Dexter on SHO - Page 156

It's like the TV show is their shared-custody child and, for the kid's sake, they're being civil to one another. Or maybe it took marriage to find out they're the best of friends/co-workers. Or maybe they just felt like drinking coffee.

Geesus, who the f*ck cares?
It's a TV show....

^^^ You spelled 'Jesus' wrong (wink, wink!).

It is just a TV show, oink - you're right. Of course, for some people it seems to be a lot more than that...

And people were concerned that a little stabbing was going to come between them. She had no love for that Travis dude anyway, pretty gruesome fellow after all...

'The Dexter 2012/2013 Rewatch Project'
Ep.104: 'LET'S GIVE THE BOY A HAND'
By dad1153, AVSForum.com - Jan. 22, 2012




Plot Summary: The Ice Truck Killer's recent crime scenes send a secret message to Dexter, leading him to think about the past. LaGuerta's investigation changes course. Doakes continues to have run-ins with Carlos Guerrero and his associates. (Source: DexterWikia)

Premiere Dates: 10/22/06 (SHO), 3/09/08 (CBS)
Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg
Director: Robert Lieberman
AVS Comments: our good ol' friend from Oklahoma gwsat commented first back in '06 (scroll down after clicking to see other reactions the morning after the show aired).

• • • • • • • • • • • •

I got my Amanda Snack Cakes ready. Let's get this 'soccer' started.

