A grim and troubling turn of events led to a killer walking free.
On Dexter: New Blood Season 1 Episode 7, Kurt Caldwell slithered out of prison and began toying with Dexter.
It was a tense hour of power shifts and crushing reveals.
Kurt has been one step ahead of Dexter since Dexter: New Blood Season 1 Episode 3. The titanium screw reveal was shocking. It goes to show that no detail is included without a purpose. The hints have always been there, even since the first episode.
Now, the question is, what other little hints are there that can help Dexter get ahead of Kurt?
I hate the view from the cheap seats.
Dexter
It’s clear Kurt has it in for “Jim,” but he has held off until now. If Kurt knows that Dexter killed Matt, what is he plotting? Will he use it to hold over Dexter, to blackmail him? Will Dexter fall for a trap? Or is it too late? Dexter ended the episode by getting attacked by the trucker who works for Kurt.
It will be fascinating to rewatch this season from start to finish and noting Kurt’s actions and behavior once he had the knowledge of Matt’s murderer. It was then that Kurt started making his moves on Harrison. Kurt is playing a long game, but how does he intend it to end?
Clancy Brown and Michael C. Hall had two incredible one-on-one scenes. The first, in the diner, showed two men making veiled threats, being passive-aggressive, and hiding menace under a cool veneer of friendliness.
The second, when Dexter snuck into the police station to threaten Kurt, was much more terrifying. Kurt truly exerted his power and did what few have done before — made Dexter uneasy. He made Dexter doubt and second-guess himself.
Kurt is a man who has managed to evade capture and suspicion for twenty-five years. In Dexter’s years, he has come close far too many times, leaving a trail of blood to cover his tracks.
We can never erase all our sins. Not even fire will do that.
Kurt
Kurt’s calm self-confidence is chilling and intimidating. Dexter’s ego gives him blind spots, and now it leaves him at Kurt’s mercy. Dexter will need to outsmart him before Kurt reveals his secret.
The build-up of suspense and payoff is an area where Dexter: New Blood truly shines. The best episodes of the original series were the ones that did this well.
Most episodes end on a cliffhanger, but the resolution often comes relatively quickly in the following episode (take the end of Dexter New Blood Season 1 Episode 5, which led to Angela immediately confronting Dexter in the subsequent episode.)
We never have to wait long for the suspense to be resolved, but each mystery or “How’s he going to get out of this one?” question is immediately replaced with another.
There is always a solution, but the solution has aftermath.
It’s classic, well-structured storytelling, and it makes each installment even more thrilling than the last.
For all the Dexter/Kurt back-and-forth, Julia Jones really took command of this episode as Angela. It’s worth noting that this episode was penned by three women (Veronica West, Kirsa Rein, and Alexandra Salerno.)
Angela’s perspective and struggle felt multi-layered and authentic here — her anger, her guilt, and her despair. This was Angela’s story, her fight — one that she, unfortunately, lost.
Angela: You think it’s got legs?
Dexter [voiceover]: And arms and a body and an isolated cabin in the woods.
It’s devastating because Angela had less information than Dexter, so Kurt still managed to evade incarceration. Angela did everything right, but Kurt managed to foil the DNA evidence.
It still seems unfair that they couldn’t do anything with a 67% chance of it being Kurt’s DNA. Sure, it’s not 100%, but it’s more than half. With Molly and Dexter witnessing the hidden suite and the proof that Kurt lied about Matt, shouldn’t Kurt still be considered the leading suspect?
With everything they have against Kurt, couldn’t they at least search his home, his cabin, and the truck stop diner? Or continue to search the caves? Hopefully, this will happen. Where is he hiding the bodies? Where is his embalming room?
One new piece of the puzzle to consider is Kurt’s trucker “minion,” the man who is undoubtedly Elric Kane. He was the fake Matt at the Gramercy, he delivered the envelope to Harrison, and the episode ended with him grabbing Dexter.
What is Elric’s part in all of this? How much does he know, and what is his involvement, if any, in the murder of the girls?
What is Kurt’s plan for Dexter, and how will Dexter get out of it? If Dexter does manage to escape, he could confirm the identity of the man in the Gramercy footage. Angela and Dexter will have to tread carefully if they do continue to work together.
Angela: Did you hear that?
Dexter: Is that the sound of you not needing a warrant?
Dexter should not be searching Kurt’s office without gloves, especially if he rearranges things on the wall! Kurt will know he was there!
Kurt is dangerous, confident, and most of all, cautious — something Dexter could learn a thing or two from, honestly.
Now that we know Kurt is behind the murder of Iris, we can only assume he is behind most of Angela’s missing women. He has been hiding in plain sight all this time.
The flashback of Iris and Kurt was unexpected but effective. It can be easy to forget that this mummified corpse was someone who was beloved by so many in the community. From what we learned about her, Iris was brave, independent, and fought for her life to the bitter end.
The scene with the Seneca people mourning and rallying around Miriam was touching. It serves as a reminder that each missing woman is missed by someone. Each face on a poster is a human who deserved more than their untimely fate.
Society has let so many people slip through the cracks, particularly Indigenous women, and as a result, only emboldened the men who would enact violence against them — like Kurt and his father.
Poor Harrison. Teenagers often have a hard time navigating the ins and outs of life, but he really gets the short end of the stick.
Harrison opens up to Audrey, but she pulls away. When he pushes, she asks him why he broke Jeremy’s arm, and he retreats. After that, he works at a terrible job, where his father won’t leave him alone, and his other father figure gets arrested.
This kid just can’t catch a break. On top of that, he has realized that his bloody nightmares are memories. He can remember Trinity (John Lithgow back in a cameo!) speaking to him at the death of his mother.
At least Harrison acknowledges he is fucked up. Dexter thinks his solution of telling Harrison “everything” seems a little misguided — finding out his father is a serial killer might push Harrison off the deep end, not pull him in. There may be some solidarity or a grim realization that this is who he is.
I’m used to being the predator, but now I’m the protector. Funny what fatherhood will do to you.
Dexter
Dexter has chosen to live with his Dark Passenger. Harrison may not be able to.
With only three episodes remaining, there are still a number of twists and turns ahead of us.
How will it end? Molly hinted at doing a deep-dive into “Jim,” but is Angela ready to give Molly the information she has on Dexter? Will Molly investigate further into Dexter’s past and find the missing links — Trinity and the Bay Harbor Butcher?
Will this season end with the finality that was sorely lacking in the Dexter Season 8 finale? Dexter: New Blood was always touted as a “limited series” offering closure, but will the temptation to extend Dexter’s story be too great, given the fan response and the show’s popularity?
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!
You can watch Dexter: New Blood online right here at TV Fanatic!
Mary Littlejohn is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
