I am – Hercules!!

Everybody knows the actors who play Laguerta and Angel co-starred on “Oz,” right?

Dexter nearly gets caught again in tonight's episode, scripted by Melissa Rosenberg (not Joan Rivers' daughter; I speak of the gal writing all those “Twilight” movies).

Here’s AICN’s crazy-busy man in the Midwest, “Capone”:

Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago. Sorry I dropped the ball on last week's great Dexter. The Chicago Film Festival has been stomping my ass as I try to keep up with it, but I wanted to make sure to clue you all in to this week's game-changing episode. I'm sure this season has a whole lot more in terms of the direction of the show, but the cliffhanger ending this week I did not see coming and I can't imagine what the fallout is going to be. Here we go…

What's the title of "Dexter" 404?
"Dex Takes A Holiday"

Who directed?
My favorite "Dexter" director John Dahl, the filmmaker who helmed the films KILL ME AGAIN, THE LAST SEDUCTION, JOY RIDE, RED ROCK WEST, ROUNDERS, and YOU KILL me. In recent years, he's been one of television's best directors, having taken the reigns on key episodes of "Californication," "Battlestar Galactica," "Breaking Bad," "True Blood," "The Vampire Diaries," "United States of Tara," and two previous episodes of "Dexter." There's a reason they brought him in to direct this particular episode; they needed the best from their pool of regulars.

Who wrote it?
Co-written by series executive producer Melissa Rosenberg, who has also written eight other episodes of the series and is probably best known for adapting the TWILIGHT movies. But the bottom line is, she's the best writer this series has. Her co-scripter here is supervising producer Wendy West, who has also written episodes of "The Closer," "The Beast," "K-Ville," Numb3rs," "The Practice," and "Law & Order: SVU."

Where do we pick things up?
After we witnessed the Trinity killer (the great John Lithgow) take his second victim last week (the mother who fell to her death), Debra and Lundy (the equally great Keith Carradine) are trying to figure out where Trinity's next murder will happen by figuring it out where he murdered 30 years earlier in Miami. Does anyone else find it a bit strange that Dexter isn't really involved deeply with the Trinity killer investigation? I'm not sure it bothers me and I'm pretty sure it won't last long, but it does seem conspicuously unlikely. But I digress…

After Rita sees Dexter smash out security lights in his suburban neighborhood, she decides Dexter needs to take some time away from the family to wind down. She takes the kids to a wedding, leaving Dexter at home to carry out his latest act of twisted justice.

Any blowback from Quinn's pillow talk with the hot reporter?
You bet. An article detailing how Miami homicide resources are being taken away from the vacation killer murders to investigate a possible serial killer lands on the front page, all based on what the reporter learned last week in bed. Quinn takes swift action after getting chewed out by, well, everyone he works with, Debra in particular. As a result, Lundy knows his free pass to use police resources has likely expired.

He and Debra think they have it narrowed down the exact location of Trinity's next murder--a dive bar. Meanwhile, it's becoming increasingly clear that Lundy has strong feelings for Debra, to the point where she feels the need to say something to him. At home, Debra must deal with a jealous Anton, who has every reason to feel threatened.

How does Dexter choose to spend his three days off from the family?
Killing. He has his sights set on a beautiful female police officer who he suspects of murdering her husband and young daughter and framing another criminal. The blood analyst on the case tipped Dexter that something wasn't quite right. Ghost father Harry prods Dexter about his reasons for picking this particular victim--perhaps the idea of taking a permanent vacation from the family appeals to Dexter?

Does the Trinity Killer do anything exciting this week?
A series of strange moves from Lithgow's character this week. We see him at the aforementioned dive bar getting his ass kicked He also spends a little time in the library researching home layouts when he spots the article in the paper about Lundy investigating him. Also, he makes direct contact with Lundy for the first time in his career. His response, "I'm found."

How about the vacation killer murders?
No movement there this week, other than as a talking point.

How's the blossoming office romance going between Lt. Laguerta and Angel?
Being the political being that she is, she wants to formally disclose their relationship to the brass in case it would ever come up in a trial that two investigators were sleeping together. He's against it for purely emotional reasons. Both of them go to, of all people, Dexter for advice.

What I liked.
It's been a very long while since the show has really shown us Dexter's entire process, and I didn't realize until this episode how much I missed it. We see his investigation, his clever way of getting into the well-secured house of a fellow cop to look for evidence in the killings. He inadvertently meets his intended victim, flirts, gets busted looking into her case, threatened all sorts of way by the cop, and their final showdown actually takes place in Dexter’s empty house. Dexter is unusually bold with this control-freak victim. He bats her beehive and gets her to come to him. Way to improvise, Dexter.

What I didn't like.
There's nothing in this episode that doesn't work. As a result, my only complaints about it are that I wanted more of certain things, especially Trinity. But I suspect that after this week's final scene, more of what I'm desiring will be in wild abundance in coming episodes.

How does it end, you tease?
Invisotext on! Rita and the kids come home early from the wedding. Three shots ring out; two bodies fall.

-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
Follow Me On Twitter

9 p.m. Sunday. Showtime.

Follow Herc on Twitter Too!!