Circle Us - Recap

As of this episode, it had been over a month since Dexter rescued Lumen from Boyd Fowler. But the memories of what happened to her she cannot seem to escape. He tells her she has to eat but this only amounts to her calling him a “very controlling” person. He asks if she can give him more details about what happened while she was captive, and she mentions a man she can only think of as “watch guy”. His famous last words to her were “Tick, tick, tick: that’s the sound of your life running out.” Then there’s “suit and tie”, who took off his suit and tie and folded them neatly. She figures he assumed she would be dead by now, so he had no worries about her seeing what he looked like. Dexter remarks very obviously that “suit and tie” was wrong.

The next scene shows “suit and tie” with a special clean up crew of people that he hired, and although we do not get a sense of who they are or how he found them, it appears as though he found them simply by either combing the street or by some other illegal means. Cut to Lumen again, and she asks what they’re going to do next. Dexter tells her he prefers to work alone, to which she responds that if he isn’t going to help her then there is no point to her being there. She tells him he needs to be flexible. She wants to be a part of it, which symbolically makes sense. Dexter only replies with, “we’ll see.”

Dexter needs to get back, and Lumen reflects on how it’s convenient for him to have a separate life that is a lot more normal. She reminds him she has no other life, that this is the only life she has, the only life she knows. Dexter knows that there is no place for her in his day life. Lumen thanks him just as he leaves.

“Suit and tie” is driving down the road when he is struck hard from the side. The barrels come tumbling out.

When Dexter gets home, the babysitter’s Irish Catholic roots are clearly exhibited. Dexter comments on the figurine of St. Bridget. She says it’s to watch over little Harrison while he sleeps. He grabs for it as she goes to leave. He quips in his mind, “He doesn’t need St. Bridget--he has Father Dexter.”

Quinn starts talking to Deb about getting a place of their own, and Deb is visibly uncomfortable by this. Deb gets the call about a car accident and she, aggravated, retorts that she is Homicide. But it appears that everyone is getting the call, and Deb warns Quinn of such. She tells him that no one knows about them and she would like to keep it that way. He wants to ride with her, and, getting visibly awkward again, she cracks a joke that make no sense to Quinn.

Dexter arrives at the scene. He muses that the scene looks to be something really big. He sees the dead girls laid out on the street. Debra declares they are women, that they are blonde, and guesses that they are between the ages of 20 and 35. They are covered in contusions. The only description any of the detectives got was “some guy.” The description said that he got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Dexter is pleased, realizing that he’s “still mine.” Masuka, however, is on the case, dusting for fingerprints and looking for any other evidence. This leads Dexter to think that this is the first time he has ever had competition within the department.

Unexpectedly, Lumen shows up, much to Dexter’s chagrin. Quinn gets a call from a new friend who he hired to keep tabs on Dexter. He tells Quinn of the girl he spotted at Dexter’s house, and Quinn looks up and puts it together that the girl Dexter is talking to right there is the same girl his friend is describing right now. Dexter tells Lumen she needs to go, that it isn’t safe being out here. Debra discovers that the truck is registered to famous motivational speaker Jordan Chase. Later, Masuka reveals himself to be a huge fan of Jordan’s, claiming to have all of his CDs. He starts to recite Chase’s “Take It” mantra. Masuka is disappointed to find that the prints that were lifted are not in the database. Dexter finds a hair, which Masuka is thrilled to hear. Dexter is dangerously close to being unable to keep his promise to Lumen. Debra says that she ID’d two of the victims, one who was a school teacher, and the other an employee for a cruise ship. Both were under 30.

