The happy Morgan family. Little did we know what Season 4 would ultimately have in store for them.
Warning, there are MAJOR SPOILERS below from the season finale of Dexter Season 4. Please don’t read on, unless you’ve SEEN it!
So we find ourselves at the end of another season of Dexter, the finale came with many nail biting and edge of your seat moments for Dexter & co. It was yet another chance for Dexter to tie up all of those loose ends and sloppy decisions he made from the beginning of the season and make it home in time for dinner.
We start out exactly where we left off last week – in the police station with Dexter & the Trinity Killer face to face. My first thought about this scene after seeing the episode – would Angel Batista remember seeing the Trinity Killer standing in the station? Did any security cameras capture him walking in and being face to face with Dexter Morgan? Perhaps just another moment that goes forgotten.
This first scene represents Dexter’s main problem and what could lead to his downfall. He has an inability to give up Trinity to the police because of his obsession with wanting to be the one to kill him. This was yet another “missed” chance for Dexter to just turn his life around.
I’ll talk about Dexter & Quinn’s confrontation(s) later in the post. Next we have another one of Dexter’s pursuits of the Trinity Killer. This time, Dexter is sloppy as hell, ramming into a car’s rearview mirror while driving like a maniac (notice the clear shot of the owner of the car after it’s hit – eluding to the fact that we will probably see this angry man again…think about it, they could’ve just used a voiceover “hey, asshole!”).
"Delaying the inevitable" : One of Dexter's first chances to kill Trinity.
By now I’ve lost count of how many chances Dexter has had to put an end to Trinity. Remember the moment when Dexter & Trinity were in the woods while Dexter had a chainsaw in hand? How about the time when Trinity tried to kill himself and Dexter saved him? Or the latest moment, when Dexter had Trinity alone in the van…yet Dexter’s sloppy driving averted his latest chance at Trinity. If I recall correctly, if Rita hadn’t called Dexter (and Dexter hadn’t answered) perhaps Dexter wouldn’t have hit that man’s rearview mirror while in pursuit, thus leading to Dexter & Trinity alone in his van…right where Dexter wanted him. Ironic that Rita was the one that called?
Harry’s to Dexter, while in pursuit: “The messes are piling up…”
After a confrontation with the cops, Dexter get’s sent to jail. Dexter reveals to Harry, “I couldn’t just let them find him, god dammit. I have to be the one to kill him!!! I have to know he’s gone, for my family.” Dexter realizes the dark passenger is running his life now.
The station calls Rita and she is the one to pick Dexter up from jail. It seems one of the re-occurring themes throughout the season has been that Rita was always there for Dexter whenever he made a mistake. When he smashed the neighbor’s light next to their house or their neighbors face, Rita was there for Dexter and was always ready to forgive & accept him no matter what.
In the meantime, Deb decides to look back into her father’s past. She soon find’s out who Dexter “really is”. She questions her father. Revelations are at hand. One thing that is hard to grasp when watching this show is that we never really know how the other characters would feel if they knew all of the secrets and the truth about Dexter that we know. This is a reaction we’ve been waiting to see since the first season and I don’t think it has fully hit Deb yet. The full effect that it has on Dexter & Deb’s relationship is yet to be seen.
Trinity returns home to steal from his family and to look up the real Kyle Butler – Dexter Morgan. We cut to Dexter in his home, looking out the window as if he’s on patrol. Dexter’s next line of business is to secure his family. He plans to go to the Keys with Rita, but he’s sending her there with Harrison first. He wants the family out of the house because he knows that Trinity will look for them there. This will give Dexter time to “get some work done”, secure his family, find and then kill Trinity – hopefully. The night before they leave, Rita & Dexter share another moment where Rita is reaffirming her love & care for Dexter.
Rita to Dexter: “You can conquer whatever darkness there is in you, I know you can.”
The Miami Metro Police Department soon realizes that there is another pattern to the Trinity Killer’s murderous spree – missing boys. Deb interviews the young boy who was kidnapped two episodes ago and they come up with a huge clue – the logo of Trinity’s house building program aka “Four Walls One Heart”. They identify the logo and are off on the hunt. A young boy’s body is discovered. They cross check everyone who volunteered for Four Walls nationwide in the cities where Trinity struck.