•This episode aired (edited for network TV) on CBS at 10 p.m. on Sunday, 3/09/98. It got around 6-6.5 million viewers and a 1.9 in the demo, down a tenth from the previous week (Source: HOTP Thread/Media Life Magazine).
•First Season 1 episode (of two) directed by veteran TV director Robert Lieberman, who has directed episodes for many TV series for five decades ("Gabriel's Fire," "Stephen King's Dead Zone," "Haven," etc.) and one theatrical feature, 1993's "Fire in the Sky."
•First script (of two) written by Drew Z. Greenberg, a show producer during the show's first season. His previous work included shows like "The OC," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Smallville." Since leaving "Dexter" Greenberg has worked on shows like "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Caprica" and "Warehouse 13."
•We didn't talk much about him for the past three episodes but veteran TV actor Rudolf Martin's contribution to the "Dexter" canon should be mentioned since this is his last guest appearance. With minimal screen time Martin turned drug kingpin Carlos Guerrero into a perceived force of nature and real threat to Doakes and other Miami Metro cops. And, this early in "Dexter's" existence, seeing Guerrero be taken down so suddenly and out-of-nowhere (with Doakes being used as an unwilling pawn by his fellow cops to bust Guerrero, the same way Dex would use Doakes to frame someone else as the Bay Harbor Butcher) felt like a genuine surprise for a 'B' storyline that could have been a season-long story arc. Compared, for example, with the 'Santeria Murders' storyline from Season 5, the Guerrero storyline of S1 is tight, lean and dropped as soon as all the dramatic worth is squeezed from it.
•When Doeakes says 'I'm going to end up dead. It's just a matter of when' a little shiver went up my spine. Doakes is talking about the threat from Guerrero's men, but we know better. But were the Miami Metro cops planning all along to bust Guerrero in the act of threatening Doakes' life? Or did these rogue cops switch to that plan after Doakes told the brother of the cop's wife he was having an affair with that she was going to divorce her husband? I'm not sure.
•This doesn't need mentioning but, for the record, Julie Benz looks hot (not in an Angelina Jolie way, but more like a mother/wife/girlfriend giving her 'boo' a present) in her Lara Croft/Tomb Raider outfit. The only way Rita would look hotter if she were cosplaying would be if she dressed as Cammy from the "Street Fighter" series... ahem!
•Except for Dex actually saying it at the end in VO (and then it's just one line) this episode does a great job of showing us the dualities of how all the characters besides Dexter (except for Matthews) lead lives of quiet desperation. To the extent that today we still regard Batista (separated and with a teenage kid that's been mentioned but not seen) and LaGuerta (a selfish political animal that is moved by Tucci's mother's kindness, a trait shown on the S6 finale when Maria was nice to Deborah after the cop Travis killed was found) as human beings despte how two-dimensional they've been portrayed since the fourth season, the roots for us perceiving them as people with lives outside their work takes shape here. Even Deborah, who spends most of the episode in a little glass cubicle watching security tapes (when she's desperate to be on-scene and hands-on), has her moment of glory thanks to her brother's tip after an entire episode where she's basically a human punchline.
•The running gag of Batista not knowing what shape of a diamond pendant to give to his wife for their anniversary (four-leave clover? butterfly? Per Dex, an 'Ox'? ) starts kind-of lame and unfunny. It establishes how much of a rapport Batista has with his Morgan sibling co-workers though. The resolution to the gag, with a lonely Batista living the heart-key shaped pendant on the lamp of her sleeping daughter's bedside, hits hard.
•Only the Rita character is given two different dualities to counter her 'goodie two shoes' personality. In addition to the Tomb Raider outfit/BJ on Dexter she also steals her neighbor's dog to give to a loving family, then mentions it's the latter action that gave her the strength to do the former.
•The little music cue that Daniel Licht uses when Dexter goes to talk to/returns from the neighbor with the barking dog is a little bit of aural fun. It almost (but not quite) makes you forget the visual blooper of seeing filmmaking equipment (electrical wires, lighting rods, etc.) visible on the front window glass when Dex walks toward the neighbor's house.
•The idea of Rudy/ITK flipping through Dexter's photo album to set-up the clues to guide Dex to Tucci but also to fill-in his own knowledge of how his little brother was raised is a creative masterstroke. I can totally picture Chris Camargo sitting on Dexter's desk looking at those pic, making snide remarks, etc. When a TV show has memorable characters/situations/writing repeat viewings are fun when you can picture a character doing the stuff you can't see him do. Camargo left such an impression later in the season (there is a reason Rudy was brought back in S6's "Nebraska," where we again see Chris actually inhabit the physical space of Dex's apartment we only saw in the S1 finale) that, retroactively, it's fun and easy to picture Rudy doing the stuff "Dexter" doesn't show us him doing but that we know the character did.
•Dexter's remark about ITK showing to Dex the ugly truth behind the Hallmark pretend-normal pose on the pictures, followed by flashback scenes in which Dexter and Harry take turns not wanting to be photographed but pretending for the camera, will touch a nerve with anyone (i.e. everybody) that's pretended to be happy and forced a smile when being photographed against their wishes. It actually made me realize what a bastard I've been to people in my life that just wanted to snap a picture with me in it.
•Trifecta: First "Dexter" episode with flashbacks to Dexter as a child, as a teenager and a young adult (that damn wig again!) along with regular present-day Dex. Also first time we see Deborah as a little girl; previously we'd only seen Jennifer Carpenter in a wig pretending to be an older teen Deb.
•Hilarious historical clue: during the first picture-taking flashback in the beach little Dex says 'damn' and, when reprimended by his foster mother, he says that his sister says that all the time. This scene establishes in the "Dexter" canon that Deborah has been swearing (starting with the rather-benign 'damn') since she was a very little girl, even though lil' Deb herself doesn't swear in this flashback
•In a couple of shots in this and previous episodes we see a folded American flag in a glass case (like the one given to families of military personnel that dies in the line of duty) atop the furniture behind LaGuerta's desk. A subtle visual clue to the character's patriotism?
•Dexter's little VO speech about Halloween being a time of the year where everyone does what he's forced to do every day, plus the 'I'm neither man or beast, I'm something new entirely... I'm Dexter' speech at the end, are two of the most memorable bits of writing in the show's history. He only wrote two episodes, but writer Drew Z. Greenberg sure left his mark on the show.
•The same way Season 4's 'Hungry Man' is the "Dexter" episode that has come to symbolize Thanksgiving for me, 'Let's Give the Boy a Hand' is the "Dexter" episode that to me has come to symbolize Halloween.
•Harry's flashback advice to Dexter about not being a bully because cops like him remember bullies ('a bully is a felon waiting to happen') has enough truth behind it to qualify as universal wisdom. It's good advice for normal people, not just serial-killers-in-training.
•Dexter's memory of watching for hours as a kid how trash compactors packed and buried garbage in the now-built over landfill is a little disturbing. It's also screamingly funny.
•The last shot of the episode, where Dex blows the burning picture and looks directly at the camera, would be recreated in the S5 finale 'The Big One.' The echo-ish 'Boo' when the picture cuts to black recalls the final shot/ending of "The Usual Suspects."
•DEBism of the episode: (as a little girl in the beach flashback when lil' Dex doesn't want to have his picture taken): 'Pretend you're burning ants.'
•DEX's favorite quip: (Rita has the honor this time as she seduces Dexter dressed as Lara Croft) 'I'm a dognapper now, and a tomb raider. There's all sorts of things I can do.' Runner-up: (thinking of the ITK outloud, which Batista interprets as another Doakes putdown) 'He's mocking me!'



