Born Free (Dexter)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Born Free
Series = Dexter
Season = 1
Episode = 12
Airdate = Start date|2006|12|17
Production =
Writer = Daniel Cerone
Melissa Rosenberg
Director = Michael Cuesta
Guests = Geoff Pierson
C. S. Lee
Mark Pellegrino
Christian Camargo
Judith Scott
Scott Atkinson
Episode list = List of "Dexter" episodes


Caption =
Prev = Truth Be Told
Next = It's Alive!

"Born Free" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the American television drama series "Dexter", which aired on December 17, 2006 on Showtime in the United States,cite web |url=http://au.tv.ign.com/articles/751/751498p1.html |title="Dexter": "Born Free" Review |accessdate=2008-09-30 |author=Goldman, Eric |date=December 18, 2006 |publisher=IGN] and May 4, 2008 on CTV in Canada. [cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080501/alert_story_080501 |title=Cliffhanger endings and guest stars brighten up May |accessdate=2008-10-02 |publisher=CTV] The episode was written by Daniel Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg, and was directed by Michael Cuesta.cite web |url=http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/175307/60763/Born%20Free.html?dataSet=1|title="Dexter" – Born Free – Synopsis, Credits, Companies – Variety Profiles|accessdate=2008-09-30 |publisher="Variety"] Guest stars in this episode include Geoff Pierson, C. S. Lee, Mark Pellegrino, Christian Camargo, Judith Scott and Scott Atkinson. Based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, the finale featured many differences to the original source, mainly in the lead-up to and revelation of the identity of the "Ice Truck Killer". The episode was very well received by critics, and Michael C. Hall was nominated for a Golden Globe.Cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/81|title=Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2008 Golden Globe Awards For The Year Ended December 31, 2007|accessdate=2007-12-13|publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association|year=2007]

The episode focuses on the final confrontation between Dexter Morgan (Michael Hall) and the "Ice Truck Killer". After kidnapping Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), Rudy Cooper (Christian Camargo) is in the final stages of his plan to reunite with his long lost brother. Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King) and Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) investigate the case, and Doakes begins to suspect that Dexter is up to something. Meanwhile, Paul Bennett (Mark Pellegrino) tries to convince Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) that Dexter is not who she thinks he is.

Plot

Dexter searches his house for clues left by the "Ice Truck Killer", and finds a picture of the shipping container where his mother was killed. When he is about to leave, Doakes and LaGuerta arrive, telling him that they think Rudy was the one who stabbed Angelo Batista (David Zayas). Doaks insists that Dexter knows something, and he reveals that the blood on Angel's collar matched Rudy's. The pair leave, and Dexter goes to find the shipping container. At the station, LaGuerta orders a search for Rudy. Mathstor walks in and introduces Esmé Pascal (Judith Scott), the new lieutenant replacing LaGuerta. At the shipping yard, Dexter breaks into the container in the picture, only to find it full of bananas. Doakes appears and asks him what he is doing, and after a fist fight, a foreman arrives and orders them to leave. Doakes tells Dexter that he knows that he is up to something, and says that he will be watching him. Meanwhile, Rita is contacted by Paul, from prison, who contends that Dexter knocked him out and set him up. Rita becomes annoyed as Paul persists that Dexter is dangerous and should not be around their children. Later, Rita is visited by Paul's Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, who attempts to convince Rita that Paul is telling the truth. In a final plea, Paul calls Rita and tells her to search their house for a shoe which Paul believes came off when Dexter knocked him out. Rita hangs up, but discovers the shoe while taking out the trash.

After finding a clue at Rudy's house, Dexter arrives at the house of his mother, Laura Moser. Flashbacks reveal that the "Ice Truck Killer" is Dexter's biological brother, Brian Moser. He also witnessed the murder of their mother, but did not repress the memory; instead, he grew up in a mental institution being treated for anti-social personality disorder. Dexter meets Brian in their childhood home, where he is keeping Debra. He intends to kill Debra with Dexter in a family reunion, but is stopped by Dexter. As Doakes and the rest of the homicide unit close in on the house, Brian escapes through a trap door and Dexter is left with Debra, appearing to have saved her. Doakes tries to question Dexter about his involvement, but is stopped by an indignant Debra, who says that Dexter is a hero. Dexter accompanies her to the hospital and then returns home, apparently with Debra. In the middle of the night, Brian breaks into Dexter's apartment and attempts to stab Debra, only to find a prosthetic body in her place and a wire pulled across his neck by Dexter. In the refrigeration unit in Brian's apartment, Dexter ties him to the killing table with plastic wrap. After an emotionally charged conversation, Dexter slices his brother's throat and leaves him upside down to drain, staging it as a suicide. Dexter and Debra arrive at a crime scene, and he imagines what it would be like if everyone knew the truth about him.

