- Dexter's world comes crumbling down when Doakes tracks him to the scene of his latest kill and reveals a devastating secret about Harry; the Miami Metro PD closes in on the "Bay Harbor Butcher."
- In Jimenez' cabin in the everglades, Dexter Morgan, (Michael C. Hall) tends to his gunshot wound in his leg, while Sgt James Doakes (Erik King) looks on from inside his locked cage. Dexter notes that the bullet only grazed him. Dexter and Doakes compare notes - Doakes a hunter of killers, and Dexter answering to a higher code, which requires a level of proof to determine what a killer is. Dexter apologizes to Doakes for having to leave him. As Dexter leaves the cabin, Doakes screams.
At the station, Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) and Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) arrive at work, now "out" as a couple. Doakes phone logs have come in, and Lt Maria Laguerta's (Lauren Velez') number is on them. Lundy asks Deb to ream Maria. Deb doesn't want to, feeling odd about dressing down a boss. Lundy tells Deb that she better get used to it, given that he'll soon be gone, now that the case is almost over. Deb worries about what Lundy meant by his comment.
Dexter arrives back at his apartment, climbing in through his bathroom window to avoid the protective detail assigned to protect him while the suspect Doakes is still at large. Dexter reminisces about Harry, and wonders what Harry would do. In flashback, a teen Dexter and teen Deb listen as father Harry Morgan (James Remar) discuss a murdered prostitute, calling her pimp an evil killer.
Dexter is roused from his thoughts by his protective detail, who tell him that Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) wants to see him. Rita hands Dexter a coffee. They sit down in his kitchen to talk. Rita expresses her concern about Doakes being the Bay Harbor Butcher. Dexter asks about the kids. Rita tells Dexter that the kids are confused. Dexter admits to general confusion himself. Dexter's gunshot wound begins to bleed. Before Rita notices, he covers it with a dish towel. Rita worries that the kids feel abandoned. Dexter asks if they can start dating again, but Rita is unsure. She recommends that they hang out at the beach on Saturday.
Deb eyes Maria and then confronts her in her office. Deb shows Maria the phone records. Maria evenly tells Deb that the Special Task Force doesn't need her help to railroad Doakes, and that he won't call her again.
The Special Task Force reviews Doakes' four fake IDs, issued when he was with Black Ops. Dexter approaches Lundy about getting rid of his protective detail. Lundy asks Deb to brief the team about the forensics. Deb is cool to Lundy. Angel Batista (David Zayas) steps in. Eighteen of the slides match Bay Harbor Butcher victimes, twelve others match missing persons with criminal records. Lundy tells Dexter that there will be more forensics work coming his way. Lundy asks Dexter if Deb is okay.
Maria approaches Angel and asks to see the names of the victims. Angel complies.
At the cabin, Doakes tries to break out of his cage. Seeing a cell phone on the table, Doakes feels hopeful.
Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) and Dexter look for trace evidence on a pile of clothing. Deb is angry at Dexter for getting rid of his protective detail. Deb bitterly complains that Lundy is moving on and that Dexter is the only one she can count on. Dexter privately worries that Deb is losing it, and then comes to the realization that it's not about him - it's about Deb, Rita and the kids, and that they have to be protected from finding out that Dexter is the real Bay Harbor Butcher.
In the cabin, Doakes uses his belt to try to get the cell phone on the table. Dexter arrives at the cabin. Doakes throws his shirt out of the cage, covering the cell phone from sight.
Dexter gives Doakes a bottle of water, which Doakes gulps down. Dexter lays out his killing tools on the table and tells Doakes that one of the two killers in the cabin has to go away. Dexter wonders which of the two has more worth. Dexter says that after much thought, he's decided that his personal life has more people who would be devastated if they knew what he was. Doakes complains, saying that he has a mother and sisters who would miss him. Dexter points out that Doakes never visits them, so they don't really count. Dexter finds the phone that Doakes has tried to hide.
Doakes realizes that Dexter has put a sedative in his bottle of water. Doakes tells Dexter that Harry would have hated to see what has become of Dexter. Dexter informs Doakes that the legendary Harry was the one who trained him. Doakes, not terribly surprised, laughs and says that Harry was no legend, and insinuates that he knows a secret about Harry, just before passing out. Dexter, upset and confused, screams at the unconscious Doakes to tell him what he knows about Harry.
In Lila Tournay's (Jaime Murray's) loft, Angel paints a wall red. Angel gets a call. Happily, he tells Lila that he'll get his daughter for a weekend visit.
Dexter puts an unconscious Doakes' prints on the killing tools. Taking the tools to a nearby dock, Dexter dumps them in the water, knowing that the weekend dive class will find them. Dexter wonders about Harry, and what Doakes meant by his comments.
