The third episode here finally is getting into the meat of Dexter. Handsome Tony is the type of bad guy that is destined to be the type of body the Bay Harbor Butcher fills the bay with.

A man who preys on the community he lives in, and after putting them in financial jeopardy, he puts them in physical jeopardy as well. A random death caused by Tony sets Dexter on his trail.

And we all know that when Dexter gets started, it spells doom for the bad guy. Well, at least future Dexter always gets them. And young Dexter manages to as well, even if he isn’t as refined yet.

Dexter sets up a meeting with Handsome Tony and starts the journey of debt, making sure to flaunt his inability to repay. A calculated move in order to get Tony to put a bullet in a tree. A bullet Dexter then pulls to compare ballistics. This was cool, because we see Dexter getting into the mind of a killer and knowing what he will do, and we see him learning more and more about police work. A skill he needs to expand in order to do what he does best. Sorry Wolverine, Dexter one ups you.

There is an issue I have with his kill room in this episode though. Using the auditorium where he met Tony is dumb. Yes, it was a bit cinematic letting Dexter play with the Jai Alai equipment. But it would 100% draw attention to the site, and most likely would have resulted in a police visit.

But the big thing here is meeting LaGuerta. She comes into Miami Metro ready to burn down the world. Or at least that’s how the “boys club” sees her presence. Granted, she came in with a chip on her shoulder, but that chip stayed there until she died in season 7. (Spoiler alert.) Captain Spencer doesn’t like her being in his precinct and tasks Harry with keeping an eye on her.

Patrick Dempsey as Captain Spencer and Sarah Michelle Geller as Tanya Martin are the two primary new characters. Being an unintended prequel series, it is understandable that their roles weren’t mentioned in the main show. But it seems odd that Martin was never mentioned. Her role is absolutely one of being a mentor to Dexter. She is in charge of forensics over Masuka and now Dexter. Both of these roles are ones we know we will only get to see for a short while, because they are both gone significantly before the main show starts. But of the two of them, I like Gellar’s Martin better. She feels more invested in her role. Dempsey is playing a rather straight forward role. Not that he isn’t good, but we know what to expect from him. Gellar makes much more of her role so far. She is genuinely taking an active role in teaching Dexter. Willing to make an effort for the betterment of the individual in Dexter and the long term of the Miami Metro force.

It is interesting to see Dexter feeding the deceased parts to alligators. An idea that is well thought out. As long as the alligators do their part. Which I am guessing becomes an issue as season one progresses.

Would it surprise you to see me giving this 9 stars? I think it is amazing, as they all are. But the kill site for Tony bothered me enough to knock it down a star.