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B+
B+
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The key exchange of tonight’s episode took place between Dexter and Angel at a bar, as the two commiserated over batshit Lila’s attempt to win Dexter back by framing Angel for rape:
Dexter: “If I got to choose a person—a real person—to be like, out of anyone it would be you.”
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Angel: “Um…I’m not really sure what that means, but thanks.”
Dexter Season 2 Episode 12 Review
The tragicomic dialogue says plenty about Dexter’s shame about his sub-human nature, but it’s Michael C. Hall’s expression that tells the rest of the story—his eyes filled with regret and exhaustion, he knows he can’t transcend who he is and what he’s done. A few scenes earlier, in a quiet exchange with Doakes, director Marcos Siega pulled the classic visual trick of framing Dexter as if he were the one trapped in a cage. At this point, he only has two options and either one put him behind bars literally or metaphorically: He can come clean, redeem an innocent man, and start taking responsibility for what he’s done, which would wreck the lives of those closest to him, specifically Deb, Rita, and the children. Or he can keep on covering his tracks and frame Doakes as the Bay Harbor Butcher, which would satisfy Rule #1 of Harry’s Code (“Don’t get caught”) while burdening his conscience all the more. For the show to continue, he’ll have to pick the second option, but it’s a lose-lose proposition.
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Regarding Dexter’s predicament, I’m reminded of how mothers respond to insincere atonement: “Are you sorry because you mean it or are you sorry because you got caught?” I think that scene with Angel makes it clear that he’s sorry because he means it, but perhaps it took getting caught by Doakes to really force him into sincere reflection. More so than even Lila, Doakes (who has killed a few people in his time, too) has the best read on what makes Dexter tick and he’s persuasive enough to convince Dexter to turn himself in, at least for a time. These testy little heart-to-hearts between the two have really given the last couple of episodes a boost, and I’m a little sad to see it end.
After the major character revelations last week, “Left Turn Ahead” does a lot of table-setting for next week’s big finale, but the plotting is mostly strong (as it’s been all season, really) and not entirely at the expense of character, either. Heading into last season’s finale, too much was already worked out: We knew that Deb’s boyfriend was the Ice Truck Killer (actually, many of us figured that out the second he came on the screen) and that she was now a damsel in distress, waiting for her brother to rescue her. Granted, the ITK brought Dexter to a critical decision by laying Deb out so tantalizingly on a slab, but the ending was perhaps a bit too rote and predictable. I’m more heartened by the way this season has developed, but it’s going to be hard for the writers to bring it all home without essentially erasing the board for Season Three.
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So what to do about Doakes? For a while, Doakes has Dexter convinced that he should consider taking responsibility for his actions and turn himself in. He takes some serious steps towards that goal, too—by having a final day out on the boat with Rita and the kids, by dragging a notary public to Deb’s desk with papers regarding his living will (love the lack of inflection on “We’re all going to die eventually”), and by frying up some steaks with Deb as foreplay to the big confession. Dexter braces himself for an unfavorable response—that montage of possible Deb reactions was another comic highlight—but he winds up having an inevitable change of heart. Ultimately, Dexter has to look out for numero uno, and it’s the easier choice to save himself, even if a decent, innocent man like Doakes has to pay for his crimes.
As Doakes works on getting himself out of the cage—only to get nabbed later by gun-toting drug-runners and thrown back in the clink by Dexter—the other loose cannon, Lila, presents a threat of another kind. Some commenters were complaining on the boards last week that Lila’s rape frame-up on Angel was a pretty desperate and ill-considered ploy, but I think we’re intended to see it that way. She’s crazy and irrational enough to believe that whenever Dexter is in duress, he’ll fall back into her arms, curled up in a fetal ball. And if the rape scheme doesn’t work, she can always just destroy his friend’s life out of spite. Dexter sees through her plan instantly, of course, and Deb takes steps to boot her out of town, but Lila isn’t the sort to skedaddle when she’s not wanted; she’s more like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, turning up the burners for a little rabbit stew.
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Then there’s Deb and Lundy, determined to get a few gross lovey-dovey moments in before the case closes. I’m not sure how things will play out next week, but I’m a little disappointed by the Lundy character, who seemed at first like a strong, cool-headed adversary for Dexter, but has now gotten permanently sidetracked by this May-December romance. His instincts still tell him that Doakes may not be his man, despite all evidence to the contrary, and he’s interested in quietly helping (or at least indulging) Maria’s attempts to exonerate him. But now that his boss is in town, railroading his case in favor of an all-out manhunt on Doakes, Lundy can do little but play footsie in the meantime. I still like Keith Carradine’s relaxed and confident performance, but he’s fading fast as a relevant player this season.
Nevertheless, the Lila-Doakes meeting makes a nice cliffhanger for the big finale. Granted, the circumstances leading Lila to the cabin stretch credulity a lot more than I’d like: I know he’s been sloppy lately, but why would someone as meticulous as Dexter leave the address on his GPS? If they teach you anything in Master Crook 101, it’s that if you have a cabin that houses cocaine, a dismembered body, and a locked-up police detective, you do anything you can to keep other people from finding it. It’s just common sense.
