Podcast Episode 201: Safe Series Premiere and Atlanta Robbin’ Season

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle discuss the cancellation and then quick renewal of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2:45), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s tweet promotion price (10:25), and the latest in Netflix stats including how most users stream only licensed content (16:00). We then review the series premiere of Netflix’s Safe starring Michael C. Hall (22:20). Finally, we discuss season two of FX’s Atlanta including the episodes “Teddy Perkins” and “Crabs in a Barrel” (33:25).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

TV Review: Dexter 7x04: Run

DA- As Deb entered the bathtub all we could think of was Rita. As the water turned red and wouldn’t stop Deb must have too. This leads to Deb instantly questioning Dexter now about season four and if he even loved Rita. He did and loves Deb too. Aww…

Thankfully they got Raymond Speltzer from last week and just need a confession. After a good cop/bad cop routine from Batista and Deb respectively they somehow got Raymond to come out and say “I should have killed you like I killed the other girls.” Woah that was easy. Unfortunately when they originally arrested him the cops beat him and it is unclear if Raymond was conscious or even able to follow his Miranda rights (he never verbally said yes). Because of this his confession is thrown out. Now I don’t know much about the justice system but this seems pretty darn stupid! Good thing we have someone like Dexter out there!

Meanwhile Sirko and his henchmen visit Alex who is a barkeeper at the club. They convince him to take the blame for Mike’s murder and kill himself in exchange for his family to receive a lot of money. This is literally the opposite of a suicide prevention hotline. Miami Metro finds the scene the next day and what happens next surprises me. Out of nowhere Batista becomes a good cop and doesn’t believe it was a suicide. It’s too neat. Who is this and what happened to Miami Metro?! Then again Quinn represents the department well. He wants to just forget this whole thing because this ordeal is “hard” for the stripper he is sleeping with. Oh pobre Quinn. Suck it up!

Dexter tries to take on Raymond only for him to get knocked out in the RV and wake up in a maze himself. The note next to him tells him to run but he says he doesn’t run but makes people run. He walks down the hall like a BAMF until he sees Raymond as a bull chase him with a giant axe. Even Dexter knows no matter how uncool it looks, this is the time to run!

He narrowly escapes and decides if this happens again he has to make sure he has nothing to lose (like he did in season four when chasing Trinity). He sends Harrison to Orlando to visit Astor and Cody (remember them?). Dexter tries again to get Raymond and leads him into a trap of his own. Raymond lets out a final yell and tells Dexter he is going to kill him, which Dexter wittingly responds, “that would be a twist.” The body goes into the furnace to be burned and perhaps the ashes will go to Fisher and Sons for a funeral service. (See what I did there?) Along with the body, Dexter gets rid of his blood slides. Finally Dexter realizes that it is a bad idea to hang on to the evidence of people you killed!

Deb sees the smoke coming out of the crematory and asks if Dexter did this for her. He says no (now this would be a good opportunity to say yes Dex) and asks her how she feels. She says she is glad and wonders what that makes her. Dexter simply tells her that this makes her human but I think he forgot to include this also makes her a psycho that is in love with your step-brother who is a serial killer. But hey, one step at a time.

Episode Grade: B

Episode MVP: Angel Batista (for finally being good at his job)
Original Airdate: 10/21/2012

TV Review: Dexter 7x03: Buck the System

DA- Dexter came back full of built up rage and excitement with another action-packed episode.

After dream sequence after dream sequence of Dexter losing his dark passenger, he finally lashes out on a criminal in Miami Metro. While I knew Masuka was never going to bite the dust it would have been interesting to see what lie Dexter could come up with it to cover that up!

Dexter’s next target is a cemetery groundskeeper named Raymond Speltzer. Deb of course follows him at every moment to try and stop him. Since he knows he is being followed, Dexter lures Deb to the bar to let her be a part of his stalking process with this kill. Deb tells him to let the legal system take care of this but Dexter zings back that if the legal system worked he wouldn’t be this busy. Oh Dexter you got her!

The destruction of Louis Greene came to a quick and sad ending for me. First Masuka fires him when Dexter mysteriously sends the missing hand back to him for “not being mint.” Next came Jamie. Dexter sets up a video for her to find that involves him with a hooker. Louis tries to pull a Dexter with a crazy lie (it’s not cheating if you pay for it). Louis turns then turns the lie to Dexter (which is actually the truth) but this is absurd to her. Dexter would never do such a thing! What’s next Louis? Are you going to try and tell her that he kills people?! Yeah right!

