About Last Night (Dexter)

Last updated
"About Last Night"
Dexter episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 9
Directed by Tim Hunter
Story by Scott Reynolds
Teleplay by Melissa Rosenberg
Cinematography by Romeo Tirone
Editing byMatthew V. Colonna
Original release dateNovember 23, 2008 (2008-11-23)
Running time51 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Damage a Man Can Do"		Next →
"Go Your Own Way"
Dexter season 3
List of episodes

"About Last Night" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter . It is the 33rd overall episode of the series and was written by Melissa Rosenberg from a story by Scott Reynolds, and was directed by co-executive producer Tim Hunter. It originally aired on Showtime on November 23, 2008.

Contents

Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department, who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers who have not been adequately punished by the justice system due to corruption or legal technicalities. In the episode, Dexter suspects Miguel might be hiding something, while Debra and Quinn find a new lead in The Skinner's case.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.13 million household viewers and gained a 0.6 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising the revelations and character development.

Plot

Sylvia (Valerie Cruz) visits Dexter (Michael C. Hall), fearing that Miguel (Jimmy Smits) was absent for the night and believes it might be an affair. Dexter provides an alibi for Miguel, but is surprised when she tells him he barely arrived at her house. Miguel claims he went to a bar to celebrate, but Dexter knows he is lying as the bar was closed for a few hours.

Miami Metro investigates Anton's disappearance, concluding The Skinner is responsible. At an unknown location, The Skinner is revealed to be George King (Jesse Borrego), who tortures Anton (David Ramsey) in revealing Freebo's location. King is brought in for questioning by Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) and Quinn (Desmond Harrington), and maintains himself calmed. Noticing that Mario is frightened of King, Dexter suggests Debra can use disrespect towards King, as that is something he dislikes. Debra instead attacks King, but is stopped by Quinn; they must be strategic, as they only have a few hours to keep him in custody.

When Ellen Wolf (Anne Ramsay) goes missing, Dexter investigates her house and discovers blood, realizing Miguel might have been involved. He visits a cemetery, discovering a location where Miguel buried her body. When he confronts him, Miguel admits it, but states they simply have different ideas of what they want. Dexter then sets up two boys to discover Ellen's body at the cemetery, and Miami Metro is sent to investigate. Miguel is disappointed with the discovery, but Dexter hopes he learned something. While talking with Rita (Julie Benz), Dexter realizes Miguel used the same speech with him.

Miguel talks privately with King to get a confession, requiring the camera to be turned off. However, King does not confess and they are forced to release him. To get Mario to talk, Debra and Quinn stage tree trimmers, getting him to finally reveal King's hideout. They save Anton, but King escapes. Suspecting Miguel of lying, Dexter decides to run a test on the shirt that Miguel gave him back. Dexter is astonished when it is revealed that the blood is not Freebo's, it was actually cow blood. Dexter is upset upon learning that Miguel has been using him since the beginning, and intends to strike back.

Production

Development

The episode was written by co-executive producer Melissa Rosenberg from a story by Scott Reynolds, and was directed by Tim Hunter. This was Rosenberg's eighth writing credit, Reynolds' second writing credit, and Hunter's first directing credit. [1]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "About Last Night" was seen by an estimated 1.13 million household viewers with a 0.6 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.6 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [2] This was a 17% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 0.96 million household viewers with a 0.5 in the 18–49 demographics. [3]

Critical reviews

"About Last Night" received critical acclaim. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9.4 out of 10, and wrote, "This episode was great and honest. It lacked the cartoon goofiness of the previous episode and just thrilled me with procedural suspense. And even though we wouldn't want Dexter to rest on its laurels and repeat themes, there's something fun about tracking down a new serial killer." [4]

Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" grade and wrote, "The cat-and-mouse game between Dexter and Miguel has now ramped up for what should be a killer finale, and a still-on-the-loose Skinner seems like to insert himself into the main thread some time soon. I expect an uptick in quality when all these storylines start to converge, since nothing will be entirely independent of Dexter's experience and thus will not be lame." [5] Jeffrey Bloomer of Paste wrote, "The final episodes will no doubt evolve into the dense plot webs they always do late-season, and now that the show has fallen back into its natural rhythm, it should be a good time." [6]

Alan Sepinwall wrote, "If, as I had speculated before, Miguel had been using his brother Oscar as an avenging angel, and that he turned to Dexter as both a replacement and an attempt to get hands-on training in the art of homicidal vigilantism, then his lack of curiosity about Dexter past, and about the high probability that he's the Bay Harbor Butcher, makes much more sense. Very, very interesting, and Michael C. Hall and Jimmy Smits continue to rock it." [7] Paula Paige of TV Guide was unsatisfied with the Skinner's identity, "George King is just some random character we've hardly seen even though he is central to the plot. I would have preferred it to be Quinn, although he really showed up for Debra and I have a new found respect for him." [8]

Debra McDuffee of TV Squad wrote, "Things are coming together and they will have a lot to cram into the last three episodes of Dexter, that's for sure. Some huge things happened in this episode, but mostly, it leaves me with a lot of questions. Really, really good questions." [9] Television Without Pity gave the episode a "B+" grade. [10]

Tim Hunter submitted this episode for consideration for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. [11]

Related Research Articles

"Our Father" is the third season premiere and twenty-fifth overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on September 28, 2008, on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Clyde Phillips and directed by Keith Gordon. In the episode, which takes place several months after the second-season finale, Dexter Morgan mistakenly kills an innocent man but forms a friendship with the man's brother, well-known assistant district attorney Miguel Prado. Dexter's sister Debra, meanwhile, has turned over a new leaf in her life and is determined to become a detective.

