Brother Sam would say it’s not an accident that I’ve stumbled onto a killer who seems to have his own kind of faith. – Dexter
The newest season of Dexter is currently thriving on its penchant for theatrical displays of brutality and/or creativity, depending on whether you agree with Deb or Dex. As the new MPD Lieutenant, Deborah is given little time to settle into her role – though public reaction to her press conference says she’s settling in nicely – as the city is confronted with the recurring threat of the Doomsday killers – Gellar (Edward James Olmos) and Travis (Colin Hanks) – who have recently unveiled their second murderous masterpiece in the streets of Miami. Dexter, recognizing the preparation that went into creating such a grotesque aesthetic, gains the insight that there are two killers, and not one, finally putting him a step ahead of the invigorated team of detectives.
Deb’s new recruit, and her chosen replacement, Mike Anderson (guest-star Billy Brown) is still ruffling some feathers amongst the rest of the squad, but his versed experience helps to target Professor Gellar, an expert on the Book of Revelation – out of which he is recreating scenes signifying the “end of days” – as a suspect for the serial murders. Gellar has been missing for three years since being fired, and with him, a sword belonging to John, the writer of Revelation. Quinn and Batista are able to come to the same conclusions, except they were stoned and spent hours talking to a conspiracy theorist in order to do so.
Brother Sam (Mos Def) makes another appearance in a series of arriving in helpful capacities, this time rushing to Dexter’s side when Harrison goes into surgery due to a ruptured appendix. Seriously, what do those things even do? Sam shares the darkness of his past with Dexter in order to help him keep his mind off of his ailing son; he reveals that his father used him as bait in a murder, ultimately killing the man right in front of him. He goes on to reveal the moment of his conversion, describing the exact moment when he saw a strange light that made him let go of the man he was choking to death. Sam’s influence on Dexter may not be appreciated by Deb, but his words move Dexter to bargain with God for his son’s safety, leaving him uneasy with the pact by episode’s end.
When Harrison is released from surgery, ready for a full recovery, Dexter gets called away to another crime scene, where the murder that will officially qualify Gellar and Travis as serial killers is about to unfold. A young waitress that Travis took on a date, and then back to his bedroom, has been strung up by Gellar in the center of a greenhouse. Even though Deb realizes that she’s hooked up to a trap, one of the patrol officers is already mid-step when she calls out to hold position, tripping the wire that punctures the girl’s throat, completing the portrait of the bloody angel contrived by Gellar.
Dexter is able to recognize Travis outside of the crime scene as the inexperienced mentee of the real killer; a crowd has gathered to observe the cloud of locusts that had just been released from greenhouse, and a look of affirmed faith makes him stand out to the only other killer within sight. I can only assume that Gellar told Travis that God would save the girl by transforming her into locusts, and then planted the swarm in the closet himself, knowing that someone would inevitably hear their droning and release them. I’d venture as far to say that Gellar has a God-complex that will eventually translate to Dexter when they finally meet; just as Dexter is discovering that he might be capable of faith in some capacity or another, he will be forced to contrast himself with Gellar, presenting the next existential challenge for him to struggle with.
Some stats and info about Dexter, “A Horse of a Different Color”
TV SHOW – Dexter
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 6 Episode 4
AIRED ON – October 23rd, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Showtime
GENRE – Drama, Crime Dramas, Office Culture, Thrillers
CREATED BY – James Manos, Jr.
CAST – Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar, C.S. Lee, Luna Lauren Velez, Desmond Harrington, Julie Benz
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.