Episode 602: Once Upon a Time...

Once Upon a Time... is the second of twelve episodes in Season Six of DEXTER, and the sixty-second overall episode of the series. It first aired 9 October 2011 on Showtime.

The estimated number of viewers for the episode during its original airing was 1.71 million.

To solve a mysterious murder, Homicide brings in Brother Sam, a minister with a criminal past. Debra is surprised by two life-changing proposals - a marriage proposal from Joey Quinn and a promotion to Lieutenant by Thomas Matthews.

Summary
During Dexter's nighttime ritual of reading a bedtime story to his son, Harrison says "Daddy's box" and Dexter realizes that his son has noticed him putting away blood slides.

Professor James Gellar and Travis Marshall are planning their next Doomsday Tableau. Travis mentions that he has something to do that will hold him up, which angers Gellar.

Debra Morgan opens the refrigerator and finds an engagement ring sitting there. Joey Quinn drops to one knee but Debra stops him. She tells him that she needs more time and abruptly leaves.

Debra informs Dexter about the proposal, and he secretly hates that Quinn might become Harrison's nephew. Debra admits that Quinn makes her happy but she's just not ready to marry him. When she tells Quinn this, he orders her to move out.

When Debra arrives at work, everyone is watching a video of her and the restaurant shooter. Attention shifts to Omar Rivera (the fruit vendor victim). It is suspected that his murder was gang-related. The cops bring in a man named Brother Sam who owns a garage where Omar worked. Sam employs ex-cons and is a former prisoner himself.

Maria LaGuerta asks Thomas Matthews to finalize Angel Batista's paperwork to become lieutenant. When she leaves his office, he goes back to watching the video of Debra.

Dexter watches Angel interview Brother Sam. He tells Angel that people can change, but Dexter is doubtful.

Matthews surprises Debra by offering her the lieutenant position. She resists, saying that Angel expects it. He tells her that the community considers her a hero and she should accept the job.

Dexter tries to decide if Brother Sam has really changed or not. Debra visits Dexter and they talk, while drinking beer. She decides that she wants the lieutenant job.

Travis visits his sister, Lisa Marshall. They have dinner and she expresses how much she enjoys spending time with him.

Dexter deliberately backs his car into a dumpster. He then takes it to Sam's body shop to get an repair estimate. While there, Sam tells Dexter that he is a "shepherd" to his ex-cons. He also says that he killed a person in the past, but he is now a changed man. Dexter is still doubtful.

Meanwhile, Vince Masuka is enjoying working with a sexy intern named Ryan Chambers. Angel warns Masuka to be careful of his actions regarding her. It's soon discovered that the seven baby snakes did not come from a pet store, but from the wild, near a toxic environment.

Debra informs Angel about being offered the job. Angel says that she deserves it and is happy for her. However, on the inside, he is disappointed.

Dexter tracks Brother Sam to an unknown house and hears a gunshot. He sees Sam carry a body out and place it in the trunk of his car. Dexter follows Sam back to his shop to confirm if the man is really dead. As Dexter creeps around, Sam's dog charges at him, forcing Dexter to pull out his syringe of M99. Sam appears after hearing his dog barking. Dexter pretends that he came there after hours to retrieve his garage door opener.

Sam lets him into the shop and Dexter sees that the body Sam was carrying is a man called Nick...and he is alive. The gunshot was fired by Nick when he fought with Brother Sam. Suddenly, a car pulls up with three gang members, looking for Nick, Dexter knocks one of the guys out but another one pulls a gun. When Dexter shows them his Police ID, they decide to leave.

Dexter learns that the man who pulled the gun is Julio Benes. Because he is a killer, Julio becomes Dexter's next target.

Debra is staying with Dexter until she finds a place to live. Jamie complains that she doesn't clean up after herself.

Vince and Ryan figure out that the snakes came from a toxic environment in the wild, not a pet shop. When Vince slips up with a comment about being attracted to Ryan, she doesn't seem to mind.

Maria is angry at Matthews because he promoted Debra instead of Angel. The team, especially Quinn, is shocked when Maria presents Debra as the new Lieutenant.

Dexter ties up Julio inside a barber shop, collects a blood slide, and kills him by slashing his throat.

Gellar burns himself with a red-hot piece of metal, when Travis shows resistance to carrying out their plan. This causes Travis to promise that he'll stay with Gellar and remain loyal.

To distract Harrison from his box of blood slides, Dexter gives him his own little box to play with.

In order to abduct his next victim, Travis pretends to be injured. When a male jogger stops to help him, Travis knocks him unconscious.

Quotes

 * "Because monsters don't get to live happily ever after." -Dexter (after killing Julio Benes)

Related Pages

 * Blood Slide Boxes
 * Dexter's Apartment
 * Doomsday Tableaus
 * Good Shepherd Auto Repair
 * Locos (gang)
 * Restaurant Shooter
 * Santa Maria de Loreto (church)
 * The Scales of Justice
 * Victor Torres
 * Water Snakes