Dexter Season 5, Episode 11: "Hop a Freighter" Recap

This episode opens with Debra and Quinn returning once again to Jordan Chase's place of business. Debra starts out cordially, thanking Chase for the tip on Alex Tilden. However the tone of the conversation quickly shifts when Debra points out that Tilden has vanished and all of the suspects in the Barrel Girls case seem to have links to Chase. The rather irritated motivational speaker is quick to point out that the DNA sample he gave cleared him of being directly involved. Debra makes no secret that she still suspects that he's somehow mixed up in all of it and even goes so far as to hint at her vigilante theory and that Chase himself might be next.

At Dexter's apartment he and Lumen try to come up with a plan on how to get to Chase. They know that he's too well guarded to take on directly. Lumen suggests using herself as bait to lure Chase into a more vulnerable position. It's a notion that Dexter isn't fond of however more thought on the idea is cut short. Dexter notices that Harrison's video baby monitor is suddenly showing an image of himself and Lumen in the living room live. Dexter quickly realizes that his apartment has been bugged and the monitor picked up the transmission. He immediately suspects that Chase has caught onto them and tries to figure out where it could be transmitting to (knowing that the range of such equipment is fairly short.) However with numerous vans near his apartment he can't be sure which one is being used to monitor himself and Lumen.

Debra and Quinn return to the precinct after having spoken with Chase. At this point Quinn is confronted by Liddy who explains that his appeal with the union was denied and he is now officially terminated from the police force. Quinn clearly wants little to do with Liddy anymore but his old colleague is extremely insistent. He tells Quinn that since he himself is no longer a cop he will need Quinn to make a bust. Liddy doesn't say exactly what it is he is planning or what the crime committed was but he says it's big enough to get him his job back and it's going to take down Dexter. Liddy makes it clear to Quinn that he will be giving him and call and expects him to come running when that happens.

Back at the apartment Dexter is able to locate the video bug. It's at that point that he realizes his assumption that it had been Chase monitoring them was wrong. The bug has a Miami Metro Police serial number on it, which Dexter quickly realizes means that somebody from his own precinct is behind this. The only comfort he's able to take is that the video hasn't been turned in because if it had he and Lumen would have been arrested by now. The following morning Dexter notices that of the vans he saw yesterday only three are left, narrowing down which one might be monitoring his apartment. At this point the nanny calls which reminds Dexter about Harrison's birthday that coming Sunday. Wanting to keep his family out of any potential danger Dexter tells them that it'll be best to have it in Orlando and he'll come to them. Lumen inadvertently ends up inviting herself, but Dexter doesn't object to the notion.

When he arrives at work Dexter is pulled into the latest meeting on the Barrel Girls case. Debra outlines how she believes that all the other suspects are linked to chase but the connections so far have been circumstantial at best. Also even though they've been able to connect Dan the Dentist to the Barrel Girls killings they haven't yet been able to connect him to Jordan. At that point Masuka comes in, having found another foot print to match the one that Quinn and Debra had spotted at Alex Tilden's house. This foot print was at the abandoned house next door where Masuka found a recently and thoroughly cleaned room where he believes the vigilante may have killed Tilden. This causes annoyance from Laguerta, because Debra had not yet shared her vigilante theory with the lieutenant. At this point Debra refines the theory that an escaped Barrel Girl has somebody close to her helping her enact revenge, possibly a relative or lover.

After the meeting Dexter sneaks down to where the surveillance equipment is issued and finds that it was signed out by Quinn (not knowing that Liddy forged the signature) and that there are no proper warrants against him or his apartment. This means that it's not an official investigation and Dexter might still be able to find the footage before it's shown to anybody else. During Dexter's lunch break he and Lumen break into Quinn's apartment in an attempt to find any recordings he may have of them. They find no hard copies and nothing on his computer, however they do find the photographs of the two of them together on Dexter's boat the night that they dumped Cole Harmon's body. Of course the photos were originally taken by Liddy but they have no way of knowing that, and it seems to confirm that Quinn is onto them.

