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| EPISODE 2: "Waiting to Exhale"
Episode summary:Dexter has to find Chino and kill him before he gets killed. He is tailed and thinks it's Chino but it turns out to be Doakes. Dexter continues trying to convince Deb that it's time for her to move on and move out of his partment.
Dexter receives a phone call from Astor saying Rita is acting very strangely.
Dexter tries to help, but Rita is taking Paul's death horribly and is second-guessing her trust in Dexter.
Word spreads around the station that the FBI's star serial killer tracker, Frank Lundy, is coming to lead the investigation into the victims of what the media has dubbed "the Bay Harbor Butcher." Chino shows up to the police station with an attorney, but Dexter hides and avoids the situation altogether. Chino brings with him a mysterious disk, which contains a video with a time stamp for proof he was elsewhere at the time of witness's murder. Masuka presents evidence to Dexter about the Bay Harbor Butcher. Dexter "theoretically" asks Masuka for advice on efficient body disposal. As FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy arrives and announces a meeting, Dexter's heart beats hard and fast. Lundy makes a speech beginning with, "There is no such thing as the perfect crime." He briefs everyone showing that the Bay Harbor Butcher's method is similiar to the Ice Truck Killer but not close enough. He even notes that body parts thought to be from one victim were actually from two, impressing and possibly distracting Dexter. Deb is visibly upset as Lundy flashes a picture of Rudy/Brian on the screen and glances at Dexter for reassurance. Dexter leaves mid-meeting and prepares for his attack on Chino. He asks the weapons specialist what would be good to take care of an alligator that "ate his puppy." He is issued a high-powered dart gun with a highly potent tranq, as well as a pole syringe for up-close attack.
Deb goes to the gym to work out and attempts to unleash her anger on a punching bag but hurts her hand; a cute guy offers to help her but she freaks when he tries to tape her hands, flashing back to duct tape used by the ITK. Dexter comes home and finds the door latched and Deb extremely anxious and upset. Dexter stalks Chino as he leaves a party, but Chino was expecting him and Dexter is jumped by gang members, narrowly escaping being beaten to death by hiding in the sewer. By breaking the code of Harry he set himself up for trouble. While in the sewer he has a flashback to being in the freight car when Harry walks in and takes him from Brian's grasp as Brian cries out "Dexter don't leave me!" As he awakens he whispers, "Brian. My brother."
Doakes approaches Lundy and presents himself for his task force, but is turned down, with Lundy noting that perhaps Doakes 'doesn't play well with others." Dexter comes home to find Rita waiting for him, very upset, and half begging, half ordering him to come with her and the kids to Paul's funeral.
Angel and Deb approach potential witnesses in Chinos neighborhood. Deb sees a young boy tagging their cop car, and angrily gives chase after the boy. She throws the teen onto the ground and after the boy makes a comment about "The Ice Truck Killer" she pulls a gun on him--but he does give up Chino's gang location. Dexter joins Rita with Cody and Astor at Paul's funeral, and he is guided up to the casket by Cody. Dexter is approached by the priest who takes his hand and says "I'm sorry for your loss." Brian appears by his side and haunts him saying "You just took my life, you didn't kill me." Dexter asks how he can make him go away and Brian jokingly suggests prayer. He tells Dexter it's not his fault, what he did to him. Dexter decides "I'll just have to let you go." Dexter goes back to the station to find SWAT escorting in most of the members of the 29th street gang from a bust, based on the info the frightened teenager gave Deb. Angel takes Dexter aside and warns him about how out-of-control Deb seems, but does make an admiring comment about what good shape she is in! Chino is missing from the group brought in, however. LaGuerta finds the new Lt. is using department resources to get phone records on her fiance and LaGuerta makes it clear she's choosing to ignore it, gaining the gratitude of her new boss.
Dexter calls before leaving to inform Deb that he has unfinished business to catch up on. Little Chino is about to attack the boy who revealed information to Deb, but as he boards the elevator, it stops. Dexter opens the outer gate and quickly thrusts the tranqulizer into Chino's throat, with enough tranq to stop even the mountain of a man that is Little Chino. Dexter then transports him, unconscious, to Chino's own car. He brings him back to the voodoo shop and secures him, much more securely this time, to the table. Dexter reopens the face wound from his first attempt, procuring a dab of blood for the slide. Then he lights a candle and puts it before the picture of the little girl and explains him how Chino ruined the little girl's innocence. He plunges the knife in and takes a moment of pleasure to feel it seep in. Dexter also found a new place to dump his bodies, where the Gulf Stream will carry them far away.
Dexter receives a call from Rita, who outright states, "I need to see you." and so he finishes up and heads to her place. When he gets there he is presented with the shoe, and Rita tells him about the suspicion Paul brought up about the shoe and being set up. Rita feels extremely guilty that her refusal to report the shoe left Paul so angry he got into the fight that killed him. She asks Dexter up front, "Did you attack him?" Dexter admits that he did it to protect her and her kids. She asks where he got the drugs, and he says that he stole them from the police evidence locker. Rita becomes suspicious about the whole thing. She thinks she figures it out-- that Dexter has been hiding a drug addiction and that's where he got the drugs.
Rita asks him flat out if he's an addict, and Dexter, in a moment of clarity, replies, "Yes, I have an addiction." Rita cries silently, but she's been here before and is ready to give Dexter as much support as she gave Paul. Dexter must go into a program, she'll help him to recover.
