The Big One (Dexter)
Encyclopedia
"The Big One" is the fifth season
finale of the American television drama series Dexter
, and the 60th overall episode of the show. It originally aired on Showtime on December 12, 2010. In the episode, Dexter
attempts to save Lumen from Jordan Chase, as his sister, Debra
, comes closer to uncovering the truth in her investigation. Meanwhile, Quinn
falls under suspicion for Dexter's murder of Stan Liddy.
The episode was directed by Steve Shill
, and the teleplay was written by former showrunner Chip Johannessen
and executive producer
Manny Coto
. It marked the conclusion of the season-long subplot pertaining to Lumen seeking revenge against Jordan Chase, and marked the last in a string of regular guest appearances by Julia Stiles
and Jonny Lee Miller
, who played Lumen and Chase, respectively.
's situation grows desperate when he discovers that Lumen
has been set up and captured by Jordan Chase. Despite knowing that he's being baited into a trap, Dexter risks his life to save Lumen. In the Barrel Girls case, Debra
comes to the conclusion that the disappearance of the rapists is due to a pair of vigilantes. Stan Liddy's body, having been stabbed by Dexter, is found and the team is called to the scene. At Liddy's crime scene, LaGuerta
informs Quinn
that the last five calls found on Liddy's phone were to him. LaGuerta then notices blood on Quinn's boots (belonging to Liddy), and has him taken in for questioning.
Dexter tracks down the address of one of Chase's camps where Lumen was first assaulted. Dexter speeds to the scene (in a car stolen from the area surrounding Liddy's crime scene) but in his haste, his car flips over a backhoe
on the road. Following his crash, Jordan locates Dexter and ties him up alongside Lumen. As Jordan opens Dexter's knife kit, he notices one knife is missing, which Dexter uses to break free and stab Jordan in the foot. Dexter incapacitates Jordan and frees Lumen before they then strap Jordan to a table. Jordan taunts Lumen about the rape, and she kills him by stabbing him in the chest.
Meanwhile, Debra has tracked down the street vendor who reported seeing Jordan heading in the direction of the camp. She walks in just as Dexter and Lumen are cleaning the crime scene behind plastic wrapping which conceals their identities. She tells the two that she knows who they are and advises them to be gone within an hour to avoid the police, and she leaves without seeing them.
The morning after disposing of Jordan's body, Dexter proceeds to the lab to perform the blood-work on Quinn's boot. When he returns, Lumen informs Dexter that she wants to leave, stating that her need to kill has now gone. Dexter laments her leaving and throws a pair of plates at the wall in anger, realizing he may be forever broken. Though distressed Dexter begins to understand, and assures her that she should not be sorry that her darkness has left her. He then promises that he will carry her darkness for her, along with his own. After saying goodbye to Lumen, Dexter attends Harrison's first birthday party with his family and co-workers, visibly distraught by Lumen's departure. Quinn attends with Debra and thanks Dexter for the blood-work which had exonerated him from the Liddy murder case. Dexter tells Debra that he still dislikes Quinn but accepts that he makes Debra happy. As the episode concludes, Dexter questions how those around him can make relationships seem so easy. He removes his wedding ring for the first time and reflects on what Lumen brought into his life, that someone could see him for who he is and not see a monster, and that nothing, not even darkness, is set in stone. He then blows out Harrison's candle on the birthday cake, stating that "wishes, of course, are for children".
, and the teleplay written by former showrunner Chip Johannessen
and executive producer Manny Coto
. While the fourth season
finale, "The Getaway
", ended with Rita Bennett
's murder, Johannessen said the production staff sought for "The Big One" to be more of a resolution, with a similar sense of closure more in keeping with the first
, second
and third
season finales. Johannessen said this allowed the staff to focus less on Dexter seeking atonement for Rita's death in future episodes and start fresh in a new direction for the series.