Quinn later brings up the topic of looking at places to Dexter, but LaGuerta calls them both into the office to grill them about the Santa Muerte case. The chief is there and he raises Cain about it. LaGuerta’s job is, as she is reminded, right on the line. LaGuerta gives them the rundown of how they’re going to apprehend the Santa Muerte killers by going undercover. Batista mentions that Quinn is going to be on the Jordan Chase case. He and his bodyguard Cole arrive at the precinct moments later. Masuka, being the fan he is, panics and goes to meet Jordan. Dexter snaps a picture of the celebrity and his fan in a seemingly heartwarming moment, but what is actually fuel for Dexter’s personal mission, one that he shares with Lumen. Dexter notices a watch on Jordan’s hand and wonders if that was the one that Lumen referenced. LaGuerta questions the two of them. Jordan asks her to keep his name out of the press, and LaGuerta responds that as long as they are cooperative, she can do that for them. Batista says he does not trust Cole, and soon it comes out that Cole’s hair matches that found in the truck.

Dexter arrives at the house, startling Lumen. Dexter quickly comes back with a reply telling her he does not appreciate packages being sent to the place without his knowing first. It turns out to be a flashlight. Dexter tells her she has a way of bending the rules. He shows her the picture of Cole, and she says it’s him. Then she is shown a picture of Jordan Chase, but she doesn’t recognize him. Dexter tries to discourage her by telling her that the police are likely to catch on to him before the two of them can ever get to them. She argues that she wants to be the one to do the job, not let the cops take care of them. He notices she is on edge, and she says she has had a lot of coffee. She can’t sleep when there is a possibility that someone will come after her. In truth, he wants to help her. He tells her that the way to do this is to give them the one who actually committed the murders--Boyd Fowler, but he is already dead, though the police won’t know this for some time yet.

They go to the crime scene, and Lumen starts to have flashbacks. But she is not deterred by this. Dexter calls Fowler “the finisher”, the one who murders the women. They later plant evidence in the truck, evidence that Masuka says the rest of the team failed to find. It is Boyd’s wallet. They search his place and find the canisters. Dexter says they were electrocuted. Batista declares a new prime suspect to look at. New information comes out that Boyd was stalking Jordan. Jordan mentions that Cole never told him, and Cole says he saw no reason to bring it up and stir up fear. Batista confirms that he is dangerous, suggesting that Jordan be extra cautious. When the two get to their car, Jordan comments that Cole finally did something right, but Cole says this was not his work.

At the home front, the babysitter finds St. Bridget in the toy box, and Dexter says that a statuette of a woman who has been dead for hundreds of years will not do anything for protection. The babysitter asks him to reconsider, and he says he will.

Quinn and his buddy exchange words regarding another exchange, as in money for information. The new friend says that is going to cost him extra, since it means that more needs to be done in order to get that for him. He tells Quinn that he has his priorities all wrong. Quinn says he will pay him an extra five hundred dollars, to which the friend agrees.

As the department prepares for the undercover operation, it becomes clear that the Santa Muerte killers are already there. Now the plan has to change, because their entrance is compromised. Yasmin, the informant to the department, is instructed to sit with them. One of them engages conversation with her, and it quickly comes out that Yasmin is working for the police. She is immediately shot and killed, and a shoot-out begins, with that particular brother shot by Debra in the head, killing him instantly.

Meanwhile, Dexter and Lumen are waiting for Cole to go to sleep. Lumen expresses that she feels useless just waiting for seemingly nothing, for hours. The light goes on and Dexter goes in. He finds a photo of Cole as a kid, but just a second later, Cole sneaks up on Dexter and starts to choke him. With what seems like no way of escaping, Cole is suddenly clouted on the head, and then bludgeoned to death. It is Lumen, carrying the flashlight she bought earlier.

As they escape, Dexter asks what they’re going to do next. Lumen specially notes the pluralized form. When Dexter gets home, Harrison is already asleep. Dexter thinks how Harrison always seems happiest in the babysitter’s arms. Dexter also realizes that one must accept someone that they partner up with for who they are. He looks over Harrison, and the words he says are, “St. Bridget, circle us with your light so that no darkness shall overcome us.” He has come to realize he needs Lumen just as much as she needs him.

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