Dexter Season 8 Episode 12 "Remember The Monsters?"

          At first, I was filled with an interesting combination of rage and sadness by the series finale of Dexter. I felt betrayed by the writers who made Dexter grow and struggle with being "human." The ending I had hoped for was the opposite of what really happened. However, I realized several things in this episode that made me understand the choices behind this final episode of Dexter.
          From the very beginning, Dexter was all about a man who couldn't fit into society. He struggled with girlfriends, his wife, his kids, his sister, and his job because he was a serial killer. He longed to be like everyone else. Slowly, he began to make progress on becoming normal. He had a girlfriend, got married, and had a kid. Dexter began to look like a normal human being. However, the grass is always greener on the other side. Dexter could not handle being normal. It is much easier to not care about others than to love and lose. SPOILERS! Dexter has lost everyone he loves. He killed his brother in season 1. Rita was killed by Trinity at the end of season 4. His step-children wanted nothing to do with him in season 5. Deborah finds out about Dexter at the end of season 6. She then kills LaGuerta and saves Dexter at the end of season 7. At the end of season 8, Dexter mercy kills Deb so she won't be left in a coma, he abandons Harrison and Hannah, quits his job and moves to an isolated location where he cannot hurt anyone else. It is easy to say based on these characters that Dexter has ruined many lives. By learning to be human, he cared for people, made sacrifices for them, and hurt many. This is what he realizes as he drives into the hurricane. Being with Dexter is like being an alcoholic. While it feels good now, the pain will come.
          While I understand the reasons behind the writer's decisions, I am not sure how they should have ended it. I would have enjoyed watching Dexter move to Argentina with Hannah and Harrison and watching Deb finally have a successful relationship with Quinn, but that would have been hard to do while keeping with the themes of the series. I feel like the fans deserved better and while it may have not fit with the rest of the series, the audience would have wanted it to end happily.
          In my mind, there are 3 ways this show could have ended: happily, a big bang, and the mercy kill. For it to end happily, Dexter would have gotten away with Hannah and Harrison, Deb would be with Quinn, and Saxon would be caught or dead. I feel like this is what the audiences wanted. For the big bang ending, Dexter would have gotten caught by Miami Metro, gotten into a huge battle with Saxon, or ended up in prison on the death penalty. While this seems to be the realistic ending, it wouldn't have gone over well. How the show ends is like a mercy kill. The kills weren't satisfying, but they were understood. Everything makes sense mentally, but isn't emotionally satisfying. When it comes to writing stories, I guess I have learned that emotions are more important than facts. If the ending feels good, the audience will learn to get over the flaws and missteps of the writers. However if the show ends with poetic character arcs and logical conclusions, but fails to meet the emotional needs of the audience, then nobody is happy.

Dexter Season 6 Episode 9 "Get Gellar"

          One of my favorite things about this season is the emphasis put back on Deborah. Jennifer Carpenter’s acting has come a long way since the first season, which helps in her frequent emotional breakdowns.  Seeing a shrink is something that she has needed to do for a long time and it is good to see her trying to fix her relationship with her brother. Later on, her shrink tells Deb that she can fix her messed up life by changing her habits. This is something totally new for her character and I cannot wait for it to happen. I’m somehow getting a “sixth sense feeling” and I guessing that Deb will somehow tie into this religious theme.

          This season has revolved around religion from the first episode. Through Brother Sam and Prof. Gellar, Christianity has been pushed onto the viewers in a normal way (Brother Sam) and a psychotic way (the Doomsday Killers). For the first time, the opposite position has come into view. Dexter believes that Gellar’s next victim is going to be a devout atheist who is also a professor at a university. 

          Like many people, Dexter is trying to live his life through Travis. By killing Travis’ Dark Passenger, Travis will be free from the burden that Dexter has always faced. What Dexter doesn’t realize is that this isn’t going to make him feel better. The exact same situation occurred with Lumen in season 5. She wanted to kill the men who raped her just as Travis wants to kill Gellar for murdering his sister. After Dexter and Lumen finished off Jordan Chase, Lumen’s Dark Passenger was gone. This left Dexter alone once again.

          After Quinn and Batista retrieve Quinn’s belongings, they get in a fist fight over personal matters. Surprisingly, this is the first time this has come up. In the beginning of season 6, they were seen smoking weed together and now they’re fighting. I guess that’s what weed does to people. From there, Quinn and Batista appear at the next crime scene together and do not talk. At first, I thought this was a plot flaw but than realized that since Angel’s car broke down, a day has gone past.

          While Prof. Gellar’s next kill seems simple, the bowls of wrath make the scene gruesome. Much like the room 103 in season 1, blood was spilled all over the homicide team. I must say that I called this one as soon as Dexter mentioned the draining of the victim’s blood (another homage to Brian Moser). The kill was way too simple and the bowls of wrath was not explained in any way. That being said, I had no idea what what going on with the severed hand (another Ice Truck Killer reference) until it ended up in Travis’ sink.

