TV Review: DEXTER 6.7, "Nebraska"
Usually I hate when Dexter focuses too much time on romantic squabbles, but ironically this was an incredibly satisfying episode because of its many lovers' quarrels.
rating: 3.5
Usually I hate when Dexter focuses too much time on romantic squabbles, but ironically this was an incredibly satisfying episode because of its many lovers' quarrels. Whether we were watching Dexter and Brian or Travis and Gellar, the audience got to cover more ground in the Do I Have Multiple Personality Disorder? Arenas. I even approve of Deb's scenes with LaGuerta and Quinn. But seriously, this was a great episode because it moved things forward nicely both in terms of plot and theme. Plus, I learned a couple neat new official Miami Metro abbreviations. First and foremost, Nebraska made my heart smile because it so directly attacked the meat of why I find Dexter so fascinating. I was starting to think that well into the sixth season we were never going to hear in clear and direct language a discussion of exactly why Dexter does what he does. Thankfully though, Brian, albeit as a hallucination of Dexter's (one which I mentioned last week and have been confirmed by this episode more accurately represents Dex's Dark Passenger from the first novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, which the series was originally adapted from), asked the questions I've wrestled with for years. One issue I've had with the show for a while is that originally Dexter's Dark Passenger's needs felt immediate and urgent, like a hungry animal screaming from the cage of Dexter's subconscious, yet the series seemed to play down that very essential part of the character to favor a more dark avenger, heroic vigilante depiction, which is fine except that's not how the show originally cast Dexter. Throughout the first season the Ice Truck Killer (or should I just say ITK?) prodded Dexter to answer whether he killed murderers because no one would care as much if they went missing or because it makes Dexter feel better to kill bad people assuming he knew the answer which was that Dexter simply liked to kill. Back then Dexter was so out of touch with himself he assumed he did it simply because he had to and no one would look very hard for ex-cons, but once Brian served Deborah to Dexter almost literally on a silver platter, Dex began to realize Harry instilled in him much more than just a strong sense of survival, Harry nurtured Dexter's conscience and shaped within him a morality wherein justice can be truly served only when bad people get what they deserve. Since the end of the first season, Harry's Code has gradually become Dexter's own and has opened up to accommodate not only killers, but pedophiles and others that get in the way of either justice or Dexter himself.
The problem is that while the audience is aware of this progress, Dexter himself has always seemed somewhat dumb to it, refusing to acknowledge his morality and ponder its implications except for when he was forced to. We've been watching Dexter get in touch with his humanity for over five years now and he still has yet to reconcile his career as a serial killer with the rest of his identity. I've been hoping that a more literal approach to morality, such as the spiritual journey Dexter has been on this season, would crystallize Dexter's understanding of justice and help him come to terms with being both a good man and someone who regularly murders people. Nebraska was very ambitious and I believe it pulled off conveying this fundamental dichotomy as well as the beginnings of its resolution. Last episode Dexter claimed that there is no light within him. By the end of this episode, Dexter concludes that darkness cannot exist without light, and vice versa, signifying that Dexter no longer views the seemingly divergent elements of his identity as mutually exclusive which if I were his therapist I would have to say sounds like a break through. As I am clearly a big fan of the first season, the plot of this break through, Dexter and Brian's road trip, had me absolutely giddy. Not that the Harry hallucination doesn't serve a purpose, I get it, but having Brian take his place, if only for one episode, was hilarious to me. You don't turn the other cheek, you slice it,Let's go kill Jonah!, Road trip!, and I'm bored, all had me cracking up. Basically it was a lot of fun having Brian back in the picture probably for the same reason why actors often cite a preference for playing evil roles as opposed to heroes they're usually very hedonistic and indulgent. The road trip obviously brought Dexter closer to his more hedonistic side as not only was he traveling cross-country to kill a teenager before confirming his guilt, but also firing a stolen gun into the air in the middle of the night from a moving car, and speaking of, I do have a major complaint about this episode and it pertains to how Dexter procured said firearm. Remember back in season one (I'm like a broken record, huh?) when Dexter explained how undignified he thought sex was? I loved that the show treated sex (at least when it came to Dexter) like a truly intimate experience, one Dexter could never comfortably enter into because his then partner would always sense that something essential to his spirit was missing. That of course changed once he and Rita became closer and eventually Dexter could be regularly seen enjoying carnal pursuits with his wife and later with Lumen. But blowjobs from old high school prom queens and random convenience store girl hook-ups? Not that I don't want my boy to get it in (I've been listening to a lot of rap this week), but it feels out of character to me still. My only other semi-complaint is of how Dexter killed the hotel clerk. I guess it's more of a logistical complaint, but did Dex really grab a pitchfork and stab the dude before he had time to get a shot off from the gun he was aiming at Dexter point blank from less than six feet away? I'm willing to over look this, however, only because of how artfully the scene was shot. I liked how we saw Brian make the initial thrust but as the camera panned around it was Dexter holding the pitchfork. Then immediately after, we saw an incredible shot of Brian standing in shadow while Dexter stood next to him in the light which appeared very much like a halo above his head. The hotel guy was probably stoned anyway. Concerning the other would-be kill of the week, I'm glad Dexter ignored Brian and pushed Jonah for the full story before deciding whether to move forward with his plans. It was also a very nice nod to season four when Jonah said, Hello Dexter Morgan, alluding to the exact words Jonah's father, the Trinity Killer (TTK?), used when he first met Dexter for who he really is. Upon Dex's hasty departure from Nebraska Jonah screams, How am I supposed to live with this? I thought Dexter's answer, Forgive yourself, was a great way to tie the episode full circle from Brother Sam's final request for Dexter to forgive Sam's killer, Nick, which Dex could not abide. Just as Dexter could not forgive Nick because he displayed such a blatant disregard for his crime, Dex could not grant Jonah's death wish because as Dexter observed, Jonah has a conscience and feels regret. 
