Jamil Scalese" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Jamil Scalese
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • The Marvels (2023)

      Jamil Scalese
      November 22, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • The Marvels (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      November 22, 2023
    • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

      Peterson Hill
      October 23, 2023
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      August 18, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Jamil Scalese
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • "PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT" UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR - A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

      Jamil Scalese
      November 15, 2023
      Movies, News
    Recent
    • “PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT” UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR – A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

      psychodr
      November 15, 2023
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • The Marvels (2023)
  • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
  • Heart of Stone (2023)
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Dexter 8.09 “Make Your Own Kind of Music”

Jamil Scalese
August 31, 2013
Reviews, TV

Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/psychodr/public_html/wp/wp-content/themes/valenti/library/core.php on line 1104

I’ve had a few jobs where I’ve mailed it in. My imperfect work ethic only allows me to perform to such a level when I’m in an unfavorable environment. I can relate to not giving a fuck, but I’m not sure that writers on a major TV show should take their position for granted. It seems that the writer’s of Dexter have realized that since this is the last go around there’s no chance of being fired.

Last week’s installment gave me some hope. It appeared the plan for the season was too suck the audience into a sort of malaise — much like the one Dexter finds himself in due to family and love problems —  and to shock us out of it with a big reveal accompanied by one or more dangerous adversaries.

DX 809 1

Nah. The Dexter team decided to just pull something out of the woodwork and present us with an hour of patchwork plotting and poor climaxes. The Brain Surgeon has been the chief rival this year, seemingly having an upper hand on Dex several times. It seemed that Dexter had already taken care of the Surgeon, when he killed foot enthusiast A.J. Yates a few episodes back, but that wasn’t the case when last week he displayed the fresh corpse of Zach for all to see.  We finally discover the killer’s true identity: Dr. Evelyn Vogel’s son! He’s been creeping around as the guy who was dating Cassie. Who would have thought that he’s the genius serial killer we’ve been looking for whole time? Why didn’t we see that, guys? Oh yeah, because no one gave a fuck about that bland dude that was kind of dating the nondescript, cute girl neighbor.

Daniel Vogel, or Oliver Saxon, has only made brief appearances on the show, and through hurried back story we find that Dr. Vogel thought her son long dead.  Undoubtedly, he’s a psychopath (just so they can get Charlotte Rampling to say that word again), and he seems quite cunning considering all the moves the Brain Surgeon has pulled this year. Oliver Saxon doesn’t exactly scream these qualities but I guess we’re out of switch-outs and surprise reveals so we’re probably stuck with him.

DX 809 2

Dexter begins the quest to find Zach Hamilton’s killer, but only before he can sneak one in with Hannah and cater to her needs. The two are looking to build a life together, and plan to flee to Argentina when the situation settles and the seas are smooth. They don’t mull over this questionable agenda much but do run into an immediate obstacle in the form of a U.S. Marshall employed by Elway. This Marshall seemingly spiraled out of a space/time warp because he does actual police work, like tracking leads and showcasing an intimidating presence when interviewing people. Dexter manages to fool the new cop, a pair of times: once at Miami Metro, and again when they go to retrieve Hannah’s money.

We’re going to ignore the fact that Hannah parades around Miami while making no attempt to conceal her identity, or that she decides to grab her money after almost leaving via plane last week. Again, space/time warp.

Meanwhile, Deb is much improved, clawing back from her dark period earlier this summer. It looked like Deb was on the fast path to becoming a twisted version of herself, a type of antagonist for Dexter, but that’s all old news now. Angel Batista offers her job back, she quits Elway’s firm, and in a move that demonstrates things are returning to the status quo in terms of her fucked-up love life, former fiancé Quinn plants a kiss after the two shake down a suspect. It’s all good times and sunshine for Debra Morgan, until she finds her wants colliding with her brother’s.

DX 809 3

Deb wants to return to a life of moral deeds and healthy living, but having a serial killer in the fam contradicts that hard. Even if she distances herself from his activities their paths will inevitably cross. That happens almost immediately when Quinn starts sniffing around Oliver Saxon. Deb leaks this info to Dexter who tells her to back off, both for her safety and his pleasure. Deb reluctantly agrees, and also begrudgingly accepts Hannah as her houseguest until the Argentina trip.

