Dexter Episode 79: Chemistry

Dexter and Hannah grow closer after another intense encounter, but their affair quickly becomes dangerous when Sal Price starts watching them and trying to expose Hannah’s secrets. Dexter tries to protect himself and Hannah by steering Sal away, while Debra continues digging into Hannah’s past and the suspicious death tied to her husband.

The episode opens with Dexter and Hannah in bed after sex. Hannah presses a knife to Dexter’s throat and asks about his attempt to kill her, and Dexter admits that he kills bad people. The tension flips into mutual attraction, and they end up having sex again. Afterward, Dexter drops Hannah off and they agree they should not see each other again.

Sal Price, a true-crime author, has been following Dexter and Hannah. He realizes there is a story here and pressures Dexter for information, hoping to expose the relationship and use it in his book. Dexter, unwilling to let Sal dig further, threatens him into backing off by using knowledge that could damage Sal’s reputation and work.

Meanwhile, Debra asks questions about Hannah and the death of Hannah’s husband, Jake. She wants the body exhumed to determine the cause of death, and Lori shares more of Hannah’s history, including the fact that Jake died soon after Hannah became pregnant and that she later miscarried. The exhumation does not produce useful evidence because the remains are too degraded to test for poison.

Sal later collapses after his encounter with Hannah and is pronounced dead. Dexter confronts Hannah afterward, and she admits that she poisoned Sal through his pen. Dexter tells her that he destroyed Sal’s research materials, then asks about her pregnancy; Hannah explains that Jake forced her to end it or he would leave her. Hearing this softens Dexter’s attitude, and they sleep together again.

Debra tests Sal’s remains, but the results show no poison, which prevents a prosecution against Hannah. Frustrated by the lack of evidence, Debra calls Dexter and gives him permission to kill Hannah.