SPOILER WARNING! The following contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the fifth episode of ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ titled ‘Murder Horny’ - Proceed with caution.
For an episode that must follow in the enormous footsteps of episode four (‘Call me Red’), ’Murder Horny’ takes an unexpected but equally impressive approach to delivering the goods. Rather than building on the insane momentum of the previous episode, it pivots to tell a story that is far more personal than expected; choosing instead to focus on the intense emotional fallout of Dexter: New Blood.
That’s not to say it doesn’t move the Prater story forward (it certainly does) but it is Dexter and Harrison who feel the ripple effect of that narrative thread more than anyone. Read on for my full review and analysis.
EPISODE RECAP
Before we jump into the analysis, let’s take a look at the most important story developments in the episode:
- After reuniting, Dexter takes a shocked Harrison back to his apartment for a talk and quickly realizes that the two are not as alike as he originally thought. Harrison is plagued by guilt and anger over shooting Dexter and killing Ryan Foster. Dexter offers to take Ryan’s watch from Harrison in an effort to take on some of the burden for his son.
- Leon Prater is interviewed on television about his charitable support of the NYPD. When pressed for details, he explains that he has tremendous gratitude toward the police because they saved his life when his parents both died in a tragic car accident.
- Frustrated by his failed attempt to reconnect with his son, Dexter turns to Mia to find connection. The two go on a date at a bowling alley where Dexter continues to be intrigued by their chemistry. At the end of the date, Mia proposes that the two collaborate on a kill before making arrangements to meet up at a wine bar later that night.
- After his cancelled phone call, Harrison finds himself pulled back to the police station for another interview with Detective Wallace. Despite his best efforts to convince her of his innocence, the Detective acknowledges that he has a bit of a hero complex and reaffirms that he remains a suspect in Ryan Foster’s murder.
- Dexter receives a brand new blood slide box in the mail and proceeds to hide it in the secret coal shoot that Blessing’s daughter told him about.
- Dexter meets back up with Mia at a bar where he is shocked to discover that she doesn’t have a code at all. Mia divulges that she strayed from her original MO shortly after her first kill because she just loves killing. Dexter is gutted when he realizes once again that he is alone and Mia is nothing more than another potential target.
- Mia tries to get Dexter (Red) to take her along on one of his kills but Dexter eventually shuts her out. Disappointed, she goes off on her own to find her own victim.
- Rather than kill her, Dexter decides to frame her for the murder of Ryan Foster in the hopes that it might get Harrison off the hook. He breaks into her apartment and plants the watch in her trophy box and then waits for her to bring her victim back to the apartment. He calls in an anonymous tip and the police arrive on the scene just in time to arrest her before she kills her unfortunate date.
- When Harrison realizes that Dexter intervened, he returns to Dexter’s apartment and gives Dexter a chance to talk. Dexter finally tells Harrison the entire truth; acknowledging the fatal error he made with Trinity and the mistake he made in trying to shape Harrison in his image. Harrison finally understands his father and the two have a moment of reconciliation as Harry watches proudly.
"Maybe we’re not as alike as I thought."
From a pacing perspective, choosing to follow-up the wild revelations in episode four with something far more grounded was a masterful choice. Dexter finds himself face-to-face with his son for the first time since being shot in the woods of Iron Lake and Harrison has an understandably intense reaction. What follows is the first of two deeply emotional conversations between father and son which book-end the episode.
What I find masterful about episode five is that the surface-level plot, which seems completely separate at first, is actually intrinsically linked to the emotional core of the episode: the mending of Dexter and Harrison’s relationship. Dexter tries desperately to reconnect while Harrison reels from the stark reality that his father has yet to fully accept: that in reality, he is not anything like his father.
When Resurrection was first announced, my biggest fear was that they might completely undercut the emotional impact that the ending of New Blood had (pacing issues aside) on me. In this episode, that fear finally feels unfounded. Dexter is finally forced to reckon with the fact that he made a mistake in trying to nurture his son’s darkness. At the same time, Harrison is forced to impress on his father just how tormented he is by his actions; an emotional response that Dexter is incapable of feeling himself.
It's an emotional payoff that I feared might never come but thankfully, it hits all the right notes. In a uniquely human moment, Dexter opens his eyes to the truth about his son (that they don’t share the same lust for killing) but demonstrates that he is ready to step up in a different way; by easing the burden of guilt in a beautifully symbolic gesture. He takes the Ryan’s watch from Harrison and as the incessant ticking finally ceases, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how Dexter parted ways with Lumen in season 5; offering to carry her darkness so that she wouldn’t have to. While things are not immediately resolved between the two, Dexter’s instinct in this moment highlights his determination as a father and I found it deeply satisfying.
"My support comes from a deeply personal place."
Meanwhile, we are shown a very different side of Leon Prater as he prepares to sit down for a TV interview about his financial support of the NYPD. He opens up about the death of his parents in a car accident, the police officers who saved his life, and the foster family that raised him. With the verdict still out about his true intentions or his moral complicity in the crimes of his dinner guests, this scene definitely served to further amplify the mystery at the heart of the season’s presumed villain.
