S6:E5 Tonight’s Dexter gave us more insight into the dynamic partnership between Professor Gellar and Travis. We learned that Travis is too weak to carry out Professor Gellar’s complete orders and he doesn’t really believe in everything the Professor tells him. Instead, Travis just listens and tries to believe Gellar’s teachings until it comes time to act, which is when his conscience gets the best of him and prevents him from doing anything illegal or harmful to another person. This was also the second episode where Dexter hasn’t killed anyone, and that in itself signifies something drastic is happening this season (even though we may not understand what’s going on right now, we have to assume the writers wouldn’t have Dexter stop killing if they didn’t have a good reason).
“It’s him. It’s the face I’m looking for. That’s how he knew how to create those wings.” – Dexter
This episode took off with Dexter examining the wings from Erin’s crime scene, and finding a trace of glue that had some sort of ancient religious significance. Dexter analyzes its chemical composition and it leads him to learn it is mostly used in artwork restoration. He heads to the local museum and sits down to watch a video about how the facility restores art and while watching the movie, he recognizes Travis as the guy who lingered around the greenhouse where Erin was killed and watched as the locusts flew out into the sky. And after learning last week that Professor Gellar taught art history, Dexter puts together that Gellar must have met Travis at the art institute and made him his accomplice based on his submissive personality.
“I want none of those things, Travis.” – Dexter
As Travis is walking towards his car and gets in, nothing suspect seems to be happening – until we hear that familiar snapping of twine and the smack it makes once Dexter flings it across Travis’s neck. And we’re overjoyed because we haven’t watched Dexter kill anyone in almost two weeks and so this situation looks pretty promising! But after Travis explains that Gellar is the one who actually hears God and that he just follows Gellar’s instructions, Dexter realizes Gellar is using Travis because he has a personality that is very easy to manipulate. Travis even says he’s saddened by how God speaks to Gellar instead of him, and this is when Dexter releases his grip and lets Travis out of the car – but not before encouraging him to seek spiritual guidance from someone else. And as he’s walking home, it was surprising to watch Travis call up the Professor and say that he isn’t really feeling well and that he is going to have to go home and rest instead of meeting up with him to continue their planning. Gellar replies that he hoped Travis wasn’t getting scared of the word of God, and reminds him of someone else who feared God’s command and how he ended up dead. Travis promises that’s not what’s happening and hangs up. The episode SHOCKINGLY closes with someone walking into Brother Sam’s auto body shop and shooting him.
After last week’s episode, I was disappointed Dexter didn’t kill anyone. I believed his character wouldn’t just stop killing because he had a kid in the hospital. But then I realized two things: one, that Dexter had never been in the position where he cared about someone’s well-being more than satiating his habit, and two, that the writers must have a pretty good reason for Dexter not killing anyone. And then when this episode ended without Dexter adding to his blood slide inventory, I realized that it’s probably in my best interest to stop harping on the fact that Dexter isn’t killing anyone and trust that the producers are working on something that will make everything worth it. But I’m going to be very disappointed if nothing significant comes of this, because it will mean the showrunners take us all for fools.
