Dexter Surprise, Motherf—-r! Review. Dexter: Season 7, Episode 12: Surprise, Motherf—-r! was perfectly named. Even the most intrepid viewer would have never seen the ending to this episode coming. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) struggled with the prospect of becoming a killer with no code like his brother (spoiler) since he killed him (end spoiler). Now his sister, now his co-conspirator, his jumped ahead of him in that regard. The innocent people Dexter has killed were mostly accidents (except when he was in a rage over Rita’s death and killed that guy with a boat anchor), this was cold-blooded murder. This was a bigger surprise than Sookie Stackhouse being a…never mind. She beat him. Lieutenant Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) beat Dexter to it. Lieutenant Morgan’s father, Dexter’s adoptive father, would have been so proud. She killed an innocent person to protect a serial killer than framed an innocent man for his crimes. Family ties are the ties that bind.
Who Lieutenant Morgan killed, that was unbelievable. It was a surprising turn and a great turn as well. How many innocent people are now going to die in Dexter and Debra’s wake to protect their secrets?
The second biggest surprise in the episode was the reappearance via flashback of (spoiler) Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King). His inclusion in the episode showed how sourly his presence is missed on the series. Many of his scenes with Dexter were the best moments in the episode, the growing suspicion and antagonism between the two of them a foil to the growing situation between Captain Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) and Dexter. (end spoiler)
Source: Full Review @ film-book.com
Who Lieutenant Morgan killed, that was unbelievable. It was a surprising turn and a great turn as well. How many innocent people are now going to die in Dexter and Debra’s wake to protect their secrets?
The second biggest surprise in the episode was the reappearance via flashback of (spoiler) Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King). His inclusion in the episode showed how sourly his presence is missed on the series. Many of his scenes with Dexter were the best moments in the episode, the growing suspicion and antagonism between the two of them a foil to the growing situation between Captain Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) and Dexter. (end spoiler)
Source: Full Review @ film-book.com
Really interesting review and spot on with the annoying plot holes!
ReplyDeleteThe one area I do not agree with the review though is anyone having shock at Deb killing LaGuerta.
Deb was the one "handling" the LaGuerta side of things all season long... LaGuerta was Deb's cross to bear. To me it only would have been surprising if Deb had NOT been able to kill LaGuerta for Dexter..
Deb kept crossing lines all season for Dexter, and as the season went on those lines got blurrier and moved further along. Her reasoning for crossing the line all season was to protect her brother (because of her love for him/ being in love with him). So the ultimate expression of that motivation and love would be killing the person who had closed in on Dexter's (and Deb's) secret, LaGuerta
I agree I was hoping for the whole of the season that Deb would kill her, but I have to say I thought it might have been under different circumstances on Deb's part. In some ways it was hard to see, because of Deb's reaction and because she felt forced too, despite that she was the one with the gun in hand.
ReplyDelete"Really interesting review and spot on with the annoying plot holes!"
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that.
You may have a point about Debra. I saw her as the good, stupid person who would eventually wise up and do the right thing, her personal motivations notwithstanding.
The show has another season to fill though and it couldn't have Dexter shot and in prison. They need him on the street to take out a new crop of killers.
She goes there to stop Dexter from killing her then kills her herself. Big shift in an extremely short period of time.
ReplyDeleteYa. It was very dramatic!
ReplyDelete"Even the most intrepid viewer would have never seen the ending to this episode coming" I have my doubts on that. For months now fans were speculating, how this season would end, and Deb killing to protect her brother, was one of the most popular theories.
ReplyDeleteWell, we could argue for the next 7-8 months (till S8) about how innocent LaGuerta was. True,
she wasn't a killer, so she was innocent according to Dexters code. We could say, that she put herself in that position by going after Dexter, trying to expose him. On the other side we could argument, that she just did her job (for the first time). Fact is, she was a threat. Not only to Dexter, but now also a threat to Deb (and we know how Dex handles those). And his rule no.1 is "Don't get caught"
"Dexter’s adoptive father, would have been so proud" Ah, sarcasm.
It wasn't really surprising, that Deb killed LaGuerta. Fans hoped for Deb to kill and the bests were on LaGuerta and Hannah.
"How many innocent people are now going to die in Dexter and Debra’s wake to protect their secrets?" Well, they don't have to die. They just should stay away from them.
Hannah was great, no one can deny that. True, it was weird no one informed Deb that Hannah
escaped.
