Dexter: New Blood hits its peak with a thrilling episode heavy on mythology
Episode 7, “Skin Of Her Teeth,” harkens back to Dexter in its glory days
TV Reviews Dexter: New Blood
Between Angela and Molly’s road trip to Manhattan and Dexter’s foray into narcotics enforcement, New Blood’s last two episodes were clearly designed to keep the show’s gunpowder dry before a third-act crescendo. But who could have predicted the next installment would be as explosive as “Skin Of Her Teeth?” Even more than the strong “H Is For Hero,” the seventh episode makes a strong case for New Blood’s existence and instills confidence that this season might provide the ending Dexter deserves. (Assuming a definitive ending is actually forthcoming, but more on in the coming weeks.)
The episode is a symphony comprising the sounds of well-constructed masks finally slipping off and shattering on the ground. The mask slips off of Dexter, who for the first time is being addressed by his love interest by his actual name. Their detente is mostly transactional. Angela needs a forensics expert she can trust to examine Iris’ body and carefully collect whatever clues might have survived a decades-long stay in Clarke Caves. For his part, Dexter is either trying to squirm back into Angela’s affections or hoping to buy enough goodwill to keep his secret identity between them. But he uncovers a good amount of information, including what appears to be skin cells on one of Iris’ teeth.
Dexter tries to manage Angela’s expectations, reminding her that the DNA might not be adequate for any kind of lab analysis, let alone enough to test against multiple potential suspects. Luckily, Angela only has one suspect in mind, which conveniently for Dexter, just so happens to be Kurt Caldwell. Try as she might, Angela can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more to Kurt’s insistence on calling off the search for Matt once he found out the caves were to be the next expansion of the search grid. Fortunately, the hunch works out, and Angela gets the satisfaction of taking her best friend’s killer into custody.
By that point, Kurt’s mask is dangling off his chin. At the point he’s arrested, Kurt has already gutted his murder hostel and is subtly menacing Dexter over a slice of complimentary Boston creme pie. But then Kurt offers to share everything he knows about the case once he’s secured a lawyer, and the story he tells serves as a convenient alibi for Angela and the district attorney to hear while giving the audience an objective look at Kurt’s origin story. Kurt’s father was a monster himself, it turns out, a trucker with a predilection for violently assaulting sex workers he’d pick up on the job. All along, a young and impressionable Kurt was a witness to the sexualized violence, which always included a ceremonial hymn in the form of Del Shannon’s “Runaway.”
Years later, according to Kurt, he saw Iris climb into his father’s cab looking to hitch a ride out of town. Despite his awareness of his father’s violent past, Kurt claims he said nothing and hoped the missing girl had made it to her destination and started a new life. It’s a flawed story, to be sure, but Kurt doesn’t need the story to be perfect. He only needs for it to provide a somewhat workable theory for how his DNA would have gotten into Iris’ mouth, and it does just that. The D.A. understands Angela’s frustration but isn’t confident a jury would discount Kurt’s story. But in the actual flashback, we see Kurt pick up Iris in his truck only to shoot her as she scurries away following an altercation between them. Every murder Kurt has committed since has been an attempt to recapture the sick thrill he got the night he most resembled his father.
Dexter is back in the uncomfortable, albeit familiar position of having to hope the justice system will work as intended while trying to ignore his desire to exact justice himself. For once, Dexter’s logic as it regards Kurt makes sense. If he takes Kurt off the board as Harrison is growing closer to him, Kurt will become just another father figure cruelly ripped away from him with no real explanation. The ideal scenario for Dexter is for Angela to get Kurt convicted, thereby exposing his true nature to the community and hopefully breaking whatever spell he has over Harrison. As much as Dexter prattles on about his responsibilities as a father, this might be the first example of him actually making a decision based on what’s best for Harrison rather than what would be most satisfying to him.
