@Roz:
Man I was wondering when you were gonna respond to this thread again. I've already obtained and watched the last episodes of the season and have been itching to discuss it.
I'll wait for your impressions before I give anything away.
I got sidetracked heavily last week so I apologize for false pretenses. I've wanted to discuss this too as the last two episodes kicked ass.
Anywho…
! I knew it would end with Dexter framing Doakes. A shame that such a great character had to get offed in such a way. When Doakes and Dexter were talking in the cell, throughout that time, I had to wonder if Doakes had been in this situation before because he was doing a good job of rattling Dexter. At the same time I think the writers give Dexter a little too much leeway in his physical confrontations with Doakes. Doakes is, afterall, a killer trained by the US military who probably has a good fourty+ pounds on Dexter.
! As soon as Lila entered the cabin I knew this wasn't going to end well, and hoped every second that Doakes would somehow escape. Alas, was not to be. I did feel a little twinge in my heart as Masuka examined his remaines, and I finally realized, 'Yep, he's dead.'
! Which brings us to the bitch that offed him, Lila. For a moment I thought she wouldn't get what was coming to her. Thankfully near the end Dexter played her like a fiddle and made sure she got her comeuppance. This character was a lot more tolerable as an antagonist rather than a companion for Dexter though.
! In reality though, she doesn't come close to Brian and since Dexter's two antagonists both bit it, I have to wonder what the new ones will be like. The thing I didn't like though was the whole 'Angel raped me' lie. There's a huge flaw in that story that Angel was the one to call for the ambulance.
! Speaking of Angel, he's a solid addition to the show. There's not too much nor too little of him which keeps the character interesting. I hope we keep seeing more of him in the third season (which Showtime has renewed for).
! Looks like Lundy's out the door as well which is too bad. I always liked how he could be friendly and cool one minute yet really drop down the hammer when he wanted to. I'm surprised he doesn't investigate further given the few pieces of evidence that contradict Doakes' verdict. In any case I'd like to see more of him, but then again Debra needs the space to grow on her own. She's regained her life, and now she needs to keep growing as a character without Lundy's support.
! Glad to see Dexter back with Rita and the kids. Him interacting with them is always a cute aspect of an otherwise dark show. Now that they're together, probably permanently, I wonder when Dexter is going to propose to Rita.
! LaGuerta showed signs of becoming unhinged that may move to the next season. With Doakes weighing heavy on her mind I wonder if Captain Matthews is going to start looking for possible replacements.
! And what of Dexter? He's lost two antagonists, reclaimed his lost love, and formulated his own code that keeps him a serial killer. That's good, because mid-season I thought he might lose that part of himself. Still, that revelation about Harry must have hit pretty hard and really affirms his own belief that he is a monster. I actually thought he got over it kind of quick since Harry was such a rock in his psyche, but I guess he can't dwell on it forever.
! Good to see he's still thorough too, chasing Lila all the way to Europe to ensure her demise. Finally, in that last scene of him frolicking with Rita and the kids I thought, all that's missing is a dog in the background for the picturesque American Dream.
! Which brings us to what to do with Season 3? Doakes is going to leave a BIG hole to fill without Dexter having a rival/antagonist to keep him on his toes. In any case, here's some things I would like to see:
! -Revelation that the children have serial killer tendencies
! Like Roz mentioned before, this is an aspect of the book that would make the episodes much more interesting. Seeing how Dexter would handle a mini-version of himself given the revelations about Harry would be interesting. It would also lead to an engagement with Rita and seeing how married life affects Dexter may be pretty funny.
! -Deb's advancement into Police Lieutenant
! I think this is the next step for Debra. She's never had to deal with the internal politics of being top brass, and it may be pretty sobering for her. LaGuerta's going to be on thin ice with Matthews, and he's probably already scouting a replacement. Seeing the heat reform between the two of them would keep them both occupied when not dealing with the criminal element.
! -Wunderkind Killer
! Though Brian comes pretty close, we've yet to see anyone completely outsmart and stay one step ahead of Dexter. Lila never really struck me as dangerous as Doakes or Brian, and Doakes is no more. This leaves the hole for a new antagonist to step in, perhaps a Da Vinci amongst killers attracted to the Bay Harbor Butcher's stomping grounds. It would be interesting to see how Dexter handles someone who is able to parry him effortlessly and attack him from different angles. That game of cat and mouse whether it was between Dexter/Brian or Dexter/MPD is really what makes the show great. Having Dexter fight someone who is his clear superior might spice things up.
! Or another route that the writers could take…
! -Bay Harbor Backlash
! Letting it be known that the Bay Harbor Butcher only attacked criminals to the public is asking for copy-cat killers to pop up administering their own sense of justice. We saw a the tip of what could be a potential iceburg this season. Think of a group of intelligent people with connections and resources doling out justice in Miami as they saw fit. This could easily fill the antagonist gap with Dexter having to infiltrate and hunt each member one by one, getting deeper and closer to stepping out the shadows with each hunt.
! Anyway, I think that Season 2, while not as good as Season 1, explored a lot of interesting details about Dexter and his past. I'm glad at this point that they didn't follow the book as Dexter Season 2 was far superior to it and left open for a lot of possibilites. Looking forward to the next season whenever it comes out.