I'm not really surprised LaGuerta blew up. She was never smart and she was always a horrible
cop. Till this season. She was always more interesting in her political career that solving crimes. No wonder, she was no match to Deb and Dex. I think, LaGuerta showed Deb the DVD to make her talk. She probably believed, Deb would break and confess everything she did. Takes more than a Laguert to break Deb. But true, she should first gather all the evidence, before she confronted the suspect.
"To me it only would have been surprising if Deb had NOT been able to kill LaGuerta for Dexter" Couldn't agree more, honey. I think, this entire LaGuerta situation just proved, how deep and close the bond between Deb and Dexter is. Even, if they're not IN love, they love each other above everyone and everything else. He killed his brother for her. now she killed LaGuerta for him (for both of them).
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? Debs reaction on killing LaGuerta was perfect and absolutely believable. She was struggling, which proved that she was still torn between her brother (and her wish to protect him) and her job as a cop. She killed LaGuerta for him, but she hated herself for it, cause she is a good person and knew it was wrong to kill an innocent woman. It was absolutely believable. She's not cold as Dexter sometimes is, so she couldn't just kill LaGuerta and go to the party like nothing happened. She collapsed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't say it was unbelievable or not a fantastic performance, rather she put herself in a situation that I didn't expect her too. I expected a gun on Dexter's head and Deb being more threatened and morally JUSTIFIED in killing LaGeurta. Not being the one holding the gun, while LaGeurta was defenseless and Deb believing that she "had to" shoot one of them...she crossed a a line
ReplyDeleteI think your view on Deb is right to a large extent honestly. She is basically a good person who does not do bad things, just dumb things.
ReplyDeleteThat is what makes her killing LaGuerta such a powerful statement in my opinion. Her basically good side was overpowered by her love for Dexter. All logic tossed aside by the powerful emotions she felt.
I get what you're saying, I thought it would all go down differently too.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the situation could be more serious. In sense of a life threatening situation. But on the other side, it was a serious situation. LaGuerta knew too much and she wasn't going to stop. Sooner or later she would have brought Dex and Deb down. She had to be stopped. And we knew for a long time that the girl has it in her. If not sooner you had to see it in S5. Deb said, that some people don't deserve to die. When she talked about who would want to kill those bastards (in the Barrel-girls case) she said that she would. And in the end she let Dex and Lumen go away although she could arrest them (she didn't even want to see their faces).
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget she was covering for Dex all season. And she asked him to kill Hannah.
So I'd say it's not really surprising she did it, even under this circumstances. Especially after her breakdown reaction after she did it.
True, she could just get out and let Dex do it. But I think, what she did was the ultimate proof of love and commitment for him.
The episode was average. I'm glad that Hannah finally confessed poisoning deb and I'm only half surprised that she got away. As for Laguerta, she had it coming but I never thought Deb was the one to kill her, Dexter is really taking her with him on his dark side...I'm curious about next season, to see how their relationship but I'm not getting my hopes up. Now that laguerta is gone, I don't see who would go after Dexter and seeing him getting arrested for his crimes is something I always wanted to see and I'll be highly disappointed if he ends up going to argentina to be with Hannah or if he had an happy ending.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if he meant everything he wrote in that review, because a lot of it comes off as pretty sarcastic/ironic ;D
ReplyDelete"I buy that, don’t you? Their organization could be under attack so its best to do nothing about it and let their people get killed off in America."
"I love the holes, don't you?"
"True, she could just get out and let Dex do it. But I think, what she did was the ultimate proof of love and commitment for him."
ReplyDeleteYeah. she could have walked away. That's my point, she didn't. I'm not denying that the writers made a point to show us her affection in this moment, but rather I didn't expect them to give us a moment like that, with that kind of immoral devotion. -But it also came with immediate regret. Deb loves Dexter, but it's clear she's not happy about it yet...It's not like Hannah or Lumen where she's glad she did this for Dexter...It was actually a really sad moment, for being a moment that is ultimately about love...
I think if she was not faced with that extreme situation she may have chosen differently, but in that situation, in that moment she was compelled by her emotions and just acted.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how she is affected by that choice next year. Deb's not always been the most stable, level-headed person to begin with and now with that on her conscience.... YIKES!
As much as I find plot holes like that annoying I have come to expect them from the show and almost marvel at how the writers just pick and choose bits of reality to ignore and which to adhere to based on their needs! XD
ReplyDeleteIt has just become part of the show for me personally. Hopefully next year they will not write themselves into a corner again. It really felt that way the last couple years to me. I won't hold my breath though. XD
Homeland was a lot like that this year too, but I keep hoping they will not continue the pattern.
