‘Dexter’ Recap: The Brain Surgeon Returns?

While Dexter was getting all googly-eyed over his ex-girlfriend, the real monster, his protege, was potentially bludgeoning his next door neighbor to death. Whoops! Over the course of the series, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) has let a surprising amount of characters see into who he really is. All of them have either kept their mouths shut or been put down. But as Dexter comes to and end, will Zach Hamilton (Sam Underwood), the creepy teen psychopath, become the exception?

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Reading Time: 3 minutes
August 18, 2013 10:01PM EDT
Dexter Season 8 Episode 8 Recap
Image Credit: Courtesy of Showtime

Dexter & Hannah: He’s Still Thinking With The Wrong Head

We’ll have to wait before a question like that is answered.

Even though Dexter knows he should’ve been paying more attention to Zach instead of living in lala land with Hannah (Yvonne Strahovsky), he doesn’t learn from his own mistakes. Instead he decides he should probably help Hannah flee the country. Seriously?

Dexter can’t avoid his Zach problem forever though, so he’s on the hunt for a fake passport AND a teenager in the midst of a murderous rage.

With his blood under Cassie’s fingers (a piece of evidence that Dexter is obviously omitting from the police investigation), Zach is wisely on the run, fled to the Florida Keys. So of course Dexter’s like, “Hey Hannah, let’s take a romantic trip to the Keys!” Smart move, or as Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) puts it, “Dick for brains!”

Speaking of Deb (Hannah’s archnemesis, remember?), she’s tired of letting Dexter solve the problems. With a GPS tracker attached to Dexter’s car, Deb follows him down to the Keys while her boss, Elway, looks into Miles Castner’s odd disappearance (I assume this will come up at later time).

Zach Hamilton: Did He Kill Cassie?

But did Zach even kill Cassie? When he and Dexter finally come face-to-face, he looks more confused than caught red-handed. Oh boy! Turns out the kid has an alibi — he’s been hunting an old high school enemy. The protege plot line continues!

I absolutely love how Dexter goes from hunter to teacher in .01 seconds, schooling Zach on the importance of picking the right kill rooms and dishing on the best ways to sedate a victim. I can’t tell you how gleeful I am.

But Wait, The Brain Surgeon Lives?

With Dexter passing the serial killer torch — and maybe finding someone he actually loves (and can get butt-naked with!) in Hannah — he may actually have a shot at some semblance of normalcy. He’s got a lover, and he has two sons, one literal and one figurative. He has one big happy family. Will Dexter end with him retiring and riding off into the sunset with his happy bunch?

Well no, not exactly. The fact that Zach didn’t kill Cassie means someone else did. And after Dex sexes up Hannah he returns home to find Zach sitting in his desk chair — with his brain carved out! And guess who just happens to have that missing piece — yup, Dr. Evelyn Vogel (Charlotte Rampling).

First of all, I’m furious that the protege plot line is over but second of all — holy crap, is Vogel the Brain Surgeon?! (Told ya so, kind of.)

— Andrew Gruttadaro

More ‘Dexter’ Recap:

  1. ‘Dexter’ Recap: Dexter & Debra Team Up To Save The Day
  2. ‘Dexter’ Recap: Debra Morgan Comes Clean
  3. ‘Dexter’ Recap: Dexter Morgan Gets A New Mother