Dexter: Original Sin Recap: The Whole Bloody Affair

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If you’re looking forward to lots of graphic violence in Dexter: Original Sin, I have some exciting news – “Blood Drive” takes it up a notch! You’ll see plenty of blood, severed limbs, chopped-off fingers, another chainsaw execution, and more. It’s like a buffet of disturbing visuals, maybe intended to overshadow the fact that we’re going around in circles here. The almost final episode of this season could have been the ending, but instead, the show seems to be stalling, which is disappointing after last week’s action-packed installment. However, a thrilling finale might help cover up some flaws in Original Sin, its shortcomings if you will.

For now, there are more mysteries to unravel, despite the show seemingly having resolved them. Harry and LaGuerta reach the hospital where Bobby, shot in the neck, is undergoing surgery. Instead of addressing the issue during their ride over, Maria confronts Harry about the stolen Brian Moser file. However, Harry maintains that he took it to learn the truth about the son of his former Confidential Informant. He claims this is a personal matter and not something LaGuerta should worry about. It’s irrelevant that Brian Moser is the serial killer they are tracking and he is now targeting his next victim, an elderly woman named Barb at church bingo. (The charming Kathleen Rose Perkins portrays Barb, with exaggerated old-age makeup and a birthmark added for easy recognition in flashbacks.)

In most episodes of Dexter, a primary villain and a secondary one were introduced. It’s unclear if Brian falls into either category, but Dexter is intensely focused on the latter. Captain Spencer, accompanied by his tearful former spouse, persists in urging his officers to locate Nicky. He expresses concern that their efforts won’t be in vain, leading me to question if the show had off-screen killed Bobby. (Rest assured, he’s alive!) Dexter’s narration refers to Spencer as a manifestation of true evil and acknowledges him as Dexter’s first child-killer. One would think Dexter might recall Levi Reed, the individual he killed… just three episodes prior? It appears his mental faculties are impaired, as he breaks into Spencer’s apartment and nearly gets caught – not only by Spencer but by Harry. Dexter manages to escape by leaping off the balcony, a move that could have been fatal had Spencer resided on a higher floor in his building.

The following day at the Morgan family breakfast, Harry acknowledges Dexter for picking up Deb in Bimini, and expresses his new belief that the NHI murders might not be the work of a serial killer. “I’ll never forget the first time my father lied to my face,” Dexter recalls, leaving me with numerous queries about this situation. If he discovers Brian’s 1991 murder spree, wouldn’t that compromise the entirety of season one of Dexter? (I have… a multitude of questions, but I’ll spare you.) Deb is now awake and expressing remorse for her recent trip to the Bahamas, which Harry surprisingly takes in stride. After Deb mentions she’s ended things with Gio, Harry advises her against dating older men. “The heart wants what the heart wants,” Deb responds, unintentionally prompting thoughts of one of history’s most infamous age-gap relationships.

Despite her complicated relationship with Gio, Deb is deeply troubled by Bobby’s critical state, so Harry invites her to a blood drive organized by Miami Metro. (Admittedly, it’s unclear how much blood Bobby needs, but it’s still a thoughtful gesture!) Upon arrival, Deb encounters LaGuerta, who keeps secretive about the serial killer case she’s handling, even though Deb adores “The Silence of the Lambs.” On the other hand, Tanya is more open — in fact, she delivers a speech about her passion for basketball during high school, but solving crimes now gives her the same thrill as sports did. The atmosphere is intense, culminating in Tanya asking Deb if she’d ever pondered policework and suggesting, “We could always benefit from more dynamic women like you here.” I can’t help but feel annoyed if Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character on this show turns out to merely inspire future officer Deb.

It’s important to note that LaGuerta is too occupied solving the mystery and dealing with Harry’s case, which she believes he’s obstructing, to spend time with his daughter. She delves deeper into the Laura Moser case by checking records, but all traces of Dexter have been erased from them. Meanwhile, Harry finds himself overwhelmed with flashbacks, including the grisly scene when the shipping container was opened, revealing blood and body parts. He also recalls Dexter and Brian near Laura’s severed head, taking in the traumatized boys, and having to inform Doris that their mother was the woman he was having an affair with. Kathleen Rose Perkins, without old-age makeup, appears as a child services employee who emphasizes that the state dislikes separating brothers. However, we can predict where this story is heading.

