Review & Analysis of Dexter: Original Sin Season 1 Episode 7 - "The Big Bad Body Problem" Breakdown

A breakdown and review of episode 7 "The Big Bad Body Problem", featuring a final score.


SPOILER WARNING! The following contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the seventh episode of ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ titled ‘The Big Bad Body Problem’ - Proceed with caution.

With Dexter’s dumping ground swarming with police, the fledgling serial killer finds himself struggling to come up with a suitable alternative in this week’s episode. It’s a relatively low-stakes dilemma given what we already know about the character but the circumstances catapult him into some truly unexpected and hilarious scenarios along the way. Coming off the heels of last week’s venture into the darker corners of Dexter’s journey, the writers waste no time embracing this opportunity to have some fun with the show’s signature dark humor. The result is one of the more playful episodes thus far; But one that eventually gives way to the darker storylines in play and finally pulls back the curtain on the season’s endgame.

"I Wondered if I’d get Life in Prison or the Electric Chair"

If you were expecting Dexter’s surprise encounter with the police in Alligator Alley to serve as the central conflict of this episode, you might be disappointed. While his inner monologue calmly weighs the pros-and-cons of life in prison versus execution, his knack for thinking on his feet still allows him to navigate the messy situation with relative ease. Thanks to a few spontaneous decisions (and some hungry Gators), Dexter manages to snuff out the immediate problem before leaving to find a suitable new method of body disposal.

That search first lands Dexter up to his neck in refuse as he struggles to get Levi’s huge corpse into a dumpster. It would be utterly hilarious if it wasn’t also insanely risky but as they say: “Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.” Lucky for him, the plan goes according to plan and pretty soon, Levi is whisked away to the landfill where he will hopefully be compacted into the earth with the rest of the trash.


It may be another problem solved but Harry doesn’t feel quite as unburdened as Dexter when he finds out about the night’s events. He emphasizes all the ways the plan could have gone wrong and reminds him that the goal should be to avoid bad situations in the first place. Still, Harry’s faith in Dexter remains intact but the cracks are certainly starting to reveal themselves. When Dexter leaves to get cleaned up, a stressed out Harry sneaks a cigarette in spite of his recent health scare.

When the dust has finally settled, Dexter finds himself cornered by Sofia when backing out the driveway. She is clearly upset about the beeper codes (the most 90’s thing imaginable) that Dexter has been ignoring and while his attempt at damage control almost succeeds, a rogue condom wrapper on the floor of his truck sends the whole thing into a tailspin. So ends Dexter’s first romantic entanglement; One that he acknowledges as little more than a fun but unimportant distraction from his new found mission.

"I Can’t Take your Side All the Time"

One of the most consistent themes throughout all of Dexter is the collateral damage caused by his killer pursuits. Sometimes they result in huge, life-altering events and sometimes they are just serious enough to create a subtle but unmistakable shift on someone’s path. Either way, Deb is almost always the unintended victim of such consequences. Such is the case with Dexter’s unintentional break up with Sofia which sends a ripple effect through Deb’s life and possibly even starts her on the path that leads to her future at Miami Metro.

She is thrust into a situation where she suddenly has to pick between her best friend and her brother and as expected, she chooses Dexter. In a lot of ways, it feels like a defining moment for her character. Her rebellious nature has calmed in recent episodes as she has started to embrace the bond that is forming with her brother. When the moment of truth arrives, she wastes no time coming to his defense; Even if it means blowing up her friendship with Sofia.


It’s not just her friendship that takes the hit through. That ripple effect I mentioned earlier pushes her into a physical confrontation with Tiffany that ends up costing her her place on the Volleyball team and ultimately jeopardizing her scholarship to FSU. It also pushes her further into the arms of Gio; A character who has yet to reveal his true nature one way or another. Where this blossoming romance is going feels like one of the season’s greatest mysteries but Deb’s journey is most certainly on collision course of it’s own.

"I Look Forward to being Amazed"

Dexter’s reliability may have taken a small hit in the everglades but that doesn’t stop his theory about the NHI killer from taking root within the department. LaGuerta, with Harry’s support, takes the theory to the Captain and makes her case. Despite the usual antagonistic attitude, LaGuerta digs her heels in and is able to convince Spencer of their legitimacy; Officially getting a green light to pursue the investigation with Harry.


With that development, the NHI killer mystery lands firmly in Harry’s court. The two saddle up and follow their first lead: A car with stolen plates that was seen near one of the NHI crime scenes. Unfortunately for them, the investigation immediately takes them to a part of a town where police aren’t exactly welcomed. Nevertheless, they question a semi-cooperative family who reveals that they bought the car two days prior from someone selling it on the side of the road for dirt cheap. It’s not the home run they are looking for but it definitely continues to support their theory so the hunt continues.

"Sounds like Justice was Served to Me"

Did I say that the Tony Ferrer debacle was behind us? I lied. When Dexter finds Batista inspecting crime scene photos of the severed arm, he quickly identifies Ferrer thanks to the unmistakable snake ring on his finger. Furthermore, he’s not going to stop until he gets to the bottom of it. Dexter manages to refocus his attention on Nicky Spencer’s kidnapping but their interaction here feels calculated.