Trying to make the pieces of their case fit together better Quinn and Debra go to talk to the widow of Dan the Dentist. While she can confirm he would go away on long "fishing trips" she had never met any of the men he went with. The two detectives begin to rattle off names of the suspects in the Barrel Girls case and she doesn't recognize any of them. That is until they mention Jordan Chase. The widow tells them that Dan knew Chase from when they were young but that Chase used to be named Eugene Greer. The pair head back to the precinct to continue to work the case, but Debra is sure that Quinn knows she's still upset over finding out that he was looking into Dexter (though she still doesn't know to what extent.) Once back at the precinct Debra opens up somewhat about Quinn to Dexter. She tells him that she's mad at him yet still cares about him. She even expresses some envy for the the vigilantes because they clearly must care deeply about each other.

Dexter and Lumen take some time to try to sort out their situation, and Dexter once again suggests that Lumen should leave. Though this time he's quick to point out that he doesn't want her to go. Lumen opts to stay by Dexter's side through this. The two jokingly toy with the notion of running off together, but never seem to take the idea very seriously. Dexter also takes the time to buy Lumen a pocket knife. At the precinct Debra, Batista and Quinn try to build enough of a case to be able to stop Chase from leaving the country on a speaking tour in Europe. While they don't have enough evidence to bring him in as a suspect Debra proposes they ground him as a material witness. Batista suggests bringing it Laguerta but Debra says she'll try to get the court order herself, making it clear that she has no faith in her boss backing her up any more. During a period when Batista is out of the room Quinn does his best to apologize to Debra and try to make his feelings clear to her. Still having feelings for him she seems to open up to him slightly.

At his apartment Dexter has determined which van is monitoring his place and he waits to see somebody (he's expecting Quinn) to get into the van to check the surveillance. When he sees a man get into the van he tries to follow but is jumped from behind with a taser by Liddy and dumped into the back of the van. In the apartment Lumen receives a call from Emily (Chase's first victim) who tells her that Chase is threatening her and she says she'll go to the police. Lumen convinces Emily to not call the police and tells Emily that she and Dexter will be there soon. Lumen leaves a message for Dexter on his phone and head to Emily's, not knowing that she received the call at the behest of Chase himself.

Dexter wakes up bound in the back of the van being driven by Liddy, who he recognizes as Quinn's friend. Liddy calls Quinn telling him that he needs him to meet the van to make the bust he talked about before. He gives no further details but Dexter can tell just from the one side of the conversation that Quinn is resistant to cooperating. Liddy shows Dexter some of the footage from his apartment, particularly of him and Rita preparing the killing tools. Liddy makes Dexter an offer so that he can ensure a conviction. In exchange for not going after Lumen he wants Dexter to give a full on video confession. Dexter fights back and there is a struggle between the two men. When Liddy pulls a knife Dexter manages to turn it back onto the ex-cop and stab him in the heart. Once Liddy is dead Quinn pulls up in his car to the van. Luckily Dexter is able to make sure the van is locked up tightly so Quinn just assumes that Liddy is off somewhere else and leaves. At this point Dexter is able to recover his phone and he hears the message from Lumen about Emily. He doesn't have the time to properly dispose of Liddy's body but he's sure to take all of the recorded data that's in the van and dispose of it. This makes Liddy himself no longer a direct threat but once it turns out he's gone missing (or worse yet if his body is found) this might put Quinn back on Dexter's trail again.

At Emily's house when Lumen arrives alone Emily is noticeable disturbed that they didn't both come. It isn't long before Chase reveals himself. Chase appears to be coming unhinged and his rage at the situation he's in soon becomes evident when he beats Emily to death with a fire poker. At the precinct Debra finds out from Laguerta that her attempt to ground Chase as a witness was denied. Laguerta expresses dismay that Debra felt she couldn't come to her with this. To try and mend fences she presents Debra with an approved court order that she got by pulling in a favor. When Debra and Quinn go to the airfield to pick up Chase they find out that he never showed up for his flight. Dexter arrives at the house to find a trail of blood leading to Emily's dead body. Additional blood goes out of the house, showing that Lumen may still be alive and that she is fighting back against Chase. This leaves Dexter with having to track down Chase before it's too late, with the police hunting for the same man simultaneously.