Dexter Episode 71: Talk to the Hand

Dexter’s anonymous tip leads Miami Metro to the marina, where the team discovers a yacht, two bodies, and evidence that Travis’s planned chemical attack on the station is real. At the same time, Debra’s conflict with LaGuerta worsens, and her therapist says something that deeply unsettles her.

At the marina, Dexter uses the crime scene to get close to the case and figures out more about the attack, while the squad realizes Batista is missing and fears he may be in danger. The investigation shifts to the Dorsey home, where Angel is being held hostage by Travis, who orders Beth Dorsey to carry a backpack containing the Wormwood poison to Miami Metro and release it there using Angel’s ID to get inside.

Beth arrives at the station and waits for Debra, claiming she has information about Wormwood. Dexter recognizes her in time, gets her isolated, and she releases the poison in a contained room instead of the squad room. Beth dies from the exposure, and Dexter survives but is affected by the gas himself.

Meanwhile, Quinn reaches the Dorsey house and finds Angel tied up in a burning room, then gets him out alive. Travis escapes during the chaos, and the attack on the station is stopped before it can kill anyone there.

Debra later meets with Matthews about the dead call girl case and starts to realize how much trouble the situation has become for him. LaGuerta also pushes the matter further, and Matthews ends up believing Debra has betrayed him. Debra’s therapist makes a disturbing suggestion about her feelings for Dexter, which leaves Debra angry and unwilling to continue the sessions.

To draw Travis out, Dexter stages a fake Doomsday-style display using Gellar’s severed hand and a bloody tableau. The plan works well enough to make the team think Gellar is dead, and Dexter sends Travis a message letting him know he is coming for him. The episode closes with Dexter’s attempt to take control of the hunt turning into a dangerous trap, as Travis ultimately gets the upper hand and leaves Dexter stranded in a fiery, deadly situation at sea, though Dexter manages to survive.