TV Review: Dexter 3.2 – Finding Freebo

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 5, 2008

Dexter, Showtime, Airs Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT

Episode: ‘Finding Freebo’ (Season 3, Episode 2)

Synopsis: Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Rita (Julie Benz) have to make a big decision about their family, forcing Dexter to think about what it means to be responsible for kids. Is he ready to commit to this new family? Meanwhile, Dexter and Assistant District Attorney, Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), find themselves hunting down the same murderer, Freebo, the man accused of killing Miguel’s little brother. As a result, Debra and the Homicide department are tasked to find Freebo. Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), through her supposedly dirty partner, Quinn, is introduced to a C.I. and musician named Anton, in the hopes of drumming up a lead on where Freebo may be. With all of these hunters in play, can Dexter find Freebo before anyone else?

Review: After last week’s season premiere set Dexter on his new course, complete with the potential complexities of fatherhood and the fresh tension of an unplanned kill, the third season rolls on this week with what is uniquivocally one of the series’ best episodes. Over the course of the first two episodes, the writing team behind the darkly dreaming drama have added a multitude of new layers to an already complex story. For starters, we have Dexter’s relationship with Rita — we had to know that the peace that was found at the end of season two wouldn’t last, and sure enough the pudding-filled fornication of episode one was just the eye in the storm. Now with Rita’s pregnancy combined with Dexter’s own daddy issues, we have a full-scale assault of conscience. Though, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the innane nature of the ’should we or shouldn’t we’ discussion that seemed to weave its way through this week’s episode. Of course Rita is going to have that child, and of course Dexter is going to have plenty of voiceovers and twisted daydreams about it in the coming episodes. Anyone who didn’t see that coming is just lying to themselves at this point.

What we didn’t necessarily see coming was Dexter’s unintentional alliance with Miguel Prado, played expertly by Jimmy Smits. It was unclear why Prado was so drawn to Dexter in the first episode, other than for Dexter to have more stress in his life, but the second episode clears that up. And in the final moments, we see something that we’ve seen before, but it never fails to increase our heart rates — Dexter in a position where he might be caught in the act of killing. Is he getting sloppy because of his newfound humanity, or has his habit finally brought him full circle, forcing the killing to take place closer to his own life than he had ever intended? For now, we know that he is still as efficient and evasive as ever, but the layers added to the story in the first 2 hours of season three could spell disaster down the road. Compound that with the impending arrival of Dexter Jr., and we’ve got more intruige and tension than we’ve ever seen from this show. If you thought Dexter was one of those unmissable shows before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet — this show has jumped into a category all its own, and I for one can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Up Next Week: While grocery shopping with Rita and the kids, Dexter comes across a fellow predator. But this one is a pedophile. After the pedophile is seen talking with Astor, Dexter must decide if he fits The Code. Meanwhile, Debra has a new homicide to solve, a mysteriously skinned Jane Doe that they like Freebo for. But Dexter knows that Freebo is not the culprit, so he must find a way to help Debra identify their murder victim, thus proving that Freebo didn’t do the crime. While doing this, Dexter learns that Miguel Prado wants Dexter to be his friend. But just how smart is it for Dexter, a serial killer, to befriend an Assistant District Attorney?

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