Going into this week’s ‘Dexter’, all I can think to myself is “There are only 2 episodes left this season!” I can’t believe how fast this season has gone with its intensity, which rivals that of Season 4 with John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer.

I have never hid my deep love for Dexter, as the person and the show as a whole. The development and growth have just been phenomenal, and this season hasn’t backed down at all. With only 2 seasons following this one, I’ll be sad to see this show end. That being said, I am so excited and nervous for these next two episodes. ‘Dexter’ is known for its intensity in the final episodes of the seasons, and I don’t think this season will disappoint.

This week’s episode begins with Dexter arriving at the crime scene where he made the anonymous call. The body of Holly is discovered, along with Steve. Dexter concludes that Steve must have been another sacrifice, like Holly, in Travis’ quest for a new world. Deb calls Quinn to find out he’s not with Angel. Quinn figures out how badly he messed up, and flies towards Steve’s home. Deb calls Homeland Security with the possible terrorist threat of Wormwood. Deb also talks to Dexter about Matthews, who tells her to put that on the back burner and focus on The Doomsday Killer.

Back in Steve’s home, Travis has tied up Angel and tells him to start praying to God, and that he better do it fast. He leaves the room to talk to Beth. He assures her that her coming into his life was no accident, and that where she is going is in a special place in Heaven for those who do God’s will. He is jealous because she will see it before he does. He then sets her up with a suicide bomb of Wormwood. Beth goes to Miami Metro Homicide with Angel’s keycard and by passes the security. Afterwards, she calls Travis, who tells her she needs to specifically talk to Deb, because she is the one who is leading the investigation against them. While Beth is there, Travis goes to kill Angel, who stalls him by saying he wants to pray. Before Travis can shoot him though, Quinn interrupts him by breaking in. Since Travis didn’t shoot him, he tries to set Angel on fire before running out of the house. Travis gets away, but Angel is safe. Beth waits for Deb, who is still at the crime scene in Miami Metro.

Deb returns from the crime scene and is told about Beth and Wormwood. While that is happening, Dexter is researching Steve on the internet and comes across pictures of Beth. He sees Deb walking Beth into an interrogation room, and pulls her out of harms way as Beth sets off Wormwood. He locks Beth in the interrogation room while Deb evacuates the building. Beth dies violently, and Dexter does inhale some of the poison. The paramedic tells him to go the ER, and that he is going to have nosebleeds and dizzyness for a while as side effects.  Dexter calls Jamie to watch Harrison, and he sets them up in a fancy hotel, saying that he’ll be needing to stay in the hospital for observation. Jamie reminds him that he needs to pick an animal for Harrison to be in the school’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ play, and he decides that King of the Beasts, the Lion, would be the best one for him. After Jamie and Harrison are out of earshot, Dexter talks to Harry about letting the Dark Passenger take over and bring Travis to him.

Travis watches the news and finds out that Beth was the only one to die. “It must be what God wanted. It’s up to me now. My time has come. I must pass the test.”

Deb confronts Matthews about the dead call girl, Jessica. Matthew opens up to Deb, telling her that the loneliness after his wife passed was too much to bear and that is where Jessica came in. He begs Deb to not let anyone else in, and Deb decides to close the case as an accidental overdose.

Back in homicide, the detectives are upset that Homeland Security has taken over the Doomsday Killer case. Angel tells off Quinn, saying that he’s grateful that he saved his life but he can’t have a partner he can’t trust. Deb goes to see her therapist, who infers that Deb has deeper feelings for Dexter than just brother and sister bonding. Deb gets upset, and walks out on her.  Dexter goes to retrieve Professor Geller’s hand from the morgue and Louis tries to stop him. Dexter blows him off again, and Louis is next seen tracing patterns onto the Ice Truck Killer’s hand and mailing it to Dexter. To lure out Travis, Dexter defaces an angel fountain, leaving Geller’s severed hand on top. He then texts a video of himself to Travis, stating the beast is waiting, with a clear view of his boat in the shot. Travis repaints the final tableau to have Dexter’s face as the “beast” or Satan.

Deb returns to her office to see Matthews waiting for her. He goes off on her, telling her that he’s being forced to retire because she wouldn’t leave the case alone. He says her father would be disappointed in her. After he leaves, Angel and Quinn come in. Deb is happy to report that Homicide has the Doomsday Killer case back, but is disappointed to find out their behavior on the case so far. She then finds LaGuerta and goes off on her for stabbing Matthews in the back. LaGuerta says that its all politics, and she has to listen to her or she will find a lieutenant who will. That night, Deb vents to Dexter about everything going on, and she flirts with him, watches his mouth and his hands, she kisses him, and then wakes up from the dream.

Dexter waits for Travis next to his boat, and has set up a kill room in the boat next to his. Right before he goes in to drug Travis, the side effects from Wormwood take hold, and Travis winds up drugging Dexter instead. Dexter wakes up on a boat filled with tanks of gasoline and tied up. He looks to see Travis in his boat, emptying cans of gasoline into the water. He tells Dexter that he is going to burn in the hellfire for what he has done, and Travis himself will ascend into Heaven for creating the new world. He lights a flare and tosses it into the water, which sets the water aflame and the boat that Dexter was tied to explodes. We do see Dexter swimming out from underneath the fire. He wonders how he had gotten so lost.

This week’s episode was really intense. I was kind of let down they didn’t let the episode end in a cliffhanger, like how did Dexter get off the boat, but with the previews for next week I’m not too upset about it. I don’t know if I can say it enough, but I love Travis as the “Big Bad” this season. I think he is just absolutely phenomenal and creepy. Just everything that you want in a Big Bad.

What are you looking forward to most with the season finale? Did you watch the previews to see what may happen? What do you think of Travis?

If you missed the previous episode, be sure to read our ‘Dexter: Ricochet Rabbit’ recap.