Bingo. Arthur Mitchell it is.
Trinity pays a visit to Dexter’s old apartment. This plays nicely into one of the season’s previous storylines of Dexter hiding the apartment from Rita. It somehow payed off for Dexter, at least for the time being and sent Trinity to an address other than where his family is & Deb was not home.
Shortly before sending off Rita & Harrison to the airport in a taxi, Dexter comes running out with one of the baby’s toys…obviously this trip was planned at the last minute and some things could be forgotten. They exchange their goodbyes and the taxi drives away.
Dexter's obsession with Trinity has made him beyond sloppy.
Dexter’s attention immediately turns back to Trinity. He decides to pay Trinity’s family a visit and in doing so, creates one hell of a “oh shit!” scene for us viewers. The police are moving in on Trinity’s house and Dexter is inside. He manages to “hide” in Trinity’s coffin, which I thought was a nice touch…but then an officer enters the garage & the garage door opens – Dexter is exposed. Deb & Batista give Dexter such a look. Dexter manages to divert attention from himself and point out the coffin & the missing hammer on the tool wall. Was Deb’s mind on their past or the present moment?
The moment Trinity’s family exits the house I was afraid that they would say something to “Kyle”. They don’t see him as they are escorted to the police car. Dexter’s imagination takes over. Is he looking at his own future? Dexter see’s his own family getting into the police car as Harry closes the door and turns to look at Dexter. A very poetic scene indeed.
Harry to Dexter: “Dexter, we both know it’s inevitable…you can still save your family.”
Will Deb ever realize / find out that Dexter knew who the Ice Truck Killer was, all along?
Deb reveals what she has learned to Dexter about his past and that his brother was the ice truck killer. She also reveals what Dexter means to her and how he has helped her through so much. Throughout this scene I know that Deb is being sincere but it’s hard to tell what Dexter is really feeling…if he’s putting on an act or if Deb’s words truly touch his heart.
Once again Dexter’s attention turns right back to Trinity. After seeing the smashed windshield, ee realizes that Trinity is getting his convertible fixed and pulls the auto repair receipt out of his pocket. I’m guessing Dexter got to Trinity’s car before Trinity took off?
The FBI sweeps in to take over the Trinity Killer case from Miami Metro. This is the last we see of Deb this season.
Cut to a creepy street somewhere in Florida. Trinity’s car breaks down and out of the shadows appears our hero, Dexter Morgan! The great thing about this episode is watching Trinity’s final scene with Dexter all over again.
Dexter to Arthur: “I have a family too Arthur and I’m good for them.” Trinity turns and laughs.
Trinity: “It’s already over, it’s already over.”
There are several interpretations of the exchange between Dexter & Trinity shortly before Dexter finishes him off. Dexter stands triumphant over his conquest. Trinity is bringing at least one more secret to the grave.
Dexter turns on the train set & record player for Trinity. Dexter raises the hammer and deliver’s his justice.
Dexter: “Now it’s over”.
As Dexter drops the bags containing Trinity’s body parts into the ocean, the sky & the moon are so red. In these moments on the boat Dexter is on such a high. He’s ready to take a break from his dark passenger now that he has beaten Trinity. He fantasizes about his family’s future and even considers that one day he’ll be rid of the dark passenger.
The music stops in Dexter’s home as he receives an unheard voicemail from Rita. Throughout every dark thought that we’ve experienced with Dexter & every person he has killed, there has been nothing as chilling as this final scene, to me. Seeing Harrison in the small pool of blood on the bathroom floor and then the reveal of a lifeless Rita in the bathtub was very shocking. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen Rita’s character without a smile on her face.
The Trinity Killer's final victim: Rita Morgan.
This ending led me to so many thoughts. Dexter’s obsession finally led him to Trinity, but after all is said and done it was too late. We should have known this was coming. At the end of season three, at their wedding, Dexter’s blood dripped down Rita’s dress & it was an omen.