The episode marked the conclusion of the season-long subplot of Lumen seeking revenge against Jordan Chase and his accomplices, and marked the last in a string of regular guest appearances by Jonny Lee Miller
. Julia Stiles
said at the start of her time on the series, she believed Lumen would likely be killed by the end of the season because most characters who have learned the truth about Dexter's double life have ended up dead. The actress said she never predicted that Lumen would break up with Dexter, and she found that scene difficult to act due to the level of intimacy the two characters had built up throughout the season. She prepared herself for the scene by focusing on the fact that Lumen was healed and that the reality of the murders she committed with Dexter had sunk in. Stiles said she found Lumen's repudiation of Dexter particularly sad because she knew more about his true self than anyone else, which meant her breakup was a rejection of him as a person.
Johannessen said the teleplay for "The Big One" sought to more illustrate what Lumen went through more vividly than previous episodes did. As a result, while Debra watches police evidence tapes, footage of the crimes committed by Jordan and his accomplices are shown to a longer and more graphic degree than in previous episodes.
IGN
gave the episode an "Impressive" score of 8.0/10, saying that "I don't mind where the show left us, but I also can't deny that this season had me expecting more of a pay-off..." and "So 'The Big One' was a solid season closer, complete with the typical (though not predictable) "is this when Dexter will finally get caught?" moment... Having her leave was, unfortunately, inevitable and it meant that we had to sit through her explain the reason for her wanting to leave to Dexter, which to us was a little plodding because we knew that it was all a way of getting her off the show when it felt so much more right, story-wise, for her character to want to stay. No, Dexter and Lumen's romance wasn't the true seller here, but it did fit within their vigilante partnership. And it seems like something that she wouldn't want to give up. I did appreciate Dexter's anger when he came to the sad realization that he was forever "broken" - and had hoped Lumen would be too. Forever broken, with an inner eternal dark flame. Like his. Hell, if you watched Julia Stiles' post-show interview, it felt like perhaps she didn't like the way Lumen left the show. She even referenced Lumen being out there, in the world now, with a lot of new knowledge. So it's not like she couldn't come back if the writer's wanted her to. (Pretty please!)", reviewer Matt Fowler concluded with "Now look, an 8 is still a damn good score, and an 8-point episode of Dexter is still better than a 20 point episode of most other shows, but I still felt like this episode could have handled the end of Lumen's story a bit better. And possibly given us a bit more to chew on as far as Deb knowing that Dexter was a part of something (more the barrel girls and less the Liddy murder, of course). I'm fine with a book-end, but I also need progress. And maybe a little more change to the show status-quo."
The AV Club gave the episode a B, feeling that the finale dropped short in places. Reviewer Todd VanDerWerff said: "Another case in point: I realize that the show has been building to Deb's acceptance of Lumen's vigilante kills all season long, and on a show that wasn't transparently trying to stretch out its length with bullshit maneuvers, I might have enjoyed the scene where she runs across the vigilante and has a chance to just let them walk away, then takes it. But it's such a nakedly desperate attempt to bring someone that much closer to catching Dexter without actually doing so that it rankles. It's properly built to, and on its own, it might be a nice little scene, but it also feels completely ridiculous, tossed into the episode solely to give a sense of something happening, while ultimately preserving the status quo. (The same goes for Deb bringing up the Ice Truck Killer for his annual season finale mention but not bringing up that she, uh, knows Dexter is the guy's brother, a plot point that's been completely dropped)."
Unrealityshout.com reviewed the episode relatively positively but felt that it was somewhat unbelievable. Reviewer Gerard McGarry said "It's possible the sequence of the season finale was a little too neat. You could almost feel the plot points being ticked off a list as they were resolved." and concluded that the season had been "...an interesting season for Dexter. I can appreciate the challenges Rita's death raised for the writers, and the idea of atoning for her death by helping Lumen is inspired. And while the season started out rather slow and deflated, it quickly regained its usual levels to tension and fun."
