This season, Dexter is evolving as a human with faith. In previous seasons we have watched him discover humanity, love, even friendship.  In each episode we have gone through different themes; growing older, getting over loss, free will and so on. Last week, Brian returned as the ghost that was guiding Dexter through Nebraska, egging him to feed his Dark Passenger, to kill Jonah when Dexter believed he was trying to moonlight as the Trinity Killer. Eventually, Dexter’s light shone and he ran over Brian and left Jonah to deal with his loss, and Harry returned as the conscience that Dexter needs. If you missed it last week, you can check out my full recap of ‘Dexter: Nebraska‘.

This week, the theme is Trust. The episode begins with Dexter musing about how kids trust everybody. They trust the food they are given to them, to be lead, to know they are safe. Adults are not the same in this, and after Dexter blew off Deb last week he felt the need to apologize and brings her coffee and donuts. Dexter doesn’t tell her any full truths on where he went and what happened, but Deb still forgives him and begins to tell him what went on while he was gone. The Homicide team has realized that there is a person working with Professor Gellar, but they don’t have a name yet. Dexter knows that he has to get Travis to trust him before the police gets to him. He tells Deb that he’s going to be late going into work, explaining that it was Brother Sam’s funeral. Deb, in her true fashion replied “Fucking funerals and donuts, you’re really good.”

Travis is cooking breakfast for his sister and taking out the garbage when Professor Gellar shows up. Travis told him that he was let go, that he was freed but Gellar continues to try and convince him, the ending being that with Travis not returning, Lisa will be the new “Whore of Babylon.” Angered, Travis tells him to leave, and then tries to convince his sister that they need to go away for a few days, to Disneyland. She says she has to wait until she’s on break which would be in a few weeks. Frustrated, he brings the food to the table, and Lisa looks on, confused and concerned.

At Brother Sam’s funeral, one of his followers reads Psalm 23 before sprinkling his ashes in the lake that Sam baptized people in, including Nick. He tells Dexter to hang back a minute, and gives him Brother Sam’s Bible, which is bloody. He said that Brother Sam always kept it close, including when he got shot, which explains the blood. Dexter thinks about if Brother Sam changed him as he goes to visit Travis at the museum. Dexter continues to try and convince Travis to tell him where Gellar is, which Travis continues to refuse to do. He tells Dexter that he thought he was doing the right thing, and that he just wants to be left alone. Dexter muses that Gellar is Travis’ Dark Passenger, but unlike his own, Travis’ Dark Passenger walks, talks, and is able to be killed.

On a crime scene, everyone is about to brush off the case as an accidental overdose when Dexter notices the blood pattern. Someone had rolled the victim over and tried to revive her, only breaking her rib and causing her to bleed out more. The person then cleaned up the scene and left. LaGuerta surprisingly shows up to the scene, and is happy to see that people are still saying overdose. LaGuerta confronts Deb in the bathroom, stating that the case can be closed because someone sent her the report and said it was an overdose. Deb, suspicious, tells Dexter to put a rush on his blood spatter analysis, and comes to the same conclusion that he had in the hotel room. Deb tells LaGuerta, who tells her to close the case as an accidental overdose. She explains that the hearing didn’t go well for either of them, and she’s just trying to cover their butts. After Debra leaves, LaGuerta calls someone and tells them that the case is closed, and what they did is covered.

To try and get Travis to trust him, Dexter studies Brother Sam’s Bible. He publicly confronts Travis at a diner, and Travis tells him that Gellar is going after his sister, and will do anything to protect her. Dexter tells him that Gellar is the dark side, and that if Travis can tell him where Gellar is, he won’t get the police involved and the Professor will disappear. Travis tells him that he wants to get his sister away for a few days, and after that is done he will do whatever Dexter says. While this is going on, Deb sees Lisa about Travis, and questions her a little. Lisa, after explaining that Travis wasn’t home, is given Debra’s business card to call her when Travis gets in. While getting in her car, Travis rides his bike past Deb, seeing her gun. Travis waits at the school for Lisa, but before she arrives, Gellar knocks him out.

Deb finds out that Dexter lied to her about where he went for those five days that he was gone and flips out on him. She is angered and insulted that Dexter wouldn’t talk to her about things that are happening (Brother Sam’s death, return of Trinity and so on) and even worse that he lied to her about it. Dexter explains that he didn’t think that she would get it, and she says that she lost Lundy to Trinity too. Before they could continue their conversation, Masuka tells them that the DDK has struck again.

On the playground, covered in drapes, the Whore of Babylon has appeared. When they remove the mask, they see that it is Lisa, Travis Marshall’s sister. Deb automatically thinks that Travis did it, and puts out a search for him. Safety pinned to Lisa’s body is Deb’s card, which makes her think that she’s the cause of why Lisa is there. Dexter finds a loose tag on the side of one of the curtains, and takes it before going to find Travis.

Travis wakes up chained to the floor in the church that he and Gellar had worked out of. Gellar tells him that he wants to cleanse Travis’ soul, and that his sister was put as the Whore of Babylon. Gellar says that its because she talked to the police and she betrayed him, just like the Whore did, but because she was a part of the killings her soul is cleansed and she will be in Heaven. Travis struggles to free himself.

Before they leave for the day, Deb tries to get Dexter to go out to dinner with her. Dexter refuses, saying he wants to spend some time with Harrison, so Deb calls her therapist. The therapist calls her out on her selfishness in talking to Dexter, and Deb tries to make up for it by going to Dexter’s apartment anyway. Dexter explains to her that something came up and that he can’t do this tonight, and Deb returns to her anger.

The tag on the robe was for a Father Galway, whom Dexter goes to see. He has dementia, and doesn’t remember anybody, but convinces Dexter to give confession anyway. Dexter tells him that exceeded speed limits, lied to his sister, and finally tells him that he killed a lot of people, and looks relieved in telling him this. Father tells him that murder is a mortal sin, but absolves Dexter anyway.  The friendly nun tells Dexter of his former church, and also that it is abandoned. Dexter races to find Travis at the abandoned church.

The Professor tells Travis that he doesn’t want to hurt him, and Travis retorts that he thinks he likes to watch people suffer. Gellar burns him to cleanse him of his sins, but before he can continue he hears Dexter’s car door close. Gellar tells Travis to be quiet, and goes off to find Dexter. Dexter sneaks in, and sees Travis chained to the floor. Speaking to him briefly, Travis tells him that he will help kill the Professor. Dexter follows Travis’ eyeline and possibly sees Gellar watching over the balcony. Dexter realizes that the Professor would have seen him, and goes to chase after him.

This episode was incredibly intense. I was on the edge of my seat all during the last 10 minutes, barely able to write notes down. I am really impressed with the Professor and Travis storyline, and I really enjoy how Travis is trying to atone for not knowing what he was doing was wrong. I like Dexter exploring his faith. This season has just been top notch. I think knowing that there are only two seasons after this, it can only get better. Did you miss that announcement? You can read about it here.

There is a only a few episodes left this season, what are your predictions? What do you think of Gellar and Travis? What about Dexter’s relationship with Brother Sam and how it changed him?