WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dexter: Original Sin episode 7.
Following a brief hiatus,Dexter: Original Sinepisode 7, “The Big Bad Body Problem,” returns to drop a major villain twist that may divide audiences. After the confirmation that theIce Truck Killer Brian Moserwas keeping tabs on Dexter inDexter: Original Sinepisode 6, episode 7 reveals an even bigger plot twist: Captain Aaron Spencer, played by an otherwise charming Patrick Dempsey, is the series' main villain and Jimmy Powell’s murderer.
Dexter makes quick work of the episode 6 cliffhanger, pulling out his handy-dandy Miami Metro credentials to justify his presence at the active crime scene of Tony Ferrer. While Dexter’s tactics in episode 7 are a bit amateurish, such as dumpingLevi Reed’sbody into a public dumpster in broad daylight, the series still remains compelling and mostly imaginative.
Dexter: Original Sin
Cast
Dexter: Original Sin explores Dexter Morgan’s early years in 1991 Miami as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. Guided by his father, Harry, Dexter crafts a moral code and navigates a forensics internship at Miami Metro Police, all while controlling his darker impulses.
Episode 7 also features a hefty chunk ofHarry and Laura’s backstory and the introduction of another keyDexterkiller, the notorious Hector Estrada. Deb continues to bump heads with a high school rival and volleyball teammate but goes too far and gets kicked off the team. She also sticks up for her brother for the first time but loses her closest friend Sofia in the process.
Image via Paramount+
While luck has historically been on Dexter’s side, it arrives a bit too easily in episode 7. He sits back and does nothing as his new girlfriend Sofia switches moods from mad to sympathetic to enraged in a matter of minutes. He convinces Angel not to look into Tony Ferrer’s murder just through a simple manipulative redirection to find Jimmy Powell’s killer instead.
While it’s fun watching Dexter stumble through his origin story, episode 7 feels like he’s let off the hook too frequently.
Later, Dexter even probes a room full of cops about how they would hide a body a day after covertly feeding Ferrer’s arm to an alligator. All this reads as quite suspicious and allows Dexter to play with fire a bit too recklessly, especially considering the recent close call with Mad-Dog in episode 4. While it’s fun watching Dexter stumble through his origin story, episode 7 feels like he’s let off the hook too frequently.
Dexter’s conveniences also roll over into the episode’s big Aaron Spencer reveal. Tanya applauds Dexter for noticing the obvious spot of blood on the outside of the box containing Nicky Spencer’s severed finger. Dexter notices a “hesitation cut” that he interprets as an indication of familiarity between the kidnapper and Nicky, which is a clever reach. The breadcrumb-following plot in episode 7 moves along very swiftly. However, it does well to balance the various subplots, including Laura’s first encounter with her eventual killer and Deb throwing away her future at Florida State.
Aaron Spencer showed early signs that he could turn out to be the main villain inOriginal Sinseason 1. For starters, he was the only character connected to Judge Powell and had demonstrated his short fuse when it came to his relationship with his ex-wife, Becca. Every new character inOriginal Sinis also expected to make an exit at some point, which made him a natural suspect before the premiere even aired.
The reveal that Spencer killed Jimmy Powell and then kidnapped and dismembered his teenage son is not as shocking as the series presents it to be. Spencer’s line of questioning throughout episode 7 is a bit too direct, asking “That’s it? There’s nothing else?” after Tanya completes her blood analysis. It’s quite clear at that point he’s checking to see if he’s been exposed. His multiple bulletin board meetings about Jimmy and Nicky also felt performative and a bit too on the nose, which prematurely spelled things out to us.
It will be interesting to see whether Dexter will intervene and frame Aaron’s potential death as a murder or accident to preserve the integrity of Miami Metro.
Now that it’s certain Aaron is the main kidnapper and murderer, his motive remains the biggest mystery about his character, along with what Dexter plans to do about him. News of a police captain turned murderer would leave a stain on Miami Metro for life. It will be interesting to see from this point forward whether Dexter will intervene and frame Aaron’s potential death as a murder or even an accident to preserve the integrity of Miami Metro.
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Dexter: Original Sinstill has a lot to wrap up before its mid-February finale. Something has to be revealed about Gio, whose “white knighting” will likely lead toromantic destruction for Deb. The Ice Truck Killer’s cameo could end up only serving as an Easter egg since it would be a massive retcon if he was on Dexter’s radar in the prequel. Several character deaths, including Harry, Laura, and Bobby, are expected as well, which could mean that Dexter may take care of Spencer in episode 8, “Business and Pleasure.”
