Dexter: Resurrection Episode 9 Review

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Dexter: Resurrection episode 9.

Dexter: Resurrection episode 9, “Touched By An Ángel,” wraps up several series-long storylines as one key character gets stuck in the crossfire of Dexter’s duplicitous serial killer persona. Prater’s discovery about Harrison at the end of Resurrection episode 8 quickly led him to discover Dexter’s true identity, which made him even more excited to be in the presence of the Bay Harbor Butcher.

Prater gives Dexter the ultimate test (and gift, in his point of view) by offering Angel Batista to him on a pre-set kill table. Dexter couldn’t bring himself to kill Batista, even though he could have justified it by the first rule of Harry’s Code, “Don’t get caught.” Regardless, Batista is shot multiple times in the back by Prater, making him the latest member of Miami Metro PD to die because of Dexter’s actions.

Some Convenient Story Developments Deflate Resurrection’s Great Tension

Uma Thurman as Charley in Dexter Resurrection, episode 6, season 1 — Uma Thurman as Charley in Dexter: Resurrection, season 1, episode 6.

A few early developments in Dexter: Resurrection episode 9 had me questioning where this episode was going. I found it confusing that the subway scene would cut away without Angel confronting Harrison. Dexter slipped away, but Harrison was still there and would likely have spotted Angel in the same subway car. There should have been some type of encounter between them after their earlier conversation about Harrison going down a “dark path.”

I was also surprised that Harrison didn’t find the unusual room service request suspicious, considering everything that Dexter had told him about Prater and Ronald Schmidt. I understand that Harrison was just following his hotel manager’s orders, but it felt like a shortsighted decision both for his character and from a creative standpoint. Uma Thurman is fantastic as the ice-cold Charley in that scene, but Harrison got out of that pickle a bit too conveniently.

I feel like a better version of events may have included Charley holding Elsa hostage to get the information on Dexter she needed. It wouldn’t have taken her long to figure out that Harrison and Elsa were co-workers as well as good friends, and it would have given Elsa a bigger purpose in the series other than Harrison’s failed love interest and the link to the black mold landlord scenario that nearly got Dexter caught in Resurrection episode 8.

Learning Charley’s ex-military backstory and the situation with her mother that brought her to Prater added some much-needed context in Resurrection. It’s a relief that Charley is simply the hired hand and is not actually part of Prater’s sicko club. Batista getting exposed by Detective Wallace for impersonating a cop was the second most tragic scene for his character, but I’m still unsure why he chose to retire before going after Dexter, knowing he’d lose his ability to enforce the law if he had the chance to book him.

Dexter: Resurrection episode 9 ultimately feels like it played it safe during a season that took so many phenomenal risks with the franchise, most of which have paid off. Dexter taking out Prater’s serial killer club one by one was highly entertaining, but once they were gone, it felt like the series wasn’t left with much else to set up a climactic finale. Fortunately, there’s still one episode left to determine Resurrection’s fate. At this point, we could have another New Blood on our hands.

Angel’s Death Was Inevitable But Ultimately Dissatisfying

David Zayas as Angel Batista in Dexter Resurrection, episode 8, season 1 — David Zayas as Angel Batista in Dexter: Resurrection, episode 8, season 1.

The scenes leading up to Angel’s death in Dexter: Resurrection episode 9 failed to achieve the dramatic buildup that a character with his franchise legacy deserves. Batista got stripped of his badge and wound up dead within less than 20 minutes of screen time. His final moments with Dexter didn’t really deliver the emotional punch that I had hoped it would have because everything happened at such a rapid pace that it all felt too heavy-handed.

I’m all for Pulp Fiction references, but the “Stay cool. Stay very cool,” line from Thurman threw me off. It felt too tongue-in-cheek and out of place for such a critical moment in the Dexter franchise. While it’s not a direct quote, it’s impossible not to think of Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules screaming, “Be cool!” in Pulp Fiction, which is one of Thurman’s most iconic movies. Maybe if Charley had said it at another point in the series, it would have landed better, but it was just not the right time for it and ultimately came off as silly.

Things really began to fall apart the moment Dexter freed Batista. For the first time ever, I wished Dexter’s inner monologue had given it a rest during that scene and just let the action play out. The “We were partners once. Maybe we could be partners again.” line was serious overkill on the voiceover.

Batista was also wildly one-dimensional in his final scene, echoing the same words about avenging Doakes and Maria he had been saying all season. This was a real opportunity for him to speak to Dexter personally about betraying his trust and friendship, perhaps with a final line that could have changed Dexter forever.

The Batista death scene was unfortunately anticlimactic and rushed, without much of a buildup or showdown. After all this, we are left with a “Dexter Morgan… f**k you,” and a tearful Dexter before a “Mad World” outro. It works and it’s fine, but after what was one of the best Dexter seasons of all time, I was just hoping for something more thrilling and satisfying. Dexter will likely kill Prater in the finale, and perhaps Batista’s death will inspire Quinn to go after Dex in Dexter: Resurrection season 2, if it doesn’t get “un-renewed” like Original Sin.