Dexter - "The Damage a Man Can Do" (Episode 308)

Dexter noted that everything is connected to everything - "The Butterfly Effect" (which is more than a mediocre Ashtion Kutcher movie.) Dex and Miguel are sharing pizza and watching sports. Well, Miguel's into the sports - Dexter, not so much. He's more of a National Geographic kinda guy, "You know, sharks, bears, the occasional penguin." Miguel asked if he had other interests and Dex replied, "I suppose I do." Miguel went over to log in to Dexter's computer ("Ummm...boundaries") and pulled up information on a man named Billy Fleeter, a former football player who never went pro and is now working in "enforcement" for a bookie. Miguel has been trying to convict him but doesn't have the evidence. Dexter was waiting for Miguel to ask him to off the guy, but Dexter was surprised when Miguel said he wanted to do the deed himself. He says he's ready to "get his hands dirty." Dex isn't quite ready to share the reins with him. Harry (from beyond the grave) says Dexter shouldn't even think about it. The next morning, Dexter is making waffles for the kids. Rita's "pregnancy hormones are ganging up" on the family and she's mondo cranky. Her beef today is Dexter's lack of involvement in the wedding plans, the fact that he hasn't bought her an engagement ring yet (even though she says she didn't want one) - and that someone drank all of the orange juice. Deb and Anton must have had a big night, as she was hanging around Anton's pad the next morning. She found a bag of weed in a box of his breakfast cereal (saves a step, doesn't it?) but doesn't say anything.

There's a "tree trimmer convention" in the police station. Dexter is the "butterfly" in this situation. He's not sure what the butterfly effect would bring if he allowed Miguel to kill Billy. Was this the beginning of a whole new level of friendship? Or the end of life as Dexter knows it? Deb is questioning a tree trimmer named King and was actually being somewhat nice. See what getting laid will do for you? Angel and vice cop Barb are getting along well they've taken it "to the next level." Quinn told Angel that Barb would now be taking notes on his every move to see if he is relationship material. Deb said it's actually more of a "mental process." LaGeurta asked Angel if he'd be her date for a police charity event. He couldn't - he had "plans." She says "Good for you" and didn't look as if she really meant it. Miguel and Dex found Billy at a local casino to learn Billy's routine. Miguel's eager, but Dexter tells him to be careful, because the number one rule of the code is "don't get caught." Dex is unsure how much he should reveal to Miguel. He does tell Miguel that his job affords him the chance to see other people's mistakes, which is why he is emphasizing caution. Harry is upset that Dex is now "preaching the code" to others. Deb asked Quinn about Anton's previous busts. Quinn seemed to be avoiding the questions and said it's all written down somewhere. Deb then calls Anton and asks for his CI number so she can pull up his records. He didn't know what Deb was talking about. She said the number should be on the checks he gets from the department. Anton told her that he never got any checks - Quinn paid him in cash. Ellen and Maria were chatting and Ellen said that Miguel was going out of his way to make her job harder. Maria asked Ellen to go to the charity function and she said she'd love to go. Quinn and Deb talk to King again. One of his employees, Mario, found the body of one of the skinner's victims. King said Mario had a temper and gets very angry. They were both from Nicaragua but Mario had to leave as the police were after him. He was suspected of killing someone with a knife. He tipped Deb and Quinn off as to where they could find him, because he makes up the schedule. Dex was still unsure whether or not to help Miguel move forward with his kill. Rita called Dexter and was asking him where their wedding bands were. He said he was checking on it. She hung up on him. Dex asks Deb if she knows anything about wedding bands. She sarcastically cracks that wedding jewelry and nuclear fission were her "secret specialities." Quinn said Dex was quite the "dweeb" and went on an obscenity-laced rant (are they anything else?) that also made no sense (unless "you say anything about my brother and I'll kick your f-in' nuts down your throat" makes sense to you.) Deb asked Quinn why Anton isn't in the CI database. Quinn says he's not officially in the database because he had no record. Quinn never filed a report - he did him a favor. Deb was upset he was being used as bait when he was under no legal obligation to help them. Quinn thinks she's taking this too personally because he knows that Deb and Anton were sleeping together. Deb said she's going to tell Anton about the whole thing. Quinn couldn't believe thast she was selling him out. Deb said she didn't want "another cop dying because you don't like to play by the rules." Quinn looked upset to learn that Yuki had told Deb everything and told Deb that she didn't know what she was talking about.  

Dex and Miguel were outside of Billy's house. Dex said he was going to have to decide whether or not to open the door to his dark lifestyle to his new friend. They broke into the house after Billy left, looking for proof that he's been bludgeoning people. Miguel found something "bludgeon-ey" - a bat - in the umbrella stand. Dexter found some blood on it and told Miguel he'd let him know if there was a match to an alleged victim by the end of the day. Miguel said avoiding all of the hassles and paperwork of evidence and search warrants and thought this was the way to go. Dex told Miguel that Billy had to kill again - it's just one of the rules. Miguel says Billy kills when he needs money, so they look for a ledger or record book. Dexter says if they don't find anything, they don't move forward. Dex finds the ledger and Harry tells him to leave it, he could end it now. Harry didn't teach him the code to share with his buddies, he taught it to keep him alive. Dexter said "It's my life, Dad" and showed Miguel the ledger. They're moving forward.

