Sumith Prasad
The seventh episode of Paramount+ with Showtime’s crime drama series ‘Dexter: Original Sin,’ titled ‘The Big Bad Body Problem,’ follows the aftermath of Dexter Morgan’s failed attempt to dump the dead body of Levi Reed in Alligator Alley. Even though the remains of Tony Ferrer surface, the serial killer succeeds in dodging a bullet by ensuring that the discovery won’t pave the way for a full-on investigation. Nicky Spencer’s abductor remains at large, causing immense distress to Captain Aaron Spencer. His fears become true when the cops receive a box with the boy’s finger in it. Even though it is the last thing any of the officers want, the severed finger leads Dexter to the apparent killer of Jimmy Powell! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Dexter Nearly Gets Caught as a Serial Killer
‘The Big Bad Body Problem’ begins with Dexter Morgan pretending to be at Alligator Alley as a forensic expert on duty. Vince Masuka is surprised to see him but is also happy to receive any assistance. He asks the intern to record the prints available from the surfaced hand, which can expose the latter as the killer. To save himself, he throws away the remains to an alligator off-screen and pretends that the beastly reptile came to the land for the hand, nearly killing him. Since Masuka and others are sympathetic towards Dexter, they don’t question his words and present the events as they are to their superiors.
After Ferrer’s hand is taken care of, Dexter dumps Levi Reed’s body in a huge garbage bin, hoping that it will get lost in the landfill. Since he has been busy with these commitments, he does not reply to Sofia, who shows up at his house to find out what’s happening with him. He initially comforts her by telling her that he was at a crime scene all night, but the matter goes out of control when she sees a condom wrapper in his car, which ends up in the vehicle from the garbage bin where he hides Reed’s body. Sofia breaks up with the forensic analyst, who does not put in any effort to make amends.
Dexter and Sofia’s break up severely affects Debra’s friendship with her. The serial killer’s sister takes the side of her brother and is convinced that he is not a “player” to cheat on her friend. Sofia sees this as a betrayal of trust on Debra’s part and exposes her as the one who messed up the car of their teammate. The Morgan sibling beats up the latter when she is confronted about it, resulting in her dismissal from the basketball team and suspension from the school. Back in the police station, Angel Batista is convinced that the hand that surfaced in Alligator Alley belongs to Ferrer. When he starts to pursue the case, Dexter dissuades him by asking him to focus on rescuing Nicky, who needs their help.
Harry Morgan and María LaGuerta Pursue a Serial Killer
While Aaron Spencer is immersed in the case of Nicky’s disappearance as a concerned father, Harry Morgan and María LaGuerta inform him that a serial killer committed the murders of multiple homeless people within the city. Since no common modus operandi exists in the cases, the captain is not convinced that the same person is behind the crimes. Still, he lets them investigate the particular angle because the trustworthy Harry backs LaGuerta. They make progress in the case by tracking down a car that the serial killer might have used. The duo finds out that the person who registered the vehicle is based in Tampa, which paves the way for a three-hour trip.
Meanwhile, Dexter starts looking for a new permanent place to dump the bodies of his potential victims, especially after Alligator Alley becomes an unreliable spot. He goes through the history of infamous serial killers such as Ed Gein, David Berkowitz, and John Wayne Gacy, only to be disappointed. When he meets a dead end, he even playfully asks his colleagues about the perfect location to dump dead bodies, which irritates Harry. While he deals with this predicament, Clark Sanders asks him not to reveal that they met outside a gay bar the previous day.
The episode also provides more insights into Harry’s investigation into Hector Estrada with the help of Laura Moser. Dexter’s mother tried to withdraw from the case but remained part of the same only because she faced jail time. She was eventually welcomed to a meeting by Estrada himself, who was impressed by the numbers she generated. The drug lord planned to give her a bigger territory to expand her business, which also meant his eyes were on her more than ever.
Aaron Spencer is Seemingly Revealed as the Killer/Abductor Behind Jimmy and Nicky’s Disappearances
While the investigation into Nicky’s disappearance progresses, the young boy makes a makeshift weapon using the things available to him in his locked-down room. When the perpetrator enters the same to give him food, the kid strikes the former and makes him bleed. Still, the killer/abductor severs one of Nicky’s fingers and sends it to the cops. After receiving the box, Dexter notices two things: a blood drop on the same and a hesitation cut on the finger itself, revealing that the killer is possibly somehow related to the young boy, explaining the hesitation that was not present in the case of Jimmy, the previous victim.
Dexter tests the blood drop, and it matches Nicky’s blood type. That’s when he notices a cut in the hand of his boss, Aaron Spencer. The captain makes up a reason to explain the wound, but the serial killer sees right through him. The episode further adds weight to Dexter’s understanding that Aaron is behind Jimmy’s murder and Nicky’s abduction by showing him buying SunnySmiles, the meal kit given to both children. If the forensic expert is right about his boss, it is evident that the police captain doesn’t target his own son and a judge’s child just to satisfy his homicidal urges. The murder and the abduction that follows are part of a larger, ambiguous scheme he develops to gain something.
Since Aaron has always linked the perpetrator to drug cartels, the two crimes can be connected to the same. The cop has a long history with criminals involved in the drug scene of Miami since he has sent many to jail with the help of Judge Powell. Beyond his commendable record, he can be hiding an illegal allegiance with a rival cartel. If that’s the case, two high-profile abductions and a subsequent murder give him free rein to walk over drug lords before anyone can expose him. He may not even need to worry about bringing them to justice since he can take advantage of his image as a hurt father to kill his adversaries.
However, Aaron’s hesitation to order a full-on attack against any cartel, especially Los Tigres, makes this possibility questionable. Regardless of the motive behind the police captain’s actions, he must have seemingly targeted Nicky to protect himself. Since the perpetrator’s second victim is his own son, nobody is expected to suspect him as the criminal behind the murder and the abduction.
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