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.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.84 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Doakes (Erik King) decides to investigate the Shipping Yard case, but Camilla (Margo Martindale) refuses to give him the files.
While Gail (JoBeth Williams) refuses to get Dexter involved again, Rita (Julie Benz) is not content with her grounding her children for wanting to meet him.
Dexter attends Cody's presentation the following day but is forced to leave shortly after it ends when Lila calls him for help when her apartment is burned down.
[2] This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 0.85 million household viewers with a 0.5 in the 18–49 demographics.
As always, it's hard to know if we should be rooting for this ruthlessness, or noting that it seems to be a sign of a perhaps more evil incarnation of Dexter, but that's part of what makes this show so intriguing.
Club gave the episode an "B+" grade and wrote, "I don't know, beyond Deb's divided loyalties to her brother and the man who's methodically tracking him down, but for now, I'm really not that interested in their coupling at all.
"[7] Keith McDuffee of TV Squad wrote, "Before tonight's episode I would have guessed that Lila could possibly be used as a scapegoat for Dexter, though with the whole "law enforcement" angle, there's just no way that can happen unless she's a former cop and we don't know it.