Perhaps this was karma for the innocent photographer Dexter had killed previously this season. I would have to guess that Trinity was paying a visit to Rita right around the time when Dexter payed Trinity’s family a visit. In the timeline of the episode that seems to make the most sense.
The real tragedy of this ending is that Rita will never know the real Dexter. Perhaps that’s a good thing for her and him both. I can only see Rita’s death leading to Dexter either finally truly changing his ways or that his dark passenger will finally be fully exposed to the world.
Some random thoughts and things leading into Season 5:
Will Harrison remember being in his mother's blood? Or was he too young to remember?
Dexter & Deb both lost their true love’s this season – killed by a Father & Daughter.
One thing that stood out to me was when Esther & Cody are taken away by their grandparents. We aren’t introduced to the grandparents and we barely see their faces. After knowing how the episode ends I’m wondering if they haven’t cast actors for the grandparents who may have a bigger role next season.
Will the next season be the final Season? It seems like the death of Rita & Deb finding out about Dexter’s past will expose something.
They mentioned that the kidnapping of boys took place 5 days before Trinity’s cycle began – if Dexter took time to research that he might’ve known a woman (Rita) would be killed soon.
Will people question why Trinity killed Rita? Does Batista remember Trinity from the station with Dexter? Does Deb question how Dexter got to Trinity’s house so quickly?
Would Dexter cover up Rita’s death so as not to possibly expose his relationship with Trinity?
Dexter vs Quinn : This is a showdown that’s sure to erupt. Does Quinn question who killed Rita because he thinks that Dexter was cheating on her?
If Dexter has any ounce of humanity in him, the fact that Rita kissed their neighbor will creep up on him & will definitely fuck with his mind now that she’s gone.
Will Rita now appear in Dexter’s visions like Harry does?
This might be overkill, but did Trinity kill Rita? Similar to the shooting of Lundy, we assume it was Trinity. (It had to be, right???)
I wonder if Dexter's boat contains any evidence?
The ending of this season brings the show to a whole new level. There was a major loss for Dexter and his family will now be shattered. Once again I find myself wondering how they will write the next season as I have with every other season…it goes to show you that the writers on this show have not jumped the shark and are top notch.
Dexter Season 4 Rating: A
“Born in blood, both of us. Harry was right. I thought I could change what I am, keep my family safe. But it doesn’t matter what I do, what I choose, I’m what’s wrong. This is fate.” – Dexter Morgan
so guys…i think some of u just expect to much and just ask to much questions…! in some ways it’s still fiction…and i think there will be no answer for example why the car stoped in the middle of nowhere…! just don’t ask to much questions…otherwise u will be disapointed…that’s my opinion…! then u can also ask what would have happend if trinity opened the trunk and this whole “hiding in the trunk” is not the style of dexter…! but that’s just assuming and in the end it’s not interesting because it happend how it happend and the car did’t stop in the middle of a gay strat parade…!
regards
The jump ahead in time theory, in my opinion, would be a total cop out by the writers – that is, unless they do eventually tell the story of what happened where Season 4 leaves off. I think that theory is a bit outside of the Dexter writer’s style.
I’m looking forward to Season 5 as it will definitely be a departure from what we’ve become accustomed to – that’s the part of it that makes me feel like it could be the last season.
One of those articles did mention that the show’s 4th & 5th season were renewed last year. It’s up to the writers now…
I don’t know if there’s any saving Dexter at this point–not after what he went through with Trinity and realizing that his single-mindedness in wanting to kill Trinity in HIS own time and in HIS own way cost Rita her life. Add to that the fact that Dexter is closer to getting caught than ever before. Unless they “jump ahead in time”–as the interview with Julie Benz suggested could be a story option–the next season HAS to open with various characters putting pieces of the puzzle together, comparing notes, and forcing Dexter to do a LOT of explaining (as I’ve said before). And, as I’ve said before, he’s going to have a REALLY hard time accounting for his presence in the Mitchell family’s life (and his fingerprints in and on Arthur’s van) and everything that goes along with that.
