Warning: If you read this, you’re going to know what happened last night on the ninth episode of the final season of Dexter. If you don’t want to know what happened, you should probably check out one of our other stories instead.
Sunday night’s episode has started the final twists in motion as we have just three episodes remaining before Dexter is done.
After asking Hannah to stay, Dexter informs Dr. Vogel of Zach’s death, and the two swing by his studio to look for clues. While there, they discover some blood and hair, presumably his killers. Turns out Zach really was a quick study, and could have been a fine “Robin” to Dexter’s demonic “Batman” if he wasn’t killed by The Brain Surgeon.
Upon running it through the system, it shows familial matches to… Dr. Vogel! When Dexter asks her how this could be possible, Vogel explains that her two children, Richard and Daniel, are deceased. Richard, the youngest, was found drowned in the family pool, only he wasn’t drowned; Daniel was the first psychopath Vogel encountered, and she and her husband had him institutionalized.
When a fire ravaged the ward he was on, the Vogels believed their boy had been killed, but you can see where this is going. Our big bad “Brain Surgeon” is Vogel’s son Daniel, but who is he?
With the help of his trusty facial recognition software at work, Dexter figures out that Vogel’s son is Oliver, the guy that was dating Cassie.
After confirming the two – Vogel’s son and Cassie’s boyfriend – are the same person, Dexter brings the info back to Vogel, who asks Dexter to take mercy on him. She wants to try and reconnect, to try and help him, and while Dexter says he’ll do things her way, his internal monologue informs the viewers that he has other plans in store for Daniel.
Having planned to meet him at an old café he used to frequent with his parents before he was institutionalized, Dexter gives Dr. Vogel a “Hannah McKay Special,” and takes off to track Daniel on his own. When he finally is ready to follow him from the café, Daniel is again one step ahead, having flattened Dexter’s tire, leading our titular character to worry about Dr. Vogel.
Rushing to her house, Vogel answers the door, perturbed with Dexter, telling him to leave things to her to sort out with her son. She no longer needs Dexter’s assistance; it’s a family matter. As Dexter leaves, Daniel comes into frame, his mother having convinced him that she didn’t send Dexter after him at the café.
The two sit down for a nice breakfast together, one big, creepy mother-son combo ready to be a thorn in Dexter’s side for the final three episodes.
Hannah the Hunted
After Elway called in a tip about Hannah possibly being in Miami, Sunday’s episode delivers a U.S. Federal Marshall (played by Kenny Johnson) into the picture. He pops in on Dexter at work, and shows up when Dexter and Hannah go to collect Hannah’s money from her old friend Arlene.
Late in the episode, Federal Marshall Cooper swings by Dexter’s place to tell him they’re calling off the concern over Hannah, and Harrison nearly gets his dad in a pinch with a picture he drew, as Cooper asks who the pretty lady with the blonde hair is. Thankfully, Harrison says, “My mom,” and Dexter ushers the Marshall out the door.
My guess is that isn’t the last we’ve seen of him. Actually, that’s my hope, as I like Kenny Johnson, and it will be a shame if they intro’ed a new character with four episodes left only to have him exit right away.
NEXT: Detective Morgan, quick hitters and Spencer’s two cents…
