Three episodes into Dexter: Original Sin, it’s clear the show has a good sense of humor about itself — this episode has a lot of talking-parrot moments — and also isn’t afraid to embrace the gruesomeness of the original series. But as we delve further into flashbacks involving Harry and his doomed informant, Laura Moser, it’s becoming less clear what story the show is trying to tell that we don’t already know. At least “Miami Vice” delivers a brand-new victim for Dexter’s burgeoning serial-killer journey, not to mention the first time I’ve seen a jai alai ball used as a weapon in anything.
The episode begins with a press conference about Judge Powell’s son, Jimmy, who is still missing, minus the severed finger. Miami Metro is on high alert, with Harry particularly concerned about how the whole situation might trigger Dexter. (Harry’s misunderstanding of how past the point of no return Dex is kind of irks me — like, you did train him to be a serial killer!) But the cops are also on edge thanks to the arrival of a new detective, Maria LaGuerta, played here by Christina Milian. She’s transferred over after a scathing opinion piece lambasting the department for its abysmal clearance rate when it comes to N.H.I. (No Humans Involved) victims: drug users, sex workers, and the homeless. Good for her, even if this particular storyline does feel quite progressive for 1991 Miami.
Dexter is still interested in finding Jimmy’s kidnapper, but his primary focus is “Handsome Tony” Ferrer, the loan shark he’s decided to make his second victim. Because of the code, Dex has to be sure anyone he kills is actually guilty of murder, so he begins his own investigation. That involves breaking into Ferrer’s house and getting startled by a parrot who keeps saying, “Honey, I’m home.” (Dexter’s voiceover replies, “Polly want a killer?” Cute.) Dex finds Ferrer’s book of clients, and he’s able to determine that there have been disappearances and deaths tied to Handsome Tony’s aggressive collection tactics. But he’ll need more concrete information before he can make his move.
Back at home, Dexter is cooking breakfast for dinner — we even get an origin story for the opening credits! — when Debra and Sofia arrive, with Sofia wearing Nurse Mary’s earrings. Dex is horrified to see his murder trophies on his sister’s bestie’s ears, but of course she takes his interest in her jewelry as flirtation. Harry is equally distressed when he learns the truth, reiterating that the first rule of the code is not getting caught. But he’s specifically upset to discover that his serial killer son is doing serial killer things. (Harry! Catch up!) Dexter demands that Deb get the earrings back from Sofia, and she agrees to help … if he can score her some coke for her volleyball team party. In the episode’s silliest storyline, Debra wants to make playoff captain to win a scholarship to FSU, but she’s in a tight competition with the cooler, richer Tiff, so she’s promised cocaine to the rest of the team to earn their votes. It’s like an R-rated family-sitcom plot.
Dexter has more pressing concerns, however, namely killing Ferrer. After Masuka hooks him up with a fake ID — turns out “Patrick Bateman” was his earliest alias, and a very timely one, since American Psycho came out in March 1991 — Dexter heads to a jai alai game. There, he strikes up a conversation with Ferrer and pretty quickly asks to borrow some money. Handsome Tony gives him $500 but makes it clear there will be severe consequences if he can’t meet the payment schedule. While Dex swears he’s going to use the money for a job interview, he takes some of it to buy Sofia replacement earrings at Limited Too. This is Deb’s plan to get the Nurse Mary earrings back after Dexter smartly lies and says he had bought them as a gift for their mother, so they have sentimental value. He also makes the wise choice to not procure actual cocaine for his teen sister and her friends, instead whipping up a concoction of crushed caffeine pills and benzocaine that should be able to fool a bunch of high-schoolers.
At Ernie’s Taproom, Dexter makes sure that Ferrer sees him lose money at pool, so that when the loan shark tries to collect, Dex can explain that he just lost what he was about to pay him. Ferrer takes Dexter outside, and kudos to our budding sociopath for his brilliant performance as someone genuinely fearful for his life. In what seems like a very risky plan, he coerces Ferrer into firing a warning shot — the man loves warning shots! — into a tree. Dex recovers the bullet and is able to use Miami Metro forensics lab technology to compare it to the bullet that killed Rene’s mother. He calmly explains this all to Harry, noting that the code has now been satisfied, and he has free rein to kill Ferrer. Harry thinks Nurse Mary would be enough (what show are you watching!) and then offers to come with Dexter to keep him safe. I am having some serious concerns about this man’s judgment. Thankfully, Dex insists that he’s killing Handsome Tony tonight and doing it solo — but Harry says everything his son does will now have to go through him first.