I suspect that you’re right, that Deb will have something big to do with what ultimately happens to Dexter (remember a few seasons back, where he visualized telling Deb who he really was? One of the reactions he imagined was that Deb pulled out a gun and shot him right in the head. Could that be an example of more foreshadowing?). Between Dexter’s soon-to-be-exposed connection with Trinity and Deb’s recent discovery of what happened to Dexter as a child (and who his brother was), Deb will be scrutinizing her own brother more than ever.
So in the end: Deb saves Dexter? Does she figure out what he really is? If so, does she help him cover up his true nature? Does she kill him? Does she turn him in or is he otherwise caught, tried, convicted, and given lethal injection (his turn on the table, so to speak)? I have to wonder if next season won’t be the last. How much longer can Dexter really hide (without the writers jumping that dreaded shark)?
Did you notice in the first episode of season 4 we see Trinity kill for the first time – a woman in the bath tub. If I remember correctly, it’s the only time we see him kill in that manner. Very creepy foreshadowing now that we know that is the manner in which Rita was killed.
I’m not sure if Dexter will die strapped to a table or not, but I have a feeling that it will have something to do with Deb. He’ll either die by her hand or she will be the one to save him.
Prediction: Season 5 will be the last. The walls are closing in. I think the last person we will see strapped to a table will, alas, be everyone’s favorite vigilante serial killer as he is executed.
>>>How will witnessing Rita’s murder affect Harrison (if at all)?
It seems Dexter was a bit older than Harrison when he was tramautized in blood. Although we know what they all say, like father like son…but only time will tell on this one.
Regarding Arther’s Van – I believe he left it in that bank garage – the place where Dexter was arrested.
I think that Dexter did take the envelope with the money when returning to the Van & Trinity was gone. I’m not sure what he did with it, but he did want to give it to Trinity’s family.
Steve,
I will repy more in depth to your latest post later on today. After initially reading one thought that comes to mind – after Dexter leaves the scene of Trinity’s family’s house – he goes off to find and supposedly hide in Trinity’s trunk. Dexter has NO alibi for the rest of the day.
The fact that Dexter returns home to find Rita how many hours after it happened and he has no alibi could also play out in the next season depending on how he handles the situation.
Just a quick thought.
“Interesting thought on Dexter being in the trunk the whole time – that is if Trinity did go there after he picked up the car.”
Remember Trinity opened the hood and made a comment about the oil cap or something? Then Dexter came out from behind the car holding it. So you know Dexter had to have gotten to the car first to mess with it at least. Not sure if that proves he was in the trunk though. I still think Trinity would have had to get Rita right as she went home for her bag b/c otherwise he would have missed her. I imagine she ran in for the bag with Harrison and he was waiting for her. He then threatened to kill Harrison if she didn’t go tell the cab driver to leave, otherwise the cab driver could have figured out something was up.
K so here’s what I tried to type before as best as I can remember it…
As far as if Trinity really killed Rita, I feel like that’s left up in the air. Sure it could be him and sure looks like it was except leaving little Harrison in a pool of his own mother’s blood is a little too similar to Dexter’s own experience and makes me feel like someone else that knows about Dexter’s past did it, although how many freaking psycho killers is he gonna come in contact with already? If it was Trinity who did it, he’d have to have done it in the window of time where Dexter left right after Rita, and she ran right back home for her bag. There’s just no other opportunity he would have had to have done it bc she otherwise would have grabbed her bag and headed right back out.
I feel like Dexter’s conversations with Harry are more and more his conversations with his own dark passenger, who Harry helped to shape. Harry is always dead set on Dexter sticking to the code and just getting the killing done. He never approves of Dexter trying to be more human. So I feel like that’s who Harry represents. I can totally see the ghost of Rita talking to Dexter next season and being the human element of his conscience the way she helped him to bring out his human side in this season and season’s past. This season you really do see Dexter questioning his ability to be “normal” because he was taught by Harry that he wasn’t and couldn’t ever be normal, and yet being normal/human comes easier to him than it does to most people at times (remember the scene where he has to get Astor to forgive him and he just admits he’s “dumb”, something most parents would never do, but it’s exactly what she needed to hear and forgives him, as well as consoles him).
