TV Show Review

TV Review: DEXTER: Season 7, Episode 11: Do You See What I See?

Desmond Harrington Dexter Do You See What I See

Dexter Do You See What I See? Review. Dexter: Season 7, Episode 11: Do You See What I See? houses the best surprise of the season so far, an unexpected turn this season sorely needed. The scene in question is better than the Lieutenant Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter)’s “Are you a serial killer?” scene at the beginning of the season.

The viewer never sees it coming and that is its strength. There is no precursor for it at all. Everything is business as usual until the bomb drops. Why can’t the writers of Dexter be this clever all the time? As the credits began rolling at the end of Do You See What I See?, the viewer will still be thinking about the special occurrence that happened.

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For the whole episode it was two then three against one then out of left field, this person – left alone – nearly pulls off a master’s checkmate. I wish it had happened but Showtime has at least one more season of Dexter to fill (and there was plenty of evidence left behind). That is how well the writers wrote this particular scene in Do You See What I See?. Only one person could have made that construct. Only one person would use a chainsaw. It was brilliant and ties in with Dexter and his brother’s past. The person who set up Dexter will reach the same conclusions.

The orchestrator of the snare showed how sneaky and duplicitous they were, matching Dexter at his own underhanded game. It was an impressive trick, a Brainiac 5 scheme that will bear fruit even-though the rodent fled the trap.

Captain Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) got into Dexter’s head just from his (the Bay Harbor Butcher’s) past crimes and his family history. She used Dexter against Dexter.

This storyline exposes how superfluous and flimsy all the other storylines were this season. Do You See What I See? finishes two of them off in regular Dexter fashion: nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary (for this show). Perhaps this lack of freshness is a result of being on air for seven seasons.

The “Dear John” relationship ender was lame and the final kiss ending was anti-climatic but pseudo-fitting in a way. Detective Quinn (Desmond Harrington) got his comeuppance. It wasn’t as drastic as Strike Team leader Vic Mackey’s comeuppance on The Shield (more’s the pity) but it was ironic. Quinn threw away his integrity and became a murder for Nadia (Katia Winter) and all he ends up with is a letter. It was pathetic, perfect, and tidy. The last vestige of the Brotherhood has been mucked out of the show, like the couch in a champagne room after an aggressive yet unfulfilling lap dance. This relationship was always doomed, not because of the people involved but because of the show they were on. Nadia was never going to be added to the cast as Quinn’s girlfriend in season 8 of Dexter. This isn’t Babylon 5 where numerous new characters are introduced and then carried over into subsequent seasons of the show. This is a show where the lead actors command high salaries and the remaining budget is for returning cast members and guest stars. Period.

The end of the other relationship in Do You See What I See? was predictable as well. The amelioratory difference with Rita’s final scene was: a.) it was surprising and b.) it added to the show. Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski)’s was functional: Hannah had served her purpose this season and it was time for her to go. One question: How foolish was it for a poisoner to try to trick a crime scene and murder expert? That’s like an arsonist trying to pull-one-over on a firefighter investigator. Hannah lauded her killer skill at Dexter earlier in the episode but what professional killer leaves their death instrument at the scene of the crime? Dexter doesn’t. He even takes the crime scene with him. This is who Hannah tried to trick (the writers made her do it to end her storyline).

It was the height of hubris and oh so convenient.

For more Dexter reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Dexter Page, subscribe to us by Email, follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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