Popping Cherry

The very first episode already made clear "Dexter" definitely wouldn't become the greatest show on television ever, but at least it had several things going for it. Michael C. Hall is a terrific actor, there was a lot of blood and gory set-pieces and it had cynical humor and a seemingly fascinating ongoing search for a serial killer that drains all the blood from his victims' bodies. In between all his forensics work, supporting his cop-sister and upholding appearances with a divorced mother of two, Dexter found the time to personally go after criminals that somehow escaped their legal punishment. "Popping Cherry" is only the third episode, but all the aforementioned good stuff has already vanished. This episode represents 50 minutes of sheer dullness, as all Dexter and his colleagues do is talk, talk and talk. The Ice Truck Killer made a new victim and proudly exhibits her bloodless leftovers in the Miami ice hockey stadium. Debra's supervisors think they found a suspect in the sport dome's night watchman but they're wrong. Meanwhile, Dexter – suffering from long & tedious flashbacks as always – observes a youthful criminal who's released from prison but will kill again. There are no blood analyzes in this installment, no pitch-black jokes or witty remarks and no action! It was boring and the main story lines feel like they're stretched needlessly, because there's nothing else to tell. I hope the show will get better again really fast, otherwise I'm giving up.

This very enjoyable episode of the series gives us even more insight into the character of Dexter, showing us more scenes from his past. Michael C. Hall is as engaging as ever, and the rest of the cast is equally fun to watch. The ice cream truck killer is still at large and has left their latest victim propped up in the net at a hockey arena. After looking at the security camera footage, the cops think that they've got their man but Debra isn't convinced. One of her old acquaintances from her days of working vice offers a lead, which she aggressively pursues. Meanwhile, poor Rita has to deal with the mess left by her ex-husband and has her car taken away by a criminal associate as payment for an old deal. Doakes is set up by his fellow officers to take a fall. And Dexter moves on to his latest target, a kid who'd killed years ago and is now out on probation. What happens when Dexter finds out the truth about the kid is just one nifty moment in 'Popping Cherry'. We see a flashback with Dexter and Debra interacting with foster father Harry who believes that he's uncovered a human monster, a person who would make the ideal first human victim for Dexter. It's nice to see guest star Denise Crosby in this chilling role. Dexter, naturally, is a little sloppy at the beginning of his murder spree, so it's cool and interesting to see some of his humble beginnings. There's not that much overt violence in this episode, which may disappoint some viewers; it's all about developing the characters and the story here. There is some raunchy humour, as Detective Batista and Masuka explain the aspect of sex "bronco" style. All in all, things move along very well here.

That haircut on Dexter is actually so funny and they cut back to it so many times it made me burst out laughing everytime I saw it cause look at his dumb face in it. This is a pretty good episode with some exceptions like I do not really get Laguerta at all as a character but maybe shell be explained more.

When pieces of the body of a woman is found in a hokey rink in Miami, Debra recognizes the victim as Cherry, an acquaintance while she worked undercover as prostitute. During her investigation with the other whore, she discovers that the last client of Cherry was driving an old station wagon. However, the ambitious Lt. Laguerta assigns the entire department to seek out the security guard believing that he could be the serial killer. Meanwhile a drug-dealer takes Rita's car to pay the debts of her former husband. Dexter recalls his first victim, a nurse that was poisoning his sick stepfather, while he chases a teenager under probation. A group of vigilantes decide to make justice against the drug lord Carlos Guerrero and frame Sergeant Doakes.

This third episode offers a good development of the plot with the mysterious serial-killer and develops the lead character a little bit more. I expected that Dexter retrieved Rita's car killing the scum that steal it; however, his recollections about his first murder with the participation of Denise Crosby is great. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Abuso" ("Abuse")

Ep 3 "Popping Cherry" delivers admirably on multiple fronts. It cleverly shifts focus to Dexter's teaching role whilst maintaining that delicious tension with Doakes lurking about like a particularly astute bloodhound.

Hall's performance reaches new heights as Dexter attempts to mentor a fellow killer - the dynamic is absolutely fascinating. Watching our meticulous psychopath try to impart his "code" to someone else reveals layers of character development that shouldn't work but absolutely does. There's genuine pride in Hall's delivery when Dexter explains his methods, mixed with growing frustration as his protégé proves rather less disciplined than expected.

The episode's structure is particularly clever - using the mentorship angle to explore Dexter's own origins without resorting to tedious flashbacks. We learn about Harry's influence organically through Dexter's teaching, which feels infinitely more sophisticated than standard exposition dumps. The writing continues to impress with its restraint.

What's striking is how the show refuses to romanticise Dexter's world. Just when you're getting comfortable with his moral framework, the episode delivers stark reminders that his "code" isn't as noble as it appears. The contrast between Dexter's self-perception and reality becomes increasingly apparent, and Hall navigates this beautifully.

The Doakes subplot simmers nicely in the background - never overwhelming the main narrative but maintaining that sense of impending confrontation. Erik King's performance as the suspicious sergeant continues to be pitch-perfect, creating genuine tension without melodrama.

Three episodes in, and this series continues justifying its reputation. The psychological complexity deepens with each instalment, and Hall's nuanced performance remains the compelling centre of it all.