On to Deb’s revelations about Dexter to Dexter. I think she buys his reaction because it is real. He’s terrified about what she found out (and he already knew) thinking she’ll realize he’s a monster, but she just takes it as genuine terror about what he’s supposedly learning for the first time. The garage scene does make you think she suspected him, of what though, we can’t be sure. Maybe of knowing about his real family or maybe of being like his real brother, because why the hell WAS he in Trinity’s garage before they even opened it? He is a great deflector but Deb is becoming more perceptive with each season I feel.
The last thing I wanted to talk about was Dexter’s father. I feel like Harry could very well be Dexter’s biological father. Why else would he have taken Dexter in, especially when he had a good idea that Dexter could be severely damaged by witnessing his mother’s horrific murder? And when he did start to see that Dexter was damaged, he was so persistent about protecting Dexter from ever being discovered. It seems like a hell of a lot of trouble and protection mixed with plain old crazy to do something like that for a child that’s not yours. But then Harry has done a lot of other crazy things in his past and seemed to have a lot of heart, so maybe that’s just the type of person he was. And maybe too, he convinced himself he was doing good by turning a sociopath into a murderous vigilante. Any way, just something to think about bc I’m forever waiting for it to be discovered. But then would that fact make a difference in how Dexter feels about Harry or Deb? I doubt it. So maybe it’s not even worth adding to the storyline.
That’s all for now unless I think of something else I tried to post earlier
CRAP ending.
OK, I’ll deal with what I consider to be the bigger questions here, and then at the end, if you feel like reading, I’ll go back to the “Dexter in the trunk” thing.
(Wow, I haven’t dissected a show this intensely since the “Sopranos” finale!)
A couple points you raised:
The neighbor: yeah, I think he’s gonna figure into this more prominently (as will the kidnapped child). It always seems that just when you forget about a seemingly minor character, they pop up in an unexpectedly big way.
Arthur’s nudity during his bathtub kills explains the clothing issue. I should have thought of that one.
The bigger questions:
I don’t accept a theory that’s been quite popular in recent online discussions that the final scene was a dream. The significance of the lighting of that scene is (what I call “Harry lighting), I believe, that it shows a direct parallel with Dexter’s early trauma (also always shown in “Harry lighting”).
So with that out of the way, the big questions really are about the future.
How will witnessing Rita’s murder affect Harrison (if at all)?
How suspicious do Quinn and the other detectives get? Dexter’s close calls and Harry’s constant admonitions of Dexter’s increasing carelessness beg the question: what other loose ends has Dexter left in previous episodes that haven’t been caught yet (and that we, the viewers, have probably forgotten already) but might ultimately become VERY significant and VERY hard for Dexter to cover up or explain away? I can think of one right away that might prove VERY damaging–the cement fingerprint he left on the kidnapped boy’s neck. Someone HAD to have noted that during the investigation. What other damning evidence has Dexter left?
And again, Mitchell’s family have met Dexter. Maybe, as you suggested, they didn’t watch much TV before, but when Arthur’s murder of Rita hits the news, you know Dexter’s face is going to be out there–so you know it’s inevitable that Arthur’s family will see him and will be very surprised to learn that his name isn’t Kyle Butler (and even more surprised to learn that a real Kyle Butler was recently murdered in the same city). And they’re going to say something to the police or the FBI (who, remember, have taken over the Trinity investigation) about this, and someone at the station (probably Quinn, maybe Deb–but definitely the FBI) are going to start poking around, and they’ll be asking questions: Why was Dexter spending time with TRINITY (and his family)? Why was he doing so under a fake name (this will make his presence at their house during the raid seem suddenly very suspicious)? How will Dexter explain it when witnesses can place Dexter at one of Arthur’s building sites, where one victim has already been found and where many more will no doubt be? If he becomes a suspect, this will certainly be an issue. And why is that fake name the same as a recent murder victim? I have some ideas about how Dexter can explain these away, but I suspect he’ll have a hard time convincing the FBI that it was all innocent. And his connection with Trinity via his family, coupled with the issue of Rita kissing the neighbor (Masuka is a witness) and Dexter’s subsequent punching the neighbor–all of this may very well make Dexter a suspect in Rita’s murder.
