Episode 307: Easy as Pie

Easy as Pie is the seventh of twelve episodes in Season Three of the Showtime series DEXTER, and the thirty-first overall episode of the series. It first aired 9 November 2008.

Dexter angers Miguel Prado when he says no to his request for them to kill Ellen Wolf. Meanwhile, a deathly ill Camilla Figg asks Dexter to kill her. Anton Briggs is told that he is being used as bait to get at The Skinner.

Summary
The opening scene is a dream. Dexter is cutting up a victim when a smiling Miguel Prado walks in carrying golf clubs. He asks Dexter how long until he is done so they can head to the golf course and work on his slice.

Dexter wakes up next to Rita and tells her that he had a dream where he was “exposed.” She thinks he’s stressed due to their upcoming wedding. Rita reminds Dexter that she needs his list of whom he’s inviting, but Dexter has few friends. Those closest to me have always resided in a box of slides... until now, he thought.

Camilla Figg is being moved to Hospice and Dexter helps to roll her hospital bed into the new room. She looks at the wallpaper and tells Dexter that it’s the room she’s going to die in - the sooner the better, She gives Dexter a shoe box with pictures of himself as he was growing up. She also gives Dexter her funeral plans and asks him to call the funeral director when the time comes, adding, “Death will be a mercy.” Before Dexter leaves, Camilla reminds him to find her the perfect key lime pie and to move fast.

At the station, Dexter lets Debra know that Camilla doesn’t have much time left and suggests that she visit her. Debra, though, states that she “can’t do sick people” because it reminds her too much of mom.

Meanwhile, Ramon Prado has been arrested for false imprisonment and assault on Felipe Cepeda, whom he tortured in an attempt to learn Freebo's whereabouts. Ramon is forced to give up his shield and retire, but will not be charged for the crimes.

Needing to blow off steam, Miguel tells Dexter to meet him at the golf course after work. Masuka notices them talking and calls Dexter a "kiss-ass" for being pals with the ADA.

Dexter considers which of his colleagues to invite to his wedding. He sees them everyday but he knows they wouldn’t call him a friend if they really knew him.

Angel gives an update that C.I. Anton Briggs, is going to be used as bait for The Skinner, but the detectives are not allowed to tell Anton just yet. Even though Anton will have a protective detail, the plan troubles Debra.

The mother of Wendell Owens calls the station and Debra and Quinn head to her house to speak with her. Upon their arrival, she throws Debra's business card at them, having found it in the shorts Wendell was wearing the day he died. Distraught, she states that he was her only child and now he is gone. She blames Debra for coming to their house to question Wendell against her wishes, which drew the Skinner to him. There are trimmed palm leaves in front of the house which are noticed by Debra.

Angel, Masuka, and Dexter are at Lisa Morton’s crime scene. The murder weapon appears to be a screwdriver, which is consistent with the wounds on the victim. Bloody sock prints are found and Masuka declares that the killer is likely Albert Chung, a man who had attacked another woman while wearing only socks on his feet.

While driving golf balls, Miguel vents his frustration to Dexter about defense attorneys, Ramon’s heavy drinking, Sylvia’s “nagging” for attention, and the fact that scumbags are walking free. He thinks they should go after the root cause -- blood-sucking soulless defense attorney, Ellen Wolf. Dexter pushes back, saying that she hasn’t killed anyone but Miguel says he’s being too literal and to keep an open mind.

Dexter takes a new key lime pie to Camilla who is upset because her doctors informed her that she has another month to live. Camilla wants her ordeal to be over but says her Catholic faith prevents her from taking her own life. Since Dexter is not Catholic, she tearfully begs him to end her misery. When Dexter refuses, she asks him to think about it. He reflects on her request; despite his long history of ending lives, he’s never killed an innocent or a friend.

Anton is angry when Debra warns him that the cops are using him as bait to find Freebo. She advises him to leave town and stay with a relative.

Dexter spends some time researching Ellen Wolf’s background, but finds no reason to kill her.

Rita complains to Sylvia that Dexter isn’t helping with the wedding and hasn’t even provided a head count. This leads to Sylvia opening up about her marital problems, which includes Miguel being secretive and never at home, claiming to be with Dexter. Rita reveals that, at one point, Dexter was disappearing, taking drugs, (supposedly), and sleeping with another woman. This shocks Sylvia who can’t imagine Dexter doing those things.

Barbara Gianna disappoints Angel when she tells him that she only wants friendship.

Maria invites Ellen to her office and admits that she’s too close to the Prados so she’d like to hear Ellen’s point of view. Ellen lists the reasons why Miguel is a corrupt ADA -- missing evidence, witness intimidation, and jury tampering. However, she can’t prove it because Miguel’s not stupid.