Dexter (season 5)
The fifth season of Dexter premiered on September 26, 2010, and consisted of 12 episodes. The season focuses on how Dexter deals with his recent loss, coming to terms with the death of his wife.- Plot :...
finale of the American television drama series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
, and the 60th overall episode of the show. It originally aired on Showtime on December 12, 2010. In the episode, Dexter
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is a fictional character in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Dearly Devoted Dexter , Dexter in the Dark , Dexter by Design , Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter...
attempts to save Lumen from Jordan Chase, as his sister, Debra
Debra Morgan
Debra Morgan is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his Dexter book series. She also appears in the television series, based on Lindsay's books, portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter. In Lindsay's novels, she first appeared in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and has featured in every novel...
, comes closer to uncovering the truth in her investigation. Meanwhile, Quinn
Joey Quinn
Joseph "Joey" Quinn is a fictional character in the Showtime television series Dexter, portrayed by Desmond Harrington. Quinn is a cop who transferred to the Homicide division after being in narcotics before season three.-Character history:...
falls under suspicion for Dexter's murder of Stan Liddy.
The episode was directed by Steve Shill
Steve Shill
Steve Shill is a British television and film director, actor, screenwriter, and television producer.-Career:He attended Keswick Grammar School in Keswick,Cumbria,England in the 70's....
, and the teleplay was written by former showrunner Chip Johannessen
Chip Johannessen
George F. "Chip" Johannessen is an American writer, editor, and producer of numerous television series. Johannessen is credited with work on 24, Moonlight, Millennium, and Beverly Hills, 90210, among others.-Biography:...
and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Manny Coto
Manny Coto
Manny Coto is an American writer, director and producer of films and television programs.Coto was the executive producer and showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise in its final season, and executive producer of four seasons of 24...
. It marked the conclusion of the season-long subplot pertaining to Lumen seeking revenge against Jordan Chase, and marked the last in a string of regular guest appearances by Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
and Jonny Lee Miller
Jonny Lee Miller
Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
, who played Lumen and Chase, respectively.
Plot
DexterDexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is a fictional character in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Dearly Devoted Dexter , Dexter in the Dark , Dexter by Design , Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter...
's situation grows desperate when he discovers that Lumen
Lumen Pierce
Lumen Ann Pierce is a fictional character portrayed by Julia Stiles in the fifth season of the Showtime television series Dexter. Lumen is introduced in the third episode of the fifth season as a rape victim of Boyd Fowler...
has been set up and captured by Jordan Chase. Despite knowing that he's being baited into a trap, Dexter risks his life to save Lumen. In the Barrel Girls case, Debra
Debra Morgan
Debra Morgan is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his Dexter book series. She also appears in the television series, based on Lindsay's books, portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter. In Lindsay's novels, she first appeared in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and has featured in every novel...
comes to the conclusion that the disappearance of the rapists is due to a pair of vigilantes. Stan Liddy's body, having been stabbed by Dexter, is found and the team is called to the scene. At Liddy's crime scene, LaGuerta
Maria LaGuerta
Captain María Esperanza del Alma LaGuerta , known in the books as Migdia LaGuerta, is a fictional character in the Showtime television series Dexter and the novels by Jeff Lindsay upon which it is based. She is portrayed by Lauren Vélez in the television series...
informs Quinn
Joseph Quinn
Joseph Quinn was a New York clerk, amateur wrestler and murder victim of Danny Lyons, a co-leader of the Whyos street gang.-Early life:...
that the last five calls found on Liddy's phone were to him. LaGuerta then notices blood on Quinn's boots (belonging to Liddy), and has him taken in for questioning.
Dexter tracks down the address of one of Chase's camps where Lumen was first assaulted. Dexter speeds to the scene (in a car stolen from the area surrounding Liddy's crime scene) but in his haste, his car flips over a backhoe
Backhoe
A backhoe, also called a rear actor or back actor, is a piece of excavating equipment or digger consisting of a digging bucket on the end of a two-part articulated arm. They are typically mounted on the back of a tractor or front loader...
on the road. Following his crash, Jordan locates Dexter and ties him up alongside Lumen. As Jordan opens Dexter's knife kit, he notices one knife is missing, which Dexter uses to break free and stab Jordan in the foot. Dexter incapacitates Jordan and frees Lumen before they then strap Jordan to a table. Jordan taunts Lumen about the rape, and she kills him by stabbing him in the chest.