Another thing that could well bite Dexter in the ass: Trinity’s envelope full of money. Still, as best as I can recall, hidden in the parking garage (and maybe so is the van). Dexter was seen there. Perhaps there is security footage. If the cops find the envelope (and the van), not only will they find the money and Trinity’s withdrawal receipts, but they will also find Dexter’s fingerprints on that envelope (and perhaps the van). This, in the eyes of an investigator, ties Dexter to Trinity in an unmistakably sinister way.
Remember the sadist photographer that Dexter killed? He’s gone missing and the police know this. Quinn followed Dexter to his nightclub the night he went missing. Quinn’s already suspicious of and has a huge bug up his ass about Dexter. He’s not likely to give Dexter the benefit of the doubt.
All of these are by-products of the big recurring theme of this season–Dexter’s carelessness with the Code. Harry is rarely if ever wrong about his warnings to his son.
My guess is that Dexter is going to have a LOT of explaining to do, and the first couple episodes of next season are going to be very tense ones in this regard.
The more I think about it, the more I think that the first few episodes of the next season will be about the police suspecting that Dexter was in some way a partner to Trinity–and therefore, that he was complicit in Rita’s murder. The irony, of course, is that while LEGALLY innocent, by not killing Trinity earlier, Dexter IS (or will feel) responsible for her death.
Finally, but of lesser plot concern for now: what of Rita’s kids?
Two scenarios come to mind; the first is that their grandparents take them in to allow Dexter to cope either with his grieving or his legal problems, should they arise (and I suspect they will), and the second is that Dexter is stuck with them–making it nearly impossible for his Dark Passenger to fulfill his needs. This would undoubtedly create a whole new set of problems for Dexter.
Whattaya think?
OK–back to Dexter in the trunk:
Dexter HAD to be in the trunk. Like you said, there’s no way he could have intercepted Arthur on foot (we don’t even know exactly WHERE Arthur was when his car broke down)–and I watched the scene several times, and I’m pretty damn positive that there was NO car behind Arthur. I think we can safely assume that Dexter got into Arthur’s trunk at the repair shop (since other than Arthur’s home, where he sure as hell wasn’t returning to, the only place Dexter could be sure to find Arthur would be at the shop), and that he took the oil cap off there. And the more I think about it, I doubt that Arthur killed Rita after picking up his car (ie, with Dexter in the trunk). Arthur probably got to her before Dexter left the Mitchell house. (Where’s Arthur’s van? I need to watch again and see if it’s somewhere near Dexter’s at any point and we just missed it–or is it still in the parking garage?). Because if Dexter’s in the trunk, he’s not going to know if Arthur is making a brief stop or if Arthur has gotten to wherever his destination was. The only problem that leaves is that in doing that, Dexter left a lot to chance; how did he know that Arthur’s car wouldn’t break down at a busy intersection somewhere instead of on a dark road with nobody else around? There was such a small window of time in which all of this could have happened as it did, and how it played out was a matter of tragically perfect timing–echoing the sentiment that it was all “fate” for Dexter. I have a feeling that this will be revisited in greater detail (via flashbacks), and will ultimately explain this question, in the coming season.
Interesting thought on Dexter being in the trunk the whole time – that is if Trinity did go there after he picked up the car. I’m still trying to figure out if Dexter was in the trunk or not. He had to have been in the car though, because I saw no headlights in the distance and Dexter was definitely not traveling by foot.
Regarding Trinity’s clothes being clean – if you remember the first time we see Trinity kill the woman in the bathtub – he was naked, so I think that might explain the cleanliness.
I forgot to mention the neighbor…I’ve been wondering about him too. The whole storyline between him & Rita came and went pretty quickly. Feel like there’s gonna be more to that character for some reason.
I thought it was interesting that the Mitchell family didn’t realize there was a Kyle Butler murdered on the news, but I guess they don’t watch TV too much.