But the path of most enjoyment for Dexter is far from the easiest this time because he and Kurt have unmasked each other. In a playful taunt that harkens back to the days of the Ice Truck Killer, Kurt has his henchman—the same guy who checked into a swanky hotel as Matt—give Harrison an envelope to give to Dexter. The contents? One of a pair of titanium screws, the only evidence to survive after Dexter incinerated Matt’s body. If Dexter perceived Kurt as a threat to Harrison before, he has to know how much bigger a threat Kurt is now that everything is out in the open between them. Kurt’s mentorship of Harrison hasn’t been terribly different than Dexter’s. His overtures toward Harrison are mostly dark and destructive, but with a kernel of purity buried underneath. Now that he knows Dexter murdered Matt, Kurt’s intentions toward Harrison are bound to become more sinister.
Then again, Harrison has demonstrated time and again his ability to neutralize dangerous situations with the use of his handy straight razor. He slashes another kid with it, this time an angry Moose Creeker looking to avenge the kid whose arm Harrison snapped just for laughs. Dexter arrives just in time to prevent any further escalation, but Harrison is so ashamed of his dark side emerging again in front of his father that he finally admits everything. Everything Dexter has suspected about Harrison is true, including the fact that he remembers Rita’s death in vivid detail and thinks about it constantly. Harrison, it turns out, has yet a third unfortunate father figure named Arthur Mitchell, who’s briefly reprised by John Lithgow. No offense to Batista, but that’s more like the Miami cameo I had in mind.
Stray observations
- There’s plenty to quibble with in this episode, yes. (For example, I have no idea how Dexter would be able to see skin cells inside the tooth of a decades-old corpse.) But there was so much to like that I didn’t care about the details, much like Dexter back in its glory days.
- Also, I get that Harrison is upset, but to conclude that Dexter left because he was afraid of what Harrison was becoming is a gross oversimplification of that story. Harrison grew up in Argentina with Dexter’s ex-girlfriend, so clearly, there’s a bit more at play here. At least now Dexter is motivated to come clean.
- Finally, an altogether pleasant encounter with Molly Park. She acts like a human being long enough to comfort a despondent Angela and renews Angela’s suspicion of Dexter when they compare notes about her scary encounter with Kurt. More of this please.
- Who is Elric Kane, and why is Kurt paying him off? Might it relate back to Edward Olsen, who we’ve neither seen nor heard from in weeks?
- Dexter straightening the award placard in Kurt’s office was a fun little character beat.
51 Comments
As has always been the case with Dexter since the original run, you have to suspend disbelief that a guy who makes so many obvious slip-ups keeps getting away with his killings.I mean, straightening the picture (edit: award) is so obviously a setup and yet he doesn’t think twice about it. And wouldn’t a diner have some sort of security camera in the office? Dexter doesn’t even LOOK for one.That gripe aside, the Mr. Krabs/Dexter scenes are getting downright delicious to watch. Clancy continues to impress, and we all know Hall can bring it when he needs to.
Maybe he is trying to mess with Kurt. He already foiled his plan with Molly. I thought that was hilarious how Dexter showed up uninvited and unannounced at the remote cabin. Classic Dexter. He also was there when his son was going to get jumped by the kids. That reminded me of Dexter Season 1 where he appeared in the swamp and asking the two teens if they had seen his frisbee. HAHA!
I honestly don’t think Kurt would want cameras at his truck stop. It would capture him talking to and leaving with all the women that have disappeared
Daddy did it from the 60% suspect ain’t enough to get him off. Where is Daddy ,? if he is DOA prior to the Abduction ,you got your man .If he is alive and his DNA is a 20% match you got your man .
Who eats Boston creme pie like that, just shoving it in his mouth with his hands? That delicious chocolate glaze is going to be a terrible mess!
I can think of at least one person….
Yeah, this is the first episode in the new season where I had serious issues with believability and also Dexter’s stupidity.