While she’s in his office, Debra asks Dexter if he’s ever compromised an investigation for personal reasons and he lies, saying, “Never.” Debra notices Camilla’s box of photos and looks through them. She hopes that Camilla “goes fast” and tells Dexter that if she ever gets like that to just shoot her. This surprises Dexter but he believes her when she says that she’d never let him suffer and would pull the plug or put a pillow over his head.

Dexter is invited to join Miguel, Ellen, and Maria in the conference room as they negotiate the terms of Chung’s surrender. It’s not long before Ellen and Miguel engage in a heated exchange. Ellen even threatens to discredit Dexter’s blood evidence to the jury. Although he’s no fan of Ellen, Dexter realizes that she’s only doing her job, which is not a reason to kill her.

As he’s leaving work, Angel spots Barbara and asks her to be his plus-one at Dexter’s wedding. She remarks that he’s sensitive and kisses him, to Angel’s surprise..

The next time that Dexter visits Camilla (with another unsatisfactory pie), she apologizes for asking him to violate his conscience by taking her life. She says that she should have thought about his past and reveals that she read Dexter’s file before she destroyed it. She later made the connection between his brother, Brian Moser, and the Ice Truck Killer. Camilla assures Dexter that he could never be like his brother.

Yuki Amado shows up at Debra’s desk to inform her that Quinn’s case is dead because of her. Debra accuses Yuki of seeking revenge on Quinn because he broke her heart. Yuki retorts that she’s happily married, working on a second kid, and there’s a dead cop because of Quinn.

While Dexter and Rita are at Miguel’s house, they observe him lose his temper when Sylvia drops a glass and it shatters. Miguel and Dexter then retire to the study to talk about Ellen Wolf. When Dexter says they can’t kill her, Miguel again loses his temper, causing Dexter to immediately depart with Rita.

Back at her house, Rita mentions the conflict between Miguel and Sylvia and says that Syliva suspects Miguel of having an affair. Dexter insists that he’s not, although he’s obsessed with someone.

Dexter doesn’t mind that he and Miguel are no longer friends, believing that he’s better off on his own.

Dexter points out to Masuka that he looks like Albert Chung.

After pulling an all-nighter at the station, Debra has discovered a major break in the Skinner Case. Because palm leaves were found at the crime scenes, she tells Angel and Quinn that the Skinner is apparently using tree-trimming as a cover for observation.

Maria proposes a plan to Ellen about how to bring in Chung. She will set up surveillance outside Ellen’s office and the police will capture him when he shows up for a meeting.

For the first time, Dexter brings Rita to visit Camilla. Although Camilla is very ill, Rita dismisses the Hospice Attendant and tends to her bloody coughing.

Anton calls Debra and she arrives at his apartment. Because his security detail was pulled, Debra is upset that he hasn’t left town. Anton thanks her for taking so many risks to help him. His feelings show as he looks into her eyes, leading to a kiss.

Following the capture of Chung, Miguel and Dexter meet in a cafe. Miguel apologizes for his out-of-control behavior and thanks Dexter for reigning him in. Dexter buys two beers and they toast Ellen. Reunited as friends, Dexter asks Miguel to be his best man.

Dexter changes his mind about helping Camilla. He brings her yet another key lime pie. He closes the drapes before injecting an euthanizing agent (sodium pentothol and pancuronium) into a slice of the pie. He then feeds it to her, bite by bite. "You finally brought me the perfect pie," she tells him. As Camilla dies, Dexter whispers to her that he killed his brother. She opens her eyes for a moment and says, "It's good... you did."

Quotes

 * All the lives I’ve taken, they’ve always begged for mercy. I’ve never understood that concept until now. This. This is mercy. But only for a friend. - Dexter [voice-over, regarding Camilla’s death]
 * “Fucking Abert Chung. That dipshit’s photo has gotten more prime time play than any Asian face in years. Way to represent.” - Masuka to Angel
 * Do I see sheets of plastic in your future? - Dexter [voice-over, regarding Ellen Wolf]
 * Hand-holding. So simple. So intimate. So...uncomfortable. - Dexter [voice-over]
 * “What an empty room your world must be if those are the dots you connected.” - Yuki Amado to Debra, regarding accusations of sleeping with Quinn
 * I’ve never been great at conflict resolution. Not without a blade and several rolls of plastic wrap. - Dexter [voice-over, regarding an argument with Miguel Prado]

Trivia

 * [SPOILER AHEAD] In this episode, while discussing Camilla's suffering with Dexter, Debra says that she would never want to live like that. When Dexter asks if she is sure, she states, "Yes," and to "pull the plug" on her. This foreshadows her death in "Remember the Monsters?" when she is on life support, and Dexter detaches her.

Related Pages

 * Albert Chung
 * Anton Briggs' Apartment
 * Dexter's Apartment
 * Fred Bowman (Freebo)
 * Lisa Morton
 * Miguel Prado's House
 * The Mirage Cafe
 * Rita Bennett's House
 * Skinner Case
 * Wendell Owens