Dexter finds himself in quite the jam as episode 2 opens. He’s survived a nasty car accident wherein his SUV rolled multiple times and is relatively unscathed. The bad news: there’s a chopped-up body—stuffed into several garbage bags—tucked inside the wheel well.
Or is there?
It seems that he’s sustained a concussion and can’t remember the hour leading up to the accident; extremely unfortunate, considering how he spent that hour. He makes an urgent trip to the junk yard where the SUV’s been hauled, relieved to find no police tape or SWAT team waiting to arrest him. But the body’s not there.
The obvious question: where is it? Was it thrown clear of the crash and scattered about the scene, somehow unnoticed by emergency personnel? Or did he hide it somewhere that he now can’t recall? Why would he hide it in the first place? Several obstacles lie between Dexter and his answers, and he spends the episode maneuvering them, desperately trying to find Benito Gomez before somebody else does.
The first of those obstacles is the vacation murderer. This killer was alluded to in episode 1, but becomes slightly more significant this week, thanks in part to a front-page story on him by Christine Hill (Courtney Ford)--the sexy reporter who's now trading pillow talk with Detective Joey Quinn. More importantly though, this week the vacation murderer kills another victim. Dexter is called to analyze the scene of this latest murder, but he at least manages to stop by the crash site and confirm that the body isn’t there.
One down. The second obstacle is Detective Joey Quinn; last week Quinn seemed like he might become Dexter’s new adversary within the police department, replacing Doakes from season 2. Things take an abrupt turn though, when Dexter catches Quinn stealing money from a motel safe at the vacation murder scene. Dexter could care less, as he obviously has more important issues to consider, but Quinn suddenly wants to become Dexter’s buddy, making several overtures that only add to Dexter’s stress.
The third obstacle is retired Detective Frank Lundy, who’s come to Miami in search of the elusive Trinity killer. He’s convinced Trinity’s responsible for Lisa Bell’s murder from episode 1. Bell was found murdered in her own blood-filled bathtub, her femoral artery slashed with a razor blade. Trinity is an obsession for Lundy and he’s leaning on Dexter for help, convinced the killer’s migration to Miami represents an act of kismet, because Dexter’s the perfect partner for helping finally nail Trinity.
Dexter’s not the only one whose life is complicated by Lundy. He and Debra—Dexter’s sister—were an item in season 2 and Debra’s thrown for a loop by his return, as she’s moved on and is now in love with Antoine. Further complicating things, Lundy offers to help Debra interrogate one Mr. Noonan who, 30 years before, was convicted of killing his wife in the same house where Lisa Bell was killed. Moreover, Noonan’s wife was found in the same bathtub with her femoral artery slashed. Noonan claims that he’s innocent too. Could it be Trinity? Lundy thinks so.
He’s right too. Trinity’s out there, stalking his latest victim in episode 2; he doesn’t make the kill this week, but we know its coming and there’s no saving the poor, oblivious young woman. Dexter might have other, bigger worries occupying him during episode 2 but, as Lundy tells Dexter, Trinity’s going to kill again—and soon. And as surely as we sense that Trinity’s next kill is imminent, we’re equally sure that Trinity and Dexter are on a collision course. I can’t wait.
For now though, by the end of episode 2, Dexter’s biggest concern is a screaming son and the lack of a decent night’s sleep. Until next week, that is...
