In a previous post (http://hashtagstudios.tv/dexter-season-8-predictions-spoilers/), I predicted what would happen in the final season of Dexter and last night was the first episode of the season to prove that what I predicted was dead on accurate.
Not all of my predictions were confirmed in this episode except for one. Dr. Evelyn Vogel, a neuropsychiatrist known as “the psychopath whisperer” who is called into Miami Metro Homicide has a keen interest in Dexter from the very start of her visit. At first she gives knowing looks to Dexter very strongly hints that she knows who he is. Then she calls him to meet her in the morgue where she’s studying a dead person’s brain. This scene is amazing and it shows why Dr. Vogel’s character is known as the psychopath whisperer. She explains that most people have emotions but psychopaths do not and before Dexter is able to make it out of the room she asks him what the Bay Harbor Butcher was like. Dexter says that James Doakes had a short fuse and that maybe he wasn’t a psychopath. Dr. Vogel proclaims that he must be a psychopath because of the way he was able to mascaraed and also because he seemed to operate with a sort of moral code. But then she confirmed one of my predictions when she said “he’d make an interesting case study. I wish I could’ve interviewed him.” And the last thing she says to Dexter before he leaves is “I look forward to working with you Dexter Morgan.” Boom, prediction confirmed. I don’t mean to brag, but I feel it’s necessary. She wants to interview the Bay Harbor Butcher himself so that she can study him and cement his legacy. Obviously, Dexter will be weary of telling her everything but she’s the psychopath whisperer so I think she’ll get it out of him. In a chilling last scene, Dexter confronts Dr. Vogel after she shows him some of his own murderous childhood drawings. Dexter asks her what she wants and she responds with the ice cold words, “you can’t kill me. I don’t fit Harry’s code,” and walks away leaving Dexter puzzled.
Besides the introduction of Dr. Vogel’s character, the rest of this episode was a good preview of what is to come this season. Deb looks like she’ll be the center of conflict because she has a mob hit-man after her and her substance abuse has her on the edge of spilling the beans. But because her mess always becomes Dexter’s mess, Dexter is going to get caught up trying to save her from this hit-man while also chasing the killer they are investigating at Miami Metro. I feel like this hit-man will be similar to Dexter in the sense that he’ll kill whoever he needs to kill to not get caught and that’s why he will be the most present danger. When it comes to the other killer, Dexter reveals to the other cops that the victims were probably held captive for days before they were killed so look for someone on the show to be held captive and probably be rescued at the last minute.
An interesting thing that this season has that the previous seasons didn’t is a mobile Harrison that can remember things and can talk. This has never been a serious issue before so it’ll be interesting to see what Harrison learns and the questions he’ll be asking when his Dad is a murderous look on his face. I’d hate to predict this but it may be possible that at the end of the series, Dexter is killed in front of Harrison and thus the vicious cycle repeats itself.
But as far as this episode goes, it was pretty good. They introduced new characters and conflicts that are intriguing to say the least and the fact that this is the final season only builds up more anticipation of what’s to come in the final 11 episodes.
Showtime was gracious enough to upload this premiere episode on YouTube so feel free to watch it and make your own predictions.