Not just stuff like missing the titanium screw and dumb moves nobody would ever do (much less a forensics guy) like straightening the picture, but also things that just didn’t make sense completely.How did Kurt magically connect Dexter to his son’s death just because he found that his son’s body was disposed of in the incinerator? That’s evidence of his son’s death, but doesn’t connect “Jim” in any way, as far as I can see? So why doesn’t Jim act more confused about it when Kurt confronts him? A few words would go a long way towards establishing Jim has no idea what he’s talking about.On that topic, there were SO MANY instances where just a few words to Harrison would’ve prevented a million future problems that are coming up. There was no reason he couldn’t have told him he knew Kurt was being investigated for murder, as an explanation for why he didn’t want him working there, once the Chief found that body. There was also no reason he couldn’t have talked Harrison down with more details when he had the straight razor. (Like, “Don’t worry, the same thing happened to me.”) Instead, he just lets him rant until he runs off? Dumb.
I’m also not sure how the podcaster’s words to the Chief really implicate Dexter in anything. If I was her, and DIDN’T have all the knowledge the audience has, I’d just think — huh, Dexter used to work on the police force solving cases, and he suspected Kurt before I even found a body — imagine that! Smart guy, guess I should trust him. Instead, him recording them and following the podcaster to save her life somehow implicates him in… …what?And did everyone really buy Kurt’s story about his father? Even if they did, why set him free — he is at the very least an accomplice to murder or guilty of impeding a police investigation for DECADES by hiding the information he knew. How does that rate clearing him completely from that murder that the DNA says there’s a 2/3rds chance he committed, in any case? It’s not like there wasn’t a TON of other circumstantial evidence, not to mention all the unexplained lies about his son. (And where did he hide the rest of the bodies? Not in those same caves?) He seemed like too emotional/crazy a killer to not have slipped up more than once.
p.s.: I expect they’re probably going to end this series on a sympathetic note towards Harrison and with Dexter dead, in order to “pass the show on to a younger generation”; but holy shit is that kid annoying. I kind of want him to end up dead and to just continue with Dexter moving on to the next town.
I pretty much agree with everything you said, except the previous episodes had just as many plot holes.That, and Jack Alcott is doing a great job with the average material he’s been given. He’s only behind MCH and Mr. Krabs this season in terms of acting prowess, IMO.
How did Kurt magically connect Dexter to his son’s death just because he found that his son’s body was disposed of in the incinerator?I assume this will be expanded on, though I assumed that Kurt has a lot of eyes in the town and even back during that episode people were pointing out that it seemed unlikely such a thing would be a unwatched. Otherwise I think it was all largely put together from a lot of things connecting his son to Dexter, such as him being killed on/near his land, etc.And did everyone really buy Kurt’s story about his father?
I got it as giving just enough to doubt to sink the case. Everything else I suppose could be tied together by someone more competent, but it seems, at least on its face and not to us the viewer, to be a lot of unconnected scenarios. Not to mention a lot of the evidence wasn’t gathered via warrants.
“How did Kurt magically connect Dexter to his son’s death just because he found that his son’s body was disposed of in the incinerator?”
I have problems with this but can see how he got there. He knows Dexter was out at the time and driving from the direction of the incinerator. Dexter randomly showed up at the murder cabin. Matt went missing near Dexter’s house. Dexter knew Matt was at fault in the boating accident. The trail cam footage showed someone that could be Dexter and Dexter said he had that gun. I believe in the books there was some ability to sense a dark passenger in other killers but don’t think the show ever had that as a plot point. Then this is after he sent the screw, but this week’s episode would have all but confirmed it. Dexter killed the power and got rid of the cops to talk to Kurt. Then whatever his reaction was to the screw, which we don’t really see.
“Instead, him recording them and following the podcaster to save her life somehow implicates him in… …what?”
It’s another lie from her (former) boyfriend. I would be increasingly wary as well. We didn’t see where it will lead yet but it would be troubling to hear.
“DNA says there’s a 2/3rds chance he committed”Father and son share aspects of DNA so it’s likely that his father’s DNA would flag as his on a 25 year old sample. It’s a great story to add reasonable doubt. Enough that the DNA wouldn’t be confident in a conviction. It’s dumb that Angela later says at the bar that she might have been wrong about Kurt. It should still be clear to her that Kurt is the killer even if she doesn’t have anything to prove it.
