Dexter: Return to Sender

 "I realise now my days are numbered..."

Wow. This is a fascinating episode. The premise is simple- the Ice Cream Truck Killer ensures that one of Dexter's victims from last episode is found, meaning that he has to squirm through the episode at the seeming certainty that he'll be caught.

And this conceit shows us Dexter, and the show, from a fresh perspective. This time he's genuinely rattled, having real nightmares- shot in delightfully dreamlike fashion, reminiscent of the title sequence. Michael C. Hall really is excellent here, showing us a side of Dexter Morgan that we haven't seen before, but which makes total sense.

The resolution is nicely done, too- Dexter's rival isn't necessarily trying to ruin him, but is testing him, and not for the first time. It's going to be VERY interesting when, as I hope they do, the two serial killers meet. What does the Ice Cream Killer make of his rival?

Yet Dexter fails one test here: in order to save himself, he has to be a bad brother to Deb- again, not for the first time, as the flashbacks show. And he has a realisation: its not a case of if he's caught, but when. And... good! Dexter is a fascinating character study, but he's a monster, no better than any of his victims, and we must never forget that.

Excellent though all this is, there are other character points worth noting. LaGuerta's strong bond with the little boy; she and Deb perhaps starting to reconcile a little; Deb getting on well with Doakes' family- are the two of them eventually going to become an unlikely couple? And, yes, Rita's ex getting released from gaol- and Rita putting her foot down splendidly about custody. Ironically, is this Dexter's positive influence?

Regardless, he's a monster. As this excellent episode never lets us forget.