When Ferrer arrives home that evening, he’s surprised to find his beloved parrot out of her cage — but he’s even more startled by Dexter, who somehow manages to subdue him with a chokehold. (I’m not sure I buy Young Dexter being this efficient at overpowering a violent criminal, but whatever, this is not a documentary.) Dex also frees the “honey, I’m home” parrot with a poignant, “Find yourself a new home, honey.” I love his whimsy. He’s a lot more serious once he has Ferrer on the kill table, confronting him about his past crimes and even lobbing a jai alai ball right into his face. (Easter egg alert: It cuts his cheek much like Dexter will later do with his scalpel.) Handsome Tony naturally offers Dex money for his life, but that was never going to work. “I’ve got an itch that money can’t scratch,” Dexter tells him before going in for the kill.
Dexter’s prep work and second murder take up the bulk of “Miami Vice,” but we also get ample flashbacks throughout. Harry has gotten Laura to start selling drugs to high-end buyers, all to attract the attention of Estrada, Miami Metro’s ultimate target. He even puts a wire on her when she meets with Councilman Aldana, assuring her that “You’re making Miami safer for everyone, for your boys.” (Dramatic irony!) Laura’s odd behavior soon gets clocked by the higher-ups, and she’s picked up by Santos, who starts driving her to the shipping yard (with a frantic Harry in pursuit). Those of us who know what Santos eventually does to Laura in a shipping yard have alarm bells going off, but we’re not at that point in the story yet — and Laura is surprisingly adept at talking her way out of trouble. Harry realizes he’s overly attached to his informant, though he turns down her sexual advances.
I realize that prequels are tough in that the events are already prescribed, but the Harry-Laura scenes, in particular, feel like they’re dragging the show down. I’m just not sure what these flashbacks are meant to unlock about Harry beyond the fact that he made a lot of reckless choices and is, on some cosmic level, responsible for Dexter becoming who he is. That’s information we’re getting in Original Sin’s main timeline and something we already knew from the parent series. Perhaps there’s a twist ahead that will make it all worthwhile — until then, I’ll remain more interested in Dexter’s storyline. After killing Ferrer, he dumps his body parts in Alligator Alley: “Alligators eating alligator shoes … circle of life.” Unfortunately for Dex, Tony’s arm floats up out of the water after he’s gone, so Ferrer’s murder is likely to become a case for Miami Metro. Sounds like a crime Detective LaGuerta might be very keen on solving.
Blood Spatter Analysis
• LaGuerta is here, and not a moment too soon. Lauren Vélez is a tough act to follow, but we’ll see what Christina Milian brings to the table.
• Meanwhile, I remain concerned about Tanya’s longevity. I winced when she said, “It’s a fucked-up world, Dexter. Glad you’re team Miami Metro.” Just sounds like the kind of thing she’ll come to regret later! On the other hand, this show needs to give SMG more juicier material, and having her square off against Dex would be a delight to watch.
• Even though her storyline in this episode is goofy, it’s nice to see Deb and her brother getting along. That was a core part of the original series and the sibling rivalry stuff can get tiresome pretty quickly.
• At the same time, I don’t buy the one-sided Sofia romance at all. It’s not that Patrick Gibson isn’t dreamy; it’s just that Dexter’s awkwardness and borderline asexuality make it hard to believe a 17-year-old would throw herself at him with, “God, you are so fucking sexy.” When he responds to her kiss with a fist bump, that should be the end of it, but Debra certainly thinks Sofia and Dexter are dating now.
• Shoutout to the effects team for some really impressive grotesquerie, including Ferrer’s severed head at the end of the episode. The original Dexter did a good job of balancing humor and gore — and finding the humor in gore — so it’s nice to see the spinoff doing the same.
