El Mercado

El Mercado is a location is Season Eight of the Showtime series DEXTER.

It’s an Hispanic market where Dexter Morgan and Debra Morgan have an unpleasant encounter.

Location[]

East 4th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Summary[]

“A Beautiful Day"

Dexter can't reach Debra, so he tracks her down based on her credit card use. Most of her charges for three weeks have been at this market in Fort Lauderdale. After a half hour drive, Dexter arrives at El Mercado. Watching from across the street, he is surprised to see that Debra is hanging out with Andrew Briggs (the guy she is supposed to bring in). Before Briggs and Debra enter the store, they kiss and he grabs her butt.

Inside the store, Briggs and Debra kiss again and be asks what kind of tequila she likes. Debra replies “Uh, the kind that makes you fall down.” They walk off in different directions, as Debra grabs a beer and begins to drink it. Unexpectedly, she is confronted by Dexter in an aisle.

Debra: “What the fuck?”
Dexter: “Deb, what's going on?”
Debra: “I'm working a case. You should get the fuck out.”
Dexter: “You found your guy. Why haven't you brought him in?”
Debra: “How the fuck do you know what I'm doing?”
Dexter: “I talked to Elway.”
Debra: “You talked to Elway?”
Dexter: “He said you hadn't checked in. I was scared something happened.”
Debra: “I'm fine. Get the fuck out.”
Dexter: “Deb, you haven't talked to me in weeks. You haven't returned any of my calls. You completely missed LaGuerta's memorial.”
Debra: “Jesus Christ, I wonder why.”
Dexter: “And would you please erase the messages on your phone? No one has heard from you.”
Debra: “Yeah, I'm fucking getting close to Briggs so that I can get the jewelry before he fences it, all right? I'm a professional working a case. Why don't you get the fuck outta here before you ruin it?”
Dexter: “Are you having sex with that guy?”
Debra: [angrily] “What the fuck? My life is none of your business. Go.”
Dexter: “No, I'm not leaving.”
Debra: [exasperated] “Fuck you. Do you wanna know why I'm not returning your phone calls? 'Cause I don't wanna talk to you. And I really don't wanna fuckin' see you.”
Dexter: [confused] “Why?”
Debra: “Why?” [Laughs] “Why? Um... because you made me compromise everything about myself that I care about. And I hate you for it.”
Dexter: “No, you don't.”
Debra: “I shot the wrong person in that trailer.”

As Briggs walks up to them, he notices their tense conversation.

Briggs: [to Debra] Who's this guy?"
Debra: “Just some loser.”
Briggs: “Is there a problem?”
Briggs: [to Debra] “Let's go.”

Dexter stands in silence, his anger growing, as Debra and Briggs leave together. While he's driving back to Miami, Dexter has a road rage incident in which he chokes a man who cut him off.