With episode four of Dexter's final season, "Scar Tissue," we return back to the infamous shipping container. Proving yet again that this eighth season will continue to parallel its first season, Harry Morgan and the shipping container anchor the plot throughout this episode.
Last week, we left off with Dexter allowing Vogel to help Deb. This week, we see that work in action. Clearly, Vogel is a manipulative person with malicious intent, but she doesn't know the Morgans as well as she thinks.
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Though her methods are not entirely conventional, it does appear as if Vogel is getting through to Debra. Midway through the episode, Deb even starts to wear her hair straight again! And she turns down a beer from her hunky boss, Elway - control, Deb, that's the key. But don't get too excited, because by episode's end, you'll be disappointed - but we'll talk about that later.
While Dexter and Vogel discuss Deb's progress over coffee, Vogel continues to insist Dexter stay away from Deb and prepare for the possibility of never having her in his life again. That's kind of shitty of you, Vogel. But Dexter's no fool, quickly responding with, "No, I wont just let her go." Never give up, Dex.
Part of Vogel's manipulation tactic is showing the kids old videos of their dad and, in a way, letting him do the talking. This week, it was Deb's turn to see a Harry and Vogel video session. Meticulously chosen, Deb sees the video of Harry struggling with the guilt of what he created and Vogel reassuring him it was the right thing - just like she does with Deb: "Harry did not make a mistake saving Dexter's life, and neither did you."
Using Vogel's book, Crave to Kill, Dexter tracks down ex-patients who may be the Brain Surgeon, and next on the list: A.J. Yates. Could the third time be a charm, and could Dexter have really found the Brain Surgeon? It appears yes.
When Dexter goes to Yates' house to do some creeping, we see that Yates has cameras in every inch of the house and is watching Dexter from his hidden kill room. When Yates hears a conversation between Vogel and Dexter, he says, "She's found herself a hero" - indication number one. Then, later on when Dexter decides to kill Yates - because even if he's not the Brain Surgeon, he is still a killer - Dexter finds an empty house and discovers the kill room... in a basement. Yes, Yates apparently lives in the only home in South Florida with a basement. Hope all that security technology is waterproof.
Yates has bone saws, specimen jars, and charts of the human skull, a sort of "cut by numbers guide." This discovery is a huge indication that he might our guy - why else would he have these things? Upon seeing this, Dexter proclaims him the Brain Surgeon. However, what doesn't sit right is how the Brain Surgeon keeps pieces of the brain as trophies, but Yates keeps a single high-heeled shoe from his female victims (and all other Brain Surgeon victims have been male).
In the same kill room, Dexter makes one other startling find: Vogel has been treating their interactions as a sort of experiment and writing material for a new book. He finds her case file on him, where he is affectionately referred to as Subject 0, and one entry has this lovely line: "Somehow he's deluded himself into thinking his feelings for his sister are genuine. Unaware there are no real emotions behind them." Vogel continues and compares Dexter to Pinocchio, "trying desperately to blend in and become a real boy." You can feel the sting from the couch - that's gotta hurt.
Enough about Deb, Dex, and Vogel for a second; let's talk about Masuka. Apparently a really "hot" girl is asking around the police station for him, and when they finally meet, she is pretty cute. (It's Dora Madison Burge, a.k.a. Becky from Friday Night Lights.) But you know she's not there for what Masuka is hoping for. Her name is Niki from "U of M." C'mon writers -- if you actually live in Miami or attend the University of Miami, you know we don't refer to it as U of M. It's simply UM. Geez, even ESPN knows that.
Anyway, Niki ends up bursting Masuka's bubble by saying, "I think you might be my father." Harrison might have a new play date at Miami Metro's daycare.
Now, back to Deb, Dex, and Vogel.
Since Deb is now staying at Vogel's house - another ploy to keep her away from Dexter, perhaps - she has easy access to Vogel's study. Curious to know what else Harry had to say about Dexter, she finds the tape of his last session with Vogel - the session before he died. In the DVD, Harry talked about the time he walked in on Dexter's first kill; all the blood and body parts really disturbed him. Unsure of what he helped create, Harry felt guilty and said, "I don't think I can live with this." Needless to say, this really does a number on Deb.
Here comes the kicker. Just when you think Deb and Dex are about to patch things up, they go for a drive. After getting Dexter to admit that Harry killed himself because of what Dexter became, Deb says, "I think I know how he felt, why he killed himself - but he only got it half right." Boom! She takes the wheel and drives the car off the road and into the water!
A nearby fisherman dives in to save Deb from the sinking wreckage, and upon seeing what she did, Deb swims down and saves Dexter. She tried to kill him but ended up saving him - again. Pretty sure this just put a damper in their existing relationship issues.
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