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Grade: B+
Stray observations:
• When Doakes escapes from the cabin and encounters an alligator, did anyone else flash back to Elisha Cuthbert’s run-in with a mountain lion on 24? Thank God the animal was only metaphorical here.
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• Funny bit with Angel dragging the microwave into work for Masuka to check for prints. Even funnier to think about Lila making microwave popcorn, which is about the least edgy thing a crazy person like her could do.
• “Like an Old West sheriff.” Dexter finds a way to see himself as a hero again—and not a moment too soon.
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'The British Invasion' | |||
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Dexter episode | |||
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 12 |
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Directed by | Steve Shill | ||
Story by | Daniel Cerone Melissa Rosenberg |
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Teleplay by | Daniel Cerone | ||
Production code | 212[1] | ||
Original air date | December 16, 2007 | ||
Guest appearance(s) | |||
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Episode chronology | |||
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Dexter (season 2) | |||
List of Dexter episodes |
'The British Invasion' is the twelfth episode and finale of the second season, and twenty-fourth overall episode, of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on 16 December 2007 on Showtime in the United States.[1] The episode was written by Daniel Cerone (based on a story by Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg) and was directed by Steve Shill. In the episode, Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray) finds Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King) imprisoned in an Everglades cabin and learns from him that her object of affection, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), is the serial killer known as the 'Bay Harbor Butcher'. She decides to help Dexter and kills Doakes by setting the cabin on fire. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) questions whether her career is more important than her relationship with FBISpecial AgentFrank Lundy (Keith Carradine).
'The British Invasion' was filmed in early November 2007. Doakes's death, according to Dexter's writers, was premeditated from the show's pilot episode because the character was 'too good to not kill'.[2] The episode was seen by 1.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, and received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series and a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television. The episode was included in TV Guide's 100 Greatest TV Episodes at no. 49.[3]
Title[edit]
The episode's title refers to the influx of British rock 'n' roll bands to the US in the 1960s.
Plot[edit]
![Dexter Dexter](/uploads/1/2/5/0/125074213/819748704.jpg)
Using Dexter's GPS system, Lila arrives at his cabin in the Everglades. She breaks in to find an imprisoned Doakes, who tells her that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. However, Lila sympathizes with Dexter for having to hide such an enormous secret, and refuses to free Doakes. Convinced that Dexter is her soulmate, Lila tries to help him by blowing up the cabin with Doakes inside, killing him. Lundy's task force determines Doakes's location, and Dexter has to race his colleagues to reach the cabin first. When he arrives, he discovers that it has been destroyed and initially believes it to be a miracle. The next morning, the police find Doakes' body, while Dexter embraces his freedom. He visits Rita's house, where they reconcile after having sex.
With all of the evidence pointing to Doakes as the Bay Harbor Butcher, the case is closed. LaGuerta, grieving the loss of her former partner, is in denial over Doakes' incrimination and tries to collect donations for his memorial service. Debra remains determined not to let the end of the Bay Harbor Butcher case break up her relationship with Lundy, but their plans for a vacation are crushed when Lundy is called to Oregon to work on another murder case. Masuka tells Dexter the gas in the cabin was turned on while the stove was lit. When Dexter sees his own GPS while cataloging evidence, he realizes that Lila must have found the cabin. He meets with her at the aquarium and tells her that he, like her, has no emotion and lives a life devoid of feeling. They form plans to leave Miami together, though Dexter secretly intends to kill her.
The next day, Dexter visits Lila's apartment, only to find Debra there trying to persuade Lila to leave town. When Dexter is forced to lie about running away in front of Debra, a bitter Lila then leaves with what she recognizes as Dexter's bag of murder equipment. Lila goes to Rita's house and drugs the babysitter so that she can abduct Astor and Cody. When Dexter realizes they are missing and goes to confront Lila, she lights another fire and locks the three of them inside her apartment. Rita calls Debra for her help, prompting her to skip her flight with Lundy to help with finding the children. Dexter manages to free Astor and Cody through a small window and eventually rams down a thin wall to escape. Sometime later, Dexter tracks Lila to Paris and kills her in her hotel room. Back in Miami, he attends Doakes's memorial service with LaGuerta. Debra and Angel are awarded for their work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case.