I want Dexter to have a happy ending, but I kind of suspect that this reality is too ridiculous to ever be "real"...part of me thinks that Dexter is dreaming, because he is trying to come to terms with his father, the real serial killer by putting himself in his shoes...
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine if the entire show was actually flash back that dexter is having while being on the electric chair or something and the very last image is him getting executed? I dont want to see him happy, that never worked for him, it was proven ten times already, the only ending i see is either him getting caught, dying or becoming a fugitive with deb and harrisson.
ReplyDeleteIt just depends on how ridiculous the writers are continuously going to be, because ultimately the way everything ties back, the juxtapositions to characters from all other seasons plays an extreme sense of "Fate" in the Dexter universe, as of right now. So I think it will end either in crazy Dexter is fated to always get out of it (because he kills bad people and the universe approves, as the justice system fails) or this reality was never real to begin with, because it was a dream that reflects fragments of some other reality yet to be revealed, that will sometime when Dexter is killed or caught and wakes up.
ReplyDeleteThis is way (i know you probably want to kill me for saying this again), but I swear Dexter could be darkly dreaming, because of the way this reality does that and they way 'fate' works with all of these loose ends...
ReplyDeleteUnderstood but when she is caught (Lol) and tried, she will get the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteDebra isn't a cop anymore. She's a murder. At least Dexter has an excuse for his killings. His lawyer will use his past to get him life in prison.
I was definitely being sarcastic about the holes in the episode and during the season.
ReplyDeleteI had not even considered it for Dexter, interesting....
ReplyDeleteHA!! XD
I don't hate the theorist in you or your surreal and dream theories!
I find them entertaining, often thought-provoking, but I just have not agreed with them all the time.
I think most times things are a bit more face value since showrunners face a possible fan revolt if they pull the "he was only dreaming" card.
Still on the fence with FRINGE and whether or not Peter is in the Machine. but I think it is a valid possibility. Maybe more so LAST year and not this year... but I like the idea regardless!
I just wish the show was written better with clean and clear logic. Dexter has almost become a cartoon like True Blood.
ReplyDeleteHomeland's finale was fantastic. My review on that is coming up soon.
Except the person Dexter killed wasn't innocent and Dexter was a serial killer with a kill urge.
ReplyDeleteDebra has no kill urge and the person she killed was completely innocent of any crime.
Very true...
ReplyDeleteI still wonder what the endgame is. Will Deb take the fall for Dexter willingly? Since Deb is the one that evidence points to, will Dexter use that to shift speculation off of him? Will they end up jailed or dead?
I just have no idea what the eventual endgame is for the show!
Before I thought Dexter could sacrifice himself to avoid blowback on Deb, but after this season that is out of the question.
She is going to start balling at the Captain's funeral, uncontrollable sobs.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you see the value in most of my points.
ReplyDeleteI was reading about the theories on Debra so I didn't know that her killing Hannah or the Captain were popular ones.
LaGuerta showing her hand to a Morgan, for a second time, made no sense. I get your point with trying to get Debra to talk but if she had waited for the phone records before that conversation, she would have had her.
I have seen many police interrogations. Most cops wait until they have hard evidence to force a confession, not the flimsy kind.
Well maybe that's just it. Maybe Deb does have an urge to kill, but never realized it...(maybe that is why she is SO hypocritical...)
ReplyDeleteWhen I look back, I agree with Darque in that Debra was never level headed. She was initially a nymphomaniac, never thought about what she was saying (how it would effect others), and clearly puts herself in bad relationships and situations all the time.
I think a viewer might ask themselves why Deb has the line of work she does and why she is attracted to killers, when her beliefs in those things are constantly challenged, shattered, and that she often says one thing and does another, except that I think in season 5 and 6 she was becoming steadier, had more of a specific identity, and was willing to understand herself.
Dexter, because we get inside his head all the time, along with flashbacks, allows us to more easily understand where Dexter is coming from and why he is the way he is, but when it comes to Deb, she's more of an enigma, because it's unclear why she is the way she is...because I don't even think she understands herself...
"Immoral devotion"? Well, true. But if we put the subjectivity and the emotional state aside, it was really self-defense. It was obvious that LaGuerta would never give up. She had some evidence and conclusions. Dexters fishing trips, his involvement in the cases of all BHB victims, Deb at the gas station and the tracking of their phones (to prove they were at the church) when the fire started. Maybe not enough to prove anything at court, but enough to destroy both their careers. And if someone would believe her enough, they would be after Dexter till they caught him with a bone saw over a body.