Yep, Dexter was always the smartest person in any room but in this season he just seems dumb as a box of rocks at times and it’s annoying. I do like the actor playing Harrison though, think he’s doing a great job with the weak material he’s been given.
“but in this season he just seems dumb as a box of rocks at times”
I just chalk it up to him being rusty. But I dunno
“Yep, Dexter was always the smartest person in any room but in this season he just seems dumb as a box of rocks at times and it’s annoying.”He really wasn’t—-HE thought he was the smartest person in the room, but he was always screwing up even in the prime seasons of the original run.Often, happenstance saved him (like Lila blowing up Doakes).
I dunno, his face seems a bit whiney, to me. I can’t see him being “legacy Dexter”, if they kill off Hall this season. No gravitas.
With regards to how Kurt is going to have tied Dexter to Matt, I’m assuming they are setting up a “Dexter and Kurt are the same” moment.
Dexter’s first location he tried to hide Matt’s body was the same cave we found Iris’s body in. Then Dexter took him to the incinerator. We don’t know where Kurt disposes of his bodies, but we do know he shows up at the tavern afterwards (which is right nearby) regularly in a good mood, so it seems logical that Kurt is also using AND cleaning out the incinerator (something is always left behind) and that’s how he came across Matt’s titanium screws.
Fair point.It just seems like quite a leap for him to immediately decide it’s “Jim” and such a sure thing that he can confront him about it without giving himself away too.
I’m watching the first season of dexter and idk i wonder if yall expect too much of this show, this was in season one
Maybe I have missed something in these posts, but Kurt commented on ashes on Dexter’s jacket in addition to snow.
Everything you said, plus – wait, no cameras in this police station? Yeah this is a small town, but I think even they might have cameras in the jails these days, right?And let me get this straight: Kurt saw it was ashes and that gives him the idea to go to the town’s public incinerator (as small towns have, you know), turn it off, wait a half day or more until it’s cool enough and then, what… climbs in and roots around?
The idea that they wouldn’t try to prosecute Kurt when they have two reliable witnesses that can testify to him having a fuxking prison motel in the secret basement is tough to swallow even for such an incredibly sloppy and lazy show as Dexter.Speaking of prosecuting – nobody is pressing charges against Harrison for clearly committing a crime when he broke the arm of the wrestler?The show is always lazy, but this took the cake so far this season. Bet they can top it though.
The Screws? How the hell are the Screws a real problem for Dex??? He says there are 2 unless Kurt has planted one in Dex’s house and calls the cops they are nothing . They don’t connect Dex to anything . is Kurt going to tell on Dex? I saw him ,What?? burn up my kid and didn’t say a thing till now ? Who will believe the serial Killer ? I still hope the Kid is only disabling those he sees as threats and not going to follow in the family business.
This episode was a weird mixed bag, where the emotional beats mostly worked for me – Kurt’s statement and flashback, the podcaster’s moment of human sympathy, the chief’s regret, Harrison admitting that he remembers everything – but the plot points made no sense. How did he jump from the incinerator to Dexter being the killer? Why did anyone find Kurt’s obvious lies convincing? Why wasn’t there a forensics team tearing apart the cabin? Having evidence against Kurt, wouldn’t they take photos of the missing down to the truck stop and find out how many were last seen there? Why isn’t he suspended for what was obviously an intentional assault during wrestling?
No child forms explicit memories at the age Harrison was when Rita died, so that’s some weird pseudo bullshit right there.
to be fair this could be applied to Dexter himself and his mother. Pseudo shit, but consistently applied I suppose.
A new study from earlier this year concluded that the earliest memories can be formed at two-and-a-half years or earlier. I’m not sure how old Harrison was when Rita was killed, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could remember elements of that event at a very young age.
Holy shit, this was actually a great Dexter episode, probably the best since anything after S4!Yes, Kurt figuring out Dexter killed his son was weak sauce (among other things, but this one stuck out), but the thrill and suspense that has been missing from this show for such a long time was there, and to me, that’s what counts.