Somehow the GPS on the bracelet that Viktor had only marked three places (the three of which Dexter was with him for). They trace it to the marina and to the exact boat (don’t ask me how) where they see Louis trying to sink Dexter’s boat. Since he thinks it is security he says it is his boat. After the classic misunderstanding is settled and they learn about Dexter, Louis is shot. Wow! While I was excited for this increased action I was sad to see this character go especially since the show was leading him to be so much more.

After being turned down for a search warrant on Raymond Speltzer, Deb tries to look into Raymond herself. It turns out that Raymond likes to create Saw-like mazes where he chases his victim in a gimp-like costume while wearing a Viking hat (to each his own!) Deb breaks in and begins to be chased herself. Dexter saves the day but unfortunately did not arrive fast enough to save the dead girl.

Will this be the final straw and will Deb give in to Dexter’s unique justice system (since the real system is certainly flawed in this case)? Perhaps we will find out next week in another exciting and fast-paced Dexter.

Episode Grade: A-

Episode MVP: Louis Greene (R.I.P.)
Original Airdate: 10/14/2012

TV Review: Dexter 7x02: Sunshine and Frosty Swirl

DA- Put yourself in Deb and Dexter’s shoes (one of each I guess). Your sister just found out you were a serial killer so what do you do? Of course chase her at full speed out of your apartment at night. Nothing scary about that! However I can see why Dexter did what he did. He is already running out of options and it is only episode two.

Within minutes Deb gets hit with more bomb shells. Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher, Harry taught him everything he knows, and that he has even given his darkness a name. Deb admits that she is the worst detective in the world to not see any of this but Deb you’re not. At least you found out unlike the entire crime team at Miami Metro. With emotions running high Dexter asks what she is going to do now and she does what I believe any woman finding a serial killer may do, punch him and get out of his apartment!

While Deb goes to research why serial killers do what they do (with her information coming from her once fling Frank Lundy), Dexter sees the hand from the Ice Truck Killer murders. Deb dragged it out and he wonders how did it get to him. After looking through the evidence locker Dex is told by Masuka that it was sold online to an unknown buyer. Not even whiz-kid Louis could find the name. Then it hits Dexter…oh yeah Louis.

Cut to Deb leading a meeting about Mike’s shooting. “Remember him?” she asks. Nope. But continue on Deb. Dexter volunteers to go investigate another crime scene only to be told no by his boss sister. It is all part of her master plan to fix Dexter and his “addiction” in her homemade rehab program. Dexter argues that dad tried this and it will never work but Deb reminds him he does not have any choice (because she is a lieutenant and can arrest him remember Dex?)

Meanwhile in other Miami Metro news, LaGuerta has had a private lab analyze the found blood side. It does belong to Travis Marshall. She later requests Bay Harbor Butcher evidence from the FBI only to see what could have been seen from a photograph that yes the slides he used is just like the slide she analyzed. Quinn also puts his great skills to the task and talks with the strippers at the club about the death of the prostitute and Mike. The stripper gives some information and asks Quinn to find the man and put a bullet in his head. He says that they do not technically do that. Well almost everyone…

Inside the Deb rehab program she decides to spend every waking moment with Dexter. Now Deb is this just an excuse for you to get closer to the guy you recently said you had growing feelings for? She probably will not want to after Dexter describes his dark passenger and how the blood trickles behind his eyelids becoming a black flood throughout his body. The pain is so intense that it feels like his head will explode. Oh come on Dexter. That’s just a migraine. Take some Advil. As for the black blood thing yeah you may want to get that checked out.

Unable to sneak out to investigate Louis’ apartment at night, Dexter tries to take over for Masuka in the field. He has to clear it with sister first who says of course but she is coming too. Thankfully tweedledee and tweedledum (Batista and Quinn) arrive to pull Deb away so Dexter can break into Louis house. What Dexter finds on Louis’ computer even scares him and he is a serial killer. Not only does he have a video exclaiming how he wants Dexter to suffer but he also has one where he talks about toys and gets interrupted by a prostitute to give him a blowjob! I have not been this confused by a computer video in Dexter since this from season five.

Louis comes in of course and since this is probably the only time Dex can get out of the house, he decides to push Louis against the wall and scare the crap out of him. It turns out he sent him the hand because Dexter hated his game. Oh go cry me a river. He tells Louis he never wants to see him again and Louis agrees but then again I would too if Michael C. Hall was screaming in to my face.