As for the other nominee for Most Fractured Personality Disorder of the Year, I like how Nebraska continued to neither confirm nor deny what exactly Gellar's current status is concerning whether he's an actual flesh and blood person or a dead person who is now a hallucination of Travis'. Let's examine the evidence: first there's Gellar's appearance at Travis' sister's place. Gellar did not appear until Travis' sister had left the scene, which would make sense if Gellar ends up being a hallucination of Travis'. During this scene Gellar says that he'll continue their work without Travis, however, although we did see Gellar removing viscera from what appeared to be a mummy of some sort later on, as far as the audience is concerned, this could have always been at their creepy chapel or whatever that is or it could have been purely a hallucination of Travis'. During this scene, Gellar tells Travis, he'll talk to God. I release you. Travis seems to believe Gellar, but I certainly don't. Then we have the woman Travis kidnapped then released, Holly. During her interrogation she stated there were two people, a weak young man who kept apologizing and a separate individual that force fed her blood. However, Holly said that she knew of this second person only because the younger one referred to him as Professor. Holly did not specifically state that she saw or even heard this second person. I'm afraid the writers are going to keep the big Travis/Gellar reveal for the very end of the season, maybe episode 10 or 11. I wish they would get it out of the way sooner as it would seem less like a ploy and more valid as a legitimate plot device. If it turns out Gellar is a living, breathing autonomous individual I'll be disappointed as I'm not exactly sure then how effective the Doomsday Killer (or DDK as we should apparently refer to them as now) will have been as a structural and spiritual antagonist for Dexter. Throughout the episode we heard Travis speak of free will and Gellar of specific atrocities he's read about which truly disturb Travis and which DDK are working to prevent (albeit by presumably destroying the world). It's good to finally hear more insight as to what drives these two, despite it being a bit late in the season to build on the specifics of their motives. I just hope next episode finds Dexter back on their trail because although I feel the main story of Nebraska was a worthy reason to keep Dexter from further pursuing DDK, I would hate to see him not more involved in what is supposed to be the driving force behind this season's plot. Concerning the slightly less psychotic members of the show, I liked seeing Deb standing up for herself by calling out LaGuerta for being such a cold bitch at their com-stat hearing. I also was quite relieved to see Deb and Quinn literally kiss and make up because it looks like Deb has decided not to pursue their relationship which is just wonderful. Both scenes point toward a more mature, fully developed Deborah whom deserves being her own character without a gimmicky love interest holding her back. 
The only other noteworthy element I feel compelled to comment on is the newest addition to the cast, Masuka's intern, and possibly Jamie's new boyfriend, Louis. When he was first introduced I thought he might actually contribute to this season's story arc, but it seems he's nothing more than a way for the writers to promote the Dexter Facebook game, Slice of Life. While this may not necessarily be a hugely detrimental distraction, it is a disappointment and honestly feels kind of cheap. Save the promotions for outside the actual episode please. Yeah, I know he helped narrow down the search for the younger half of DDK, but I feel like Masuka could've done the same if earlier in the season the writers had someone mention how he's recently taken up a computer software course at the local university or something. Overall though I very much enjoyed Nebraska and felt it was a poignant and necessary exploration of the titular character, while also further developing his supporting characters. While I've enjoyed all the allusions to the first and fourth seasons leading up to this episode, I do want the season to move forward with clear and distinct goals concerning DDK and Dexter in terms of his spiritual progress and that of the series as a whole.