With that said, given the recent history of this show, this momentary peak can only mean one thing: brace yourself for yet another huge disappointment.
Kurt’s son was last seen in the vicinity of Dexter’s cabin. The son is gone, vanished. Kurt knows his son is dead. He would wonder: “Who killed my son?” It might be revealed later that he followed Dexter to see what he was up to. And then see him dump something into the incinerator.
Wasn’t that the night Dexter gave Kurt a ride when the former found the latter very drunk outside his diner? He saw Dexter disposing of the remains?
It looked like there was a full piece of skin on the tooth not just skin cells. I think he was just commenting that, with time and weather, there might only be a few viable cells remaining for testing purposes. Kurt figuring out Dexter doesn’t feel like a stretch for me. The murder happened near Dexter’s home, the trail cam footage wouldn’t give enough to identify him but he would be on the list of people it didn’t rule out, and he accidentally revealed knowing too much about Matt’s boat accident which showed that he had expressed interest in Matt before the murder. All of that likely made him a prime suspect and then him showing up out of nowhere to save Molly would be enough to push it over the edge.
For some reason I got a kick out of Harrison and Mr. Henchman moving kegs. Harrison and the guy are shown carrying one keg together, with Harrison grasping it with two hands on his side. They set it down, the guy gives him the envelope, and then dude grabs a keg in each hand and walks off. Perhaps it was a continuity goof, but it still looked silly.And I’m not ever gonna accept that cause Molly makes a podcast that she would be at all tolerated in an investigation like she has been. Maybe the show runners just like having her in the show, but try going into a police station and telling the police you’re a podcaster here to help with their investigation. Tell em the name of your podcast and how popular you are, I’m sure they’ll deputize you on the spot and give you free rein of the station. You are a podcaster, after all.That said, I’m really enjoying this season as it goes on. It’s starting to feel like the Dexter of yesteryear, the good seasons.
I thought the keg thing was a great detail. He said he needed help moving stuff and probably let Harrison carry the bulk of the weight. Then after he delivered the message, he walked away with two kegs with no effort, showing he didn’t really need help. He was there to deliver a message. Harrison didn’t pick up on it but it was for the audience.
I get that. But he could’ve delivered the envelope first thing if that was the case. It’s not like it was really secretive. He’d be like “hey, this looks brand new. Oh, and here’s an envelope.”
But you’re right. Harrison does seem to side-eye him. And when he picks up both kegs Harrison does have a look on his face. Like a “wait a minute” type thing.
Yeah, I think part of it was to show the audience “he didn’t really need help with the kegs, that was just to lower Harrison’s guard”; but also “he’s a really strong guy and that’s gonna come into play later when Kurt has him jump Dexter…”
Yeah, the whole “podcaster helping the small town cops solve a murder” thing is so cringey. Is this The CW?
CW has some great shows don’t see how it’s “cringy” at all(though your post definitely is).
You never know…Michelle McNamara had a lot of police access when she was trying to track the Golden State Killer.
I think they showed him carrying the kegs on his own was to show how strong he is, something necessary for the story. The whole thing with Harrison was a ruse to give him the envelope and not raise suspicion.
I think Molly is the highlight of the season so I’m fine with her screen time, but it also made me sort of wanting a show about her more than Dexter. I’m sure true crime journalists have an ethical code they often break.
hell yeah i’d much rather have a spin-off about her then Harrison.
This was a damn good episode of Dexter.Having said that… Like every episode of Dexter, there was some stupid, most of which has been well covered above and down here. But i’m surprised to be the first to bitch about the cave forensics.Angela calls him up asking for help from “forensics expert Dexter Morgan”, but he was never general forensics: he was “blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan”. In the same way that later he tempered her expectations about the possibility for DNA, he should’ve said, “Of course i’m glad to help, but my expertise is actually quite specialized, and also it’s been at least 10 years.”And how did neither of them think to take photos before removing the tooth? Even if it was a slam-dunk perfect match, that evidence has no provenance: that skin sample could have come from anywhere.