(Pics courtesy of this website)

Well, for my money this was one of the best episodes we've yet seen in the rewatch -- very tight, not a whole lot of superfluous nonsense, great character building, plenty of tension and heart as well.


Possibly even more astounding was that Doakes could be taken down so easily. So here we have a tough-as-nails cop more than adequately made aware of impending threat, yet he can be sneaked up on and the first thing that happens is a bag is slipped over his head? There have been times when I have sensed very much more mild threats than man-killer thugs lurking outside my residence making pointed gestures. My protective measures in these instances I guess might be considered extraordinary, given Doakes' laissez faire what-will-be-will-be approach. Used to ride a bicycle home from work and was driven up behind and pushed over by someone in the back of a pickup -- that led to me riding with a pellet gun from thereon, ready to fire in my hand (covered by a bag as it looked like an actual gun), so a little surprising I suppose that Doakes knows it is coming yet does not prepare any better, but I forgive because it served the story well to have the sudden ambush overtake him without injury or ready recourse -- we had to believe he was under great threat in an instant, and this all moved with great dramatic haste, so well enough.


You know I'd totally forgotten the set-up and now the reversal -- that was great and a total surprise yet again! Yes, unknown what the cops' original intention was, but that entire side-story was great -- from the way Doakes was dealing with Dexter, to the extramarital affair revelation, to the fellow cops setting him up, then continuing to ride him, the Doakes comeback which shifted focus off the infidelity, and the resolution -- all tight and delicious!


You got it. Very hot -- and in her presentation as well, just super cute coming out of herself for the daring person she could be. Just really nice character building -- and Dexter too drawn out of his shell was very natural -- I mean, who could resist that! Might have made me a changed man, but then maybe I don't have the internal fortitude and singular focus of one Dexter Morgan.


Again, yes absolutely great character building -- it's all in there, sometimes subtle, sometimes hilarious, but always pouring that foundation -- we're getting sucked in almost imperceptibly.


Now I don't feel that way at all -- I thought the Batista routine was very fitting, touching, AND hilarious from the outset -- from the first bit with the clover/insect it was great -- not overplayed at all, and just a very nice slice-of-life character touch that worked perfectly for me. It totally set up that Batista was a sensitive teddy bear, not so sure of himself in romance or personal life, and it helped that it was played as a straight anniversary, only to then discover as he walks in on his love that not everything is exactly quite alright. All just perfect for me.


Yeah, beautiful -- you know I'm constantly reminded of all the great music throughout these watchings -- all those fantastic great themes and interludes. The peppy latin music to puntuate otherwise sinister and/or tense doings really help to set tone and keep the procedings light where they need to be. Love the music here in the early going, but it would seem it is largely absent, or half-ass rehashed without great effect in later seasons. Also need to note here that Rita makes the dog trip in her sweet low ride -- the only time we will see her in that silly conveyance?


Yep. Must agree -- this build-up is just the best. Who is this guy? I would be terrified there was someone of that kind of serious intent mucking around in my private affairs, yet here is Dexter intrigued and deeply entranced with the mystery before him -- just wonderful character making, and we definitely feel the Dexter potency not to be intimidated by what he is finding. Loving it.