ReplyDeleteOf course she regretted it. It was her first kill. Her first kill of that kind, no matter that she was protecting her and her brother. She killed an unarmed drugged woman.
Sorry, but neither Lumen, nor Hannah killed for Dexter. Dexter helped Lumen revenge herself. They did it for her, not for him. You know she stopped after Jordan. She couldn't even stay with Dex, knowing he keeps on killing. And Hannah killed for her own benefit. But I have no doubt (I also suggested it) that she would be glad to poison LaGuerta if Dex would have asked. She would, but she didn't. The only one twisted enough that killed for him was Lila. She killed Doakes to prevent him from exposing Dex. Hmm … No wonder I liked Lumen best. Hannah AND Lila were hot. Hotter than Lumen (she was more "cute" than "hot". She's the more natural type). But from character I liked Lumen best.
You mean Brian? Of course he wasn't innocent. And Dexter does have the urge to kill. But even without the urge to kill and his brother as a serial killer, I have no doubts that Dexter would kill for Deb. He loves her. At that point (in S1) she was all he had and cared about. Rita was just a cover-up, he had no kids, … All he had was Deb.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also already posted a comment about LaGuertas stage if "innocent". She was no killer, but she was after Dex and Deb and she wasn't about to stop. Deb protected her and her brother at all costs, like Dex did. That's what meant. Cause, like LaGuerta, Brian wouldn't stop. He would come after Dex again and again, killing Deb, maybe even Rita and the kids.
Well that's good to know, because I every time I say something other than "real" I sense a need from others to be burned at the stake! :D
ReplyDelete-But I think you're right. Science fiction and Fantasy shows are one thing and normally with crime or history drama I wouldn't think of it either for the exact reason you say, except that lately I find something really either changes, or was never quite right to begin with, with some of these new cable shows...
But just thinking about Jamie's come on with Quinn...considering what happened last time they met, and how she ended up despising Louis (the meanest red herring ever!) for his sleezy unloyalty and fondness for prostitutes, is SO left field! -And then speaking of Quinn, why wouldn't he chime in with LaGuerta about Dexter? -What had he to loose? It was like those things from other seasons never happened, because they're suddenly no longer important to the characters, but yet there are all these tie-backs and juxtapositions high lighting the differences...
I agree that she should have wait to gather all evidence, before confronting either Dex or Deb. That's just another proof, at how incompetent LaGuerta was, when it came to "real" police work.
ReplyDelete"Most cops wait until they have hard evidence to force a confession" I think the key word here is "most". And it mostly depends on how smart the suspect is. If you got some stupid kid or junkie, you can bluff and get a full confession. But that's not working on smart people or cops. And Dex and Deb are both.
Luman killed "with" Dexter...and Hannah probably would have killed for Dexter or with Dexter, if that was what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteBut I am actually confused if Hannah told Dexter the truth about poisoning Deb, or if she made a false confession just to make him happier, because the scene between her Deb almost sounded like that exactly what Hannah did?! -But I need to see it again, or get a transcript...
My point isn't that Deb does or doesn't love Dexter, it's that she herself has proven shades of insanity by being a really big hypocrite, which is amusing when we consider that LaGeurta was also one.
It's not her first kill. In fact she comes to have no qualms or reservations about killing Speltzer (Justifiably so, as he was a killer--which then goes along with Harry's code) -But when we look back at how she reacted after the death of Lundy, you can see a thurst for revenge, control, and power in her disposition. Debra has displayed great jealousy over the course of the series with Lila and Hannah.
I would just like to point out I as an intrepid viewer did in fact see this ending coming.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spoilertv.com/2012/11/dexter-episode-712-surprise-motherfker.html#disqus_thread
I think a lot of us hoped and/or expected LaGuerta to get it via Deb or involving Deb, but I think the actual nature of the twist is something that no one could see coming, because it wasn't an accident nor was it a happy or satisfying scene. It was tragic and painful for Deb.
ReplyDeleteIn a way it's like Deb shot herself. Looking at it from LaGuerta's perspective, she is doing what a lot of the characters were doing this season, trying to help avenge someone they love, and although Deb is much more likable character, as she is not politically motivated and perhaps we feel she has a lot of excuses for her behavior, she and LaGuerta are both hypocrites and did what they had out of love.
Yep it was tragic, and I was hoping I would be wrong, but I feel like this whole season was Deb's coming out party, with her involvement in Dex's extracurricular affairs. I felt like the logical conclusion would be for her to actually get her hands dirty. I also predicted that she might end up being like Dex's commissioner Gordon this season after last season's ending. I feel like there are two logical conclusions to this series now.