Back at the crime scene Deb asks where he was but Dexter reassures her that he didn’t kill anyone so she doesn’t need to worry. Hey Dexter word of advice to not get caught you and Deb need to tone it all down. Between talking here and at the station about your serial killer addiction it may raise some red flags. Then again you are at Miami Metro so…

In “killer of the season” news, they think someone in the brotherhood of the Ukrainian mob tried to send a message to them about killing Viktor. They jump to conclusions and think it was an ex-employee. In a game of role-playing, the head of the organization pretends to hold an exit interview which really just involves getting a screwdriver to the eye. Don’t screw around if you want a better severance package I guess.

After Dexter is shocked to see Louis later that night at his apartment telling him he will see him at work tomorrow. He decides to put a sedative in his sister’s steak (like any good brother would do) and sneak out to send another message to Louis. When Dexter sees the blood from the sedative mark in Louis neck, he begins to feel his dark passenger. However perhaps due to Dr. Deb’s program, he calls her for support. She calls this a victory because unlike what their dad said, he does have control. He does leave Louis on a random park bench to send a message once Deb leaves the guy who just snuck out of the house and almost killed another person.

At the end back at the crime scene, Dexter talks with a convict who is helping the police locate bodies he buried many years ago. Dexter wonders if he grew a conscious but he said it was always there and that he just gave up over time. Dexter wonders if he should just give up too. But before he can decide for sure the convict just jumps in front of a truck. He did not have a conscious and he never changed. He never wanted them to find the bodies. He just wanted a few more days in the sun and some ice cream. Who could really blame him? Who doesn’t like ice cream?

As a slow motion Deb hurries back from the ice cream stand we all have to wonder if she thinks Dexter pushed him to help release his dark passenger from the night before. However we should be able to find out quickly next week in another fast paced episode of a show that has stopped fooling around and created some real life stakes for our serial killing friend.

Episode Grade: B+

Episode MVP: Louis Greene (Josh Cooke) Finally some character development for this guy!

Original Airdate: 10/7/12

TV Review: Dexter 7x01: Are You...?

DA- Everyone’s favorite serial killer is back and after a painful season six let’s hope we can all have a killer time in lucky season number seven.

The episode begins with a speed round version of season six which I wish was how long season six lasted all together. (Notice how they completely skipped over the Professor Gellar character and the big “reveal” about who he was). In a Breaking Bad flash-forward we see Dexter on the run and off to the airport booking a flight to Budapest in cash since his credit cards are declining. Did Deb actually turn Dexter in?

Nope. Flashback to the church where Deb just witnessed Dexter plunge a knife into Travis Marshall and is at a lost for words. Luckily Dexter has excuses from an excuse roll-a-dex to pull things from including still being torn up from Rita’s death in season four. However it was the idea of Dexter entering a psych ward and losing Harrison that got to her the most. They plan on making it look like a suicide (Travis was disappointed that he failed his mission) before they burn the church down since fire is “biblical.” But guys I think you are forgetting that snakes are too! Why not rent a giant snake from the zoo and have Travis be eaten alive by the devil! No wait let’s just flood Miami and have Deb, Dexter, and Harrison float away in a giant ark. It worked so well for Evan Almighty!

No matter what they do they of course trick the crime fighters at Miami Metro. While Batista is easily convinced, LaGuerta finds a blood slide left behind by Dexter. Uh-oh spaghettio’s! Meanwhile Detective Mike on his way to search for Travis’ absent car tries to help out a roadside bystander. As soon as he opens the trunk and says he is a cop he finds a dead body and is shot down. So much for being a Good Samaritan!

Deb meanwhile is starting to get suspicious and finally seeing through the lies Dexter has been feeding her for all these years. Why did Dexter have all that plastic wrap, knives, and outfit ready when he was defending himself from Travis? Most importantly the crime scene looks exactly the same to the time she was wrapped in plastic to the table in season one! This is only confirmed when Deb finds the files in the evidence storage room. Maybe Dexter should have pulled a Walter White, used some magnets and somehow destroy the evidence in the room as well.

Despite all this Dexter still has Deb slightly wrapped around her finger. He turns the table on her and asks what she was doing there at the church? Sure I killed Travis but why were you there Deb?

After finding out who was driving the car with the dead body in the trunk (thanks to his fingerprint identification iPhone app probably available on iTunes) Dex feels the need to go and kill this guy before Miami Metro finds out about him. WHY? He says he wants to be in control but Dexter take a break. Deb just caught you and you are skating on thin ice here as it is!

But Dexter likes cutting it close. Cue the flash-forward from the opening, which is now just a forward I guess. After Louis canceled Dexter’s credit cards (because he was rude to him) he continues to race to the airport using only large sums of cash. After using a fake passport and getting caught with his “diabetes shots” he makes it in and finds the man who shot Mike. After sedating him in a bathroom and suffocating him with a plastic bag in a side airport room, Dexter succeeds once again and walks out of the airport (and past the cameras) with another trophy for his blood slide collection.