You and me alike in that, friend. Always wanted to scowl at having to take pictures at all -- as a consequence people gave up, and there are very few pictures which memorialize what a gnarly spiteful (albiet very cool-looking) little SOB I was, in the flower of my youthful aggression.


Interesting to me, and somewhat amazing to JC as she retells it, that they selected the girls they did to play her as a kid. Both kids very pretty -- future model types. These flashbacks must, I suppose, be done this way with other actors, but it is a shame -- of course even more a shame is trying to make MCH younger with that stupid thing on his head. One of the stand-out failings of these early DEXTERs.


Yeah, unknown on that score, but these early episodes are rich with character development that is certain. Speaking of which, notice we seem to have already dropped the LaGuerta on-the-make-for-Dexter sideline? -- that was abrupt, but very welcome!


Yessir.

Well, gonna leave it there for now. The playoffs went on forever so not able to respond at my usual time. I'll get to some more later.....

Looks like dad and Emaych are the only two participating in the 'Re-watch" project. It should really be taken to its own thread guys, and I'm not the first person to recommend this...

Exactly .. this thread has become a joke in more ways than one ..

So just for clarity sake: you do not subscribe to the thread, don't care to read what is in it, don't wish to discuss anything related to DEXTER in it, rather reserve your commentary for personal attacks on the contributing members, and yet you still wish to see to it that no one else should comment herein either? That about summarize it? Now who is joking here? That is a remarkable degree of involvement for someone who cares nothing of DEXTER talk.

They clearly don't care what any other thread participants - including those who have been here since the beginning - think. Now it's time to condemn the dissenters for dissenting. This hijacked ship has already left port; all that's left is bagging up the bodies and dumping 'em overboard. To which I say, Bon Voyage! No point in coming back here until next season starts, I guess.

And who subscribes to threads they regularly visit anyway? Just asking.

Perhaps you are driven by a sense of tidiness or some other such relatively benign inspiration, but those who care to discuss DEXTER have and continue to discuss DEXTER here. You don't care to anymore, I guess that is what is obvious, but as to participants in the rewatch project, no way of telling how many may be taking part, and as always, one and all welcome to join in. I even read comments by those who profess to care nothing of DEXTER, if such comments appear here -- oddly enough I welcome those comments as well, inasmuch as I generally favor widespread and freewheeling, when it comes to sharing.

^ Your claim that I do not care to discuss Dexter is nonsense. We all know what assuming makes you. Tisk tisk... This thread was not started with the intended purpose to have these "re-watch projects." If you cannot understand the original intent of the thread and would rather turn it into something else in order to impart your own desires, then so be it. Just understand that not everyone feels the same, not that you care anyway. Enjoy ignoring the wishes of other members, so long as you're happy.

Not sure about that last question, the poster had made a point of declaring that he had stopped subscribing to the thread, in addition to expressing that he does not wish to discuss DEXTER, in an earlier post.

As for dissenting, and being here from the beginning, I invite you to look back -- there have always been those who enter with little to say about DEXTER, but seemingly quite a bit to say about who should be silenced. Nothing new in that for certain. In fact, would it be fair to say you are one of those "dissenting" parties?

And of course, if that discussion is not for you, your point well taken that visiting the thread reaches a point of diminishing returns.

BTW: wouldn't derailing the thread in discussion of non-DEXTER topics be closer to hijack? Just asking...

Seriously guys?

This thread is for discussing all things Dexter...

Dexter on SHO(wtime). Not Dexter on Blu-ray

Boom - headshot.

Seriously, though, it's not even that; it's the re-watch thing. Why are we (you) re-discussing what's already been discussed in the exact same thread? It's a waste in this particular thread. I'm not knocking the idea, but this isn't the place for it. We have to wade through these book-long posts (by the same two people) in order to find anything pertaining to the current events of Dexter? The two should be separate.

:rant off:

As I say, no secret some other members have always wanted only certain others to participate here. And yes, while I don't ignore that, I have thus far failed to comply,what can I say? As to the rewatch project, I only add what I do from the standpoint of wanting to discuss DEXTER. If that is with Dad, he is great insightful observer and DEXTER fan without peer, as far as I'm concerned -- couldn't ask for a more thoughtful, even inspirational poster (thanks Dad!)