Dexter adds the new slide to his collection and barely has time to put it away before Deb arrives. Deb announces she was out checking out places to rent and move to. Dexter comforts Deb and invites her to stay, in order to "take care of his sister like Harry would have wanted."
"For every door that closes..."
Dexter stands on his boat, saying goodbye to his final link to Rudy, the Barbie doll's head. He takes it to the edge and symbolically lets Brian go into the water, but Brian plunges back up grasping his hand. Dexter shows no emotions and releases him; as he sinks back into the water, he voiceovers, "Rest in peace. I am."
Original air date: 10/07/07
Written by: Clyde Phillips
Directed by: Marcos Siega
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 Description of crime: Woman found murdered in street by apparent Machete attack.
Victim(s): Ava Lorenas, mother of last episode's victim.
Assigned officer(s):Debra Morgan, Angel Batista
Crime scene:Middle of a neighborhood.
Suspect(s): Little Chino.
Clue(s): Same wounds as other victims killed by the 29th street gang.
Blood evidence suggests: Same machete cuts as murdered son.
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 Description of crime:
Victim(s):
Assigned officer(s):
Crime scene:
Suspect(s):
Clue(s):
Blood evidence suggests...
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 Victim Name:Little Chino
Age/Occupation:Gang enforcer
Where/how Dexter stalks victim:Catches him on the way to kill his next victim. He had tried two times previously to subdue little Chino though, but he was amiss those two times.
Why victim deserves it: Murdered snitches and witnesses, including a little girl's mother and brother, leaving her alone.
Dexter's kill methods and rituals:Stuck him with a pole syringe with enough animal tranquilizer to take out a large gator.
Victim's last words: "You kill me, what do *you* leave behind?"
 Location of killing:Abandoned building
Close calls/slip-ups:First attempt, not enough tape to hold the giant, who escaped. Almost got caught by the gang in his next attempt to capture Chino. Third time's the charm!
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FLASHBACKS
- Dexter once again flashes back to him and his brother being found in the cargo container by Harry.
- Dexter is haunted by visions of his dead brother. First at the police station during Agent Lundy's briefing. Second during Paul's funeral where he tells Dexter his death was not his fault. The last time was at the end where Dexter "let's go" of Rudy by getting rid of the doll head key chain.
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DEXTER'S RELATIONSHIPS
Developments with Rita:
- Since Paul's Death, Rita and Dexter's relationship is on edge. Dexter seems to say the wrong things to her regarding Paul's death and funeral, and Rita is extremely sensitive. On the other hand, Dexter is good about being there for Astor and Cody while their mom deals with their dad's death and funeral.
- Rita demands that Dexter go with her to Paul's funeral.
- Rita becomes suspicious of what Paul had been claiming to her, especially after finding his shoe like he asked. She asks Dexter over to talk, and Dexter admits to her that he did attack Paul, and tells her he has an addiction- she thinks he's talking about heroin. She offers to get him into a program and get him all the support he needs.
| Interactions with others:
- Dexter thinks Chino is tailing him in his car. Dexter purposely parks in a secluded alleyway and prepares for a confrontation with Chino, only to find that it was Doakes following him. Doakes is suspicious as to why Dexter would think anyone else was following him.
- Masuka shows Dexter video of the bags of remains found off the coast. Dexter asks him where he would get rid of/hide bodies if he were a mass murderer.
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| SIGNIFICANCE OF EPISODE TITLE |
| The title of this episode refers to Dexter's eagerness to breathe a sigh of relief. He wants Doakes to stop trailing him. He wants to kill Little Chino. He wants to be physically able to kill Little Chino. He wants to get over his obsession with his killing of his brother. |
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Best Moments:
- Dexter and Rudy/Brian's conversation in the church.
- Dexter finally catching Chino in the warehouse elevator and dispatching him.
- Special Agent Lundy rejecting Doakes for his task force, saying he thinks he doesn't work well with others.
- Dexter's own private little funeral for his brother at the end.
| Best Lines:
- "I'm drifting. I finally get a chance to kill and I can't do it. And a second chance and he gets away. And now all my secrets are floating to the surface. Where is the orderly, controlled, effective Dexter? How did I lose him? And how do I find him again? I'm drifting... just not to sleep" (Dexter, to himself).
- "There is no such thing as the perfect murder. Not my experience anyway" (Agent Lundy, to the department).
- "If I believed in God. If I believed in sin. This is the place where I would be sucked straight to Hell (if I believed in Hell)" (Dexter, to himself).
- "If the eyes are the windows to the soul, and grief is the door, as long as it's closed it's the barrier between knowing and not knowing. Walk away from it and it stays closed forever. But open it and walk through it, and pain becomes truth. And now I'm faced with the struggle for my own survival that I always knew was coming. I've been preparing for this my entire life. When all is said and done, Chino, you're the same size as everyone else" (Dexter, to himself).
| EPISODE TRIVIA
- While Dexter and Deb are looking down at the blood-spattered body of murder victim (Ava, mother of the gang member victim from the previous episode) that is laying in the street, the 'dead' woman visibly swallows.
- In many fan's eyes, this episode marks the first appearance of the kind of annoying, overbearing Rita, and the last appearance of the sweet, doating, likable Rita of season one. Her character will remain this way for the rest of her tenure on the series.
- Very minor Season Four Spoiler: Paul's parents, the lovable, totally-unlike-Paul, have-a-great-relationship-with-Rita-and-her-kids, Deus-Ex-Machina they are, are nowhere to be heard seen at their own son's funeral, and are never mentioned by anyone until their miraculous appearance in season four.
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