Initially, Harry and Doris cared for both boys until Brian’s aggressive behavior became evident: In a flashback, we see Brian attempting to suffocate Deb with a pillow when she cried. Later, when Harry tried to reason with him, Brian lost control, shouted that he hated everyone, and shattered a pane of glass. These flashbacks in the episode seem conveniently timed, as they make it appear that separating Dexter and Brian was more of a necessary action rather than a sin by Harry and Doris. Given Brian’s volatile nature and their lack of experience dealing with such behavior, especially with a newborn, it is understandable why they chose to separate the boys. However, this revision of the boys’ ages adds another layer of complexity to the situation, as it was previously implied that only Brian could remember what happened, and in this version, Dexter is still a toddler.

In contemporary times, Harry experiences guilt, as we learned from last week’s case files that his rejection of Brian significantly contributed to the latter’s troubled mind. However, in “Blood Drive,” the narrative primarily revolves around Brian’s unrelenting fascination with Dexter. Harry examines crime scene photos from the NHI murders and identifies Brian among the crowds, staring intently at Dexter conducting forensic work. It dawns on Harry that Brian is stalking his younger brother, though he has other pressing matters to attend to, such as inviting Barb to his suspicious van under false pretenses of Applebee’s dinner, only to knock her unconscious once he reveals himself. This situation seems rather unjust towards Barb, who had no intention of separating the siblings initially. However, since Barb enforced the separation between Brian and Dexter, Brian decides to “separate” Barb (his words), brutally killing her with a chainsaw.

Concerning Dexter, he’s compelled into a brief diversion in the storyline, needing to donate blood, which ironically results in him losing four pints (two because Clark needs to disguise someone else’s blood as his own after an HIV exposure incident, and the other two due to Masuka pressuring Dexter into donating). Groggy but resolute, he sets up a makeshift kill room at the arcade, feigning blackmail against Captain Spencer to entice him there. Unfortunately, this plan is poorly thought out – apart from the logistical issues with an arcade, vanishing a police captain without triggering a massive investigation seems implausible. Furthermore, it’s hard not to question Dexter’s motives, as he’s supposedly targeting individuals who escape justice. Despite my eagerness for the climactic confrontation, this plot development feels premature. We’re still in the dark about why Captain Spencer committed the crime!

On the executioner’s stand, he remains resilient rather than giving in easily. The captain vouches for him being an honorable man, not a serial killer, except when Becca appears, at which point he reveals a hint of his true self. “She deceived me,” he growls with anger. Dexter deduces that Spencer might have killed Jimmy Powell and abducted and disfigured Nicky to hurt Becca. However, Spencer’s comment, “You’re quite the genius,” seems sarcastic, as it doesn’t fit the situation at hand. It also fails to clarify the setup of the cartel and the shootout in the last episode. Dexter is unable to extract a truthful statement from his captive, not even about Nicky’s location – this after subjecting him to severe pain by amputating one of his fingers. Despite experiencing what could be described as the most intense frustration ever faced by a serial killer, Dexter allows Spencer to flee so he can track him down to locate his son. Here’s hoping for some straightforward answers in the finale, concerning both Spencer and Brian. I find it challenging to accept that the latter resumed his role as the Ice Truck Killer 15 years later without a compelling motive.

Blood Spatter Analysis

It seems that Bobby might recover, as he managed to stay awake momentarily to instruct Harry to “rescue Dexter,” possibly referring to Brian, although it could also mean Spencer in this context.

If Spencer reveals his face to Nicky, it seems more likely he intends harm towards him, not necessarily because of his wife’s infidelity. As Dexter says, “One moment can change a person,” suggesting an oversimplification of the situation.

In this episode, there was such an overwhelming amount of unpleasantness that it momentarily slipped my mind to note that Dexter inadvertently stuck a needle through Spencer’s hand. It was quite disturbing!

• The break in Dexter’s story during the blood drive is entertaining enough, but I’m not comfortable with how he compares Clark’s hidden sexuality to his own hidden psychopathy.

This version preserves the original meaning while making it easier for readers to understand and engage with the text.

When Tanya asks Dexter to draw her blood, I sense a command disguised as a request, elegantly put. Off I go then, preparing to draw copious amounts of blood. Buffy-esque dialogue, if you will, seems fitting for the occasion, given the recent revival news and my love for all things supernatural.

Once more, my apologies for overlooking Deb, a predicament shared by Harry and myself. However, Deb receives a call from Florida State University, where the coach remains intrigued, surprisingly, even after Deb was dismissed from her volleyball team. At this juncture, it appears she’s firmly embarking on a career in law enforcement.

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2025-02-08 00:54