When Dex eventually gets around to it he begins tracking the Brain Surgeon. He’s already informed Dr. Vogel of his intentions and she’s not happy. She agrees to meet with her long lost son and Dex concocts some fantastical scheme involving fake journal entries and diner meet ups. The move works, Dex lures Oliver Saxon out of hiding, and lays his trap BY STANDING OUTSIDE THE DINER AND WAITING FOR OLIVER TO LEAVE. Fucking… What the hell, man? What happened? At what point did you say “fuck it”, writers?

DX 809 4

The Brain Surgeon eludes capture in the least dramatic way. Dexter returns to Vogel with the news and again proclaims that he’s going to kill her son. She voices her displeasure again but he ignores it. After Dex leaves it’s exposed that the young Vogel is sitting in the other room, apparently in cahoots with his estranged mother, surprising no one in the process.

Disheartening. There are still three more hours to go but I can’t imagine how this season made sense on paper. It’s like the writers aren’t interested in being employed after this gig, or there’s so much dissention at the writing table that no one wants to stick around to work out the kinks. Let’s be real, there have been some atrocious logic leaps recently, and Dexter has earned a chiasmic berth in terms of believability. The showrunners are merely grinding this out because they signed a contract, but I’m finishing this out driven by a sense of duty. Argentina or bust!

(Visited 213 times, 1 visits today)
Dexter 8.09 "Make Your Own Kind of Music"
2.0Overall Score

Related

DexterJamil Scalese

Under the Dome 1.10 “Let the Games Begin”
Regular Show: Fright Pack DVD Review

About The Author

monsterid
Jamil Scalese
Edge Cutter / Shadow Emissary

Jamil Scalese would rather watch reruns of Frasier than catch up on media he's tragically behind on. Follow his weak tweets @jamilscalese

Related Posts

  • 1.5

    Dexter 8.11 “Monkey in a Box”

    Jamil Scalese
    September 22, 2013
  • 3.5

    Dexter 7.05 “Swim Deep”

    Jamil Scalese
    November 4, 2012

Daily Top Ten

  • resident-evil-final-chapter-headerResident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • PF3Pulp Fiction (1994) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • AttackInterview of the 50 Foot Cheerleaders! by Jason Sacks
  • sidonia-00Big Eyes Smart Mouth: Knights of Sidonia (2014) by Serdar Yegulalp
  • cake-05Cake (2014) by The Final Girl
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Uzumaki_3Uzumaki (2000) by Matthew Fantaci
  • shot091114-2Fist of the North Star (1986) by Matthew Fantaci
  • trueblood409b copyTrue Blood 4.09 “Let’s Get Out of Here” by Rafael Gaitan
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • blade-runner-2049-headerBLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the… by Psychodr
  • HHSR-harlotHaunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • legend-tarzan-headerAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • 2-headed-shark-attack-headerUnnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012) by Brooke Brewer
  • Murder-Set-Pieces-03Sick Flix: Murder-Set-Pieces (2004) by Corin Totin
  • salo-headerSick Flix: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) by Corin Totin
  • RY-pictureAdvance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer Lives by Paul Brian McCoy
  • amazing-bulk-03The Amazing Bulk (2012) by Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

Latest Reviews

  • The Marvels (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    November 22, 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

    Peterson Hill
    October 23, 2023
  • Heart of Stone (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    August 18, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Marvels (2 Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Marvels (2023)

No Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie has had a bigger trail of negative buzz than The Marvels.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#CaptainMarvel #MsMarvel #WandaVision #TheMarvels #CaptainMarvel2 #NiaDeCosta #BrieLarson #TeyonahParris #ZaweAshton #ImanVellani #SamuelLJackson
Today at https://psychodrivein.com "PATER NOSTER Today at https://psychodrivein.com

"PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT" UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR - A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON! 

