Dexter Review: Robocop to the Rescue?

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Very little happened on this episode of Dexter. In fact, very little has has happened all season long on this once suspenseful Showtime hit.

We started "First Blood" with Lumen in Miami, intent on avenging those who raped and beat her. We ended "First Blood" with... Lumen in Miami, intent on avenging those who raped and beat her. Granted, there was a mildly exciting scene in between, as Harry yelled his son and Dexter realized he was close to killing the wrong man.

But when you think about actual storyline progress, did anything significant move ahead at all this week?

An Unwanted Partner

It was slow, but interesting to watch Dexter mourn Rita over the first couple episodes of season five.

And it's clear his motivation behind helping Lumen is connected to his wife's death, as he's said on more than one occasion that he's sick of innocent people dying, or being corrupted, at the hands of killers (such as himself). But Dexter isn't a show that most viewers watch for internal character struggles.

Give us action! Give us murders! Give us Dexter having to scramble to keep his Dark Passenger a secret and juggle to take care of his professional, personal and devious lives.

All of that has been lacking so far, although perhaps there's hope now that Quinn has tasked a dirty cop with trailing his fuck buddy's brother. Talk about a random way for Maria and Angel's (incredibly cliched, boring) storyline to tie in with the bigger picture, huh?

Still, I'll take the appearance of Peter Weller in this role as a sign that the show is about to turn a suspense-filled corner. When so much time is spent on Masuka's tattoo and Harrison playing parachute, it's safe to say Dexter needs a shot of excitement. Here's to hoping the actor behind Robocop provides it.

What did you think of the episode?

First Blood Review

Editor Rating: 1.7 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.1 / 5.0 (28 Votes)

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

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Dexter Season 5 Episode 5 Quotes

Dexter: Harry's right. I have to convince Lumen to do what I never could: to move on.

I want to believe that smile, that watching your mother die hasn't changed you the way that watching mine changed me.

Dexter [on Harrison]