Dexter: Original Sin Episode 4 Review

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dexter: Original Sin episode 4.

Dexter: Original SinEpisode 4, “Fender Bender,” finds Dexter making his first fatal mistake, resulting in the prequel series' biggest cliffhanger ending. After a split Dexter: Original Sin premiere and a tremendously vintage double-episode release just in time for Christmas, the fourth of December Dexter: Original episodes continues to make impressive and entertaining strides for the series. With his first two kills under his belt, Dexter targets a former assassin named Mad-Dog..

Episode 4 also builds on Debra's season-long narrative as one of the most popular volleyball athletes at her school. Although her conflicts are much more mundane and less violent than the secrets her brother and father, Harry Morgan, keep hidden, Debra's attempts to get drugs to impress her friends and snub the bad girl feel like classic high school stunts taken straight of the film. The Breakfast Club and Uninformed.

Additionally, the ongoing flashback narrative of "how Harry met Laura" remains intriguing and it's tightly intertwined with the match cuts for lighting cigarettes and making Harry's peanut butter sandwiches. Brittany Allen's Laura helps put a face to the myth of her tragic character while explaining more about Harry's role in her eventual death, which has yet to occur in the Original sin flashbacks.

An anxious Dexter makes his first rookie mistake while the main killer looms in the background

Original Sin found a refreshing, nostalgic tone rooted in the merits of the original series

Original sin episode 4 extends episode 3's big momentum after Dexter kills his second killer, Tony Ferrer. The series has really started to feel like a “season 0” of the celebrated original, which is further evidenced by Dexter’s dynamic with his third target, a former assassin named Mad Dog (played by legendary actor Joe Pantoliano of Memory and The Sopranos acclaim).

Just like Ferrer, Dexter uses his newly acquired Miami Metro PD resources and performs some B&E to prove your suspect is guilty. Before he begins, however, he needs Harry's firm approval. Mad Dog doesn't spend much screen time before he suffers a gruesome death, being hit by a car after running away from Dexter during his pre-kill ritual.

While it would have been interesting to see Dexter pick Mad Dog's brain (figuratively speaking), the shocking twist of him being killed makes for a much more intriguing premise for Dexter. His first two deaths were relatively uneventful compared to this catastrophe in the making. Young Dexter may even need to ask Harry for help to cover his Mad Dog tracks given his age, inexperience, and the fact that the franchise actually has a full-featured Harry for the first time.

Episode 4 Shows Original Sin's Supporting Cast Is Standing Out

Harry is gradually becoming the most attractive character in the series

As much as Original sin is obviously a Dexter origin story, it's also the franchise's first deep dive into Harry Morgan's story as a Miami-area homicide detective and the struggling father of an undercover serial killer. All things considered, Harry seems to be holding his own for four episodes now, but certain realities of Dexter's "impulses" are clearly bothering him beneath the surface. Slater's expert portrayal of Harry as a serious man who is quietly bursting at the seams makes him as fascinating to watch as Dexter.

Based on Dexter tradition, there is a high chance that certain newcomers in Original sin will not be around for long, especially Harry, who dies by suicide hidden from heart failure. In fact, this foreknowledge makes Slater's performance all the more moving as the small cracks that emerge are well-defined hints that are key to his eventual tragic end.. Meanwhile, Debra enjoys being a reckless teenager and doing what she does best – stressing out Harry – which could set the stage for her next decision to join Miami Metro like him and his brother.

At this point, Batista and Masuka are mostly dull and somewhat restricted by their tropes. It appears that Phillips and the Original sin the writers are treading lightly around these characters for now and handing more of the spotlight to the sensational Gibson, who looks and sounds more and more like Hall's Dexter by the minute.

On the other hand, Christina Millian's solo introduction as Maria LaGuerta in Original sin episode 3 was more than deserved. She steals instant scenes and arguably delivers the best performance of any returning original cast member.

Episode highlights include Dexter's impromptu homicide reenactment using ketchup and "Tanya's melons" for LaGuertaas well as Harry giving the boy Dexter an important life lesson about death in a flashback scene. Patrick Dempsey's captain, Aaron Spencer, stirs the pot when his wife arrives on the Miami subway to berate him for being a father, which Dexter certainly notices. That might be something to keep in mind as the hunt for Judge Powell's son's killer continues.