• PDI Press

    PDI Press

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 2

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

    PDI Press
    January 16, 2022

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

    PDI Press
    January 15, 2022 3

    Featured

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    John E. Meredith
    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 2
    • 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
    • Marvel at the Movies
    • Muppets 101
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
    • 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

    Reviews

    Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)

    Movies
    June 8, 2025 7

    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)

    Reviews
    June 7, 2025 25

    Until Dawn (2025)

    Reviews
    June 5, 2025 8

    Featured

    Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)

    Paul Brian McCoy
    Movies
    June 8, 2025 7
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews

    Interviews

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397

    David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

    Interviews
    March 7, 2017 223

    Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

    Interviews
    September 29, 2016 8

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

    Interviews
    July 28, 2016 61

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

    Interviews
    July 27, 2016 3

    Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

    Interviews
    April 16, 2016 3

    Featured

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    The Final Girl
    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397
  • News

    News

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    News
    February 9, 2025 19

    “PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT” UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR – A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

    News
    November 15, 2023 74

    Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

    Shot for Shot
    February 1, 2023

    Featured

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    Paul Brian McCoy
    News
    February 9, 2025 19
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Shop
Breaking
  • Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
  • From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)
  • Until Dawn (2025)
  • Havoc (2025) / Novocaine (2025)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
    Home
    Reviews

    Dexter 8.09 “Make Your Own Kind of Music”

    Jamil Scalese
    ReviewsTV
    August 31, 2013 7

    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 316 times, 1 visits today)

    Related

    DexterJamil Scalese

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

    Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXXVIII

    Jamil Scalese
    DVD/Blu-ray
    April 10, 2017 4

    Suicide Squad (2016): An Alternate Take

    Jamil Scalese
    Movies
    August 6, 2016 18

    Daily Top Ten

    • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
    • regular-show-headerRegular Show: The Complete Series DVD Review by Paul Brian McCoy
    • cinderlla12Hey Cinderella! (1968) by Jessica Sowards
    • meg-foster-headerWomen in Horror: Meg Foster by Shawn Hill
    • commander-usa-03Remembering Commander USA by Mike Burr
    • SpideyYa Gotta Start Somewhere: The Amazing Spider-Man (1977) by Paul Brian McCoy
    • Beastmaster-2-Marc-Singer-tiger copyDungeons & D-Listers: The Beastmaster II (1991) by Alex Wolfe
    • house-of-wax-headerHouse of Wax (2005) by The Final Girl
    • nightmare-07Freddy’s Sweater: Revisiting A Nightmare on Elm St… by The Final Girl
    • sidney-prescott-headerWomen in Horror: Sidney Fucking Prescott by The Final Girl
    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
    • AT606-visionAdventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
    • MacbethShakespeare’s Macbeth (2010) by Paul Brian McCoy
    • nightmare-07Freddy’s Sweater: Revisiting A Nightmare on Elm St… by The Final Girl
    • hills-have-eyes-02The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
    • DS-headerDungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983) by Alex Wolfe
    • babylon-5-blu-ray-04Babylon 5 Complete Series Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
    • guinea-pig-6-headerSick Flix: Guinea Pig 6 – Mermaid in a Manhole (1988) by Corin Totin
    • ballerina-headerFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025) by Paul Brian McCoy
    • 2-headed-shark-attack-headerUnnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012) by Brooke Brewer

    psychodrivein

    We came here to chew bubblegum and write intelligent reviews and commentary on cult TV and movies! And we're all out of bubblegum!

    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: Backstock Blacksite - Night Specter (2008)

In Backstock Blacksite, we open the classified crates and dig deep into Greg’s personal G.I. Joe overflow closet, where extras, variants, and forgotten figures wait to be unearthed.
—
@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified #NightSpecter #BackstockBlacksite
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Predator: Kill Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)

With Predator: Killer of Killers, Predator fans are feasting, baby!!
—
Read more of Paul’s review at the link in our profile!

#Predator #PredatorKillerOfKillers #KillerOfKillers #DanTrachtenberg #LindsayLaVanchy #DamienCHaas #LouisOzawa #RickGonzalez #MichaelBiehn #JoshuaWassung #MichoRobertRutare
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com From the World Today at https://psychodrivein.com

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)

I can’t wait to see more Ballerina films. Seriously. I want one right now.

—

Read more of Paul’s review at the link in our profile 

#Ballerina #JohnWick #FromTheWorldOfJohnWickBallerina #AnaDeArmis #KeanuReeves #IanMcShane #AngelicaHuston #GabrielByrne #DavidCataneda #LenWiseman #ShayHatten #ChadStahelski #NormanReedus #LanceReddick
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Psycho Dri Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Psycho Drive-In Podcast 05: Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 

Join Paul and John in the fifth episode of the Psycho Drive-In podcast, where they delve deep into the universe of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
—
Listen to the guys at the link in our profile!

#PsychoDriveIn #ThePsychoDriveInPodcast #KillBill #QuentinTarantino #LadySnowblood #Arena #FemalePrisonerNumber701Scorpion
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Until Dawn (20 Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Until Dawn (2025)

If you’re going to be Until Dawn in name only, why not just be that original horror idea and let someone else actually adapt Until Dawn as it was? 
—
Read more of Nate’s review at the link in our profile!

#UntilDawn #DavidFSandberg #PeterStormare #EllaRubin
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Psycho Dri Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Psycho Drive-In Podcast 04: Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning (Part One)

In this week’s Psycho Drive-In Podcast, Paul and John delve into the world of espionage and high-octane action with a focus on Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.
—
Listen to the guys at the link in our profile!

#PsychoDriveIn #PsychoDriveInPodcast #MissionImpossible #MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning #ArmyOfShadows #TheBourneLegacy
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Havoc (2025) / Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Havoc (2025) / Novocaine (2025)

Both Havoc and Novocaine are fairly enjoyable escapes and reminders that action cinema can be some of the most gleefully transporting sensory experiences.
—
Read more of Nate’s reviews at the link in our profile!

#Havoc #TomHardy #GarethEvans #Novocaine #JackQuaid #AmberMidthunder #ForestWhitaker
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Psycho Dri Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Psycho Drive-In Podcast 03: Sinners

In this episode, Paul and John discuss their recent film binges, and review Sinners.
—
Listen to the boys at the link in our profile!

#ThePsychoDriveInPodcast #PsychoDriveIn #Sinners #RyanCoogler #MichaelBJordan #JackOConnell #HaileeSteinfeld #MilesCaton #DelroyLindo #WunmiMosaku #LiJunLi
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S02E28 - File Card Focus: Recoil

Greg and Jaren take a deep dive into the world of Recoil?
—
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoes #FileCardFocus #Recoil
    Follow on Instagram

    Look Who's Talking

    Shawn EH
    Shawn EH - 5/4/2025
    Thunderbolts* (2025)
    Yep, very well done; avoiding the big flashy battle that these heroes (can any of you fly?)...
    Ideonova
    Ideonova - 12/26/2024
    Page to Screen: F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
    Not living up to the source material? What source material? The book is a predictable, at times...
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr. - 8/17/2024
    Cahiers du Horror 03: Frank Henenlotter and The Brain that Wouldn’t Die
    I need to see that again. Maybe make it a double feature with All of Me. Steve Martin is someone you...
    RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

    Archives

    Large_rectangle_336X280
    • 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
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • 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
    • Shop
    • 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
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • 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
    • Shop
    Type to search or hit ESC to close
    See all results
    Username
    Password
    Remember Me
    Lost password?
    Create an account
    Username
    Email
    Cancel
    Enter username or email
    Cancel