Episode 705: Swim Deep

Swim Deep is the fifth of twelve episodes in Season Seven of DEXTER, and the seventy-seventh overall episode of the series. Directed by Ernest Dickerson and written by Scott Reynolds, it first aired 28 October 2012 on Showtime.

The estimated number of viewers for the episode during its original airing was 2.28 million.

While trying to uncover why someone was killed on his boat, Dexter must out-maneuver a vengeful Isaak Sirko. New leads are brought to light on the Wayne Randall case by Hannah McKay, Randall's alluring former accomplice who Dexter discovers has a secret.

Summary
As Dexter is cleaning his boat, he spots some recent blood. Upon further examination with Luminol, he discovers more blood. Since he never leaves a mess behind, Dexter concludes that an unknown person was killed on his boat, someone he didn't kill.

Back at Miami Metro, Vince Masuka discovers from a colleague that Maria LaGuerta is processing evidence at another lab. He panics, believing it means he's getting fired. Joey Quinn swears that he doesn’t know anything about it, so Masuka turns to Deb for answers. He asks if he’s "getting the ax" because LaGuerta is using an outside lab to process a charred blood slide from the church crime scene, containing the blood of Travis Marshall. Deb is alarmed to hear about the blood slide, but assures Masuka that LaGuerta is probably just using another lab because she knows how slammed he is. To Masuka's relief, she promises to look into it.

Deb questions LaGuerta, who says she needed a second set of eyes on something, therefore, she used a private lab. Deb notices Frank Lundy's notebook on her desk and asks if it has anything to do with the Bay Harbor Butcher. LaGuerta tells Deb to close her office door, then reveals her doubts about James Doakes being the Bay Harbor Butcher due to the blood slide. She suspects that the Bay Harbor Butcher is still alive and still killing. Debra tries to dispel her suspicions, mentioning that Travis wasn't cut up and put into bags. LaGuerta, though, says it can't be a copycat killer since it was never revealed to the public that the Bay Harbor Butcher kept blood slides. Deb calls Doakes a "good man" and to keep tabs on LaGuerta’s progress, she offers to help with the investigation. LaGuerta gladly gives her the file, insisting that it's for her eyes only. In the elevator, Deb unleashes a stream of profanity.

Meanwhile, Dexter is shocked and confused to discover that the analyzed blood he found on his boat belongs to Louis Greene. As he's wondering why Louis was on his boat, he notices Deb staring at him. She blurts out that they are in a "storm of fuck" because LaGuerta found a blood slide at the church. Deb accuses Dexter of being careless, but he reminds her that it wasn't his usual scenario that night. Deb takes offense since he seems to be blaming her. When she tells him that she is going to help with LaGuerta's investigation, Dexter orders her not to get involved, but she says it's too late for that.

Deb shows Dexter a list of people who have gone missing since Doakes died and who fit the victim profile of the Bay Harbor Butcher. Since LaGuerta plans to talk to the friends and family of everyone on the list, Deb asks if he killed any of them. Dexter admits that three of them are his victims. Out of the three, only Phillip Barnes has a family in Miami. so Deb says she will interview his family instead of LaGuerta. Dexter insists he cannot be tied to Barnes, but Deb isn't so sure since Dexter stalked him at a wedding reception and he could've been photographed while there.

Dexter returns home but before he can open his door, he notices his curtains are open. Since Jamie and Harrison are in Orlando, he realizes that someone was in his apartment... and still might be there. He calls his house phone and disguises his voice, pretending to be a friend of Dexter's calling to confirm a meeting at Schooner or Later. Isaak, who is lying in wait in Dexter's apartment, planning to capture and torture him, overhears the message and heads to the restaurant. Dexter watches from a distance as Isaak leaves his apartment. He recognizes Isaak from The Fox Hole and wonders if the Koshka Brotherhood figured out he killed Viktor Baskov and sent a hit man after him.

Isaak arrives at Schooner or Later and takes a seat on the patio. A waiter brings him a phone and says he has a call. The call is from Dexter, who is watching him from a distance. Dexter asks Isaak why he was in his apartment. Isaak calls him "Mr. Smarty-Pants" and says he wanted to have a "discussion" about a friend who went missing. When Dexter feigns ignorance, Isaak states that he doesn't care for lies. He tells Dexter that Louis Greene, whom he found on his boat, gave him his name. Dexter realizes Isaak was the one who killed Louis and Isaak confirms it, mentioning there conversation that "ended rather abruptly." Isaak says he plans to kill not just Dexter, but also any other police involved in Viktor's death, including Debra. This alarms Dexter and he insists that no one else was involved, Isaak finally spots Dexter, and remarks, "Hello, handsome." Dexter reiterates that he alone killed Viktor and they hang up after threatening to see each other again.

