Dexter Episode 806
“A Little Reflection”
Written By: Jace Richdale
Directed By: John Dahl
Original Airdate: 4 August 2013
In This Episode...
Dexter has been following Zach Hamilton for the last week. Other than a fascination with crime scenes, car accidents, and other places where dead bodies are likely to be, Dexter can’t find any evidence that Zach deserves to be on his table. Dexter is curious when he follows Zach to Vogel’s office. The moment the kid leaves, Dexter confronts her. Vogel admits that Zach’s father brought him to see her because of her work with psychopaths and his propensity towards violence. She comes down with a sudden case of ethics and won’t divulge more, but does ask that if Dexter finds any evidence against Zach, he come to her first.
Dexter’s next crime scene is an easy one - a woman was killed by her boyfriend, who was picked up a few blocks away in blood-soaked clothes. The scene clears out quickly, and Dexter sees Zach watching, packing up his camera. With no one else from the force around, Dexter invites Zach into the crime scene. Zach jumps at the chance and looks at the scene with awe and wonder. Dexter recognizes that awe and turns it into a “learning moment.” The next day, Dexter visits Zach at his studio to check out the photos he took. The colors are super-saturated; Dexter thinks Zach photographs crime scenes like fashion shoots. He notices a picture of a pretty woman - still alive and walking down the street - that Zach quickly crumples into the garbage.
Batista names Miller as the new sergeant. Quinn is hurt but surprisingly, he turns his disappointment into productivity. He feels like if he had solved the Norma Rivera case, he would have made sergeant. He checks in with Dexter on any new evidence (he has none) and announces that he is going to watch Zach around the clock if necessary. This will get in the way of Dexter’s own surveillance so he asks to come along. Big mistake, as Quinn just rambles on, and wants to talk about Deb. Dexter tunes out. They are watching Zach watching a yoga class in the park. Dexter quickly realizes that Zach is watching one particular woman - the woman in the photo he threw away. Dexter takes note of her license plate and discovers that the woman is Sofia Fuentes, an employee at the Hamiltons’ yacht club. Dexter fears that Sofia is Zach’s next victim.
Dexter sneaks into Zach’s studio late at night to search for evidence. He finds what he needs: hidden inside a camera case is a thumb drive which includes photos of Norma, seconds after her death. Zach catches himself in the reflection of photo frame on the floor. Dexter prints these out and brings them directly to Vogel, with a “toldja” look. She knew - Zach admitted as much during his first session. Dexter still thinks Zach deserves to be on his table, despite Vogel reminding him that he could have been Zach were it not for Harry, Vogel, and the code. She suggests they teach Zach the code, but Dexter refuses. “We are nothing alike. He killed an innocent, and he needs to die.”
That night, Dexter heads to Zach’s studio. Despite his red Porsche in the garage, Zach is nowhere to be found. Dexter sees the pink slip to a cheap sedan on the desk, and can’t help but feel a hint of pride that Zach has learned from his previous mistake. A quick call to the yacht club reveals that Sofia is wrapping up her shift, so Dexter heads straight over there. Sofia is leaving the club - but so is his dad. Sofia is his new mistress. The two kiss and go their separate ways. Zach follows with a knife in his hand, and Dexter follows him (no knife in his hand, of course). Dexter is surprised to discover that Zach is following his dad, not Sofia, but that doesn’t slow him down. He injects Zach and drags him out of sight before Ed catches them.
Zach wakes up on Dexter’s table. He first insists that he wasn’t going to kill his dad, but realizes that Dexter isn’t buying it, so he switches to the truth. Zach’s mom is drinking herself to death due to his dad’s philandering. Zach thought killing Norma would put an end to it, but when he started up with Sofia, he knew the only way to stop it was to kill his father. Dexter calms down, just a bit. “So you were just protecting your mom.” But his anger rises again, and he mentions Zach’s photos. “You kill because you want to kill!” Zach breaks down: “I can’t help it, it just builds up inside of me.” After he killed Norma - his first and only victim - he felt a huge weight lifted, the release of something horrible. Dexter softens even more - he may as well have been describing Dexter’s first kill. Zach begs Dexter to kill him - “If you don’t, I will kill again. I don’t want to be like this, but I can’t help it.” Dexter cuts him free. Perhaps he can be Zach’s Harry.
Meanwhile, Deb helps Elway with an uncover job. His little sister, Susan, has been dating a guy Elway knows to be a womanizer and a cheater. Deb offers to go undercover - she did work vice, after all - to catch this guy in the act. As she and her catch are on their way up to his hotel room, Elway comes in and punches the guy out. He agrees to dump Susan. It is pretty clear that Elway has a crush on Deb. As the episode winds down, Deb is relaying this to Dexter over steaks and beers at her place. They have been slowly but steadily rebuilding their relationship. Suddenly, Deb gets dizzy and sleepy and lays down. Dexter rushes to her side, and he starts to suffer the same symptoms. Before he blacks out, Hannah walks. “Hi Dexter. Remember me?”
Also: Dexter worries that Harrison is lying to him (about the broken TV remote). Deb reminds him that “he is four, doofus.” And Masuka discovers his daughter had her car repo’d and is in debt. He offers her a check for $5,000 - and she is insulted and refuses to accept it.
Dig It or Bury It?
The whole Zach Hamilton thing is taking a much better turn than I expected. Dexter didn’t just automatically say, “Hey, I need someone I can pass on my knowledge to.” There was a natural progression there. He saw what Vogel saw in Zach. I still can’t get excited about that storyline, but at least it feels natural.
What I can get excited for is Hannah’s return. We knew it was going to happen, but now she is finally here. I can’t help but feel like Dexter’s bad date with Cassie (they have a lunch date tonight and it is clear they do not mesh well) was setting him up to miss Hannah, despite the fact that she tried to kill Deb. Of course, Hannah dosing Deb (and Dexter) probably doesn’t earn her any brownie points with him. I wonder if Hannah will kill Deb? (Yes, I still believe that Deb is going to die by the end of the season.)
Prophecies?
Dexter has his hands full: teaching Zach the code and figuring out what Hannah wants.