6.8 Sin of Omission But back to Sin Of Omission, where Dexter tries to bring Travis back towards the light, even if he’s not entirely sure which direction that might be. The best aspects of this episode are a series of critical character meetings, which are neatly staged. The one that really stood out was the cameo by veteran British actor William Morgan Sheppard, who delivered a very memorable Father Galway. At its heart, this scene was all about the power of confession, and how Dexter gains absolution from a man who can’t recall he’s talking to a murderer even before Dexter has left his side. It was powerful stuff, and I also really enjoyed the opening salvo in a sub-plot that has Debra about to join the dots on her brother’s real pastime. The writers still hate La Guerta, and now they’ve made her an accessory to a potential homicide, as if that annoyed pout that she wears wasn’t bad enough. What’s the possibility that the other person present at the death of that prostitute was her boss? Joey is an idiot, it’s confirmed. I’ve watched the ending multiple times, and at no point does Dexter actually see or hear Gellar. He heads to the back of the church quickly, but a man at least 20 years his senior manages to move fast enough to get though a small window, climb down the church and escape down a path so as not to be seen. That would suggest he wasn’t there at all, but then, that’s the game we’re playing. I’ve come to the conclusion that the writers have fallen in love with that really eerie scene in the original Halloween, where the killer is seen down a pathway from the road, and then appears a block away at a junction in a very supernatural way. A great scene, in a marvellous movie, but what’s that got to do with Dexter? I think Gellar is dead, probably encased somewhere in the church, which is an expensive set that will get reused for the dramatic reveal of Travis’ Bates Motel moment. Accurate or not, I just hope they don’t try to keep this going until the 12th episode, because some viewers will shoot the TV at that point in frustration. I’m hoping that I’m going to be shocked by the Gellar revelation when we finally get it, but I’ve put aside a huge groan on the basis that it seems more likely I’ll need it. Read our review of episode seven, Nebraska, here.