Very true about the cops looking into Dexter since Rita was the final Trinity victim. Especially considering that the FBI probably believes Trinity to have fled the country already that day.
Good analysis. Very thorough, but then from your Sopranos blogs, I’ve come to expect nothing less. A few thoughts, some significant, some not…I’ll try to keep them as organized as possible.
How DID Dexter finally get to Trinity? Did he get to the repair shop before Arthur? If so, how did he get into the trunk undetected?
This leads me to the next obvious question, which raises even darker possibilities still: How (and when) exactly did Trinity get to Rita? Will that scene ever get played out next season? Remember, prior to Arthur’s appearance at the repair shop to pick up his car, the last we see him is at Deb’s apartment, the night before (wearing the same clothes we see him in when Dexter finally catches up with him, by the way. Significant?). The last we see Rita alive is when Dexter sends her and Harrison off in the cab. So Arthur got to Rita AFTER that. One possibility is that he got to her while Dexter was at the Mitchell home during the SWAT raid. Now here’s the darker possibility I alluded to: Arthur didn’t stop by the Morgan home to take care of Rita until AFTER he had picked up his car–meaning that Dexter was already hiding out in his trunk, and was inside the car–just outside of his OWN HOME–as Trinity was ending Rita’s life only a hundred feet away. What’s odd to me is what I mentioned before: by the time Trinity had emptied out his bank account, he was in a panic. He knew the jig was up and that it was only a matter of time before he was caught. His clothes never changed between the night before in Deb’s apartment and when Dexter finally took him down. So how did he manage to kill Rita without getting a drop of blood (that we could see, at least) on him, when time was so much of the essence? His mood after picking up his car is much more relaxed. So is that smugness because he had already killed Rita, or because he was on his way to Dexter’s home thinking that he would find Dexter and kill HIM?
At his core, Dexter is a functioning sociopath, but one with as much of a conscience as his shattered psyche will allow. He WANTS to be good–or at least, he wants to want to be good. He wants to feel normal feelings (yet he fights with himself about this), remorse and jealousy being two of those feelings. He’s shown his remorse (as with the case of his innocent victim), but I don’t think his jealousy at Rita’s kiss was genuine. I think that was just a show so he’d appear to be normal. You kiss my wife, my “normal” reaction is to slug you. (We may find later that Trinity also killed the neighbor, and that Dexter may be implicated in both deaths, with jealousy as the motive.)
This tension with regard to Dexter’s desire to feel human emotions or at least ape them as well as he can, of course, lies at the heart of the show and of Dexter’s character. How will single fatherhood affect his dance with the Dark Passenger next season? Will the grandparents take over raising the two older kids, if not Harrison as well?
And how many questions will be raised by the fact that Rita was Trinity’s final victim?
Unless D covers that up (which I doubt), his picture and story will be all over the news–including his real name. And the Mitchell family is going to see that Kyle Butler was really Dexter Morgan. And that information is going to make it to, among others–Quinn. How can it not? Deb might be too distracted (and when she learns of Rita’s death, grief-stricken), but Quinn isn’t going to let Dexter slide one iota. I don’t think Batista saw Trinity’s face in the station (watch that scene again carefully–he looks at Dexter, but Trinity’s face is obscured from Batista’s POV.) I think that something got caught on tape by the police station security cameras. Exactly what remains to be seen, but Dexter’s going to have a lot of explaining to do. And speaking of surveillance cameras–what about the bank’s parking garage, where Dexter accosted Arthur AND stashed his envelope full of cash? Could there have been cameras there? And what if there were more to Arthur’s bank visit than just his withdrawal–like, perhaps, leaving a note in a safe-deposit box implicating a certain blood-spatter expert?
I can only disagree with you on one point: I don’t think that Rita was intended to be a part of Trinity’s pattern or ritual. I think that he was looking for Dexter, found Rita instead, and left her dead as a parting shot. Or he may have done so knowing that the cops were onto his pattern, and finding Dexter’s wife dead with the Trinity MO but WITHOUT the Trinity cycle might make them look more closely at Dexter. Again, a parting “fuck you” to Dexter for meddling in his life.