The episode dives right in with Mad Dog’s daring escape. He is hit by a truck head on. The young driver attempts to halt a moving car for help, and a kind-hearted woman steps out to help, chaos ensues.
Meanwhile, Dexter, armed with tools courtesy of Miami Metro, is back at the scene, meticulously cleaning up. But things go south when Metro arrives sooner than he anticipated. Barely evading two officers, Dexter escapes, and the adrenaline from his near capture gives him an unexpected rush. Back home, Harry is livid. The kill was sloppy, and Harry, regretting ever allowing Dexter’s first kill, and grounds him—yes, grounds a grown man. Harry insists Dexter revisit the basics of the code, reminding him that mistakes like these could expose him.
Deb’s story takes a wild turn as her older, questionable new flame drops her off at school, nonchalantly ignoring the glaring issue of her age. Meanwhile, Dexter, sacked with boredom, bounces a baseball against the wall. He’s desperate to regain Harry’s trust but realizes it’s the act of killing—not death itself—that feeds his dark passenger. Attempting to stifle his urges, he indulges in snacks but accidentally devours Deb’s special brownies.
We flash back to Harry’s complicated affair with Dexter’s mother, Laura. He tries to end things, citing his marriage, but succumbs to temptation. These scenes add layers to the story, revealing the tangled emotions between Harry and Laura that shaped Dexter’s origins.
At home, Dexter tunes into a '90s classic, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, while awkwardly addressing Deb as "Deborah." She quickly picks up on his odd behavior and realizes he’s high—six brownies deep. Amused, she teases him, knowing the high will last a while. Dexter, afraid the pot might weaken his control over his urges, begs her not to leave him alone. She joins in the fun, eating a few brownies herself. The siblings share pizza, bond over memories, and laugh like actual siblings for once. Deb even proposes a double date with Geo, her older guy, and Dexter with Sophia. Things take a heartfelt turn when Deb gets emotional, reflecting on their mother’s death anniversary and sharing memories of Doris. Dexter, for his part, hints at his recent mistakes without giving too much away.
The next morning, Dexter whips up breakfast, much to Deb’s surprise, considering their binge the night before. Harry returns home, and the family discusses Doris, with Harry admitting that he often sees glimmers of her in both of them. They plan to visit Doris’s grave later that day. Harry, with an agenda, allows Dexter to work, leading to a pivotal moment where Dexter fingerprints the young man responsible for hitting and killing Mad Dog with his truck during the escape. This was Harry's goal to ensure that the young man didn't recognize Dexter, he doesn't.
Meanwhile, Harry faces fallout from his testimony in the Levi Reed case. His refusal to allow an alibi from Reed’s girlfriend results in the case’s dismissal. Despite Reed’s obvious guilt, key evidence is inadmissible. Frustrated, Harry’s boss tells him to take some time off, setting up Reed as a prime candidate for Dexter’s next kill. Reed meets the code: he slaughtered an entire family, including two children.
Dexter, in a surprising twist, discusses tranquilizers with Tanya and learns that horse tranquilizers might keep his victims out longer. A comedic moment follows as Dexter gets trapped in a horse stall, causing him to miss the gravesite visit. Deb, the only one to show up, unexpectedly earns some sympathy here as her loneliness and pain become more apparent. Geo accompanies her, waiting patiently as she pays her respects.
At the gravesite, Harry reflects on sneaking out of Laura’s bed to find young Dexter drawing pictures of him. He puts Dexter to bed as Laura watches. She mentions that he must have done this before which prompts him to open up about losing his son. The scene shifts to him going home to Doris waiting up for him. A bittersweet moment where Doris announces she’s pregnant, contrasting Harry’s guilt over his affair with Laura. It’s a odd choice to intertwine these memories with the anniversary of Doris’ death, but it underscores Harry’s conflicted emotions.
The episode ends on a tense note. Deb finds solace with Geo, feeling less like an outsider for once. Meanwhile, Dexter follows Harry to Levi Reed’s house. In a bold and symbolic act, Harry ends up on Dexter's table, Dexter tells Harry that he followed him to stop him from making a career ending mistake in killing Reed. Harry trained him for moments like this—to take out men like Reed. While teaching Harry this lesson. Dexter asserts his independence. After Dexter frees Harry from his binds, Harry acquiesces and gives the go ahead to end Reed. He tells Dex that smelling salts will ensure Reed wakes up sooner. Dexter, however, is resolute. There’s no turning back now.
This was another strong episode that added a few emotional beats tied to the past. With the anniversary of Doris’s death anchoring the narrative, we gain new insights into Dexter’s parentage both from his mother's side as well as the Morgan's and how they all played a complex role in shaping who he is. The balance of nostalgia, familial tension, and Dexter’s unrelenting dark passenger keeps the momentum going. Patrick Gibson continues to shine as young Dexter, portraying a character haunted by his past yet determined to carve his own path. Ten out of ten.
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