Even for a planner as meticulous as Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), things can go wrong. That’s the case in this eighth episode of Dexter: Resurrection.
This week’s episode, “The Kill Room Where It Happens,” has Dexter stretched thin and coming up against plenty of obstacles. Can he get out of it unscathed? Let’s dive in.
Al’s turn on the table
Dexter has made short work of the killers in the club organized by Leon (Peter Dinklage) and, after last week’s efforts, seemed to have deflected attention. But, he still needs to deal with Al (Eric Stonestreet) and to get it done before Al heads home. That leaves Dexter on a tight timeline.
Dexter makes plans to meet up with Al after his viewing of Hamilton. Dexter finds a kill room and puts all his plans in motion. But turns out Hamilton wasn’t Al’s cup of tea. He left at intermission and is already on his way back home. Dexter tries to find an opening, but alas, it’s no good.
All that leaves Dexter with a kill room and a kill kit and no target. Fortunately, his chance to be a good dad has created an opening. Al’s no longer on the table, so to speak, but Dexter latches on to a new mission.
Helping Harrison
Harrison has been trying to help Elsa (Emilia Suarez) throughout the season. But his time confronting the slumlord who runs her building, the prickly Vinny (Steven R. Schirripa), didn’t go well. Elsa is nearing a breaking point and now needs help. Dexter offers to make a run at Vinny.
Dexter tries to visit Vinny at his office, but it doesn’t go well. So, Dexter doesn’t want his pristine kill room to go to waste. He snatches up Vinny while in disguise and brings him to the makeshift kill room. He puts him on the table and then puts the fear of death into him, literally. But Vinny seems to get the message.
And just in time. Dexter hears a noise and quickly sets Vinny free before escaping. Turns out, Angel (David Zayas) has been tracking him. Angel stumbles into the kill room after Vinny bowls him over. But he misses Dexter.
Still, Dexter begins to wonder how Angel found him. He pulls over and searches his car. He sees the AirPods Angel left behind and quickly gets rid of them. But now he knows Angel won’t give up his pursuit.
Angel’s investigation
Armed with his tracking, Angel begins to piece together Dexter’s movements. When it leads him to a kill room, he reaches out to Det. Wallace (Kadia Saraf). But neither Wallace nor her partner, Det. Oliva (Dominic Fumusa) is sold on Angel’s theory. In fact, they begin to suspect he might be a little obsessed.
Wallace decides to follow up. She surfs the Internet and looks up some information on the Bay Harbor Butcher, Angel, and Dexter. She makes a call to Miami, connecting with Lt. Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington). It’s there she learns that they aren’t investigating the Bay Harbor Butcher, Angel is no longer an active officer, and he was known to be obsessive. All that seems to sour Wallace on following any leads from Angel.
While he doesn’t yet know it, Angel is alone. But it’s clear he can’t or won’t give up on proving Dexter is a killer. All that portends a clash with someone whom he used to consider a friend.
Dexter’s dinner surprise
After the events of the previous week, Leon is happy to believe Dexter saved his group. Charley (Uma Thurman), meanwhile, believes that something about Red doesn’t add up. She and Leon argue, but she persuades him that she’s trying to do her job.
As we close the episode, Dexter and Harrison are enjoying a little dinner. Harrison is grateful that Vinny is making things right for Elsa and that his father helped get it done. But just as they are celebrating things possibly turning around, Dexter catches something out of the corner of his eye that turns his smile into a frown. Leon arrives and walks up to the table. Seems Charley has figured out Dexter’s secret, which means a showdown of a different sort is on the horizon.
Thoughts on episode 8
This was a fascinating episode. In addition to all the above, Dexter had a bit of a falling out with Blessing (Ntare Mwine) when he let his secret slip, and Harrison hooked up with Gigi (Emily Kimball), finally seeming to move forward. But all that could be in danger now that Leon has seemingly discovered who Dexter really is. That also explains, perhaps, how Al slipped away. If they know that Red is really Dexter, and the Bay Harbor Butcher, that could put Dexter and Harrison in danger. With only two episodes left, a lot of major storylines are coming to a head, and the tension is really ramping up.
Dexter: Resurrection streams Fridays on Paramount+ and airs Sundays on Showtime. We recap the action right here each week. Check back next week for the penultimate episode.