1x05 Runaway

[7.5/10] A Dexter: New Blood episode where every storyline is clicking, more or less? I never thought I’d see the day! But I’m glad to see it.

Let’s start with the most exciting part for longtime fans. Angel Batista is back for an episode! I was wondering if the show would find a way to bring him, Masuka, or Quinn back in any way. It’s nice to see him having risen to become chief of Miami Metro. And honestly, while him running into Angela at a police conference in New York City is a little contrived, it’s a plausible enough reason for them to bump into each other.

I found myself liking most of it. His “cases where the victims have something in common could be related” thesis in his speech seems pretty...obvious. So Angela coming to him as some expert and being given a generic “trust you gut” message is a tad silly. But Angel remains a fun presence, and I even appreciate the implication that he was drawn to Angela because she reminds him a bit of LaGuerta.

The only part I really didn’t like is the convenience of him mentioning Deborah, and by extension Dexter, and then by further extension Harrison. Two people from far-flung corners of this storytelling universe randomly bumping into one another? I can buy it, especially given the thrill of the return. But an old character accidentally giving the new character the tip that helps her find out her boyfriend’s true identity? That's a bridge too far for me.

But I do like the fact that they’re not saving Dexter’s hidden identity as something for a rainy day for too much longer. Between Angel’s info implausibly reaching Angela, and Harrison’s inebriated confession to Aubrey reaching her too, it seems like she’s seized on what’s really going on with her boyfriend. In classic Dexter style, I expect the fallout to be more minor than it seems, with Dex claiming witness protection or just that he had to get away and start fresh after all the dark things that happened to him in Miami. But I do appreciate that this is a bomb going off in his personal (and semi-professional) life all of a sudden.

Speaking of Harrison’s confession, I like the sequence of him getting high and having problems after his fight with his dad. It’s a little bit Euphoria and a little bit Requiem for a Dream. Regardless of the influences, there’s some creative direction and effects work going on to sell Harrison’s inebriated state. The concept of the kill list party is macabre but ironic in a believably teenage way. Aubrey acting to console him when he seems like he’s having a hard time, and call 911 when he’s in distress, despite the risks of getting her and her friends busted, helps continue to make the character seem noble and likable.

I particularly liked Jack Alcott’s performance in this one. Unlike Dexter, we don’t get an inner monologue to just lay out what he’s thinking. It has to be conveyed through the actor (and occasionally by the show’s clunky dialogue). Alcott does a superb job of communicating Jack’s anger and disappointment with his father, the numb face of being calm and collected he project, and the hurt that festers behind it with his eyes alone. It’s stellar work from a young actor, and nice to see him exhibit that kind of range in what’s been a bit of a subdued performance to date (which fits given the character.)

I also like the material between him and Harrison. For Harrison’s part, he’s being questioned by a father who wasn’t there for him, and is himself a big liar. For Dexter, he wants to be there for his son to help him manage the dark passenger, while also keeping him safe. It’s an outsized version of something many parents and children go through, which helps inject some reality into the more fantastical or out there parts of the show.

I also like this one as a good old fashioned Dexter escapade! Him going after the drug dealers who sold the pills that made his son OD is a suitably righteous cause for Dex, but one with the personal edge that makes a difference. Deb advising Dexter to not mess up his son and warning against doing this just for vengeance gives her a good role in all of this. And watching him work his way up the chain, while having to evade the cops who are on the trial of the same criminals he is, adds tension and stakes to the proceedings. As usual, Dexter’s ability to avoid getting caught is both superhuman and too convenient, but watching him adjust on the fly to make it look like the dealer OD’d himself makes for a nice fly in the ointment.

I also unexpectedly found myself really liking Logan as a character here. He’s a competent police officer, which is rare in the world of Dexter. But he’s also the right blend of professional and empathetic. He’s serious with the teenagers who are both his students and his suspects, rather than showing any favoritism. He’s firm with Dexter on the need to show Harrison tough love and fill out forms at the station after assaulting one of the drug dealers, but also shows sympathy to a dad going through a rough time. And the actor does a great job too at making Logan plausible in each of these modes, while also likable in his back-and-forths with the other characters.

Last but not least, I even liked the latest business with Kurt Caldwell. While his rituals and sidling up to Harrison doesn’t do much for me, since it plays like transparent plot machinations, I like him trying to corner Chloe, his latest victim, only to find she doesn’t play along and fights back in unexpected ways. Seeing her not follow the script, take logical steps to combat her attacker, and mess up Kurt’s scheme gives this one a little extra oomph. And I’m glad we’re no longer pretending that Kurt’s not the killer anymore.

(My prediction is: That when Kurt was a kid, his dad took in a runaway that Kurt took a shine too, and then his dad shot her when she was in flight after being discovered with him. The incident scarred Kurt, which led him to regularly completing this ritual that resulted in all the missing girls, including Angela’s friend Iris..)

Otherwise, Molly Park continues to be annoying, but is at least serving a purpose. I like creative blocking and staging to subtly signify that Deb isn’t confined by the laws of physics. And in an episode again centered on what type of parent to be, I like Angela responding to the Harrison OD situation by just being glad she’s okay and praising her daughter for doing the right thing, rather than focusing on being mad at her for being at the party in the first place.

Overall, this is the first episode of New Blood where everything was really clicking, and I hope that's the start of a good trend for the back half of the season!