Once Upon a Time...
- Episode aired Oct 9, 2011
- TV-MA
- 53m
To solve a macabre murder, Homicide consults Brother Sam, a minister whom Dexter recognizes as a fellow killer with an even better cover than his own; now a local hero, Debra is surprised by... Read allTo solve a macabre murder, Homicide consults Brother Sam, a minister whom Dexter recognizes as a fellow killer with an even better cover than his own; now a local hero, Debra is surprised by two life-changing proposals.To solve a macabre murder, Homicide consults Brother Sam, a minister whom Dexter recognizes as a fellow killer with an even better cover than his own; now a local hero, Debra is surprised by two life-changing proposals.
- Capt. Maria LaGuerta
- (as Lauren Velez)
- Brother Sam
- (as Mos)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe church that Travis Marshall and the professor are bringing the bags of mannequin parts is actually the Abbey San Encinitas in Los Angeles.
- GoofsIn the stand-off between Brother Sam, Dexter and Julio, the gun pointed at Brother Sam switches from his head and his chest in different angles.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Dexter Morgan: [narrating] Wolves come in many forms. Some have big eyes: the better to see you with. Others huff and puff. While others hide in the plain sight. I should know, because like it or not, I am one too! That's never going to change. And neither is the fact that my little lamb is becoming a little boy. Walking. Talking. Listening. As much as I want Harrison to stay this way forever, from now on, the only wolves in his life have to be the stuff of fairy tales. I can no longer allow him to see the real me. Only the version that's make believe. It's the only way this story gets to have a happy ending.
- ConnectionsReferences Once Upon a Time (2011)
- SoundtracksGet Your Party On
(uncredited)
Written by Bob Mair, Nick Vincent, and Richard Trapp
Administered by Bob Mair
It leads us to Masuka because as usual our favorite funny monk was back with his barrel of kinky monkeys. The butt dance sequence was hilarious and beside the annoying LaGuerta I don't understand the comments or reviews criticizing the show's secondary characters. Still individually they have potential and all performers do a good job but I think it's their connections that can be weak. As for Deb in the premiere I missed her Shakespearean verbiage but this time I couldn't help giggling every time she swore or that Jennifer Carpenter's gummy face did a cute grimace. Moreover the opportunity she ceased could dramatically affect her relationships with most characters, Dex included. It reminded me of how closed she was to catch him and Lumen in the finale ! Let's hope season 6 will exploit this element again because their scene couldn't have been edgier. Maybe it's time to whip the whole writing department !
But to go back to the impression of déjà vu I mentioned earlier I won't say the show is jumping the shark but at some rare times it nearly feels like it. The soapy conflicts, the recurrent jokes, Dex's rehashed lines and thoughts It's specially the last that I worry about because season 5's spirit was reminiscent of season 1. Once an episode was over I spent a whole week thinking and dreaming about it. Thanks to Lumen our favorite serial killer became a monster with a heart and this propelled the show in a new direction. It's not that religion is dated or less interesting but for the moment I don't see how such a conventional topic, that has already been covered by many other productions, will allow this season to top the previous ones. With such a title, Once Upon a Time, I was expecting a heavy fairytale-driven story but the theme was under exploited and most scenes featuring the baby boy didn't work. The running gag fell flat compared to season 5's "Die! Die!".
As for casting Colin Hanks as Travis Marshall I question it because his acting wasn't convincing enough. I mean wasn't there a better young match for Edward James Olmos ? We also have to consider that he'll probably face Michael C. Hall in a few weeks ! The anecdotic way their arc is covered also doesn't help for the moment but things should improve once they're really part of the story. Moreover Travis relationship with his sister has potential because I couldn't help imagining all the possible outcomes. Will she become this season Christine Hill (Courtney Ford) ? Last but not least Brother Sam was probably this episode moment of grace. His arc was reminiscent of Lumen's introduction because it took a while to determine if she could be saved or was definitely broken. As an atheist it's harder to relate to him and comprehend all the religious substance in general but at least the writers proved their point by dedicating a whole episode to a new character. They were serious about it and it showed from beginning to end despite the flaws I pointed out. Therefore his profile, so different than an Arthur Mitchell or Jordan Chase, could contribute to make this season a success. I'm still skeptical about it but we have to consider that season 5 really took off with its fourth installment, Beauty and the Beast, so we'll see if patience is really a virtue because on Dexter a split second of inattention can quickly turn into a deadly vicious mistake !
Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.
- igoatabase
- Oct 11, 2011
Details
- Runtime53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1