Production

The first season of "Dexter" is based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. However, there are numerous differences, ranging from extra subplots to rearrangements and modifications of elements from the source material. The biggest change is the lead-up to and revelation of the identity of the "Ice Truck Killer", called the "Tamiami Butcher" in the novel. In the novel, Dexter is led to believe that he might be the one committing the murders, due to a series of strange dreams that connect him to the murder. The final clue is a blurry photo, taken from surveillance footage, of a man who resembles Dexter at a crime scene. After the "Tamiami Killer" kidnaps Deborah, Dexter finds and confronts him. It is subsequently revealed that the killer is actually Dexter's nearly identical long-lost brother, Brian, who, like Dexter, witnessed their mother's brutal murder. Dexter is followed by Detective LaGuerta, who is slain by Brian. Debra finds out her brother is a killer and Dexter helps Brian to escape. In the television series, Brian is introduced under the fake name Rudy, a prosthetist who becomes Debra's boyfriend. Dexter hesitantly kills Brian instead of letting him escape, Debra does not discover her brother's secret, and LaGuerta is not present at all in the confrontation. In the novel, Dexter and his brother are nearly identical, whereas the actors playing the two characters are distinct from each other in their looks. [cite book |last= Lindsay |first= Jeff | authorlink=Jeff Lindsay (writer) |title= Darkly Dreaming Dexter |publisher= Doubleday |year= 2004 |month= July |isbn= 038551123X ]

Reception

"Born Free" was the most-watched original series telecast on Showtime since 2004, when the Nielsen Ratings started separating the channel's ratings from Showtime Plex, the package of Showtime channels offered by most cable and satellite systems. The finale drew an audience of 1.1 million American viewers, a significant increase over the series premiere, which attracted slightly more than 600,000 viewers. [cite web |url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-dexterfinaleratings,0,126770.story |title="Dexter" Slays Showtime Records |accessdate=2008-10-02 |date=December 20, 2006 |work=Zap2It |publisher=Tribune Media Services] The first season attracted on average 1.96 million American viewers, including live and DVR viewing off the premium channel's main feed. [cite web |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6513773.html |title="Dexter" Season Finale Does In Showtime Ratings Mark |accessdate=2008-10-02 |date=December 18, 2007 |publisher=Multichannel News]

Eric Goldman of IGN said that "Born Free" was "an intense episode that brought the Ice Truck Killer story to a satisfying conclusion". He felt that the "biggest shock of all" was the reveal of Rudy as Dexter's brother, and described their confrontation as "riveting". Goldman gave the episode an "incredible" rating of 9.5 out of 10. Paula Paige of "TV Guide" was "impressed" by Michael Hall's "incredible acting ability", praising his ability to transform from a "stoic killer to overwrought brother in a matter of moments". She said that the series went "from being a good show to a fantastic show in the course of one season", and hoped that "the sophomore season will be just as terrific". [cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/Dexter/December-17-2006/700014775 |title=December 17, 2006: "Born Free" – "Dexter" |accessdate=2008-10-02 |author=Paige, Paula |date=December 18, 2006 |publisher="TV Guide"] Jonathan Toomey of TV Squad felt that it would be a "shame" if Hall did not win a Golden Globe, saying that he "certainly deserves it". He made sense of Rudy making Deborah the brothers' first victim; Rudy was just jealous of the life that Dexter received and killing Deb was the symbol of that life dying. Although Toomey said that the episode was "really well written", he was troubled that no one made the connection between Dexter and Rudy when all they had to do was read Rudy's file, but speculated that it could be discovered the next season. [cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/17/dexter-born-free-season-finale/ |title="Dexter": "Born Free" (season finale) |accessdate=2008-10-02 |author=Toomey, Jonathan |date=December 17, 2006 |publisher=TV Squad]

References

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