The eagerly awaited underground horror movie from Christopher Bickel, "Pater Noster and the Mission of Light," enters its final stages of post-production with an anticipated release in early 2024.
---
Read more at the link in our profile!

#PaterNoster #MissionOfLight #PaterNosterAndTheMissionOfLight #ChristopherBickel #UndergroundCinema #UndergroundHorror #IndipendentFilm #AdaraStarr #BadGirls #TheThetaGirl
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation: The Bond Project - Goldfinger

Goldfinger is the prototypical 007 film and performed well at the box office.
—-
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #TheBondProject #Goldfinger #SeanConnery #HonorBlackman #BernardLee #CecLinder #DesmondLlewelyn #GertFrobe #HaroldSakata #IanFleming #JamesBond #ToshTogo #LoisMaxwell
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E70 - Pyramid Of Darkness (4) / Chaos In The Sea Of Lost Souls 

Greg and Jaren continue their journey as Cobra tries to activate the fourth and final control cube! Will they succeed? Will someone explain to me how Tomax and Xamot feel pain? 
---
Watch the guys from @AnythingJoesPod at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness #ChaosInTheSeaOfLostSouls
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 451: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law

She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law leans heavily into one of Marvel Comics’ strengths – characters who are more than just a heroic icon, superheroes who have lives outside being a hero where the two halves interfere.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #SheHulk #SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw #BenedictWong #CharlieCox #GingerGonzaga #JameelaJamil #JoshSegarra #MaliahArrayah #MarkRuffalo #TatianaMaslany #TimRoth
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E69 - Snakes on a Plane

Greg and Jaren discuss the news and happenings in the world of G.I. Joe! In this episode: Super 7's Cobra Mothership, Hiya Toys Major Bludd, Mezco 1:12 Duke, and Void Rivals 1 - 4!
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Super7 #CobraMothership #Mezco #Duke #HiyaToys #MajorBludd #VoidRivals #RobertKirkman
Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Fall of th Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

The Fall of the House of Usher ranks with the very finest of Mike Flanagan’s work.
---
Read more of Peterson's review at the link in our profile!

#TheFallOfTheHouseOfUsher #Netflix #MikeFlanagan #BruceGreenwood #CarlLumbly #CarlaGugino #EdgarAllanPoe #HenryThomas #KateSiegel #MalcolmGoodwin #MarkHamill #MaryMcDonnell #RahulKohli #SamanthaSloyan #SauriyanSapkota #TniaMiller #WillaFitzgerald #ZachGilford
Today at https://psychodrivein.com POPCORN CINEMA Today at https://psychodrivein.com

POPCORN CINEMA 52: Olaf Ittenbach's NO REASON and Other Violent Shit 

CINEMA: Oh, I've seen a few things. Ittenbach was part of the German underground gore movement of the late 80s, early 90s . . . wait, did you want to hear about this?
---
Read more of John's article at the link in our profile!

#PopcornCinema #OlafIttenbach #NorReason #BurningMoon #GermanUndergroundGore #Gore #German
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Cahiers du Hor Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Cahiers du Horror 13: Who is Gahan Wilson?

Gahan Wilson is single-handedly my favorite horror cartoonist slash illustrator.
---
Read more of Fred's article at the link in our profile!

#CahiersDuHorror #GahanWilson
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Lost in Translation: The Bond Project – Goldfinger

    Scott Delahunt
    November 10, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E70 – Pyramid Of Darkness (4) / Chaos In The Sea Of Lost Souls

    Greg Engle
    November 8, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 451: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law (2022)

    Scott Delahunt
    October 27, 2023

Look Who's Talking

Barbie Worldwide
Barbie Worldwide - 8/5/2023
Lost in Translation 429: The Barbie Movie Teaser
Barbie still in the driver's seat and the movie is speeding past a billion by August 7, 2023.
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/5/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 3.1: Zombie for Sale (2019)
Of course, I just woke up from an old-man nap and had a strong urination before reading this, so now...
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/3/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 1.1: I Am a Hero (2015)
Oh hell yeah. Looks like one more thing to add to my watch list.
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise