Dexter: Shrink Wrap

 "Can we go inside? I'm kind of wet... DON'T!"

Wow. That was QUITE the bombshell at the end of a truly extraordinary episode, perhaps the best yet. The vibes were very much that the innocent and adorable Deb was going to get her heart broken by this man she's falling so hard for... but I was expecting that he'd turn out to be a bounder and a cad, not literally the Ice Truck Killer!

Speaking of bounders and cads, Rita's ex Paul continues to behave like the very worst kind of controlling ex. It says a lot that, in a show crammed to the rafters with serial killers, he's the character you hate the most. Still, let's look on the bright side: with Dexter around, he's not exactly behaving in ways conducive to his survival. But... well, can't Rita just report him for all this boundary pushing with the court order? I suppose I wouldn't know how it works in America.

This episode's "case of the week" is particularly disturbing- a sociopathic yet insightful shrink (a dark empath, perhaps?) who persuades successful yet vulnerable women to shoot themselves, which is well bloody dark. It's fun watching him and Dexter spar... and he genuinely helps Dexter to navigate the problem of having sex with Rita without revealing his true self to her, something he genuinely fears... yet, of course, a happy and post-coital Rita continues to think he's Mr Perfect.

There are layers to this, though. What Dexter struggled with, the actual Ice Truck Killer accomplished with ease, making Deb start to fall in love with him partly via some really good sex...

Then, as well as two actual serial killers, we have a self-confessed wannabe serial killer, whose lies LaGuerta quite sees through... yet again via unorthodox means. And proceeds to play her power games against her boss.

So much character stuff this episodes, and so many parallels between the various carefully balanced subplots. This is VERY good writing.

Dexter: Circle of Friends

 "I have a dark side too".

The quote above comes from a fascinating scene between Dexter and Rita. A major plot thread is Rita's abusive ex ignoring the court order and using the kids as a weapon against Rita... and, let's just say, I really hate that kind of behaviour. So it's good to see Rita- with Dexter's solid support- laying down the law.

And yet... she responds to Dexter's claim with a laugh and an easy insistence that he would never hurt anyone. And, yeah, obviously there's dramatic irony there. Dexter is a serial killer. Yet... in a sense, isn't she right? He'd certainly never hurt her, or anyone she cares about. People are complicated, and we present different faces to different parts of our lives.

The other main plot thread is, well, a tale of two serial killers. Jeremy, who Dexter let off recently, has killed again. And, just as Dexter is about to deal with him, Doakes suddenly arrests his target and, in a somewhat awkward plot contrivance, fails to see Dexter. It's interesting to see how Dexter acts, though- taking risks and offering advice. Fruitlessly, of course, in the end.

Then there's the arrest of the supposed Ice Truck Killer and... yeah, we know this is a red herring. Wants the notoriety, confesses, but we can trust Dexter's instincts- vindicated at the end- that this isn't him. Besides, it's just too early in the season for this revelation to be real, if I can be a bit meta for a moment.

Still... what is this bloke's agenda? The season is getting very interesting. Good stuff. Excellent character stuff, too, for Deb, and Doakes getting Dexter's measure yet again.

Angel: Shiny Happy People

"Even before you were born, I chose you to be my father."

Just as with two seasons ago, with the adventures on Pylea, the status quo has changed utterly for the last few episodes, with the baby of Cordelia (asleep all episode) and Connor turning out to be Jasmine, a good-nature’s paragon of virtue and a goddess whom everyone feels the urge to worship, including our heroes, who under her leadership swiftly free LA from all the vampires and demons which are oppressing it. Or is she?

This episode feels weird; first Angel and Connor fall under her spell, returning to the hotel to the horror of their friends, with Wesley trying to convince them they’ve been manipulated. Yet, as soon as Jasmine arrives, they all drop to their knees. It’s deeply disconcerting, as well as unusual to see Gina Torres (Firefly has just been cancelled) in a part like this.

Of course, a chink in her armour soon appears as just one of many worshippers suddenly shouts that she is a “monster” and “deserves to die”. This is rationalised as hate... until Fred randomly sees Jasmi’s probable true face, with maggots everywhere. This breaks the spell for her and she ends up on the run, the only person in the whole city not under Jasmine’s spell. Yep; finally we get a situation in which Fred is unambiguously the hero. The scene in which first Wesley and then the whole gang turns against her is chilling.

This episode consists mainly of set up and establishing a new status quo, so it’s best, I think, to reserve judgement for now. But yet again we see why Angel, with no status quo that can ever be relied upon, is indeed the televisual equivalent of Chris Claremont’s run on X-Men. And that is high praise indeed.