Showtime’s Dexter 807 “Dress Code”

The Vortex

By Catherine Giordano

A roiling vortex of action, intrigue, and death: Showtime’s Dexter, #807, “Dress Code" aired on Sunday August 11, 2013 and sucked us in. If season 8 will have 12 episodes like previous seasons, we have reached the point of no return—we are more than halfway through the season.

Dexter meets Miles Castner, Hannah's new husband,shortly before he meets his end.

Debra describes Hannah as “everything that’s wrong with our lives, a vortex.”  Girl, there is so much wrong with your lives that calling Hannah the vortex might be something of an exaggeration. Debra claims that everything started to go bad in her life when she first asked Dexter to kill Hannah. However, the turning point may have come a little earlier when she discovered that Dexter was a serial killer and she began to aid and abet.

Show a little gratitude, girl. Hannah could have killed you and Dexter in the last episode when she drugged your dinner (perhaps that is why the steak tasted so bad). I take that back. Forget the gratitude—perhaps you didn’t die because the steak tasted so bad that you only ate a couple of bites. No on third thought, gratitude may be in order after all because she could have killed you after you were passed out. 

Regardless of Hannah’s intentions Debra and Dexter are alive at the beginning of the show although Dexter finds himself in an isolated field near a lake. One small question: How did Hannah drag Dexter into her car and then dump him in a field. He was dead weight, excuse the pun, and Hannah does not look to be physically strong. Also, why?  What was the point of dumping him in a field?

Dexter tracks Hannah down and discovers that she is living on a mega yacht with a multimillionaire. He follows them to the Red Coral Club, but he can’t get in because it is a members only club, and besides, they have a dress code.(Get it, “a code”). Dexter calls his new protégé, Zach, to see if Zach’s dad is a member. He is and Zach promptly arrives (evidently with a change of clothes for Dexter) and the two are admitted to the club.

Hannah is with the man who we learn is Miles Castner and Hannah’s new husband.  Hannah has a new identity as Maggie Castner. When Miles leaves Hannah alone for a few minutes, Dexter approaches Hannah.  When Miles returns we learn that this is a very possessive and controlling man who knows all about Hannah’s past. He wants Dexter to stay away from his wife.

Dexter can’t leave well enough alone and goes to Hannah’s old flower nursery which is now in ruins to meet Hannah there. Together they tell each other that they are still in love with each other, but Hannah says they must stay away from each other.  Miles has evidently been following Hannah and/or Dexter so he knows about this meeting.  Goons are sent to beat Dexter up. The beating causes Dexter to miss a meeting with Zach, and Zach’s hurt feelings about being stood-up set off a very bad chain of events.

In the meantime, Miles has confronted Hannah/Maggie and tells her that she will never again be allowed to leave the boat and they will set sail at once. Right after he forcibly helps himself to his conjugal rights. The next thing we know, the crew has shore leave, Dexter is on the boat, Miles is dead on the floor, and Hannah is covered in blood. (This is one strong lady.) Dexter to the rescue, the mess is cleaned up, and Hannah and Dexter are out for a moonlight cruise on Dexter’s boat dumping the body. This is the “how-romantic” moment of the week. Dexter and Hannah are together again. Is all forgiven?  Stay tuned.

Back to Zach. There seems to be a problem with Vogel and Dexter's plan to teach Zach ‘the code.’ Dexter was a child when Harry taught him—he was more malleable. It is dawning on Vogel that a grown man who has already killed once, cannot be controlled so easily. Sure enough, Zach kills again. (We don’t know that for sure, but it looks like Zach has killed again.)

Zach was so excited about becoming a protégé; he couldn’t wait to kill again. The part about not taking the lives of innocents wasn’t getting through the blood lust.  A furious Zach arrives at Dexter’s apartment (despite being warned never to go there because they can never be seen together) and becomes even angrier when he discovers that Dexter is not home. Cassie, his next door neighbor, hears the pounding on the door and comes out to tell Zach that Dexter is not home. The next thing we know, Dexter gets a call and must interrupt his romantic evening on the water with Hannah to go to a crime scene. Cassie is the victim. 

Cassie was romantically interested in Dexter despite the fact that she was dating a very nice man. (The girls always love the bad boys.) Well, now that is not going to happen. 

However, some other romances are moving forward. Quinn and Jamie are moving in together. Is it true love or are they both doing it to spite Angel. Jamie is mad at her brother for not promoting Quinn to sergeant and Quinn is mad at Angel about this also.

Elway and Debra may be getting closer. Debra doesn’t spare Elway’s feelings when she blows off his attempts to date her. But Elway has the guts to stand up to her and tell her off for her rudeness and nasty attitude. He tells her that he is due a little gratitude.This leads Debra to realize that Elway has done a lot for her by giving her a job. She apologizes and it appears her attitude might be changing.  (Girls always go for the bad guys.) Now I am worried for Elway. Everyone who Debra dates ends up dead.

There are so many vortexes roiling. Everyone is being swept closer and closer, faster and faster, into the devastating center of the vortex. And we the viewers are being swept right along also.

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