Episode 207: That Night, a Forest Grew

That Night, a Forest Grew is the seventh episode of Season Two of the Showtime series DEXTER, and the nineteenth overall episode of the series. It first aired 11 November 2007.

Dexter sends the Miami Tribune a 32-page manifesto designed to mislead the police. Also, he finally fights back against Sgt. Doakes. Meanwhile, Lila West's influence begins to take a toll on Dexter's life.

Summary
Dexter and Lila start out the episode hot and heavy.

A written manifesto sent to the Miami Tribune from The Bay Harbor Butcher sends the Special Task Force in charge of capturing the killer into chaos. This is part of Dexter's plan as he tries to be pro-active in keeping Lundy off his trail. However, Lundy finally figures out that the man who wrote the manifesto has a law enforcement background, and perhaps is one of them.

Camilla Figg alerts Dexter to the fact that Doakes is asking questions about Dexter's past.

At a crime scene, Dexter purposely misidentifies a man to Doakes as the killer of his step-daughter. This leads Doakes to relentlessly interrogate the innocent man. When LaGuerta reads Dexter's blood file proving his innocence, she sends the man home. Doakes realizes that Dexter set him up to look bad, and he becomes furious.

During a romantic dinner with Dexter, Lila lets Dexter know that she plans to include him in her future. Later, Debra goes to Dexter's apartment only to find Lila there, nude with dozens of candles burning in Dexter's bedroom. Debra is disgusted and asks Dexter, "Who's the skank?...Are you trying to fuck her or set her on fire?"

Debra breaks up with Gabriel and decides to pursue a relationship with Lundy, not knowing if her feelings are reciprocated. While eating lunch by the water, Debra reveals her thoughts to Lundy and gives him a kiss.

Rita stands up to her mother and compels her to move out of the house.

When Dexter arrives at work, Doakes is waiting in his office, where they engage in an intense encounter. Doakes says that Dexter's past is a big mystery with no paper trail on his early years. Dexter is not fazed. He mockingly tells Doakes, "No matter what you try, no matter when, no matter how hard you work, I'll always be a step ahead of you for one simple reason. I own you." He then surprises Doakes with a head butt. Dexter then casually strolls out of his office. An enraged Doakes chases after Dexter, tackles him, and begins to brutally beat him. This leads to Doakes immediate suspension.

When Dexter attends one of Cody's school events at Bayside Elementary School where he is with Rita, Lila becomes jealous. She sets fire to her own loft and art studio, pretending that it was an accident. This was done in an attempt to get Dexter's attention and sympathy.

Trivia

 * The episode's title is a quote from the children's book, Where the Wild Things Are.

Related Pages

 * Bay Harbor Butcher 18
 * Bay Harbor Butcher Case
 * Bayside Elementary School
 * Dexter's Apartment
 * Il Bistro Vino
 * Lila West's Loft Apartment
 * Rita Bennett's House
 * Special Task Force

Gallery
That Night, a Forest Grew