This episode of Dexter is entitled ‘Run’, something Speltzer painted in the maze during last episode, so guesses are he’s going to be featuring this episode. And a showdown between brute force, mass of muscles Speltzer and wiry, smart Dexter is something that I’d pay to see.

The episode starts with Debra taking a relaxing bath and Dexter and Masuka combing the mausoleum for clues. Dexter and Masuka come up with nothing, while Debra has a blood bath. Literally. The water in the bath is now blood and it keeps pouring out of the tap no matter how much she turns the faucets. Really should get that checked. Dexter stands in her doorway wearing a wedding suit and asks her to ‘be mine’. Clearly her subconscious is screaming at her about Rita’s death.

Deb’s never one to ignore her instincts, so the next day she drags Dexter into the narrowest alleyway in the world and confronts him about Rita. He assures her that Trinity killed her, and that he killed Trinity, and she gets all pissed off because he didn’t help the police investigation. I dunno, I don’t think his methods of investigation would stand up in court. Deb starts railing on him about how his night time activities suggest his lack of ability to love and how everything has changed.

Before they can get too far into that particular argument Speltzer is brought in for questioning. With no other solid evidence, they’ll have to get a confession out of him in order to charge him with anything. Batista puts on his game face and goes in.

At our favourite strip joint the Brotherhood are being all shady and discussing Dexter and what he and Louis have to do with Viktor’s death. Before they can start scheming the cops show up and shut down the strip joint. Again. Quinn makes googly eyes at Nadia and a sassy black female cop chides him for it. He admits it’s wrong of him, but in a way that reassures you he’s not going to stop anytime soon.

Back inside the interrogation room, Angel is cosying up to Speltzer, making sexist remarks, hating on the fact that Deb’s his superior. Then Deb comes in and slams him with the mature, and more harsh, version of calling his mum out. Eventually Speltzer cracks and yells that he should have killed her like he killed the other girl. Nice.

Dexter catches up to Debra afterwards and offers her celebratory drinks. Instead, she suggests Harrison live with Astor and Cody in Orlando. The land of Disney World. That’s a freaking sweet deal, but instead Dexter shuts her down and his protective father instincts kick in as he insists that he’s the best parent for Harrison. Damn Deb, probably shouldn’t have gone there.

The Brotherhood, tired of all the police interruption, have decided to pay a visit to the bartender of the strip joint and set him up as the killer of Anderson, as well as the other two. The bartender is a puppy-dog eyed and agrees to take the fall in order to help his family back home. And in this case taking the fall requires him shooting himself in the temple with a gun and leaving a damning note behind. Working for the Brotherhood is a real bitch sometimes.

Hannah McKay is back, no surprise since she’s the season guest star, she has turned up at the police station. Apparently she’s helping the police track down the other bodies, despite having a not so pleased reaction to the police last time. The fact that she finds Dexter and wanders over to him for a chat is probably one of the reasons why she’s had the change of heart, and still I’m not quite sure what her place as the season guest star is for.

As she walks away from Dexter she passes LaGuerta heading into Debra’s office with purpose. She reveals that Speltzer’s confession is useless because Speltzer never verbally confirmed him understanding his Miranda rights. They all get angry and Dexter internalizes his ability to help without having to worry about silly things like rights.

They all get called to the scene of the bartender’s suicide, with the Brotherhood being super sneaky and watching from a car down the street. They spot Dexter and then creep away. On the inside they’re analyzing the crime scene, Quinn is happy with everything, and Batista is getting a major Spidey sense tingle from it. Dexter silently analyses the scene wondering to himself who set it up, since he knows Viktor was the one who did it.

Dexter returns home to Baby Batista sorting through Harrison’s toys. He has this really sweet moment with a baby blanket and suggests they keep it for Harrison’s sake. Baby Batista agrees with a look on her face that screams she knows that it’s for him, not Harrison. Then he looks at the air conditioning unit with purpose. Looks like he’s thinking about doing some spring-cleaning himself.

Dexter heads back to the cemetery the next day to stalk Speltzer, who is back to work now that he’s been released from police custody. Say what you will about him, his work ethic is pretty strong. Dexter takes a look around Speltzer’s RV, the perfect kill room, but before he can leave Speltzer opens the door and charges him. They have a brief struggle, Dexter holding his own, but Speltzer is a roided up crazy man, and he knocks Dexter out in the end.

Dexter wakes up in a building that looks like a Saw movie set with a note that says ‘Run’. Speltzer’s not really one for verbosity is he? There’s a chase scene through this maze of horrors, including one of the most freaky rooms ever, filled with mannequins and strobe lighting. Dexter cottons on to the fact that Speltzer is driving him down the levels, so instead he goes up, onto the roof, and escapes. Damn, that man is good.

So this whole trapped in a maze by a maniac thing inspires Dexter to send Harrison off to Orlando – but not because Debra suggested it – and Baby Batista drives him. She is seriously the most awesome babysitter ever, Dexter must be paying her a fortune. Now he is free to track and take down Speltzer without worrying if Harrison might be put into trouble. Because having your son almost sacrificed last year makes you a bit cautious.

The leader of the Brotherhood, Isaac breaks into Viktor’s apartment, grabs a photo of Greece from the mantelpiece and takes out the back of it, revealing a picture of him and Viktor together. He looks fairly upset about the whole thing, clearly he and Viktor were close (though in what regards isn’t said), and he promises to avenge Viktor’s death. Uh oh, Dex.

Deb is at the funeral for the waitress that Speltzer killed and flips her lid when Speltzer turns up and smirks at her from his car. That night back at her place Dexter shows up because he heard it and then they have another ‘Everything’s changed! No it hasn’t!’ arguments.

Batista and Quinn, back at the station, are burning the midnight oil and having a nice chat about their lives. Batista doesn’t like how the suicide feels like a set up, Quinn keeps having dates with the stripper, and Batista is a lonely cliché. This show does not make me want to be a cop at all.

Dexter decides it’s finally time to put down the bull and he lures Speltzer by creeping around the cemetery before doubling back and hitting him over the head with a shovel. Attaboy.

Speltzer wakes up tied to a table, and not in the normal cling wrap either, he’s got serious strength restraints. He struggles against them, yelling, and when Dexter mimics him it makes me snort. Seeing the calm and composed Dexter yelling ‘fuuuuuck’ has gotta be a high point.

The cling wrap isn’t the only thing that has changed with his routine, he has decided to no longer collect blood slides, and instead of cutting up the body and dumping it in the ocean he’s set Speltzer up in front of a furnace they use to cremate bodies. That’s a fitting end to Speltzer, being swallowed by flames, and it’s probably a rebirth metaphor for Dexter.

He doesn’t burn him alive though, instead he thrusts a stake through his heart, puts his box of slides on top of Speltzer’s chest, and lets it all go into the furnace. Now let’s hope those don’t survive like the last time one of them was exposed to a fire.

Deb swings by to pick him up outside and he points out the ominous smoke rising from the building and tells her that it’s Speltzer. She replies that she’s glad, though she looks torn by it.

Debra: What does that make me?

Dexter: Human.

Next time on Dexter: LaGuerta’s discovery of the blood slide finally comes to fruition, Hannah McKay shows another side to her, and Isaac gets closer to getting vengeance.

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