          So far, one of my favorite scenes with Deb happened in this episode. She finally breaks her pattern of accepting LaGuerta’s demands and stands up for what she truly wants. This scene is total proof of the saying confidence is attractive. In the beginning of the elevator scene, I thought Deb’s hair and clothing were odd and not very attractive. A few minutes later, things changed. 

          Once again, the writers blew me away with the involvement of Captain Matthews. I had no idea that he would be the one who performed CPR on the girl who overdosed. Now that Deb is reopening the case, LaGuerta and Matthews intend on stopping her. The drama within the homicide department is becoming tangible and is adding to the intensity to the show.

          Not to toot my own horn, but if you have been reading my Dexter reviews, I stated that Lewis had a major crush on Dexter. By possessing the stolen piece of the Ice Truck Killer investigation, he proves that he is either obsessed with Dexter or serial killers. I would like to reemphasize my theory that Lewis will turn out to be a killer. I’m even going to guess that he is going to take over for Professor Gellar.

          I thoroughly enjoy the tie in to the previous theme of Dexter trying to be a good father. This concept has not been prevalent in the recent episodes and I am pleased that it has returned. These deep themes of trying to be a better father, being religious, and Deb changing her habits make for a wonderful show.  The deeper the context and story is, the easier it can connect to the viewers. While shows and movies with mindless violence can be easier to write, things with deeper meanings usually turn out to be more popular.

          One of my favorite things about Dexter is how the writers can throw a left hook out of nowhere. My mind is still trying to wrap around the entire twist. I find it incredibly interesting that Dexter has his vision of his Dark Passenger (Brian) and Travis does too (Gellar). They both killed their loved ones, possibly for the same reasons, and now they’re coming back to haunt them. One thing that I don’t understand is how Travis went along with Dexter’s idea of killing Gellar. Wouldn’t Travis realize that Gellar is dead because he killed him? He could be playing along, but if he was trying to get rid of Dexter, he could have done it at various times. I’m almost positive that he is actually crazy, and less like Dexter than I originally thought. I believe that much more will be explained in episodes to come and I cannot wait for the next episode. This feeling of excitement and anxiety is one I thoroughly enjoy. 

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 8 "Perils of Paranoia"

          For the first time in a while, there was a terrific introduction to this episode. Most of the time, the show begins by showing a normal person having a severe problem such as losing vision, vomiting blood, or having a seizure. However, this episode opened with a court scene, which was tastefully different. For the first few minutes, I forgot what show I was watching and became enthralled by the courtroom drama. Instead of being overly dramatic, the Tommy simply said, “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

          It is interesting how Foreman lied to the patient in order to get House to take the case.  This could be a random occurrence but I feel like it is possible that Foreman is slowly becoming more like House. Only in the context of lying to a patient in order to get his way.

          While Adams and Park are driving to investigate the patients house, several unique camera perspectives were used.  Throughout the scene, cameras were attached to the bumpers of the car and pointed at the characters to give a new perspective on the scene. Creative cinematography is a wonderful thing if used properly. In this instance, I found it distracting because these shots have never been used before in this show and they feel a bit “artsy” for being a medical drama. Despite the distractions, I did enjoy the unique angles.

          To my surprise, I have started disliking Park in this episode. She may be a brilliant doctor, but her people skills are horrendous and her personality is abrasive. Park seems to defend her opinions about the case like they are her children. People can tell her she is wrong, but she will need proof to believe it.  This could be because of different writing in this episode, or could be part of her character. Either way, I am not a fan.

          I absolutely loved the reference to Black Friday by Taub.  Although, I am not certain if it was supposed to reference the woman who maced people waiting outside of a store so she could get an Xbox 360. He says, “I don’t think stockpiling weapons is the most reasoned response but given what I’ve seen at Bloomingdales’ on Black Friday, I wouldn’t say it rises to the level of mental illness.”  I love when writers add cultural references into movies in shows. By doing this, they manage to connect to the readers through relevant information.

          While searching for a gun in House’s apartment, Wilson triggered a booby trap (set by House) and got caught in a net suspended above the ground. It is these unique bits of comic relief that make this show addicting and incredible.

          To be perfectly honest, this felt like a forgettable episode. It was fun to watch, but there weren’t any big changes (other than Foreman going out with a married woman).

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 7 "Dead and Buried"

          The beginning surprisingly doesn’t open with a patient in the process of getting sick outside of the hospital. Subtile changes like these make the show interesting without changing any major dynamics of the show.

