looked like in the earlier seasons. That is one thing that has bothered me about the show: As the seasons progressed, Rita evolved from cute-pretty hotel hostess to a vixen goddess. I never understood that physical transformation.

Sweet scene with the old awkward Rita and Dex talking for the first time. Remember when Rita used to kinda talk incessantly – but not nag? The impression is given that Dex arranged the date place as a cover for tracking someone he wanted to take out. Scene.

Dexter is admitting to himself how much he lied to Rita. Deb finds him and tells him she has taken care of most of the details for the service. Dex is not acting right and you can tell Deb is growing concerned.

Deb has to go meet Quinn at Dexter and Rita’s house. Deb is not there for crime solving, but rather to clean the house for Dexter. Quinn is game. Desmond Harrington (Quinn) is a good actor. This series overflows with competent tradesmen and women. Cable shows remind me of BBC productions in that way – the background actors and C level regulars are always cut above U.S. network tv.

Hey, is Quinn putting the moves on Deb? She is having a moment and… holy shit! Deb and Quinn end up having sex on Dexter’s kitchen floor. Hello left field, where have you been? I guess just weeks after Lundy is murdered, days since Christine Hill committed suicide, and hours since Rita was murdered, this is how the stress of the tragic is relieved? This is consistent with the series’ treatment of relationships – just jump right into whatever works for the plot. Jennifer Carpenter defines toned, for what it is worth.

Fade to Deb’s apartment. Dex is staring at the front door of which Cody and Astor are knocking on while whooping it up. I don’t know who is more nervous about this confrontation, me or Dexter.

This is terrible; heartbreaking.  The children put some Mickey ears on Dexter. He sits back to tell them about Rita. With the ears still on. Heh. Shitstorm.

Dex is having problems calling real emotion forward, so he mimics the funeral director’s words, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Oh, man, bad call, Dex, bad call. Strangely it seems like he is having emotions. The old Dexter was much better at pretending than this.

Astor takes off and Dexter chases her down. Kids know, though; Kids are smart – un-indoctrinated. She sees through Dexter, she can tell that something is not right. The blame game is being played.

Astor: “I wish you were dead.” Natch.

The problem with kids and a television series that picks up from the previous season is that kids grow fast. Both Cody and Astor look much older than last season.

Back to Deb and Quinn. Deb is not into the touchy feely after aggression sex glow. Quinn of all people picks out Rita’s dress and Deb leaves the scene.

Quinn sees Elliott and proceeds to follow his suspicion. Quinn is getting around to the Rita-Elliott kissing. Elliott tells his side, Quinn is more suspicious.

Deb and Dex are having a bro and sis moment. Dex blames himself, of course. Deb just doesn’t understand and Dex can’t tell her. Dex knows that he could have taken Arthur Mitchell our early in the game if he was not so fascinated by him.

Another Dexter and Rita first date flashback. Dexter’s mark leaves the cafe and Dex excuses himself, puts on some gloves, surprises the guy outside, knocks him out, and puts him into his trunk. All in about 30 seconds. That’s the old efficient Dexter right there. I have a hunch that his opinion at the moment is going a different way – that his and Rita’s entire relationship was built on his lies.

Dex bails on the date. Hm. Scene.

Back to the present and the apartment. Dex is confessing to Harrison who lays asleep. The scene ends with Dexter saying, “You would all be better off without me.”

Next day, Dex is cleaning up his traces on his computer. It seems that he is planning on fleeing. Deb reminds him what he needs to do with regard to the funeral and that he has to meet with the FBI. Dexter, with plans of fleeing in his mind, is asking Deb to love and be in baby Harrison’s life.

At MPD, Quinn is asking Batista’s permission to speak with Laguarda. Strange. But I bet I know what it’s about.

Yep. He thinks Dexter has a motive. Laguarda is not so sure. Laguarda gets a call that Dexter has not shown up for his FBI interview. She calls Deb who, bless her heart, is still making funeral arrangements.

Deb makes it home and the cat lady from “10-A” is feeding Harrison ice cream. Dex is no where to be seen.

He is at the funeral home, apologizing and confessing to Rita’s corpse – who is in a dress Dexter picked out, the one from their first date. But he is planning on fleeing.

Dexter goes to his shed office at his and Rita’s home. He is waiting for Harry, Dexter’s conscious, to speak up – give him direction. No dice. After grabbing the few indispensible things for his trade, Dex torches his shed office. That’s not going to look suspicious.

Dex is on his boat. And is gone.

Rita’s funeral. Deb is trying to call Dexter. Dexter is on his boat and bumps the call – and the scene transitions to another flashback. The setting is after the aborted date and after Dex has chopped up his latest victim. He answer’s, “Hey, you.” Aw, the conception ubiquitous greeting between the two. Dex makes nice and arranges another date. Ahh, so much gravitas in this scene.

Back to the boat. Dexter runs out of gas and stops at a boat station along the International Coastal Waterway. No one is in the station but a good ol’ shit kicker who is screaming and cussing up a storm because he needs the keys to the bathroom. After finding the keys, he exchanges some un-pleasantries with Dex. And the Dark Passenger awakens.

Dex kills the guy in the bathroom with a detached boat propeller. He was a dick, sure, but did he meet The Code of Harry?

And Harry is back! He calls Dex murdering that guy the most human reaction he’s had, a response of emotion. Heh. And here comes the tears. And the screams. He needs his family, they need him.

Back at the funeral, some awkward husband-wife moment with Batista and Laguarda. Quinn begins to tell Deb his suspicious. Then Dexter arrives!

Dex is doing his best with the eulogy, and realizes that he did… love… Rita.

Fade to black.

Join us next week as Quinn seeks out “Kyle Butler” and Arthur Mitchell’s family while turning lose a rogue cop to snoop into Dexter’s life; Dexter decides going on the prowl is just what the doctor ordered; Deb and Quinn continue their unique relationship; and brutal cult murders start popping up in Miami. A busy episodes for Dexter next week, keep up to date with these weekly recaps, every Tuesday at 8am.