Skipping right past the unnecessary and boring Batista and Quinn storyline, Deb looks around for Dexter only to find Masuka taking the late shift at work so Dex can do the morning one. Determined to find her killer brother Deb calls the apartment and talks with Jamie who says Dexter is working late like usual. Uh oh even more spaghettio’s!

Back at the lab LaGuerta asks Vince if it is common procedure to take blood slides at the crime scenes for evidence. He says there was only one Miami Metro officer who ever did that and he was the Bay Harbor Butcher. As Doakes’ close friend and a believer that he never did those crimes in season two, LaGuerta may now have her evidence to help prove his innocence. But instead of leaving it in the evidence bin she takes it which I am sure creates a legal situation if ever used in a future case.

Dexter arrives home after a crazy day only to see his place ransacked. His knives, blood slides, and Ice Truck Killer hand lies on the table clear as day. Deb on the opposite side of the table simply asks him “are you…are you a serial killer?” He responds without any more options or excuses with a simple “yes.”

Overall I am very optimistic with the upcoming season now that there seems to be an end plan in sight. While this episode was not perfect it certainly raised the stakes for Dexter who usually has everything work out for him in the end. I can not wait to see how this plays out for Dexter and how much Deb and Miami Metro learns this season regarding the Ice Truck Killer, the Bay Harbor Butcher, and maybe even Kyle Butler himself, Dexter Morgan.

Episode Grade: B+

Episode MVP: Jennifer Carpenter

Original Airdate: 9/30/12

Emmy Voter: Lead Actor Drama Series

Emmy Voter marathon continues with...

Drama Lead Actor!

Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley in Downton Abbey
Submission: "Episode 7"
A.K.A. The One Where... Season finale, where Robert must testify against Bates and finds out about Mary's Season 1 scandal.

Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire
Submission: "Two Boats and a Lifegaurd"
A.K.A. The One Where... Nucky's father dies and he must go to the funeral. He gives up his treasurer position and control of the town to the Darmodys, and is plagued by a recurring dream.

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad
Submission: "Crawl Space"
A.K.A. The One Where... Walt is tazed and brought before Gus after accidentally accompanying Hank to the laundromat, where Gus threatens to kill his family. Walt tries to check out of the drug game and change the family's identities by calling Saul's contact, but he comes up short for money after Skyler paid off Ted's bills. He ends the episode laughing maniacally in the crawl space.

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in Dexter
Submission: "Nebraska"
A.K.A. The One Where... Dexter flees with his subconscious dead brother Brian to Nebraska to confront Jonah Mitchell, who he believes killed the rest of the Mitchell clan in the name of the Trinity Killer. Along the way, Dexter acts out by having sex with a gas station employee, shooting a gun and killing a pot dealer among his crops. Dex lets Jonah live and abandons Brian to return to his normal life.

Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men
Submission: "The Other Woman"
A.K.A The One Where... Don struggles with the Jaguar pitch and refuses the company allow Joan to sell herself out. What he doesn't know is that she does so anyway, after his rousing pitch session. Also, after treating Peggy like garbage, he must deal with her resignation from SCDP.

Damian Lewis as Sgt. Nick Brody in Homeland
Submission: "Marine One"
A.K.A. The One Where... Brody's plan comes together in the season finale. where he has the opportunity to take out the morally tainted Vice President, but is talked down by his daughter. In the end, he makes a new plan and gives some closure to his affair with Carrie.

Notes: Bonneville is out of his league here, as the overlong episode doesn't showcase his strengths. Hall is so uncharacteristic of the character in this episode it made me uncomfortable. Buscemi submitted well but doesn't pack enough punch- he's still only half a gangster at this point, and he should have submitted the finale. Hamm did some great work, especially with the kiss, but this is not a winning episode.

Verdict: It's a tie for me between Cranston and Lewis, and either winning would be fantastic. I think "Crawl Space" was the best dramatic episode of TV in the season, but "Marine One" should not be counted out. However, over the course of the season, Cranston did more amazing work than Lewis. Cranston has won this award three times before, so we'll see if the streak continues or if Lewis is given a shot at gold.

HOW MY BALLOT WOULD LOOK:

WINNER: Bryan Cranston
RUNNER-UP: Damian Lewis
3: Jon Hamm
4: Steve Buscemi
5: Michael C. Hall
6. Hugh Bonneville