          I know I give a great deal of praise to this show. I am sorry, but I am going to give a bit more.  Within almost every episode that I have seen, which is all of them, there has been a great deal of medical speech. I understand very few operations and diseases that they talk about, but love when they explain things.  For the first time, I noticed that there is tons of banter between House and his team. Normally, House talks about personal issues residing within his employees while they avoid the personal topics by suggesting theories. To me, only half of the dialogue was interpretable which added to the power of the understandable. Without thinking, I ignore what I do not understand and wait for House’s side of the conversation to begin. While both conversations are complete, only half is understandable which makes that part more important.

          Much like Sherlock Holmes, House isn’t interested in helping other people, he is interested in entertaining himself. To society’s benefit, this so happens to be in the form of a doctor who takes on cases nobody else can solve.  Also, he happens to fake and play off of human emotions to get what he wants, which makes him a more personable character and slightly likable by his peers.

          Another thing that grabbed my interest is House’s passion to figure out the case of a dead child.  He has never done this before and is broadening his curiosities. Because of his obsession and addiction with puzzles, House figured out how a child died while potentially saving the lives of two of the family members.

          Two flaws that I noticed within this episode correlated with the dead child case. First, the child was in excellent condition after being buried for 5 years. The skin was still intact and was not dried up and leathery. Second, when House opened the coffin, the smell from the decayed body would have been terrible. House failed to cover his nose or even show a change in smell.

          However, I am confused how is House getting away from being off the hospital grounds all the time. The show said the signal was jammed for only 45 minutes in the beginning.  Luckily, he got caught and punished in the end to show that he was breaking the rules and this wasn’t entirely a plot flaw.

          Finally, I loved the use of split personalities in this episode. While it is commonly talked about in psychology classes, it hasn’t yet occurred on the show. Multiple personalities isn’t a “medical diagnosis,” but it did serve as a cause to other diagnosis’.  To my discontent, this case ended abruptly because the focus was on the dead child case. While I wish the focus could have been on both cases, I feel that the writers did an adequate job bringing emotion into the other case.

Dexter Season 6 Episode 8 "Sin of Omission"

      One thing that I feel that the show Dexter has been missing recently is the close interaction between Dexter and Deborah. Since season 1, they have been very close and have shared mostly everything with each other. After Rita was killed, Dexter pulled away and their relationship has become even more distant since Deb became the Lieutenant.  To my displeasure, it only seems to be getting worse. Dexter keeps shutting Deb out of his life and Deb cannot take it. I am really hoping that they will get back on track because that is when the show seemed to be the best. Watching Deb in pain over her lost connection to Dexter is heartbreaking to say the least. All she has been trying to do this entire show is connect with people. All of her boyfriends are for a desire to connect because she cannot truly get this from Dexter. This being said, I would be very happy if Dexter opened up to Deb about his Dark Passenger and how he kills people. Not only would this bring them closer, but it would add complexity to their already confusing relationship.

          I must say that I am extremely disappointed that Brother Sam is out of the season so quickly. I know he died a few episodes ago but his funeral made me realize how much I actually miss him.  

          I don’t understand why, but Lewis is seeming a bit more like a creep. Usually the writers downplay something like this for a dramatic reveal in the final episodes.  

          I am actually enjoying the interactions between Dexter and Travis. Dexter has started reading the bible, something I am confused about but also proud of him for. By doing this, he is able to connect to Travis in a way he could not earlier. It would be interesting if they somehow teamed up against Gellar. Dexter seems to be taking on possible apprentices. Jonah who killed his mother, Travis who is in need of guidance, and Lewis who seems to be more of a stalker than an apprentice.

          Despite being Tom Hanks’ son, Colin still can’t act. The scene where he found out his sister was turned into the Whore of Babylon was very hard to watch. I have no idea why the casting crew chose Colin Hanks for the part of Travis Marshall but it was definitely a mistake.  So far, he has been the worst actor on the show, surpassing Julia Stiles.

          As Dexter wandered through the abandoned church where Gellar hides out, the tension became unbearable. For the first time in a while, Dexter donned his kill outfit and lurked in the dark. To add to the creepiness, Gellar saw Dexter come after him. Like a game of cat and mouse, the suspense built until the episode ended. It is this kind of cliffhanger that I have been waiting for all season. There are only 4 episodes left and so little time to answer all of my questions.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 6 "Parents"

          While this is probably the most boring episode of the season, it has some of the deepest values. The story revolves around familial problems and what it means to be a good parent (which House says is an oxymoron).

          I loved the familial background stories of each of the characters within this episode. Probably my favorite one is Chase’s. He explains that his mother locked him in his fathers study while she would drink because she couldn’t handle him. After a while of crying and banging on the door, he had to find something else to do so he read books on medicine. This horrible memory created his love for medicine and started his career.  He simply states, “We all have family disfunction. Its why were successful, to fill that hole.” Strangely, I find this comforting because it reassures me that every family has their problems and that I am not alone with mine.  