Rita is still incredibly cranky, and now she's bitching to Syl while they're addressing invitations. Dexter apparently didn't make the right decision when he said he didn't know what he wanted on the menu for the reception. His later response of "steak" didn't cut it either. Syl is trying to calm her down. Deb tells Anton that he's free from the police dept and is no longer a CI. She tells him his drug charges are gone - due to a "clerical error." She wants to put protective detail on him, but he refuses. The blood found on the bloody bat was a match, so Dexter and Miguel go to a boating supply store - they're "moving forward." Miguel wanted to snuff out Billy with a small caliber gun to the head. Dexter said he didn't want to create a crime scene - with bullet casings and such. Dex is teaching Miguel about the "up close and personal" approach to killing (with a knife) and proceeds to put together a "starter kit" for him. The boys snuck into the casino's storeroom and wrapped the room in plastic. Dexter told Miguel that there was no shame in backing out, but Miguel was ready after 14 years of paperwork and lengthy trials. Maria and Ellen have some drinks after the lame charity event (with no bar - say what?!) Ellen over-flirts with the bartender (and she fails, miserably) and tells Maria that "the secret to long life and happiness is chocolate and flirting with young (hopefully hung) men." She says that Maria needs to be "raising hell and breaking hearts," adding that "We all end up old and in the way." Is Maria disappointed that Ellen is strictly dickly? Have her failed relationships (Doakes, Miguel, etc.) made Maria the Wanda Sykes of "Dexter"? (You go, Wanda!) Dexter and Miguel were back at the casino, ready to grab Billy. Dexter told Miguel to look inconspcuous and in his hat and sunglasses, Dex noted that he looked more like the Unabomber. Dex and Miguel engage Billy in a brief conversation before the baddie left on a mission to collect for his boss man. As Dex and Miguel exited the casino, someone recognized Miguel, and Dex said the kill was "off" and that they should clean up the kill room. Miguel says they should talk about it the next day.  

Deb was waiting for Anton for their breakfast date. He's late. Deb left him a message telling him it was okay with her if he smoked weed, slept until noon and skipped out on their date. Dex checked out the paper and noticed that a man had been bludgeoned - with a bat - the night before. Deb volunteered to meet up with Dex to help him pick out wedding bands. She couldn't believe that Dex didn't get Rita an engagement ring and called her brother a "y chromosome cliche". She told him to get Rita an "I love you with all of my heart ring" and reminds him that "size matters." Deb asks Dex about her situation "hypothetically" and is worried that Anton has now disappeared since he's no longer obligated to work with her and was just satisfying "primal urges." Deb's getting increasingly frustrated that Anton's not calling her back. Quinn picks her up and they tail Mario. Deb asked Quinn if a cop really died because of him. He said it wasn't that simple. He and Yuki used to work with a cop named Stuart, who shot an unarmed suspect and later took his own life. He had a crystal meth problem. Quinn knew about it. He could have stopped him, but he didn't. Deb thinks he's just making excuses. Just like Deb seems to have about her relationship with Anton. They spotted Mario, who tried to get away but was pinned down and brought into the station. Angel is buried in work and has to cancel his date with vice cop Barbara. He leaves her the most awkward answering machine message ever - it sounds like he's reading it off of a piece of paper.

The next day, Dex meets up with Miguel and tells him that the kill was officially off. He's not ready to take any chances. Miguel asks Dexter how many people he's killed. He knows Freebo wasn't his first kill. He vows to respect Dexter's privacy but can't understand why he won't help him dispatch Billy. Dexter says Miguel's simply not ready. Miguel said Dexter's code was BS, which angered Dexter, who said that if he didn't have the code, the darkness would completely take over. Miguel says he understands the dark side as he once knocked his abusive dad down a flight of stairs and enjoyed it. He loved feeling powerful and in control and was trying to get that feeling back again. Deb and Quinn interrogated Mario about the crime in Nicaragua. They were ready to deport him for the killing unless he started talking. The minute Deb and Quinn brought up King's name, Mario freaked and begged to be sent back to Nicaragua. Angel checked to see if his phone was working (it was). Barb never called him back (I can't imagine why.) George King is missing, but the word is out. Barb was amused by Angel's phone message and brought him some dinner. Deb went to the club where Anton was playing. He never showed up for the band's gig that night. Billy walked into his house and was ambushed by Dex and Miguel. He was dressed for the kill in the casino storeroom. Miguel thanked Dexter for letting him in and showing him the way. Dex revived Billy and Miguel got to perform his first kill. But could he go through with it? Yep, he did. Dexter asked him, "How do you feel?" and he responded, "Fantastic." Dex still can't share everything with Miguel and sends him off while he disposed of the body. Miguel tried to take Billy's ring as a souvenir, but Dex told him not to do it (part of the code.) Deb went to Anton's apartment. Anton wasn't there, but outside the door were freshly trimmed trees - the skinner had been there. Dex saw Harry and said he was wrong about Miguel and couldn't admit he did good. Harry said he was only thinking of him and everything Miguel now did would be connected to him. Dex went back to cranky Rita's house and gave her the engagement ring. Her mood changed instantly and she apologized for her awful behavior. Meanwhile, Miguel made a surprise visit to Ellen's place. Uh-oh.