ReplyDeleteA: Dex and Deb end up on the run, taking Harrison with them.
B: Deb commits suicide at some point due to not being able to handle what she did, then Dex turns himself in realizing what a monster he really is, and how it has impacted all those closest to him, leaving Harrison to have a somewhat normal, and untarnished life. But I also see a twist coming that will reveal that Harrison grows up to be the new "Dexter" proving that a dark passenger does in fact exist.
If Hannah didn't do it, why confess? She said, she poisoned Deb cause she wanted to bring them apart. If it wasn't her, wouldn't it be logical she would try to prove her innocence, hoping she could safe their relationship? She did asked him to help, didn't she? If she wanted his help, why not denying the poisoning?
ReplyDeleteAnd the way she looked at him and acted. She was cold as ice. She was pretending all the time. I don't know if she felt anything for him. I think, she's more a sociopath than Dex and she played him.
Insanity? Deb's not crazy. Confused and torn, maybe. But not insane. Hypocrite? Maybe. She has reasons to not arrest Dex. And it's not just that he is her brother (although it started that way). LaGuerta a hypocrite? Barely more than Deb. She's more a manipulating, selfish, self-righteous bitch.
I said, it's the first kill of that kind. She killed an unarmed woman. She did it to protect herself and her brother, but LaGuerta was unarmed and drugged. When she used her gun before, it was because someone started using his first.
Of course Lundy's death changed her. She loved him and he dies right before her eyes. And she too almost died that night. That would change everybody.
If she's shown any jealousy toward Hannah or Lila, we now know why. Cause she was in love with him.
Well I don't want to go on a tangent, when I haven't rewatched the scene I wanted to rewatch to justify my response, but the point of Hannah lying to Dexter "would be" to protect him so he didn't have to feel guilty about her arrest, because she knows how much he loves Deb...and this is HOW much she loves Dexter.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone reacts the same to death and murder, but there are many times where Deb has acted "out of line" IMO, as Police Officer, detective, and/or Luetenit, she should have more self control.
Additionally if Deb would have poisoned herself, it brings her closer in parallel to Lila, Brian, and LaGeurta, because she was THAT compelled and jealous to be with Dexter, or to not let anyone else be, that she would be willing to hurt Hannah and Dexter for the sake of her own happiness...VERY pathological and not very innocent, good willed, or compassionate...
But if she knows how much he loves Deb, why kill her? Sure, she felt like Deb is in her way, and her normal response is to kill her. But she could have known that Dex would find out. Or at least suspect. And that he wouldn't take it well.
ReplyDeleteI think, Deb always acted correctly. If she acted "out of line", as you put it, it was after a trauma or under stress. Like after Brian tried to kill her, after Lundy died or after she found out Dex is a serial killer. Maybe you get that feeling because of her language.
Possible, that she did it herself. But I still believe it was Hannah. Deb is not the manipulating type. Unlike Hannah or Lila.
Again, my viewpoint in that conversation is that "IF" Hannah didn't poison Deb, but Deb poisoned herself. So your way only makes sense if it is the other way.
ReplyDeleteDeb does not act correctly all the time. She is not level headed, she goes against the rules, and she constantly over reacts. She almost killed a teenage kid in S5, and Angel had to stop her. Angel is the only character that always acts the way one should in all aspects of his life.
I think we don't know who Deb is.
Exactly. The big IF. Hanna isn't denying. Although she did denied last week, but if I remember correctly, it was before he got the test results and he was just suspecting it. Hopefully we'll learn for sure next season. I mean, if the show ends next season, the least the producers and writers can do is, to answer all questions and reveal all secrets.
ReplyDeleteI forgot. What kid in S5?
Yes, Angel was one of the best. Except that time when he got high with Quinn.
You assume Deb having a dark side? I don't think so. I mean, it's possible. I just don't see it. She never manipulated Dex or anyone else. She was never a selfish bitch like LaGuerta (using others for her own career and betraying them). As far as we know she wasn't a dirty cop. She was shocked after she found out about Dex being a killer. And in the last ep she cried after killing LaGuerta. But you could be right. In S5 she was happy someone was killing the animals that tortured and killed women. She let Dex and Lumen go. She was glad (her own words) when Dex killed taurus. And she did ask Dex to kill Hannah. Several times.
I agree that Deb doesn't understand herself. I think killing LaGuerta will change her. It had better change her quickly, however, as Season 8 is due to be the last season. I suspect Deb will end up killing Dexter.
ReplyDelete