In flashback, a teen Deb cuts her birthday cake. Then-Lt.Tom Matthews (Geoffrey Pierson) visits the house to talk to Harry. An upset Harry smashes his beer bottle against a wall, angry that his suspect, the evil pimp, will walk due to technicalities. Matthews apologizes and leaves. As Deb gets a vacuum cleaner to clean up the broken glass, Harry tells the teenage Dexter that, "I did the right thing in training you."
Lundy confronts the icy Deb. Deb tells Lundy to go ahead and leave. Lundy tells Deb that he thought she understood that when the case ends, they end.
Angel complains to Dexter that there is never a circus in town when he needs one. Explaining that he has his daughter for the weekend, he asks Dexter what 7 year olds like. Dexter tells Angel that he and Rita are taking the kids to the beach. Angel asks to tag along. Dexter notices red paint in Angel's hair. Angel tells him that it's from Lila's.
Dexter, still holding onto Jimenez' phone, sees a text from Christopher Harlow. Worried, Dexter texts back, telling Harlow to meet at the cabin. Harlow replies that he doesn't know anything about the cabin. Dexter, relieved, feels safe.
Deb and Dexter talk. Dexter asks Deb about the birthday where Harry threw the beer bottle, telling Deb that he's trying to remember the killer who went free. Dexter wonders what else was going on with Harry.
Lila shows up at the station. Angel catches up with her and reminds her that he has his daughter for the weekend. Angel tells Lila that he's joining Dexter and Rita at the beach. Lila invites Angel and Dexter and Rita and the kids to an art class. Angel gently explains that Dexter and Rita are trying to work things out, and that an art class for all of them wouldn't be a very good idea. Upset, Lila leaves.
At the cabin, Dexter asks Doakes about Harry. Doakes tells Dexter that Harry's code is preventing Dexter from killing him, and suggests that Dexter has a conscience. Dexter, furious, demands to know what Doakes knows about Harry. Doakes tells Dexter that he found out something about Harry's death, a mystery that someone didn't want solved.
Dexter goes to the golfcourse to see Cpt Matthews. He asks about Harry's death. Matthews tells Dexter it was Harry's heart. Dexter tells the Captain that he knows there was more to it than that. Matthews, resigned, tells Dexter that it was inevitable that Dexter would find out, and confesses that towards the end, Harry "lost it" and killed himself. Not believing that Harry could commit suicide, Dexter wonders about the proof. Matthews admits that the day before the suicide, Harry called him and asked that he keep an eye on Dexter and his sister. Matthews hid the autopsy report so that the information wouldn't leak out.
Maria brings Lundy proof of Doakes' innocence - her personal stake-out notes that show that Maria and Doakes were on a stake-out when one of the victims went missing. Lundy dissmisses Maria. Maria presses him. Lundy angrily tells Maria that her credibility and ethics were compromised when she protected Doakes by not reporting their phone conversation, and that her personal notes are now worthless.
Angel chases the kids at the beach. Dexter's leg hurts where he was shot by Doakes. Rita, wondering about Dexter's funk, tentatively suggests that it's too soon for the two of them. Dexter tells her that he discovered Harry committed suicide, and wonders why he'd do that. Rita comforts Dexter. Jimenez' phone rings - Harlow has found the cabin and is on his way. Dexter texts back for Harlow to meet him at The Swamp, the bar where Jimenez worked, in one hour.
Lila meets drug dealer Chad (Tyson Chambers) and buys rophies.
Lundy and Deb have dinner. Deb apologizes for yelling at him and not saying what she wants. She tells Lundy that she was excited by the possibilites of their relationship, and that he crushed her by unilaterally deciding that it would end when the case ended. Lundy's phone rings - a hit came up on one of Doakes' fake IDs.
Angel paints Lila's apartment. Lila gives Angel wine. She asks about Dexter and Rita. Angel tells her that they are working things out. Lila drinks wine from the bottle and takes Angel to the bedroom, telling him that she likes it rough.
Dexter brings Harlow's body to the cabin, telling Doakes that it will be the Bay Harbor Butcher's final victim. Doakes desperately tries to talk sense into Dexter.
Lila, finished with Angel, tells him that she's "just getting started." She walks into the bathroom. She drinks rophies with wine. Angel dresses and hears Lila collapse. Finding her passed out on the floor, he dials 911.
Dexter prepares the cabin for his killing ritual. Doakes pleads with Dexter to not kill Harlow. Dexter dismembers Harlow as a desperate Doakes watches the river of blood flow into his cage.
As Dexter bags Harlow's body parts, he apologizes to the almost catatonic Doakes, who barely intones, "Stay away from me."
In flashback, Harry walks in to a room to find the teenaged Dexter dismembering the evil pimp. Teen Dexter happily tells Harry that he got the guy who killed the girl, and that he did it for Harry. Harry gets sick. Concerned, Dexter asks Harry if he's ok. Harry tells Dexter to stay away from him.
In a moment of clarity, Dexter suddenly realizes that while Harry's idea was noble, the reality of Dexter - his son - as a trained killer was something that Harry could not live with. Dexter, full of despair, tells Doakes, "I killed my father."
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