Dexter has Debra meet him in the station's parking garage. He informs her that Isaak Sirko is after him and she could be in danger, too. When she asks why, Dexter reveals that he killed Viktor Baskov, claiming revenge after he found Viktor’s fingerprint at Mike Anderson's murder scene. Deb berates Dexter for withholding evidence from the police so he can go after Viktor himself. Deb makes Dexter promise never to withhold evidence from a police case again, though she suspects he's lying. After realizing the severity of Isaak's threat, Deb reluctantly agrees to use a different car and to go into hiding with Dexter.

Dexter stakes out the The Fox Hole and realizes Isaak isn't just a hit man, but a boss. While there, Angel calls him back to Miami Metro because Hannah McKay has agreed to discuss the location of bodies buried during her road trip with Wayne Randall.

As Batista interviews Hannah, Dexter takes notes. She recounts Wayne's murder spree while linking each victim to one of his trophies. After covering the murders in Ashford, Alabama; Lake City, Florida; and Sarasota, Florida. Batista asks where the bodies in Miami are buried, since it's where she and Wayne were picked up trying to sneak on board a cruise ship. Hannah explains that she and Wayne were on the news and desperate so he killed people to hide out in their motel rooms. The bodies were buried close to the motels. One motel was by a Frosty Swirl where Wayne had already helped them find Janice Dubois. Hannah describes another motel where a man and woman were buried on a nearby beach close to a port. She continues, "I was so scared. I thought that he was gonna kill me. He forced me to help him dig those holes, and every time that I dug one of them, I-I wasn't sure if I was digging my own grave or not."

Batista leaves the room to make preparations for the next day's dig. Hannah begins to play with a push button plastic giraffe and Dexter thinks, ''That toy isn't bringing back memories of being scared. She's nostalgic.'' Dexter says, "No touching. Can I have your giraffe back, please?" Hannah insists that it's Wayne's giraffe but he retorts that it was wrapped in her shirt. She asks if he will be at the dig site the next day. Dexter replies, "I hope so."

That night, Dexter sits in a room at the Sundance Motel as he researches Isaak, the Koshka Brotherhood, and a Colombian gang on a laptop. Debra appears at the bathroom doorway, holding a toothbrush, complaining about the water temperature. She hopes he's working on a solution but she doesn't want him to kill anyone. Before they fall asleep, they reminisce about a trip long ago to Myrtle Beach when Deb thought of him as her hero.

Hannah leads the police to a beach to help them find two buried bodies. She alleges that Wayne alone killed them. Batista asks Dexter if he thinks Alex Dubrozny really shot himself. Dexter lists the evidence for it - a suicide note, fingerprints on the gun, and GSR on his hand. Batista, disappointed by his answer, leaves to get bug spray from the car. Hannah strolls over to Dexter and they tell personal stories about murder. She remarks that it's like being on their first date.

Deb goes alone to Phillip Barnes' house to interview his son and is surprised when LaGuerta shows up. Tyler Barnes brings out a box of photos that his father took at the wedding reception on the day he went missing. Since his father was abusive to him and his mother, Tyler is glad that he never came home. As they look through a few pictures, Deb comes across one showing Dexter in the background. She casually tells LaGuerta that there are a lot of photos so she'll spend the day going over them at the station.

At the dig site, the couple is unearthed. Their bodies and clothes have been preserved fairly well by a shower curtain. Dexter details how they died: "Wayne started with the male. It would've been important to immobilize him first, 'cause he presented the biggest threat. There are defensive wounds on the arms and the hands. He put up a fight. Judging from the cuts in the fabric, we're looking at perhaps a six-inch knife. Numerous shallow wounds until Wayne was able to inflict this -- the fatal wound. Once he was done with him, he moved on to the female victim. Stabbed numerous times. The spatter pattern suggests the victim fell on her back. And these voids here likely indicate that she was straddled by her assailant... " Suddenly, Dexter stops talking as he realizes that whoever killed the woman was much smaller than Wayne. He looks up at Hannah, but says nothing.

As Dexter is loading his equipment into his car, Hannah walks up and asks why he was looking at her. He says the blood spatter conflicts with her story and accuses her of killing the woman. Hannah, though, firmly denies it. When Dexter describes the cut on her palm as being from a slippery knife, Hannah claims that Wayne gave it to her for talking back to him. She states, "That's my story... and I'm sticking to it." Since the D.A. gave her immunity for any crime she committed with Wayne, she can't be tried for it anyway. Dexter doesn't inform the police of his findings.

Dexter notices Isaak Sirko watching him from a distance and hatches a plan to have him killed. Since the Koshka Brotherhood and Colombian cartels are enemies, he tricks Isaak into following him to Mateo's Bar's Bar, a Colombian hangout where Isaak will be shot on sight. Isaak doesn't know the neighborhood so he unwittingly enters the bar. By then, Dexter has exited through a restroom window. Isaak, surrounded by angry Colombians, realizes he has been set up. As Dexter walks away, he hears gunshots from inside and assumes that Isaak has been killed. Instead, Isaak kills all the men and escapes with only minor wounds.