Meanwhile, Debra has tracked down the street vendor who reported seeing Jordan heading in the direction of the camp. She walks in just as Dexter and Lumen are cleaning the crime scene behind plastic wrapping which conceals their identities. She tells the two that she knows who they are and advises them to be gone within an hour to avoid the police, and she leaves without seeing them.
The morning after disposing of Jordan's body, Dexter proceeds to the lab to perform the blood-work on Quinn's boot. When he returns, Lumen informs Dexter that she wants to leave, stating that her need to kill has now gone. Dexter laments her leaving and throws a pair of plates at the wall in anger, realizing he may be forever broken. Though distressed Dexter begins to understand, and assures her that she should not be sorry that her darkness has left her. He then promises that he will carry her darkness for her, along with his own. After saying goodbye to Lumen, Dexter attends Harrison's first birthday party with his family and co-workers, visibly distraught by Lumen's departure. Quinn attends with Debra and thanks Dexter for the blood-work which had exonerated him from the Liddy murder case. Dexter tells Debra that he still dislikes Quinn but accepts that he makes Debra happy. As the episode concludes, Dexter questions how those around him can make relationships seem so easy. He removes his wedding ring for the first time and reflects on what Lumen brought into his life, that someone could see him for who he is and not see a monster, and that nothing, not even darkness, is set in stone. He then blows out Harrison's candle on the birthday cake, stating that "wishes, of course, are for children".
Production
"The Big One", the Dexter fifth season finale, was directed by Steve ShillSteve Shill
Steve Shill is a British television and film director, actor, screenwriter, and television producer.-Career:He attended Keswick Grammar School in Keswick,Cumbria,England in the 70's....
, and the teleplay written by former showrunner Chip Johannessen
Chip Johannessen
George F. "Chip" Johannessen is an American writer, editor, and producer of numerous television series. Johannessen is credited with work on 24, Moonlight, Millennium, and Beverly Hills, 90210, among others.-Biography:...
and executive producer Manny Coto
Manny Coto
Manny Coto is an American writer, director and producer of films and television programs.Coto was the executive producer and showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise in its final season, and executive producer of four seasons of 24...
. While the fourth season
Dexter (season 4)
On October 21, 2008, Showtime commissioned a fourth and fifth season of Dexter, each consisting of 12 episodes. The show's writers convened during February and March 2009 to brainstorm ideas for the fourth season, and filming was scheduled to begin in June 2009...
finale, "The Getaway
The Getaway (Dexter)
The Getaway is the fourth season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Showtime on December 13, 2009. In the episode, Dexter goes to great lengths to stop Arthur, who now knows Dexter's true identity...
", ended with Rita Bennett
Rita Bennett
Rita Bennett is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his book series about a vigilante serial killer named Dexter Morgan. She also appeared in the television series Dexter, based on Lindsay's books. She was the girlfriend and later, wife of Dexter in both media...
's murder, Johannessen said the production staff sought for "The Big One" to be more of a resolution, with a similar sense of closure more in keeping with the first
Dexter (season 1)
The first season of Dexter is an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's first novel in the Dexter series, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Subsequent seasons have featured original storylines. This season aired from October 1, 2006 to December 17, 2006, and follows Dexter's investigation of "The Ice Truck Killer"...
, second
Dexter (season 2)
The second season of Dexter premiered on September 30, 2007, and ended on December 16, 2007. "It's Alive", the season premiere, attracted 1.09 million viewers in the United States, making Dexter the first Showtime series to attract more than a million viewers with a season premiere...
and third
Dexter (season 3)
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...
season finales. Johannessen said this allowed the staff to focus less on Dexter seeking atonement for Rita's death in future episodes and start fresh in a new direction for the series.