This was an exciting scene to watch because it made one thing painfully clear: Nobody (on-screen or otherwise) has met the real Leon Prater yet. His moral inclinations and twisted motivations remain elusive and despite his veiled darkness, the version of himself that he shows to his killer guests feels just as fake as the one on display throughout this televised interview. He’s a manipulative, driven, and incredibly well connected liar. Whether that makes him a psychopath or deserving of Dexter’s knife is a question I imagine will continue to dangle above our heads for some time.
In addition to the broader mystery (what kind of monster is Leon Prater?), I was also left with several more specific questions. How much of his supposed backstory is a lie? Did his parents really die in a car accident? What was his relationship with his parents really like? Does he truly admire the NYPD or does he harbor some sort of resentment toward them? What (if anything) does any of this have to do with the “New York Ripper? - a serial killer that has now been mentioned multiple times by multiple characters. In the end, despite having only a brief appearance in the episode, the mystery of Leon Prater continues to loom large even as the focus shifts away.
"When I have an itch, I scratch it."
For me, the most compelling aspect of Dexter’s character has always been his desire to find true acceptance despite his sordid nature (Lila, Miguel, Lumen, Hannah, etc). With that in mind, it’s no surprise that his first instinct after his rocky encounter with Harrison is to reach out to the first person with whom he feels a potential connection; An attractive female killer who appears to follow a code similar to his own.
Dexter’s impromptu date with Mia (aka Lady Vengeance) taps into classic elements of the show, striving to endear the audience to a serial killer by viewing mundane scenarios through a very twisted lens. After a flirtatious game of bowling in which the two share an undeniable chemistry, Mia floats the idea of the two of them joining forces for a kill; an idea that Dexter doesn’t immediately dismiss despite his history.
With Harry pressuring him to focus on rebuilding bridges with Harrison, Dexter entertains the fantasy of pursuing a relationship with Mia. Given the circumstances, it’s not difficult to see why: she accepts him as a killer, follows a similar code, and is clearly feeling the same attraction that he is. When the two revisit the conversation over wine, that potential future is shattered when Mia reveals the ugly truth: that her moniker was created by the media after her first few kills suggested a pattern but in truth, she just enjoys killing. This bombshell revelation was a punch in the gut and something I am shocked (and thrilled) that I didn’t see coming.
Once again, his desire to find a “soul mate” is shattered and Mia is immediately reduced to little more than a potential victim. Harry offers support but reminds him (and the audience) that Dexter’s code makes him unique. But as one door closes, another one opens. In another brilliant move by the writers, Dexter quickly pivots and decides to use Mia as a tool to help Harrison out of a bind. As she stalks her own victim to “scratch her itch,” Dexter moves to frame her for the murder of Ryan Foster.
I have said it before but am constantly impressed by how well constructed this season has been from a narrative standpoint. It has been a beautiful whirlwind of nostalgia and innovation that has been methodically paced and thoughtfully constructed. Planting Ryan’s watch in Mia’s trophy box and then waiting for the right moment to call in an anonymous tip to the police feels like a classic Dexter frame job (complete with a hilarious throwback to his “Freebo” call in season 3) and a brilliant example of how Dexter uses nefarious tactics to solve relatable human problems. The end result is that Mia is off the board (for now) and Harrison, in his immense relief, is ready to try talking to his dad again.
"I won’t try to mold you in my image ever again."
As the episode draws to a close, Dexter finds himself once again sitting across from his son with an opportunity to mend their fractured relationship. The literal moment-of-truth has finally arrived and in a glorious twist, the writers managed to stick the landing with an emotional payoff that doesn’t render New Blood irrelevant. If anything, this moment enriches the events of that season and transforms a “failed” ending into a necessary stepping stone in the broader story.
Dexter finally steps up and proves to Harrison (and the audience) that despite his “handicap,” he is serious about wanting to be a good father. He acknowledges the mistakes that he made in Iron Lake, promises to stop trying to mold Harrison into something he is not, and finally tells him the full truth about the mistake he made that led to Rita’s death. It’s a touching moment that speaks to the power the truth can hold. Harrison’s anger visibly recedes (tremendous acting from Jack Alcott) and the two finally reconnect for what feels like the first time since Harrison came back into his life.
“Murder Horny” is a genuinely surprising episode that elegantly weaves two seemingly disparate storylines together. In a way, this marks the culmination of his gradual reclamation of self following his dormancy after Hurricane Laura. More importantly though, it proves that his growth and aspirations to find his humanity feels as authentic and resonant as ever before. Dexter has embraced his true nature openly but also stepped up as a father in a way that I think we have been waiting to see for over a decade at this point. As cross the halfway point of the season, it feels like the series has accomplished the impossible by intelligently re-organizing the playing field and setting the stage for a story that will likely be told for the next several years. Bravo.
Score: 9 out of 10