Waiting to Exhale 

Dexter, desperate to get his game back, seeks out Chino yet again; but the hulking gangster is waiting for him.

Director:

Marcos Siega

Writers:

James Manos Jr. (developed for television by), Jeff Lindsay (based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by)

Stars:

Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Michael C. Hall	...	Dexter Morgan
Julie Benz	...	Rita Bennett
Jennifer Carpenter	...	Debra Morgan
Erik King	...	Sgt. James Doakes
C.S. Lee	...	Vince Masuka
Luna Lauren Velez	...	Det. Maria LaGuerta (as Lauren Velez)
David Zayas	...	Det. Angel Batista
Geoff Pierson	...	Capt. Tom Matthews
James Remar	...	Harry Morgan
Christian Camargo	...	Brian Moser
Judith Scott	...	Lt. Esme Pascal
Keith Carradine	...	Special Agent Frank Lundy
Christina Robinson	...	Astor Bennett
Preston Bailey	...	Cody Bennett
Matthew Willig	...	Little Chino (as Matthew J. Willig)

Storyline

Dexter's failure to dispose of Little Chino results in the tragic death of a witness against him. He's determined to get it right the next time, but Sgt. Doakes is still following him in his off hours. With the discovery of Dexter's burial ground, a special joint task force with the FBI is established. Doakes hopes to join but is rebuffed. Debra Morgan clearly has not recovered fully from her ordeal with the Ice Truck Killer but her use of excessive force results in a major drug bust. Rita is having trouble coming to grips with the death of her husband and she now realizes that Dexter set him up. In order to explain however, Dexter embellishes his story somewhat.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | task force | vandal | spray paint | freight elevator | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions, John Goldwyn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First reference of the "Bay Harbor Butcher."

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Goofs

Dexter pulls up to Rita's house in a silver Dodge Neon (with round headlights). Elsewhere in the episode and season, he drives a similarly-shaped, but much larger, silver Ford Taurus.

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Quotes

Gabriel: I haven't boxed since I was 10.
Debra Morgan: Tough neighborhood?
Gabriel: Tough family. And those are just my sisters.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Death Takes a Staycation (2011)

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Soundtracks

Dexter Main Title
(uncredited)
Written by Rolfe Kent
Performed by Rolfe Kent

User Reviews

Dexter takes a masterclass in failure and rebirth

'Waiting to Exhale' kicks off right where the second season premiere left us. The themes and plots continue to grow from 'It's Alive!'

Deb's psychological state is put on presentation, while on the clock.

Dexter makes rushed decisions and goes places he never thought he would. He also puts things to rest after observing others do the same.

Suspenseful and eventful.

This episode marks a crossroads where certain elements are tied up but the effect they made still lingers strongly. The show could go anywhere from here.

The sub-plot involving Lt. Esmee Pasquale is the only thing holding back a 10/10.