The episode marked the conclusion of the season-long subplot of Lumen seeking revenge against Jordan Chase and his accomplices, and marked the last in a string of regular guest appearances by Jonny Lee Miller
Jonny Lee Miller
Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
. Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
said at the start of her time on the series, she believed Lumen would likely be killed by the end of the season because most characters who have learned the truth about Dexter's double life have ended up dead. The actress said she never predicted that Lumen would break up with Dexter, and she found that scene difficult to act due to the level of intimacy the two characters had built up throughout the season. She prepared herself for the scene by focusing on the fact that Lumen was healed and that the reality of the murders she committed with Dexter had sunk in. Stiles said she found Lumen's repudiation of Dexter particularly sad because she knew more about his true self than anyone else, which meant her breakup was a rejection of him as a person.
Johannessen said the teleplay for "The Big One" sought to more illustrate what Lumen went through more vividly than previous episodes did. As a result, while Debra watches police evidence tapes, footage of the crimes committed by Jordan and his accomplices are shown to a longer and more graphic degree than in previous episodes.
Reception
The episode received mixed to positive reviews.IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode an "Impressive" score of 8.0/10, saying that "I don't mind where the show left us, but I also can't deny that this season had me expecting more of a pay-off..." and "So 'The Big One' was a solid season closer, complete with the typical (though not predictable) "is this when Dexter will finally get caught?" moment... Having her leave was, unfortunately, inevitable and it meant that we had to sit through her explain the reason for her wanting to leave to Dexter, which to us was a little plodding because we knew that it was all a way of getting her off the show when it felt so much more right, story-wise, for her character to want to stay. No, Dexter and Lumen's romance wasn't the true seller here, but it did fit within their vigilante partnership. And it seems like something that she wouldn't want to give up. I did appreciate Dexter's anger when he came to the sad realization that he was forever "broken" - and had hoped Lumen would be too. Forever broken, with an inner eternal dark flame. Like his. Hell, if you watched Julia Stiles' post-show interview, it felt like perhaps she didn't like the way Lumen left the show. She even referenced Lumen being out there, in the world now, with a lot of new knowledge. So it's not like she couldn't come back if the writer's wanted her to. (Pretty please!)", reviewer Matt Fowler concluded with "Now look, an 8 is still a damn good score, and an 8-point episode of Dexter is still better than a 20 point episode of most other shows, but I still felt like this episode could have handled the end of Lumen's story a bit better. And possibly given us a bit more to chew on as far as Deb knowing that Dexter was a part of something (more the barrel girls and less the Liddy murder, of course). I'm fine with a book-end, but I also need progress. And maybe a little more change to the show status-quo."
The AV Club gave the episode a B, feeling that the finale dropped short in places. Reviewer Todd VanDerWerff said: "Another case in point: I realize that the show has been building to Deb's acceptance of Lumen's vigilante kills all season long, and on a show that wasn't transparently trying to stretch out its length with bullshit maneuvers, I might have enjoyed the scene where she runs across the vigilante and has a chance to just let them walk away, then takes it. But it's such a nakedly desperate attempt to bring someone that much closer to catching Dexter without actually doing so that it rankles. It's properly built to, and on its own, it might be a nice little scene, but it also feels completely ridiculous, tossed into the episode solely to give a sense of something happening, while ultimately preserving the status quo. (The same goes for Deb bringing up the Ice Truck Killer for his annual season finale mention but not bringing up that she, uh, knows Dexter is the guy's brother, a plot point that's been completely dropped)."
Unrealityshout.com reviewed the episode relatively positively but felt that it was somewhat unbelievable. Reviewer Gerard McGarry said "It's possible the sequence of the season finale was a little too neat. You could almost feel the plot points being ticked off a list as they were resolved." and concluded that the season had been "...an interesting season for Dexter. I can appreciate the challenges Rita's death raised for the writers, and the idea of atoning for her death by helping Lumen is inspired. And while the season started out rather slow and deflated, it quickly regained its usual levels to tension and fun."