Production[edit]
Dexter staff writers Daniel Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg were initially planning to write the script of the finale together. They were in the process of developing the story, however, when Rosenberg was hired to write the film adaptation of the novel Twilight. She described Cerone as 'incredibly understanding' when she asked him to write the teleplay himself, though they had both worked on the episode's story.[4]
The writers planned from the pilot episode to eventually kill Doakes off the show.[5] Executive producer Clyde Phillips said that Doakes 'always had a shelf life because of the collision course [with Dexter]', while executive producer Sara Colleton believed it would be unrealistic to keep Doakes on for a third season without having him discover that Dexter is a murderer.[5] Rosenberg said that risks had to be taken on the show, and Doakes was 'too good to not kill'.[2] The character was killed to prevent recycling of used ideas, so that the writers would 'stay aggressive and on top of it rather than repeat ourselves', according to Phillips.[5] Erik King, who plays Doakes, mentioned the difficulty in killing Doakes off the show because Dexter could not murder an innocent man, and so Lila was Doakes' killer.[6]
Filming of 'The British Invasion' concluded production on the second season, and ended in early November 2007.[7] Filming locations for the episode included Miami, Florida as well as Palos Verdes Estates (including Rolling Hills United Methodist Church), Long Beach (including the Aquarium of the Pacific), Marina del Rey, Rolling Hills Estates, and Los Angeles, California.[8] A 'skeleton crew' flew to France to film scenes of Lila walking the streets of Paris.[5]
Reception[edit]
'The British Invasion' drew 1.4 million viewers on its first broadcast, a 14 percent improvement from the first season finale, 'Born Free'.[9] It was Dexter's most-watched episode until the airing of the third-season finale, 'Do You Take Dexter Morgan?'.[9][10]
'The British Invasion' received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN felt that the episode was thrilling and intriguing, though ultimately 'not quite terrific' and rated it 7.8/10. He found Doakes's death dramatically unsatisfying since Dexter was absent, and was disappointed with Debra's portrayal as 'relentlessly needy'.[1]The A.V. Club's Scott Tobias gave the episode a B+ grade, saying that the episode was 'for the most part exciting and satisfying'. He felt cheated, however, that Dexter was not forced to decide whether to kill Doakes, and was disappointed that Lila's character primarily served as a plot device.[11] Writing for TV Guide, Paula Paige believed that the finale 'did not disappoint'. She was particularly impressed by Debra's choice to leave Lundy and LaGuerta's grief over Doakes's death.[12]TV Squad's Keith McDuffee thought that 'The British Invasion' was unsurprising and predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.[13]Zap2it reviewer Daniel Fienberg felt that the episode was disappointing in comparison to the first-season finale, 'Born Free'. He was displeased with the unheroic circumstances of Doakes's death, the lack of direction in LaGuerta's character arc and the abrupt end to Debra and Lundy's relationship.[14] DVD Verdict's Adam Arseneau called the finale 'preposterous' but still 'one of the most entertaining cable show finales in recent memory'.[15]
Cinematographer Romeo Tirone's work on the episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series,[16] and Dexter's team of sound editors were nominated for a Golden Reel Award for 'The British Invasion' in the category of Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television.[17] The episode was unsuccessfully submitted to the Primetime Emmy Awards judging panel for consideration for Outstanding Directing (Steve Shill) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (C. S. Lee).[18]
References[edit]
- ^ abcGoldman, Eric (17 December 2007). 'Dexter: 'The British Invasion' Review'. IGN. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ abWhite, Cindy (April 17, 2008). 'What's In Store For Dexter?'. IGN. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^'Rev/Views: TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes'. Rev-views.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^Charaipotra, Sona (October 14, 2008). 'Exclusive Interview: 'Twilight' Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg'. Premiere. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ abcdO'Neil, Tom (December 17, 2007). 'Tuned In Journal: 'Dexter,' Doakes and endings'. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Kubicek, John (December 17, 2007). 'Exclusive Interview: 'Dexter' Star Erik King, Part 2'. BuddyTV. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Raffel, Lawrence P. (May 15, 2008). 'EXCLUSIVE! Rita Talks 'Dexter' and Season 3!'. FEARnet. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^'Dexter (TV Series) The British Invasion (2007) Filming Locations'. IMDb. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ abNordyke, Kimberly; Gough, Paul J. (December 19, 2007). ''Dexter' kills in second-season finale'. Reuters. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Martin, Denise (December 16, 2008). ''Dexter' finale makes off with killer ratings'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Tobias, Scott (December 16, 2007). 'The British Invasion'. The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Paige, Paula (December 17, 2007). 'The British Invasion'. TV Guide. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^McDuffee, Keith (December 16, 2007). 'Dexter: The British Invasion (season finale)'. TV Squad. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Fienberg, Daniel (December 16, 2007). 'Finalewatch '07: 'Dexter''. Zap2it. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^Arseneau, Adam (May 18, 2009). 'Dexter: The Second Season (Blu-Ray)'. DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^'Complete 2008 Nominations List'. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^'2008 Golden Reel Award Nominees: Television'. Motion Picture Sound Editors. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^O'Neil, Tom (May 5, 2008). 'Emmy episodes: 'Californication,' 'Dexter,' 'Weeds,' 'The Tudors''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The British Invasion |
- 'The British Invasion' on IMDb
- 'The British Invasion' at TV.com
- 'The British Invasion' at Showtime's website
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