Dexter - Love, American Style

***/****

You have Dexter trying to figure it out in terms of human relationship behavior, actually recovering some decent "data" from a "Coyote" and his pretty blond wife, known for smuggling in Cubans illegally, killing many of them, dumping them in the ocean! Running out of a automotive junkyard, Dex seeks to learn how they can love each other and function despite being serial killers like him! Dex did get "encouragement" from Harry when a teenager (and he sure did need it) regarding the need to "look normal" even if he felt nothing. He goes to his father with a question of if he thought there would ever be that feeling of love. So as an adult Dex is trying to function as a boyfriend to Rita, and that ties in with the angle regarding her maid waiting for a Cuban immigrant husband that will never arrive thanks to Jorge, the Coyote, and his equally repellent wife.

While the ice truck killer's activities themselves are put on hold for this episode, this provides a great continual growth in Debra as a detective in the Homicide division, becoming fed up with Doakes' hardass mistreatment of her (he's that way with everyone, but her "newbie" status seems to particularly draw his ire until she stands up to him), and recommending to rescued crime victim, Tony Tuci (Brad William Henke; the night watchman with severed parts thanks to the serial killer, found by Dex in the abandoned hospital), that he put a blindfold on in the efforts to recollect details that might provide some help to the police. Dexter is asked by Rita to investigate the disappearance of her co-worker's fiancé, supposedly on a boat from Cuba into the United States thanks to a man named Coyote (later determined to be Jorge Castillo (José Zúñiga) and his Caucasian wife, Valerie (Valerie Dillman), responsible for trafficking illegals into the country for a fee (not just the fee; it is later determined that he requests additional fee once the illegals are on shore!)). Coyote, however, kills those illegals with family members who cannot pay, drowning and dumping them. One such body washes ashore and it is the fiancé of the maid who cleans the hotel for which Rita operates the front desk. So Dex moves into action; at first, Dex believes it is Jorge, but he soon learns that Valerie is just as guilty and involved! Rita and Dex's relationship kind of hits a snag because she is starting to realize that he's emotionally "without". Funny scene has Dex about to orally pleasure Rita when she reacts with Niagra Fall tears to "Affair to Remember", stopped because her blow job to him in the past didn't warrant a "return the favor"…he simply doesn't quite get human behavior in man-woman relationships no matter how hard he tries to "fit in". This has flashbacks to Harry trying to guide Dex in how to date and act towards girls. Debra's kind treatment towards Tuci is touching and shows a good side to her; while she needs details, Debra doesn't seem to be insincere in her kindness towards him just to solve the case. Doakes finally puts aside his ego and takes Debra seriously. Because Doakes takes Deb's advice about the blindfold, the detectives learn that the killer has a throat-clearing problem that required lozenges. A wrapper with a partial print is found at the hospital and could very well be a much-needed clue to help them find the killer. For me, this is kind of middle-of-the-road Dexter. It does show Debra making her voice heard and no longer stomaching disrespect because of her lower-tier status, but the Castillos seemed forced into the episode just to give Dexter some people to kill. The Ice Truck Killer plot had been "put on ice" somewhat, with the gathering of evidence against him focused on in "Love American Style". Dex seems to think that Rita is starting to realize he's not a suitable romantic love interest who can provide emotionally what she needs/desires. Stunned that the Castillos truly love each other, Dex wonders how they can feel that and he can't. --9/10/13