Ep 4. Let's Give the Boy a Hand

In the fourth episode of the first season of Dexter titled "Let's Give the Boy a Hand," our titular character finds himself in a strange and disturbing case that challenges his moral compass.

The episode begins with Dexter finding a severed, rotting hand on the shoreline. Upon closer inspection, he identifies the hand as belonging to one of his childhood friends, a man named Javier Guzman. Dexter is disturbed by the discovery, and his confusion is compounded when he realizes that the hand had been frozen for quite a while, indicating that the killer may have been keeping it as a trophy for some time.

With the help of his sister Deb, who's a police officer, and his co-worker Vince, Dexter begins investigating the case. They discover that Javier had been involved in some shady dealings with a local drug dealer, and that the drug dealer had been paying him in stolen body parts. Dexter suspects that the dealer is the culprit, and decides to take matters into his own hands.

At the same time, Dexter is caught off guard when his foster sister Rita's ex-husband, Paul, is released from prison and comes looking for her. Dexter takes issue with Paul's past abuse of Rita and her children, and decides to give him a taste of his own medicine.

As the episode progresses, we see Dexter struggling with his own feelings of mortality and humanity. When his coworker Vince suffers a heart attack, Dexter is forced to confront his own mortality and the fragility of life. Meanwhile, his investigation into Javier's murder leads him down a dark and twisted path, where he has to make some difficult decisions about who he is and what he stands for.

Overall, "Let's Give the Boy a Hand" is a compelling episode that delves deeper into Dexter's twisted psyche and the murky waters of his moral code. It's a grim and grisly case that's not for the faint of heart, but it's also a reminder of what makes Dexter such a compelling and complex character. As always, Michael C. Hall delivers a powerful and nuanced performance, infusing every scene with a sense of dark humor and unsettling menace. If you're a fan of the show or just looking for a well-written and thought-provoking crime drama, this episode is definitely worth checking out.