EPISODE 11: "Left Turn Ahead"

Episode summary:Dexter is faced with a momentous decision that affects those closest to him, while his relationship with Lila (Jaime Murray) hits another snag when she discovers a secret about him and tries to use it to blackmail him.

Details: Dexter catches one of Jimenz's dealer contacts, discovers he is wanted for murder, and kills him in front of Doakes. Something Doakes says ("Stay away from me") triggers a memory, and Dexter remembers the reason his father killed himself; a few days before the suicide... his father walked in on Dexter killing a pimp who Harry failed to convict for murder. Dexter realizes that his father realized that to develop a code for Dexter to kill was one thing and to see his son kill is another (Harry gets sick and then a few days later takes an overdose of his heart medicine).

Lila sleeps with Angel (they have rough sex at her instigation), and then she goes into her bathroom, takes wine and Rohypnol (that she bought in a park from a dealer) and hits herself over the head. Angel calls 911, when she wakes up in the hospital, she claims no memory and asks for a rape kit, claiming Angel raped her. The hospital calls Dexter to come in as her "emergency contact."

He leaves Doakes still alive and rushes back to the hospital to confront Lita. She offers to drop the charges against Angel if Dexter will take her back.

The police discover Dexter's tools with Doakes' fingerprints (which he threw in the water last episode). They also found Doakes at a gas station a few days earlier, and the manhunt is off. They know he was in the Everglades. As he was planning how to get Doakes caught (and then charged for the murder), he realizes that he's making an "awfully big mess". Meanwhile, Doakes manages to get out of the cage at the cabin in the Everglades.

Police officers arrive to arrest Det. Angel Batista for sexual assault.

Dexter gets a call from Rita that her car died... and rushes off to her side. He justifies what he's doing to Doakes because he's "sparing Rita and Deb."

Dexter gives Rita his minivan and makes a date with her and the kids for a fieldtrip/picnic out on the water.

Doakes escapes and tries to flag down a boat in the water, turns out to be two bad guys who were going to the cabin for the drugs... they kidnap Doakes and go to the cabin, where Dexter had returned with food for Doakes and sneaks up on them (Doakes sees Dexter and the fact he's there to help him). Dexter shoots one of the bad guys and then pulls the gun on Doakes and puts him back in the cage (they throw the cocaine in the water).

Dexter tells Doakes he's thinking about turning himself in and leaves the cabin (with Doakes still in the cage) to clean up his affairs before turning himself in.

Dexter calls Deb while leaving the cabin, says he's going to bring by some papers for her to sign (legal papers for after he turns himself in). Deb then goes out drinking with Masuka and Batista.

The same day Dexter goes to see Lila... to ask her "respectfully to drop the charges against Angel." He tells her that he's going away and going to be out of reach, permanently, so there is no point in continuing her game.

Deb asks Lundy to access FBI files and do research on Lila. She has no records at all under the name she's been using... no social security number, no green card, no records at all. Batista brings in his microwave (which she'd used) to try to get her fingerprints.

Dexter goes to Deb to ask her to sign his living trust and asks her to sign it and take over all his assets in the event that anything happens to him.

Meanwhile Lt. LaGuerta takes a leave and goes to Haiti on a search for Doakes. She learns that Doakes was in Haiti looking for a lab to have blood slides analyzed, he can also alibi Doakes on two missions that occurred when BHB victims were known to have disappeared.

Lila is spying on Dexter (he's taking the boat out with Rita and the kids for the day) and looking crazier by the moment. She breaks into Dexter's minivan (through a half-open passenger window). She finds his GPS and looks at it for previous destinations... she steals it.

Dexter and Rita have a touching moment on the boat, and then he gives her the pink slip to the minivan.

Deb learns that Lila's real last name is "West" and she's on a visa that expired 2 years earlier. She wants to deport her... but Lundy tells her that it won't happen as she's a British girl without a criminal record, while there are dangerous felons that need attention.

Lundy's boss finds someone who gave Doakes directions in the Everglades a few days before.

Deb approaches Lila and tells her to leave and not contact Angel or Dexter before, tells her she's contacted INS and she's going to be arrested and deported. Lila tells Deb "you don't want to do this" and Deb leaves. Lila takes the GPS she stole from Dexter and follows it out to the Cabin.

Dex cooks dinner for his sister and starts thinking of scenarios of how she'll react when he tells her that he's the butcher. She arrives, they start talking and she says that she finally feels like she's recovering from the ice truck killer and she's back to being herself. They talked about how she got through her pain after the Ice Truck Killer, and it changed his mind about turning himself in.

Deb gets a phone call... they found Doakes' rental car. The search grid is closing in... and he needs to run out and make sure they don't find Doakes in a cage (cut to the Cabin... and Lila arriving at the Cabin to find Doakes).


Original air date: December 9th, 2007

Written by:Scott Buck & Tim Schlattmann

Directed by:Marcos Siega