Batista tries to speak to Deb again about Alex Dubrozny's suicide, but he is called to the homicide scene at Mateo's Bar.

At Mateo's Bar, the homicide team, especially Dexter, is shocked to find three murdered Colombians and a very bloody crime scene. Dexter says there's evidence of only one brutally efficient killer and describes the gruesome sequence of events. Deb asks if they are looking for the "Terminator." Dexter admits privately to her that this isn't how he thought his plan would go. Dexter finds Isaak's blood which can prove he is the killer.

After George Novikov tells Isaak that Quinn was paid off in the past to leave their drug trade alone, Jurg leaves a bag of money in Quinn's car. When Quinn finds it, he curses and stuffs it inside his glove compartment.

Isaak is arrested for for the murders at Mateo's Bar and brought to the station in handcuffs. His lawyer states that his client is exercising his right to silence. Deb replies, "Well, fucking God bless America. Get this guy to booking."

Batista tries to convince Deb that Alex Dubrozny didn't shoot Mike Anderson, but she orders him to back down and let it go. In disbelief at her attitude, he grabs his hat and leaves the station.

Dexter visits Isaak at the jail, and they have a not-so-friendly conversation over the phone.

Dexter: "Hello, Isaak." Isaak: "Hello, Dexter. I underestimated you. Have you come here to taunt me?" Dexter: "No, I just thought maybe you could help me. Why is it so important that you kill me?" Isaak: [Scoffs] "Well, it's quite simple, really. You killed Viktor. I liked Viktor." Dexter: "Like or not, he killed Mike Anderson." Isaak: "Is that why you killed him -- revenge?" Dexter: [pause] "Yes." Isaak: "There was the briefest flicker of hesitation there. But if you're telling the truth, then you don't require any explanation. You understand the need for vengeance." Dexter: "So you got arrested. There'll be a trial. You'll go to prison for a long time. Does that mean this is over?" Isaak: [Scoffs] "Over?" Dexter: "Yes." Isaak: "I had a great uncle... my grandfather's brother. He was a hero-- fought with the Red Army during the Second World War. When he returned to Kyiv afterwards, some fat, little party official resented the fact that everyone admired him, so he decided to make an example of him by taking away his house. When my great uncle protested, he was hung in front of the council chambers. My grandfather was just a teenager. When that party official saw the hatred in his eyes, he had him arrested and sent to Siberia. And the years rolled by. And my grandfather got on with his life as best he could. He was a patient man. Finally, when the Soviet Union fell, he returned to Kyiv and celebrated in front of City Hall with all the others. And that's when he found that fat, little party official. And he got to enjoy the pleasure that belonged to him and him alone by sticking a six-inch knife into that fat, little man's kidney. So you ask me... if this is over. No. I'm afraid not." Dexter: "There's only one problem." Isaak: "And that is?" Dexter: "I'm not some fat, little man." Isaak: [Laughs] "That's true. I don't know who you are." Dexter: "If you ever find out, you'll regret it." [Hangs up phone]

Deb visits Dexter and gives him the incriminating photo. He thanks her for saving him for a change. Upset about lying to Batista for him, she says, "And that was the moment that I realized that I don't want to be a part of this. I can't do it. It took me forever to wrap my brain around the idea that... you're not who I thought you were. But it doesn't mean I have to change. All of your stealing and your lying and your covering up... That's not me." When she asks if there"s anything she should know from the blood report, he answers, “Nope” He burns the photo.

Quotes

 * When you begin a stalk, you start with what you know. - Dexter (voiceover) while watching Isaak
 * "Dex, so what happened to you only taking care of people that slip through the cracks of the justice system? You can't rip a case wide open so that it conveniently falls into your fucking lap!" - Deb to Dexter
 * "Are you lying to me? I have no way of knowing, do I?" - Deb to Dexter
 * "Look at us talking blood and gore like we're on a date, sharing our first sexual experience." -Hannah to Dexter
 * "A girl's got to protect herself." - Hannah to Dexter
 * As kids, Deb and I would try to outrun the waves, but I would always end up diving under them. I'd swim deep because I could withstand the pull of the tide. But Deb was always safest at shore. From here on out, I'll face the depths by myself. - Dexter (voiceover) as he burns the photo.

Related Pages

 * Bartender (Mateo's Bar)
 * Bay Harbor Butcher Case
 * Blood Slide Boxes
 * Christopher James
 * Dexter's Apartment
 * The Fox Hole
 * Isaak's Grandfather
 * Isaak's Great-Uncle
 * James Doakes
 * Janice Dubois
 * Koshka Brotherhood
 * Linda Johnson
 * Mateo's Bar
 * Marvin Madden
 * Phillip Barnes
 * Schooner or Later
 * Slice of Life
 * Soviet Party Official
 * Sundance Motel
 * Viktor Baskov
 * Wayne Randall

Trivia

 * Isaak Sirko's alias is misspelled as волк (volk) means wolf not вовк (vovk).