It’s a moment that represents the first time Dexter ever manipulated Angel - an unshakeable and relentlessly good human being - in the interest of saving his own skin. On top of that, it perfectly juxtaposes the moral chasm between these two characters. When Dexter reveals that he sees Tony Ferrer’s potential fate as justice, Batista responds with “That’s the wrong kind of justice.” It’s a stark reminder that these two may be friendly but if the truth were ever revealed, they would become mortal enemies (A fact that feels especially relevant with the return of Batista in Dexter: Resurrection!)

"I Wish there was a Rand McNally for Body Disposal"

Meanwhile, Dexter’s hunt continues. He scours a Rand McNally atlas in hopes of finding inspiration for his body problem but continues to strike out (Although he does acknowledge the appeal of dumping the bodies in the bay… if only he had a boat ;). His next stop is the records room where he scrolls through old records to review the methods used by some of the world’s most successful serial killers.


As he thoughtfully considers the disposal methods of Ed Gein, David Berkowitz, and John Wayne Gacy, he visualizes the killers in the room with him (including a fun little cameo of Executive Producer, Scott Reynolds as John Wayne Gacy) and provides some snarky commentary. He shoots down each of their methods and stews in his frustration that this research isn’t giving him the revelation he was hoping to find.

As desperation starts to take hold, he even initiates a workplace hypothetical about body disposal methods when the Alligator Alley crime scene comes up in conversation. This seemingly harmless exercise also fails to bear fruit but it does get Dexter a shocked (but hilarious) look from Harry when he walks in on the conversation and realizes exactly what’s happening.

"We will see each other soon"

In flashbacks, Laura’s infiltration of the Estrada cartel continues to make considerable progress. She continues to push Harry to let her out of the deal as her fear for her family’s safety continues to rise. Those fears are only made worse when Santos Jimenez shows up unannounced and whisks her away for a private meeting with the kingpin himself, Hector Estrada.

Our first introduction to a young Hector Estrada is a far cry from the small, borderline pathetic man that Dexter kills at the very end of season 7. Here, he is assertive, confident, and physically intimidating as he effortlessly commands the scene. He casually insists that Laura strip naked and step into the pool for a private conversation. It’s not clear whether or not he already suspects her of betrayal but the scene reeks of intimidation cloaked behind fake sincerity.


Laura leans into the opportunity (what other choice does she have) and tries to secure an exit from the operation that has dominated her life for almost a year. When he requests her attendance at the shipyards to get to know the operation, she tips her hand just a tad too far and Estrada takes notice. Fans of the show will know where this is leading so this scene very much feels like the beginning of the end for Laura. With only three episodes in the season remaining, our first detailed look at the tragic beginnings of Dexter Morgan have never felt closer.

"This was a Monster I couldn’t Understand

Throughout the episode, we are given several glimpses at Nicky as he devises a resourceful escape strategy from his kidnapper. He pulls the metal handle off his toilet bucket and fashions it into a sharp weapon and then waits for his next feeding. When the moment comes, he is quickly overpowered but not before he manages to land a swipe across the killer’s forearm. Despite his effort, he’s pinned to the floor and his pinky finger is viciously cut from his hand using a set of pruning shears.


When the finger arrives in the mail, Tonya, Vince, and Dexter retreat into the lab to run some tests and see if any additional evidence can be found. Dexter notices a small speck of blood on the outside of the box and is able to scrape it onto a blood slide(!) for further testing. He even discovers what appears to be a hesitation cut (a forensic term referring to the shallow cut that may indicate reluctance on the part of the perp) on the finger. Unfortunately, the finger is eventually confirmed to match that of Nicky Spencer and it falls on Tanya to break the news. It’s a tense moment but one that isn’t without revelation; As clever use of music and facial acting give us our first subtle hint that something isn’t as it seems.


The next morning, Dexter arrives at his desk to find Captain Spencer already there looking through the blood test results. He suggests that the tests indicate the blood came from the same person but Dexter points out that statistically speaking, Nicky could just share the same blood type with the killer. When he finally notices the bloody bandage on Aaron’s wrist, he starts to realize that the child killer he is looking for has been right in front of him the whole time; A shocking revelation that is quickly confirmed when we see Captain Spencer buying the same packed lunches that the kidnapper has been feeding to his captives. The game is set and Dexter now feels more pressure than ever to find himself a new dumping ground.


Admittedly, ’The Big Bad Body Problem’ is an episode with a lot of moving parts. Undoubtedly, finding a way to convey so many small developments while also continuing to build to one of the season’s biggest twists (yet), must have been a challenge in the editing room. With that said, the end result is impressive and most, if not all, of those smaller components feel rewarding, necessary, and maybe even crucial, to the bigger picture of the season.

With a child-killer firmly in his sights and some awkward conflicts of interest looming on the horizon for Dexter and Harry, the next three episodes are set up for success. The question now is whether or not they can take the season across the finish line while maintaining this level of quality. If you ask me, the answer is most certainly yes.

Score:

Next Week: “Business and Pleasure"

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