Rule #1: Never kill an innocent person.
Rule #2: Never get caught.
While Dexter has made mistakes in the past, the one he made this episode is quite different. Why exactly? Because the Wayne Randall case should have given Dexter a glimpse of what his life would become if he made another major mistake—one like releasing a known killer once his true identity had been exposed. (Think back to the death of Rita and how that has changed his decision-making). Dexter has survived by evolving, and this lapse in judgment with Hannah could seep into his life and affect those closest to him—like Debra and Harrison.
Hannah McKay isn’t innocent, so why exactly did Dexter let her live? Was it because she was visibly unaffected from being on Dexter’s table? Part of the thrill for Dexter is having control of the individuals on his kill-table, and watching them squirm in their final moments. Hannah was fearless and provided no struggle to feed Dexter’s Dark Passenger. Perhaps his decision to free her was based simply on physical attraction? Plus, her clothes were off already. Er, I mean, these two have been tangled up in weirdness from the very first moment they met. Regardless of Dexter’s reasoning, he’s letting his guard down with the scandalous Hannah McKay, breaking Harry’s Code and inviting a toxic force into his life.
What makes the Hannah situation even more complicated is the introduction of crime writer Sal Price. He’s working on a follow-up book about the Wayne Randall killing spree that points to Hannah as a serial killer. Adding complexity to an already convoluted situation, Sal asks Debra out on a date, which is sure to bring a legal angle to the Hannah storyline. It doesn’t take long for Sal to experience Deb’s trucker-mouth and for Debra to prod Sal for the evidence he claims he has. Sal points out that Dexter’s blood reports were incorrect and that Hannah McKay killed at least one individual during the killing spree. Not only will this immediately force attention onto Hannah McKay, Deb will now place Dexter under the microscope to find out why he fudged the blood reports.
Letting Hannah McKay live feels much like letting the Trinity Killer escape the first time Dexter had a chance to kill him. Hannah is a wildcard in Dexter’s life, and there’s no telling what she would do in order to keep herself out of prison when the “wheels fall off.”
Things to keep an eye on:
-It appears that Joey Quinn is willing to destroy evidence (and possibly his career) in order to help the Koshka Brotherhood get Isaak out of prison. Oh, yeah, the Brotherhood agrees to release his stripper girlfriend from their stranglehold in exchange for his help. The only interesting part of this story is Isaak.
-Will Batista retire from the Miami Metro?