The British Invasion is the final episode of Season Two of the Showtime series DEXTER, and the twenty-fourth overall episode of the series. It first aired 16 December 2007.
In the Season Two finale, Lundy and the FBI finally settle the case of the Bay Harbor Butcher, but the heat's not entirely off Dexter as his world literally becomes an inferno. Can he rise from the ashes once again?
Summary[]
Using Dexter's satellite navigation system, Lila West arrives at the cabin in the Everglades. She breaks in to find an imprisoned James Doakes, who tells her that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She can only sympathize with Dexter, however, for having to hide such an enormous secret, and refuses to unlock Doakes' cage. Convinced that Dexter is her soulmate, Lila tries to help him by switching on a gas hob and then opening the valve on a propane tank. Doakes nearly manages to free himself, but is unable to escape before the propane ignites, with the resulting explosion killing Doakes and completely destroying the cabin.
Meanwhile, Lundy's task force has determined Doakes' location, and Dexter must race his colleagues to reach the cabin first. When he arrives at the cabin, he discovers that it has been destroyed and at first believes it to be a miracle. The next morning, the police find Doakes' body in the water, along with the dismembered remains of Jose Garza. Deputy Director Adams is satisfied that this proves Doakes really was the Bay Harbor Butcher, and Frank Lundy is forced to agree with him.
Dexter visits his girlfriend Rita's house, appearing at her bedroom window, They reconcile after having sex. The kids are happy that they are back together.
Lt. LaGuerta, grieving the loss of her former partner, is in denial over Doakes' incrimination and tries to collect donations for his memorial service. Debra remains determined not to let the end of the Bay Harbor Butcher case break up her relationship with Lundy, but their plans for a vacation are crushed when Lundy is called to Oregon to work on another murder case.
With all of the evidence of the Bay Harbor Butcher murders pointing to Doakes as the killer, the case is closed. As Dexter and Vince Masuka catalog the debris found in the cabin, Dexter is surprised to learn that Doakes' death is provisionally being listed as a suicide. Masuka explains that a killer as intelligent and resourceful as Doakes would never have made such a basic mistake as letting propane leak into a room with an open flame, and that Doakes likely realized he was about to get caught and deliberately blew himself and the cabin up. When Dexter sees his own satellite navigation system among the debris, he realizes that Lila must have found the cabin.
Dexter meets Lila at the aquarium and tells her that he, like her, has no emotions and lives a life devoid of feeling. They form plans to leave Miami together, Lila not knowing Dexter secretly intends to kill her.
Dexter and Lila dialogue[]
Dexter: "You lied to me. All that time as my sponsor. You said all you wanted was to help me control my addiction. That's not what you really wanted. Was it?"
Lila: "What do you think I wanted?"
Dexter: "To know what it's like to feel something... that deeply. Anything. That's why you hang up in recovery groups. You're emotionally color-blind. You use the right words, you pantomime the right behavior, but feelings never come to pass."
Lila: "It's not true."
Dexter: "It is, Lila. You know the dictionary definition of emotions, longing, joy, sorrow... You have no idea of what any of those things actually feel like."
Lila: "You're wrong, I have feelings for you."
Dexter: "You wanna have feelings for me, they're just impulses."
Lila: "Enough."
Dexter: "They're primitive responses to immediate needs. You know all the words but you can't hear the music. I'm just like you."
When he visits her apartment the next day, though, he finds Debra there, trying to persuade Lila to leave town. Dexter is forced to lie about running away with Lila in front of Debra. A hurt Lila then leaves with what she recognizes as Dexter's bag of murder equipment.
When Lila opens Dexter's bag and sees his kill tools, she realizes that he was planning to kill her.
Lila goes to Rita's house and drugs the babysitter with Dexter's M99 so that she can abduct the children, Astor and Cody. When Dexter realizes that Astor and Cody are missing, he goes straight to Lila's apartment, where she lights another fire and locks the three of them inside. Rita calls Debra for her help, and Debra decides to skip her flight to Oregon with Lundy to help find the children. Dexter frees Astor and Cody through a small window and eventually rams down a thin wall, allowing him to escape.
Some time later, Dexter travels to Paris, where Lila has fled, and kills her in her apartment by stabbing her in the heart.
Back in Miami, he attends Doakes' memorial service with LaGuerta. Only a few people attend it beside her.
Debra and Detective Batista are awarded for their work on the Bay Harbor Butcher Case.
Mausuka's Description of Doakes' corpse
Gaping areas of... putrefied tissue.
Extensive fourth degree burns.
These linear lines around his eyes are unburned. He was squinting. Alive when it happened.
Teeth are intact. Dental records should give us a positive ID.
Male.
African-American. About the right length of torso.
Heavily muscled.
Quotes[]
- "Doakes wasn't so bad in the end. But the truly tragic thing would be to let his sacrifice go to waste. There's only one way I can think of to honor him. I have to embrace my freedom." -Dexter voiceover
- "A bad ass like Doakes would rather burn than get burned." -Vince Masuka to Dexter
- "I wish you could have seen it. The explosion was... brilliant." -Lila to Dexter
- "Have a nice flight. Don't forget your broom." -Debra to Lila
- "You're going away with me all right. In a garbage bag." -Dexter voiceover to Lila
- "I'm good at compartmentalization." -Dexter to Debra
- "Am I evil? Am I good? I'm done asking those questions. I don't have the answers. Does anyone?" -Dexter voiceover
Trivia[]
- Voted number 49 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Television Episodes.
- Frank Lundy wanted to take Debra Morgan ice fishing on Lake Ipperwash in Wisconsin which does not exist although there is Ipperwash Beach, Ontario, Canada on the shores of Luke Huron.
Related Pages[]
- Miami
- Dexter's Apartment
- Rita Bennett's House
- Lila West's Loft Apartment
- Lila West's Paris Apartment
- Cabin in the Everglades
- Airboat
- Miami Aquarium
- United Methodist Church
- Miami International Airport
- Kill Tools
- M99
- Special Task Force
- Bay Harbor Butcher 18
- Bay Harbor Butcher Case
Gallery[]