          At the end of the scene, I was surprised to find that Chase called House so that he could hear Adams “open up” about her background. To my disappointment, she somehow figured this out and foiled Chase’s attempts. I don’t exactly understand why Chase is helping House. Hopefully this will be explained later.

          I did not see the biological dad sexually molesting the son. This gave the son syphilis which caused all of his problems. That was definitely a unique diagnosis and an interesting ending to the rather boring episode.

          Adams seems to be the only person on the show that always see’s through House and his maniacal plans. Wilson on the other hand, was not so lucky and was conned out of his ring-side seats by House and Foreman. 

          Being a college student trying to find my place in life, I found the following quote comforting. “Following your heart is easy, following your brain is tough.” Many of the things I love, I am terrible at but sometimes, you have to make sacrifices in order to be successful. I overheard a speech relating to this topic recently from the singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor.  He was asked by Oxford University to speak on campus and delivered a phenomenal speech about how to choose a path to follow. http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/top-posts/video-slipknots-corey-taylors-full-oxford-lecture-online/

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 5 "The Confession"

          I’m glad that Taub and Chase are back but I am not exactly thrilled about them being back.  While bringing them back onto the show may add for some interesting scenarios, the drama from the previous seasons comes with.  I loved how this season seemed like a whole new show with Cuddy and the rest of House’s team gone. It seems like that was only temporary.   

          Luckily, there seems to be good chemistry between Adams and Chase. Maybe they will end up together like Chase and Cameron.  

          One thing that this episode does incredibly well is the tension between House and Taub.  Every time House tries to get Taub’s DNA, he fails but than makes his plans more elaborate.  Starting a betting pool in the hospital about the legitimacy of Taub’s children is cruel, unprofessional, and absolutely hilarious. This is why I hope the show never ends. 

          I would have to say that one of the most meaningful moments in this show happened in this episode. While at the newly installed mini-bar in his office, House confronts Adams about the truths in this world. After Adams says, “Maybe if everyone didn’t lie,” House steps onto his soapbox and delivers a wonderful speech.

"Aw that is cute. I’m talking about your breasts. They always get perky when your being painfully earnest. Truth. It’s uncomfortable isn’t it?  More truth. I only noticed because I noticed Chase was staring at them. He’d never admit it because he doesn’t want to offend you.  Same reason he’d never tell you he’s thought about having sex with you.  Although to be fair, every man you’ve ever met has thought about having sex with you.  They’ll lie because if you knew, you wouldn’t want to have sex with them. And thats just some of the lies from the last minute. And here’s a bigger one. You already know this, but you pretend you don’t because it makes you feel civilized.  Most people find it easier to ignore the truth, ask Taub."

Brutal honesty can come across as being rude, but I find it very interesting. With this statement, House shows the humor and reality behind what people are actually thinking. The whole time, he is making guesses, but the surprising thing is that he is right.  It is for this reason that I am absolutely in love with the Sherlock Holmes / Greg House character.   

          I really loved this episode, but I didn’t understand the ending at all. I would love to hear people’s opinions about it.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 4 "Risky Business"

          Another wonderful episode of House. Even though the entire medical portion was predictable, I love the character interaction.

          House never fails to astound me. For the first time in the show, House spoke fluent Mandarin. It seems like something Sherlock Holmes would do considering the entire show it based on Holmes. 

          Along with the movie Sherlock Holmes, I found myself lingering on every word House said. Both to be entertained and amazed. No wonder this show, and the Sherlock Holmes franchise has done so well. People don’t watch this show for the medical work, they watch it for House.

          I would have to say that I am envious of House. His humor is astounding and almost infectious to those around him. Despite this, he has little to no emotion and cannot become close to others, qualities that I have no intention of having.

          For the first time, I noticed the slight background music that begins to play when a patient has a heart attack, vomits blood, or has frightening symptom. This music is barely   but causes anxiety within the viewers, drawing them in.  It helps that the instruments used are mostly synthesizers so people notice the music less.   

          At one point, House transformed into MacGyver and created a strobe light that causes vomiting in order to reclaim the other part of his office. Unbelievable. This is a simple example of the writers keeping the show fresh and entertaining.

          I loved Dr. Park talking to Wilson about House. It seemed funny because every piece of advise Wilson gives Park has a story or experience with House behind it. Wilson has learned a lot from his mistakes with House and still loses battles (as seen in the end).

          I would love for House to take an IQ test. With his deductive reasoning, medical knowledge, and highly advanced reversed psychology skills, he could probably score around a 144 (genius level).

          The final scene where Adams smashes everything with a baseball bat was visually astounding. The director of this episode used the perfect amount of slow motion to make the scene entertaining and authentic. 

          Another entertaining episode. Another long week to wait for the next one to air. Let me know what you thought of the episode.