This episode put Dexter in a rare … mood, for lack of better description. Besides the on-the-road gunplay, one of the more shocking moments for me came when Dexter decided to have sex with the convenience store girl, just for the hell of it. I get that Dexter’s dead brother was along for the ride to egg Dexter on, but that was a big ol’ “what the hell?!” for me. It just didn’t fit at all with Dexter’s personality, especially when you recall the first season, when he said he didn’t care for sex at all. Oh, and don’t get me started about how this girl got turned on by a serial killer who could barely keep up a normal, un-stalker-like conversation. I guess that was probably the point of the whole episode, really, when you think about it — Dexter’s not himself around big brother.
Having Dexter revisit the Mitchell family — well, at least the still-surviving one — was something I hoped would come about this season. We were last left with the Mitchells knowing about this mysterious “Kyle Butler,” without having an investigation head in Dexter’s direction. I wasn’t satisfied with that little loose end, and the writers were able to make sense of why the Michells kept their mouth shut about Dexter, and why Jonah knew his real name. Of course word of Rita’s murder would’ve made its way to the Mitchells, and then photos of her husband, Dexter, on the news.
It was an odd road trip to take, just to get out to keep Dexter’s Dark Passenger fed. It’s rare that Dexter travels outside Miami to carry out his kills, so why did he feel compelled to get out to travel that far for one kill, and one he wasn’t 100% certain about? Hasn’t he heard of other guilty people all over the state that he could be out taking care of, rather than take that impromptu trip to Nebraska?
This appearance of Dexter’s brother Brian (I called him Rudy before — same guy) just highlights a point brought up before, but I won’t get too much into again: Prof. Gellar’s not real. This was yet another way the writers were dangling hints over our heads to let us know that there are people in these killers’ heads, and sometimes there’s more than one. There was one scene in particular in this episode, where Dexter’s on his boat with Brian, tossing body parts into the sea. The camera at one point shows a distance shot of the boat, and Brian’s not there. And then there are other scenes where Brian appears to Dexter and no one else, like in Deb’s office. These scenes are there to remind us how Dexter handles his imaginary people differs from how Travis handles his. Dexter clearly knows these guys are in his head, whereas Travis not only believes Gellar is real, but he assumes his identity when no one is looking.
One other scene that was a bit puzzling — and one that goes along with the dual-personality issue — was when Dexter kills the hotel owner via pitchfork. Dexter is standing with a loaded gun pointed at him, while Brian picks up the pitchfork and runs him through. The camera pans over, and we see it was Dexter who actually made the kill. Again, that was cluing us into who/what Prof. Gellar is to Travis, and how, now, Travis is trying to break free of that second personality. I will say, though, that it was weird that Dexter would be able to grab the pitchfork before the guy would be able to pull the trigger, but it’s likely the gun was either empty or the guy was too much in shock to do anything.
The girl Travis let go told Deb and Angel that she knew of two men who kept her captive, but she never saw them. So it seems Travis is somehow stronger when he’s acting as the Professor and also changes his voice. Wow, he’s one messed up dude. But, just as Dexter noted: just as there’s darkness, there’s light. So who is the light in Travis’s life? His sister? Or Dexter?
” … took a statement from a woman at St. Joseph’s, says she was chained up for a few days with someone called ‘The Professor’.” – Angel
“Was her name Marry-Ann or Ginger?” – Deb
“No … it’s Holly.” – Angel
“Where in Fucktopia are you?!” – Deb
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Nov 13, 2011 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
anyone else notice the subtle nod to Grant Wood’s painting American Gothic?
after stabbing the hotel owner with the pitchfork Dexter stood there holding it with Brian next to him and on the wall behind them was a picture of the house from the American Gothic painting.
i’m sure there’s lots of little things like this that i miss but this one registered right away and really cracked me up for some reason.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yep, almost used that as my pic above, but I thought this one fit my title better. :)
That convenience store scene with the girl, left me scratching my head as well, but then again Dexter did have that woman take advantage of him during the first episode.
I like all of your observations about how they used Rudy to show the relationship Dexter has with his dark passenger, and how that relates to Travis.
Dexter made his biggest mistake of killing that pot growing guy(and taking that pen and putting it in his back pocket), and leaving the Mitchell boy alive.
That girl’s depiction of two people is really throwing me off though, I am just thinking that Travis actually uses a different voice when he communicates with the professor. Can he really be that sick in the head?
Loved the Mary Ann or Ginger!
Loved the American Gothic nod…
I was on the “Geller’s not real” bandwagon myself until this episode. The “whore” who escaped (or was released by Travis) plainly described 2 suspects to Homicide, and I think she even said that one was “old”.
I think he’s real now. (I could be wrong, but if so I feel the show went way too far trying to “fake us out”.)