Liked this one quite a bit, barring a few quibbles already mentioned.That said, Kurt’s origin story felt a bit weak though. Maybe similar to the juxtaposition between how he tells his story and what is actually shown, there’s a bit more to it than just daddy issues?
“That said, Kurt’s origin story felt a bit weak though. Maybe similar to the juxtaposition between how he tells his story and what is actually shown, there’s a bit more to it than just daddy issues?”There is always the possibility that he made the entire “father” thing up.
There is always the possibility that he made the entire “father” thing up.
I think we’re supposed to believe what we saw in the flashbacks. The record player in the front seat was playing “Runaway” while Little Kurt saw his father assaulting the women in his truck, and that’s the same song he plays on the jukebox when he comes into the bar all happy after a kill. So the stuff about his father is presumably true. Just not that he killed Iris, since the flashbacks also show us Kurt did it.
From his story I started thinking maybe it’s actually mommy issues leading him to kill. The way he talked about her leaving and how she “forgot” to take him with her. When he shoots these women who are running away, maybe he’s shooting his mom for abandoning him. His negative reaction to the girl who tried to use sex to get free could factor in too, since that wouldn’t fit his scenario. (A serial killer who’s mommy obsession isn’t sexual, now novel of you, Kurt.)Regardless though, I would think there’s still more to explain about Kurt’s MO since we still don’t know exactly what he’s doing with the bodies when he’s done.
Mommy, woman issues..Kurt could be killing the women to keep them from ending up like the women in the back of his Dad’s truck, beat up, abused, manhandled/raped. It’s why he was so disgusted by the girl offering her body on his webcam. He’s not interested in that, he thinks he’s a savior? It’s something like this, is my guess..Because, Kurt does seem to offer the woman a chance to go home, or work at the diner, or use this money to leave and when they don’t take it, they become the target.Kurt was irate he shot the face of the last girl, so he is definitely doing something with at least the faces..and maybe incinerating the bodies, which is how he new what the ash in the air was.
Are we to believe that Kurt Caldwell was that young 25 years ago? (I say 25 based on Angela’s age, assuming she and Iris were around 15 when Iris disappeared. If they were older, it’d be even less than 25 years, which would make that actor way too young.)
I binged the last 5 episodes this week and while it’s not peak Dexter, I’m enjoying it. Not as much Jennifer Carpenter as much missed Deb lately and I really really didn’t need yet another show that thinks troubled teens and high school jerks make for good drama. YAWN!! Of course Harrison has good cause to be troubled but he’s just so annoying! Clancy Brown is a charismatic actor although what are the odds of a Trinity level serial killer lives in the small town Dexter settles in? Is the US really so full of sickos??? Speaking of whom, woo hoo John Lithgow!
Just remember, 250+ people died in a town with a population of 3,500.And nobody suspected the little old biddy.
yup USA sure is.
I laughed when Dexter found the check to “Elric Kane” as that’s the name of one of the hosts to my favorite horror podcast, Colors of the Dark. It can’t be a coincidence, it’s a pretty unusual name.
(One of) this episode’s nits: it is driving me CRAZY how much scrumptious-looking breakfast/dinner noms both Dexter and Harrison continuously waste/leave behind.At least once per episode, I’m left raising both my voice and arms fruitlessly at the screen, “But GUYS – all that yummy FOOD! DON’T LEAVE IT BEHIND! EAT! NOMS!”
Late to the party, but I just wanted to thank Joshua for including straightening the award in the Stray Observations. The whole time that was in site I was crossing my arms to keep from twitching about it being so catty wonky. I actually thought it might be hiding the other screw, or lack of a second screw. I don’t care, I’m just glad Dexter fixed it.I was window shopping a gallery a few weeks ago and several of the pictures were crooked and it was making me crazy. My friend was like “OK, we’re going away from here now before you go inside and make a scene. Let’s go get some margaritas, ok?” Tacos and margaritas and not going near the windows again fixed the problem.