My Review of Dexter's 6x11: "Talk To The Hand"

Written by Manny Coto And Tim Schlattmann
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Michelle: “Are you getting upset?”
Deb: “Fuck yeah, I’m becoming upset because you’re making it sound like I want to be with him or something.”
Michelle: “Do you?”

Wait – what? Please do not tell me this show is even thinking about going there with Dexter and Deb. I mean, I know there are plenty of shows out there who will do virtually anything to keep viewers in but if the show goes down the incest route with Deb and Dexter, all it’s going to do is have viewers switch off in their droves. This show is better than that, even if this season has been sadly below par to previous years.

I can agree that Dexter and Deb’s relationship isn’t entirely a straightforward sibling thing but there has never been any indication in the show’s duration that either character fancied the other, so Michelle’s analysis of Deb’s relationship with her brother seems to have completely come out of nowhere.

As a brother, Dexter had had his moments. The last few weeks, he has been rather distant with Deb and this week, thanks to his quick thinking, he saved his sister from being infected by Travis’s Wormwood concoction at the police station. Of course Deb is going to be grateful that Dexter saved her life – why would it mean that she has sexual or romantic feelings for him?

I really hope that this is going to end up becoming more of a catalyst for Deb to question Dexter and not accept everything he tells her at face value because the idea of Dexter and Deb in that kind of relationship is just something the show should not even contemplate trying. They might not be biologically related but they’re siblings and have lived the majority of their lives as siblings too. Let’s not rock the boat on this one, eh?

Speaking of boats – Dexter ended up tied up on one of them while Travis completed his lake of fire. Yet again, Dexter underestimated one of his enemies but he’s been in worse situations than a boat of fire. If this was Travis’s efforts to get Dexter out of his hair forever, then Travis really is a dope, isn’t he?

Travis didn’t really anything too interesting this week come to think of it. He could have killed Angel with setting fire to a room but Quinn managed to man up and save his partner in crime and he got gazumped by Dexter when it came to constructing a new tableau as well. To be honest, the sooner Travis winds up as a member of Dexter’s slide collection, the happier I’ll be. Ultimately, he’s failed as an interesting or effective and I can’t wait to see the back of him.

Even Louis’s plot with the mannequin hand that he marked and wrapped up for Dexter has more potential. Actually it’s becoming another reason why I’m glad that we’ll have another two years because Louis’s storyline is clearly something that has to be seen through the next season. I don’t know where the writers are going with this but it does seem like Louis is being shaped up as a next big threat for Dexter. He at least has the advantage of being a lot more interesting than Travis or Gellar have been all season.

Keeping with the interesting plots – did I actually feel a bit bad for Matthews? I hate to admit, but yes, I felt a little bad for him. After all, he didn’t kill Jessica but was more too cowardly to admit that he was the last person to see her alive (for that, I’m less sympathetic towards him) and it was nice that he explained his side of the story towards Deb, even if he did his damndest to make sure she didn’t go to anyone higher up about it.

Unfortunately when he was exposed, Matthews was quick to blame Deb, despite the fact that Maria had been sitting on the information for weeks and had previously blackmailed him for a promotion in the season. The writers have really done a number on Maria this year. In past seasons, she’s had some humanity but this year, she’s been reduced to a cold bitch and not exactly a very interesting one either.

It’s enough to make me think that Deb might be better off stepping down as a lieutenant because the idea of her becoming Maria’s whipping girl next season is not one that fills me with happiness. Deb is far too fantastic and with a decent moral compass to be reduced to that – that is, unless Maria has a just desserts coming her way.

Last but not least – I’m glad Angel’s alive and I’m glad that Quinn saved him. I’m also glad that Angel explained to Quinn that he needed a partner he can trust in the same way I was also glad that Deb called both of them out on screwing up. Quinn needs to get his priorities in order or simply get lost. Angel could’ve been killed because of his incompetence this week. Luckily for everyone involved, Angel wasn’t but Quinn’s screwed up too many times this year.

Also in “Talk To The Hand”

Despite his best efforts, Dexter did get infected with the Wormwood. It was the reason why Travis overpowered him towards the end of the episode.

Travis (to Beth): “This is a great day. It’s the beginning of the end.”

Dexter’s tableau with bloodied Angel statue and Gellar’s hand was a nice way of getting everyone else aware that Gellar was actually dead.

Dexter (re Matthews): “There are worse secrets you can have, Deb. I’m just saying, maybe you should keep an open mind.”

Dexter: “I don’t have time. I have to find Travis.”
Harry: “You have no leads. He could be anywhere.”
Dexter: “It’s time for a Hail Mary. I’m gonna make Travis come to me. Maybe it takes a beast to catch a beast.”

Travis clearly thought of Dexter as the beast when he painted his image on his painting after the false tableau with Gellar’s hand.

Michelle: “I don’t think you’re crazy.”
Deb: “Can I have that in writing?”
Dexter (to Travis): “The beast is coming for you.”

Keeping with Jennifer Carpenter, she’s become the latest person from this cast to join the ranks of Twitter. I’m really trying not to think of that dream sequence here.

Deb: “One minute everything’s perfect, the next minute -,”
Dexter: “- Next minute, what?”
Deb: “You’re always rushing off.”

Chronology: Picks up from where “Ricochet Rabbit” left off.

This was certainly a better episode but “Talk To The Hand” has now opened up a storyline possibility that I really hope the writers do not venture into. Oh and the sooner that God bothering muppet Travis is off my screen, the better. Put the fear of God into him, Dexter.

Rating: 8 out of 10