Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Hidden Gems

      Jamil Scalese
      May 14, 2008
      Busted Knuckles
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • 4.5

      Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller, v1-3

      Jamil Scalese
      August 4, 2004
      Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics, Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Interview: Kyle Higgins and Rod Reis, Co-Creators of HADRIAN'S WALL

      Jamil Scalese
      June 27, 2016
      Image, Indie, Interviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • Singles Going Steady 3/3/2015: Haters Gonna Hate

      Jamil Scalese
      March 3, 2015
      Reviews, Singles Going Steady
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Video Interview: Jeff Graham, Illustrator

      Jamil Scalese
      July 19, 2015
      Interviews, Video Interview
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Greg Theakston Pt. I - The Beginning of the Crusty Bunkers

      Jamil Scalese
      November 20, 2015
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Sneak peek of Dark Horse’s four upcoming Aliens/Predator crossover series

      Jamil Scalese
      April 1, 2014
      News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Mangasia' is a Fascinating Journey Through Asian Comic Art

      Jamil Scalese
      November 27, 2017
      Books, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Dexter 8.07 "Dress Code" Review

Jamil Scalese
August 16, 2013
Reviews

8.07 "Dress Code"

Most agree — Running into an ex-beau is hard. It's even harder when that former lover drugs you and ultimately ditches you on the side of the road.

That's right folks, Hannah McKay is back and she hasn't forgotten the betrayals of last season.  The return is welcomed by this viewer. Her presence makes this episode just a morsel better than the last couple, and gives a certain complexity that the drama has been craving.

Hannah poisoned the Morgan siblings but her intentions were to incapacitate rather than kill. When she leaves them unharmed, Dexter and Deb wonder why and work on tracking her down. As always, Dexter quickly makes progress and finds the blonde botanist at a high-class social club with a super rich dickhead lover in tow.

Dex and Hannah have that typical scorned-lovers-reunited conversation, except for this misshapen duo the transgressions are huge and nearly unforgivable. The feelings are still there however, that much is clear, but the idea of a reunion is halted when Hannah tells Dex she's married. The lucky man is Miles, an aggressive patrician, and he quickly reveals his (probably limited) knowledge of Hannah's past. Later in the episode Dexter gets the truth from her: she wants the abusive Miles dead and planned for Dexter to do it for her. That's why she drugged him, but while he was passed out she decided against blackmail and let him go.

At first I considered this plot point (or the erasure of one) odd, and disregarded it, but after reading EW's James Hibberd's feelings on it I can't really let it go.  As he states — comparisons to Breaking Bad (and it's amazing premiere) are unfair; they're different shows (although I believe Dex tilled the soil for Walt), but goddamn if the one doesn't make the other look like "an inferior product."

To end the previous episode with a poisoning and then to hit reset and have Dexter do his so fucking boring now cat-and-mouse game is insulting to fans. It provided a solid thirty minutes of nonsense banter and posturing and that's it. The episode ends with Hannah killing Miles in impromptu fashion, so I guess not all momentum is lost but it's really cheap to end on a cliffhanger and then dismantle the device for lame rehashing.

I mentioned complexity before, and while it's not weaving a masterful quilt of storytelling magic, the element of Zach allows the show to be a little more unpredictable. If you've been asleep for the last few episodes, and I wouldn't blame you were, Zach Hamilton is the wealthy young man who shares Dexter's bloodlust and penchant for looking creepy. Under the suggestion of Dr. Evelyn Vogel, faux-mother and serial killer puppeteer, Dexter chooses not to kill Zach and instead takes him on as an apprentice. The theory is that Dex can play the role Harry Morgan did, teaching the kid how to channel his urges, choose his victims and most importantly, not get caught.

Zach pops up many times in "Dress Code," practically begging Dexter to help funnel his impulses. Dex repeatedly shrugs him off, preoccupied with Hannah and his sister. I found this whole thread partly comical. Dexter releases a killer from his table, a move he's done only once before, and just lets this guy roam free on the honor system. When this nut-job comes to Dex for guidance he gives him the syllabus to the course on controlling homicidal tendencies and promises to follow up at the earliest convenience.

It's no wonder it blows up in his face. Zach murders Dexter's neighbor Cassie in grotesque fashion and Dexter stares at her pooling blood wondering if anything good can come from two killers coming together. Probs not, Dex-man, but keep at it.

Alright, time for the side character rundown, as there seems to be a separate drama existing within Dexter that's loosely-affiliated with a police department.

  • Deb isn't a side character. Not really, anyway. However this week she's marginalized a bit. That doesn't mean we don't get some good scenes, including an awesome reminder about Deb's feelings regarding Hannah.  Jennifer Carpenter plays the emotion well, adding in parts jealousy, hate, and concern to get the point across. She tells Dex flat out that Hannah is poison. Of course she doesn't trust her brother to do the right thing so she stalks him, witnessing their meetings, and no doubt plotting.
  • At her day job Deb deals with the flirtations of Elway. She first snaps at him, which triggers a scary response from the bossman. Later, the two smooth things out while Elway practically begs for it.
  • Quinn is moving in with Jamie and Angel probably isn't happy. I'm beginning to think this is the origin of the spin-off because it's like these characters are on another fucking planet.
  • We get a nice helping of boobs when Masuka discovers his daughter works in a topless bar. Then Dexter kills them both. Ha ha. No I'm joking of course, but at least that'd be impactful to the core storyline.

With Zach and Hannah in the mix, the show has a little more of a festive atmosphere for its final season but it's not nearly enough. It's obvious how this'll go: Some combo of Zach, Hannah, Deb, and Vogel will be involved in a vague hostage situation forcing Dexter to make some sort of ultimate choice, etc., and so on.

Everything doesn't have to be clockwork, but at least try to throw some cohesion into what you're doing, Dexter writers. Reverse the trend.

Get better, Dexter, before you leave us all with a foul taste in our mouths after so many years of tasty feasts.  


Jamil Scalese is just like you — an avid comics reader and lover of sequential art. Residing in Pittsburgh, PA, he is an unapologetic Deadpool fan, devotee of the Food Network and proud member of Steelers Nation. Check out his original, ongoing webcomic And Then There Were Zombies and follow his subpar tweeting at @jamilscalese.

DexterJamil Scalese

Share On:
Tweet
Blu-ray Review: Hatchet III
Review: 'Cartozia Tales' #1 is a charming all-ages anthology that you should love and Kickstart

About The Author

Jamil Scalese
Jamil Scalese

Jamil Scalese would rather watch reruns of Frasier than catch up on media he's tragically behind on. Follow his weak tweets @jamilscalese

Related Posts

  • Fantastic Four (Fant4stic?) (2015) Review Round-up

    Dave Hearn, Eric Muller, Jamil Scalese, Shawn Hill
    August 12, 2015
  • 2.5

    Sunday Slugfest: Secret Six #1

    Jamil Scalese, Mark Stack, Michael Bettendorf
    December 7, 2014

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders