The British Invasion (Dexter)
Encyclopedia
"The British Invasion" is the twelfth episode and finale
of the second season
of the American television drama series Dexter
, which first aired on December 16, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Daniel Cerone
(based on a story by Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg
) and was directed by Steve Shill
. In the episode, Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray
) finds Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King
) imprisoned in an Everglades
cabin and learns from him that her object of affection, Dexter Morgan
(Michael C. Hall
), is the serial killer known as the "Bay Harbor Butcher". She decides to help Dexter and kills Doakes by setting the cabin on fire. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter
) questions whether her career is more important than her relationship with FBI Special Agent
Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine
).
"The British Invasion" was filmed in early November 2007. Doakes's death, according to Dexters writers, was premeditated from the show's pilot episode
because the character was "too good to not kill". The episode was seen by 1.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
, and received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series and a Golden Reel Award
for Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television. The episode was included in TV Guide
's 100 Greatest TV Episodes at no. 49.
's (Michael C. Hall
) satellite navigation system, Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray
) arrives at the cabin in the Everglades. She breaks in to find an imprisoned Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King
), who tells her that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She can only sympathize with Dexter, however, for having to hide such an enormous secret, and refuses to unlock Doakes's cage. Convinced that Dexter is her soul mate, Lila tries to help him by blowing up the cabin with Doakes inside. Meanwhile, FBI
Special Agent Frank Lundy's (Keith Carradine
) task force has determined Doakes's location, and Dexter must race his colleagues to reach the cabin first. When he arrives at the cabin, he discovers that it has been destroyed in a fire and at first believes it to be a miracle. The next morning, the police find Doakes's body in the water, while Dexter embraces his freedom. He visits his girlfriend Rita Bennett's (Julie Benz
) house, where they reconcile after having sex.
Lt. María LaGuerta
(Lauren Vélez
), grieving the loss of her former partner, is in denial over Doakes's incrimination and tries to collect donations for his memorial service. Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter
) remains determined not to let the end of the Bay Harbor Butcher case break up her relationship with Lundy, but their plans for a vacation are crushed when Lundy is called to Oregon
to work on another murder case.
With all of the evidence of the Bay Harbor Butcher murders pointing to Doakes as the killer, the case is closed. Forensic investigator Vince Masuka (C. S. Lee) tells Dexter the gas in the cabin was turned on while the stove was lit, and when Dexter sees his own satellite navigation system while cataloguing evidence, he realizes that Lila must have found the cabin. He meets with her at the aquarium and tells her that he, like her, has no emotion and lives a life devoid of feeling. They form plans to leave Miami together, though Dexter secretly intends to kill her. When he visits her apartment the next day, though, he finds Debra there, trying to persuade Lila to leave town. Dexter is forced to lie about running away with Lila in front of Debra, so a hurt Lila then leaves with what she recognizes as Dexter's bag of murder equipment. She goes to Rita's house and drugs the babysitter so that she can abduct the children, Astor and Cody (Christina Robinson
and Preston Bailey
). When Dexter realizes that Astor and Cody are missing, he goes straight to Lila's apartment, where she lights another fire and locks the three of them inside. Rita calls Debra for her help, and Debra decides to skip her flight to Oregon with Lundy to help with finding the children. Dexter manages to free Astor and Cody through a small window and eventually rams down a thin wall allowing him to escape.
Sometime later, Dexter travels to Paris, where Lila has fled to, and kills her in her hotel room. Back in Miami, he attends Doakes' memorial service with LaGuerta, and Debra and Detective Angel Batista (David Zayas
) are awarded for their work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case.
of the novel Twilight
. She described Cerone as "incredibly understanding" when she asked him to write the teleplay himself, though they had both worked on the episode's story.
The writers planned from the pilot episode
to eventually kill Doakes off the show. Executive producer Clyde Phillips
said that Doakes "always had a shelf life because of the collision course [with Dexter]", while executive producer Sara Colleton believed it would be unrealistic to keep Doakes on for a third season without having him discover that Dexter is a murderer. Rosenberg said that risks had to be taken on the show, and Doakes was "too good to not kill". The character was killed to prevent recycling of used ideas, so that the writers would "stay aggressive and on top of it rather than repeat ourselves", according to Phillips. Erik King, who plays Doakes, mentioned the difficulty in killing Doakes off the show because Dexter could not murder an innocent man, and so Lila was Doakes's killer.
Filming of "The British Invasion" concluded production on the second season, and ended in early November 2007. A "skeleton crew" flew to France to film scenes of Lila walking the streets of Paris before Dexter kills her.
finale, "Born Free
". It was Dexters most-watched episode until the airing of the third season finale, "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?".
"The British Invasion" received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN
felt that the episode was thrilling and intriguing, though ultimately "not quite terrific". He found Doakes's death dramatically unsatisfying since Dexter was absent, and was disappointed with Debra's portrayal as "relentlessly needy". The A.V. Club
s Scott Tobias gave the episode a B+ grade, saying that the episode was "for the most part exciting and satisfying". He felt cheated, however, that Dexter was not forced to decide whether to kill Doakes, and was disappointed that Lila's character primarily served as a plot device. Writing for TV Guide
, Paula Paige believed that the finale "did not disappoint". She was particularly impressed by Debra's choice to leave Lundy and LaGuerta's grief over Doakes's death. TV Squad's Keith McDuffee thought that "The British Invasion" was unsurprising and predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. Zap2it
reviewer Daniel Fienberg felt that the episode was disappointing in comparison to the first season finale, "Born Free
". He was displeased with the unheroic circumstances of Doakes's death, the lack of direction in LaGuerta's character arc and the abrupt end to Debra and Lundy's relationship. DVD Verdict's Adam Arseneau called the finale "preposterous" but still "one of the most entertaining cable show finales in recent memory".
Cinematographer Romeo Tirone's work on the episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series, and Dexters team of sound editors were nominated for a Golden Reel Award
for "The British Invasion" in the category of Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television. The episode was unsuccessfully submitted to the Primetime Emmy Award
s judging panel for consideration for Outstanding Directing
(Steve Shill) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (C. S. Lee).
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
of the second season
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...
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...
, which first aired on December 16, 2007 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by Daniel Cerone
Daniel Cerone
Daniel Howard Cerone is a television writer and producer. He wrote and produced episodes for the series Dexter, Charmed and The Mentalist. He created and produced the short-lived Dean Cain drama Clubhouse.-Biography:...
(based on a story by Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg
Melissa Rosenberg
Melissa Anne Rosenberg is an American screenwriter. She has worked in both film and television and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, and two Writers Guild of America Awards. She won a Peabody Award...
) and 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....
. In the episode, Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray
Jaime Murray
Jaime Murray is an English actress, best known for playing Stacie Monroe in Hustle and Lila Tournay in season two of the Showtime series Dexter. She has also had recurring roles as H.G...
) finds Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King
Erik King
Erik King is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sgt. Doakes on Showtime's television series Dexter.-Early life:King attended Morehouse College, where he won a varsity letter in track and field and graduated summa cum laude. For his honors thesis, he adapted the 1985 film...
) imprisoned in an Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
cabin and learns from him that her object of affection, Dexter Morgan
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...
(Michael C. Hall
Michael C. Hall
Michael Carlyle Hall is an American actor whose television roles include David Fisher on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under and Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series Dexter. In 2009, Hall won a Golden Globe award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Dexter.-Early life:Hall was born in...
), is the serial killer known as the "Bay Harbor Butcher". She decides to help Dexter and kills Doakes by setting the cabin on fire. Meanwhile, Dexter's sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter
Jennifer Carpenter
Jennifer Leann Carpenter is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Emily Rose in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Debra Morgan on Dexter, and the lead role in the 2008 horror movie Quarantine.-Early life:...
) questions whether her career is more important than her relationship with FBI Special Agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
).
"The British Invasion" was filmed in early November 2007. Doakes's death, according to Dexters writers, was premeditated from the show's pilot episode
Dexter (episode)
"Dexter", or "Pilot", is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series Dexter, which premiered on October 1, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by developer James Manos, Jr. and directed by Michael Cuesta. It was based on the opening...
because the character was "too good to not kill". The episode was seen by 1.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, and received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series and a Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award may refer to:* Golden Reel Award , presented by the Genie Awards to high-grossing Canadian films...
for Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television. The episode was included in TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
's 100 Greatest TV Episodes at no. 49.
Plot
Using Dexter MorganDexter 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 (Michael C. Hall
Michael C. Hall
Michael Carlyle Hall is an American actor whose television roles include David Fisher on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under and Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series Dexter. In 2009, Hall won a Golden Globe award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Dexter.-Early life:Hall was born in...
) satellite navigation system, Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray
Jaime Murray
Jaime Murray is an English actress, best known for playing Stacie Monroe in Hustle and Lila Tournay in season two of the Showtime series Dexter. She has also had recurring roles as H.G...
) arrives at the cabin in the Everglades. She breaks in to find an imprisoned Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King
Erik King
Erik King is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sgt. Doakes on Showtime's television series Dexter.-Early life:King attended Morehouse College, where he won a varsity letter in track and field and graduated summa cum laude. For his honors thesis, he adapted the 1985 film...
), who tells her that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She can only sympathize with Dexter, however, for having to hide such an enormous secret, and refuses to unlock Doakes's cage. Convinced that Dexter is her soul mate, Lila tries to help him by blowing up the cabin with Doakes inside. Meanwhile, FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Special Agent Frank Lundy's (Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
) task force has determined Doakes's location, and Dexter must race his colleagues to reach the cabin first. When he arrives at the cabin, he discovers that it has been destroyed in a fire and at first believes it to be a miracle. The next morning, the police find Doakes's body in the water, while Dexter embraces his freedom. He visits his girlfriend Rita Bennett's (Julie Benz
Julie Benz
Julie M. Benz is an American actress, best known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television...
) house, where they reconcile after having sex.
Lt. María 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...
(Lauren Vélez
Lauren Vélez
Lauren Vélez is an American actress of Puerto Rican descent and the twin sister of actress Loraine Vélez. Her most notable roles are as María LaGuerta on Dexter, Detective Nina Moreno on Fox's New York Undercover, and Dr...
), grieving the loss of her former partner, is in denial over Doakes's incrimination and tries to collect donations for his memorial service. Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter
Jennifer Carpenter
Jennifer Leann Carpenter is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Emily Rose in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Debra Morgan on Dexter, and the lead role in the 2008 horror movie Quarantine.-Early life:...
) remains determined not to let the end of the Bay Harbor Butcher case break up her relationship with Lundy, but their plans for a vacation are crushed when Lundy is called to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to work on another murder case.
With all of the evidence of the Bay Harbor Butcher murders pointing to Doakes as the killer, the case is closed. Forensic investigator Vince Masuka (C. S. Lee) tells Dexter the gas in the cabin was turned on while the stove was lit, and when Dexter sees his own satellite navigation system while cataloguing evidence, he realizes that Lila must have found the cabin. He meets with her at the aquarium and tells her that he, like her, has no emotion and lives a life devoid of feeling. They form plans to leave Miami together, though Dexter secretly intends to kill her. When he visits her apartment the next day, though, he finds Debra there, trying to persuade Lila to leave town. Dexter is forced to lie about running away with Lila in front of Debra, so a hurt Lila then leaves with what she recognizes as Dexter's bag of murder equipment. She goes to Rita's house and drugs the babysitter so that she can abduct the children, Astor and Cody (Christina Robinson
Christina Robinson (actress)
Christina Robinson is an American child actress, best known for playing Astor Bennett in Showtime TV series, Dexter. Twin sister of Courtney Robinson.-Career:...
and Preston Bailey
Preston Bailey
Preston Bailey is an American child actor who started acting at the age of two. He is probably most known for appearing in the Showtime TV series Dexter and for starring in such as films Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, Children of the Corn, and The Crazies.-Biography:Bailey was born in...
). When Dexter realizes that Astor and Cody are missing, he goes straight to Lila's apartment, where she lights another fire and locks the three of them inside. Rita calls Debra for her help, and Debra decides to skip her flight to Oregon with Lundy to help with finding the children. Dexter manages to free Astor and Cody through a small window and eventually rams down a thin wall allowing him to escape.
Sometime later, Dexter travels to Paris, where Lila has fled to, and kills her in her hotel room. Back in Miami, he attends Doakes' memorial service with LaGuerta, and Debra and Detective Angel Batista (David Zayas
David Zayas
David Zayas is a Puerto Rican theatrical, film, and television actor. He is most known for his roles as Angel Batista on Showtime's series Dexter and as Enrique Morales on the HBO prison drama Oz.- Life and career :...
) are awarded for their work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case.
Production
Dexter staff writers Daniel Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg were initially planning to write the script of the finale together. They were in the process of developing the story, however, when Rosenberg was hired to write the film adaptationTwilight (2008 film)
Twilight is a 2008 American romantic vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer's popular novel of the same name. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the film stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. It is the first film in The Twilight Saga film series...
of the novel Twilight
Twilight (novel)
Twilight is a young-adult vampire-romance novel by author Stephenie Meyer. It is the first book of the Twilight series, and introduces seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan, who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with a vampire,...
. She described Cerone as "incredibly understanding" when she asked him to write the teleplay himself, though they had both worked on the episode's story.
The writers planned from the pilot episode
Dexter (episode)
"Dexter", or "Pilot", is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series Dexter, which premiered on October 1, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by developer James Manos, Jr. and directed by Michael Cuesta. It was based on the opening...
to eventually kill Doakes off the show. Executive producer Clyde Phillips
Clyde Phillips
Clyde B. Phillips is a writer and producer for television and film. He has written for the shows Dexter, Shout About Movies, Suddenly Susan, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Midas Valley, and Trapper John, M.D....
said that Doakes "always had a shelf life because of the collision course [with Dexter]", while executive producer Sara Colleton believed it would be unrealistic to keep Doakes on for a third season without having him discover that Dexter is a murderer. Rosenberg said that risks had to be taken on the show, and Doakes was "too good to not kill". The character was killed to prevent recycling of used ideas, so that the writers would "stay aggressive and on top of it rather than repeat ourselves", according to Phillips. Erik King, who plays Doakes, mentioned the difficulty in killing Doakes off the show because Dexter could not murder an innocent man, and so Lila was Doakes's killer.
Filming of "The British Invasion" concluded production on the second season, and ended in early November 2007. A "skeleton crew" flew to France to film scenes of Lila walking the streets of Paris before Dexter kills her.
Reception
"The British Invasion" drew 1.4 million viewers on its first broadcast, a 14 percent improvement from the first seasonDexter (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"...
finale, "Born Free
Born Free (Dexter)
"Born Free" is the twelfth episode of season one and first season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, which aired on December 17, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode also aired on May 4, 2008 on CTV in Canada; on May 14, 2008 on FX in the UK; on September 28, 2008...
". It was Dexters most-watched episode until the airing of the third season finale, "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?".
"The British Invasion" received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of 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...
felt that the episode was thrilling and intriguing, though ultimately "not quite terrific". He found Doakes's death dramatically unsatisfying since Dexter was absent, and was disappointed with Debra's portrayal as "relentlessly needy". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Scott Tobias gave the episode a B+ grade, saying that the episode was "for the most part exciting and satisfying". He felt cheated, however, that Dexter was not forced to decide whether to kill Doakes, and was disappointed that Lila's character primarily served as a plot device. Writing for TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, Paula Paige believed that the finale "did not disappoint". She was particularly impressed by Debra's choice to leave Lundy and LaGuerta's grief over Doakes's death. TV Squad's Keith McDuffee thought that "The British Invasion" was unsurprising and predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
reviewer Daniel Fienberg felt that the episode was disappointing in comparison to the first season finale, "Born Free
Born Free (Dexter)
"Born Free" is the twelfth episode of season one and first season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, which aired on December 17, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode also aired on May 4, 2008 on CTV in Canada; on May 14, 2008 on FX in the UK; on September 28, 2008...
". He was displeased with the unheroic circumstances of Doakes's death, the lack of direction in LaGuerta's character arc and the abrupt end to Debra and Lundy's relationship. DVD Verdict's Adam Arseneau called the finale "preposterous" but still "one of the most entertaining cable show finales in recent memory".
Cinematographer Romeo Tirone's work on the episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series, and Dexters team of sound editors were nominated for a Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award may refer to:* Golden Reel Award , presented by the Genie Awards to high-grossing Canadian films...
for "The British Invasion" in the category of Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Short Form Television. The episode was unsuccessfully submitted to the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
s judging panel for consideration for Outstanding Directing
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series is an Emmy presented to the best directing of a television drama series.-Best Direction of a Single Program of a Drama Series:*1959: Jack Smight – Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre ...
(Steve Shill) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (C. S. Lee).