Dexter - Left Turn Ahead

 Lila Tourn--Lila West is busy in this episode! She frames Angel for raping her, even ordering a rape kit, just to get at Dexter. She'll drop the charges if Dexter will commit to her, instead of Rita. Deb, though, is all about getting Lila as far away from Dexter and Angel as possible. Lila, taking advantage of Dexter's boat ride with Rita and the kids, checks his GPS, learning of where a cabin is holding Doakes. Despite Doakes getting free from the chain cage, he heads into the swamp, even encountering a couple of a drug dealer's pals (the drug dealer Dexter had just chopped into pieces) while they were coming ashore in the Everglades. Dexter spends the episode contemplating turning himself in, with Doakes even close to convincing him to while in a cage. 

Jonathan Banks, in yet another memorable character turn, is introduced in this episode as Lundy's FBI boss, Deputy Director Max Adams. For some reason, Adams has an ax to grind with Lundy, seemingly out to prove he can catch Doakes quickly and look like a hero. LaGuerta "takes a day off" (regardless of whether or not Captain Matthews wants her to) and heads to Haiti, hoping to find evidence of Doakes' innocence. The blood slides are key, she believes they hold some value that might just save her friend. Lundy and Deb are all about the flirting and compliments, constantly conversing about the case. Deb reassures Lundy he's the man and he makes sure to let her know she's in full control of what she wants when she sets her mind on it: confidence in herself and making sure he doesn't lose confidence, and all that.

While I knew that something would convince Dexter to shake off this guilt that might result in him coming clean about his Bay Harbor Butcher activities, a conversation with Deb takes care of that. Dexter just playing out telling Deb he is the Butcher and the different imagined results help to sort of ward away such a confession. But Deb telling Dexter he was her rock when Harry dies and without him she couldn't have made it is enough to secure his stronghold on maintaining the status quo and keeping his dark secret to himself. But what if Doakes is found by the FBI as the grid closes in? When Doakes' car is found, the FBI seem to be very close. But Lila might just be one step closer since she has Dexter's GPS...

Dexter giving Rita the minivan and having his properties willed to Deb, with certain measures taken much to her dismay when he brings the papers for her to sign would seem to indicate he's made up his mind about coming clean, but that is the whole point about this particular plot territory in the second season...this is a moral dilemma Dexter finds and an existential crisis he must work out. While Harry killed himself as a result of finding Dexter in the middle of mutilating the corpse of a killer he so badly wanted arrested and convicted, all it took was Deb telling him he has value and was key to her own survival. I couldn't help say to myself, though: but you Dexter are why she was in such bad shape to begin with! But there is plenty of blame to go around: Harry felt the need to coordinate this path for his adopted son, but doing so came with a heavy price. Also Dexter's experience as a child, that trauma seemingly accepted by Harry as a point of no return, inspiring the whole code in order to keep his son on some sort of moral playing field, cannot be forgotten. It's all tragedy, really. How Harry and Dexter ever came to be associated and how Dexter's mom even knew Harry...this accumulation of dramatic events has led to where "Left Turn Ahead" is in the second season. 

But this episode sure emphasizes how it just royally sucks to be Doakes. He almost escapes and through a bad hand provided by fate, Doakes fails miserably. Dexter can be away for hours and Doakes works hard to get out of that damned cell, and it just seems like luck wasn't at all interested in treating him right. Instead of the FBI, Doakes gets Lila...again, sucks to be him. 

Gotta love Deb telling Lila she better leave or else face deportation. Deb fucking detests Lila and is now ready to make sure she removes herself from the equation. But Lila seems quite obsessed to the point of taking a date rape drug, fucking Angel rough, and bruising herself until she collapses to the floor in order to get Dexter back...she seems committed! 4/5