"The Damage a Man Can Do" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on November 16, 2008 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Scott Buck and directed by Marcos Siega. In the episode, assistant district attorney Miguel Prado asks Dexter Morgan for his assistance in killing a murderous gambler. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Ofr. Debra Morgan finds her boyfriend and informant Anton Briggs to be missing after she tells him that he is no longer legally obligated to work for her.

<i>Dexter</i> season 3 Drama series

The third season of Dexter premiered on September 28, 2008, and ended on December 14, 2008. "Our Father", the season premiere, attracted 1.22 million viewers in the United States, making it Showtime's highest-rated drama season premiere since Nielsen Media Research began compiling ratings in 2004. The season finale "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?" attracted 1.5 million viewers. Season three was watched by an average of 1.1 million viewers a week.

"Road Kill" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 44th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Melissa Rosenberg and Scott Reynolds, and was directed by Ernest Dickerson. It originally aired on Showtime on November 15, 2009.

"An Inconvenient Lie" is the third episode of the second season and fifteenth overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on October 14, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by co-executive producer Melissa Rosenberg and was directed by Tony Goldwyn.

"Dex, Lies, and Videotape" is the sixth episode of the second season and eighteenth overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on November 4, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Lauren Gussis and was directed by Nick Gomez.

"That Night, A Forest Grew" is the seventh episode of the second season and nineteenth overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on 11 November 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by executive producer Daniel Cerone and was directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

"Resistance Is Futile" is the ninth episode of the second season and twenty-first overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on November 25, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Melissa Rosenberg and was directed by Marcos Siega.

"There's Something About Harry" is the tenth episode of the second season and twenty-second overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on December 2, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Scott Reynolds and was directed by Steve Shill.

"Left Turn Ahead" is the eleventh episode of the second season and twenty-third overall episode of the American television drama series Dexter, which first aired on 9 December 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by co-executive producer Scott Buck and Tim Schlattmann, and was directed by Marcos Siega.

"Finding Freebo" is the second episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 26th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Melissa Rosenberg, and was directed by Marcos Siega. It originally aired on Showtime on October 5, 2008.

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is the third episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 27th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Scott Buck, and was directed by John Dahl. It originally aired on Showtime on October 12, 2008.

"All in the Family" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 28th overall episode of the series and was written by consulting producer Adam E. Fierro, and was directed by Keith Gordon. It originally aired on Showtime on October 19, 2008.

"Turning Biminese" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 29th overall episode of the series and was written by producer Tim Schlattmann, and was directed by Marcos Siega. It originally aired on Showtime on October 26, 2008.

"Sí Se Puede" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 30th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Charles H. Eglee, and was directed by Ernest Dickerson. It originally aired on Showtime on November 2, 2008.

"Easy as Pie" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 31st overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Lauren Gussis, and was directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on Showtime on November 9, 2008.

"Go Your Own Way" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 34th overall episode of the series and was written by producer Tim Schlattmann, and was directed by John Dahl. It originally aired on Showtime on November 30, 2008.

"I Had a Dream" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 35th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Charles H. Eglee and co-producer Lauren Gussis, and was directed by Marcos Siega. It originally aired on Showtime on December 7, 2008.

"Do You Take Dexter Morgan?" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the third season of the American crime drama television series Dexter. It is the 36th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Scott Buck, and was directed by Keith Gordon. It originally aired on Showtime on December 14, 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Dexter – WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 23, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 16, 2008". Ratings Ryan. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  4. ↑ Fowler, Matt (November 24, 2008). "Dexter: "About Last Night" Review". IGN . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ Tobias, Scott (November 24, 2008). "Dexter: "About Last Night"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ↑ Bloomer, Jeffrey (November 25, 2008). "Dexter Review: "The Damage a Man Can Do" (Episode 308) and "About Last Night" (Episode 309)". Paste . Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  7. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (November 24, 2008). "Dexter, "About Last Night": I feel so... used". What's Alan Watching?. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  8. ↑ Paige, Paula (November 24, 2008). "Dexter Episode Recap: "About Last Night"". TV Guide . Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  9. ↑ McDuffee, Debra (November 24, 2008). "Dexter: About Last Night". TV Squad . Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Dexter: About Last Night – Meeting Miguel". Television Without Pity . December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Official 2009 EMMYS Episode Submissions". The Envelope Forum, Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.