Got to step away for now, don't let me drift too far from your thoughts....

I certainly am not saying I don't want you to participate; on the contrary. My issue (and other's) is the re-watch project, which simply doesn't have a place here. It should be a separate topic/thread.

Drift from your thoughts? Come on now...

I'm not going anywhere, and no one asked you to either; they simply asked to have the re-watch project stay separate.

Strange, all those blus and DVDs feature DEXTER on SHOWTIME. DEXTER was on CBS too, but what you get on blu is the SHOWTIME version.

Now I really do have to wrap it up, more later....

I have to go someplace just now, would that be OK with you without insult? Thanks a bunch!

The problem with having this "re-watch project" in a separate thread is that it would deprive the participants of a (much needed) audience.

Insult? Where? Also, my mistake; thought you told me to "go step away." As I said, I enjoy your participation (for the most part). You're taking this way too personal.

Ta ta, and catch ya later.

ROFLMAO! Oh man - too funny.

I very seldom speak up here, although I have followed the thread for years. Lately I find myself skipping it, because I just don't have time to read the prodigious volume of words the 2 Rewatch Project gurus put out. So end result... a thread that has been an enjoyable [brief] stop for a long long time is no longer enjoyable. At one time I was even looking forward to participating in the Rewatch, but why bother? I don't care to try and digest the output of the two main participants.

I also think it would be more suitable in a separate thread. Everybody who wants to could certainly visit both.

Thank you for your candor. I think it fairly certain that what you say about digesting the output may apply to more than just yourself. It has always been thus. Many would rather render much more snapshot impressions. I personally welcome those, and would, whether there was any reference whatsoever to any of my observations. In fact, my whole approach to discussion is generally one of maximum inclusion and breadth -- the rest all up to anyone else to decide what suits their fancy.

Possibly just a little disingenuous though, are folks claiming to be anxious to discuss DEXTER, never doing that, but instead showing great eagerness to participate in issues such as: posts being too long, too verbose, poster too full of himself, poster taking show too seriously, poster talking about DEXTER on Showtime after it appears on blu-ray -- pick your issue -- even here today, see how the discussion got lively as soon as DEXTER was no longer being discussed? I like those discussions well enough too, but my reason for being here is DEXTER talk, got to say.

As to the last observation: well stated. DEXTER fans may come here to a single thread as well, or not come here. DEXTER heads may read part, any, all, none of what anyone/everyone writes herein. It has always been so.....

For someone who puts such a high value on words, you might want to let others' words speak for themselves. Nobody is saying they don't wish to discuss 'Dexter'; in fact that is precisely the reason they come here and have continued to come here over the years.

What they're saying is they have no interest in seeing this thread bogged down in a semi-private vanity project that is better served with a separate thread. That's what all their words are really saying if you, ya' know, read them.


Fair? Um, no. I don't want to derail your rush to victimhood, but nobody's trying to silence you. Just trying to get your words - and heaven knows there are certainly a lot of them - into a thread dedicated to the subject those words are about.

That subject is, correct me if I'm wrong, rehashing previous seasons entombed on shiny disks. Those seasons have already been hashed, on this very thread, back when they first aired. New hashings = new thread. Honestly, what's so difficult about that request that it's causing you to go all Che Guevara here?

^^^Don't know about Che, but I might easily return the question to you. You are free to discuss DEXTER, why not do so? Instead you show you want to discuss non-DEXTER issues. Dad wanted to post these observations here, I want to respond. Anyone else free to, or not to. And as always, there have ever been those who would rather not discuss DEXTER as they are quite quite free to do, but indulge in personal attack of whatever nature.

No victim here, just telling it like it is (my perspective, of course)....

Yes, I did figure out, while going where I had to go, that you thought I meant for you to step away. The percieved insult was in you implying that I needed to get over myself for my needing to go someplace, as I read your comment -- no harm, we got it worked out -- but need to go someplace right now again, so ta ta, till we meet again soon....

I call that "splitting hairs."

I can't believe this is turning into a nasty debate.

Really, some around here need to head to their local brewpub for the day...or get laid....or both.