Dexter and Angel look at blood splatter on walls and each describes what the patterns remind them of. Angel asks why blood stains always look like crustaceans to Dexter. Dexter replies, "I like seafood." Angel says that Rorschach would say Dexter has a hard time relating to others.

 

Angel thinks the woman committed suicide, but Dexter notes that women don't usual use firearms for that. But Angel reminds him that's not true in Miami. Victim, a big-time prosecutor, was found in bathtub. The other women who shot themselves were also high-powered. The electricity was out but is restored. Her husband, Mr. Gayle, is an aspiring artist. He insists Vanessa did not kill herself.

 

Debra's boyfriend drove her to the crime scene. She kisses him and then runs with umbrella through the pouring rain to the house. Doakes scolds her for being late. He tells her to canvas the neighborhood. Dexter is surprised that she's not complaining about the rain. She says, "I'm a team player."

 

Dexter goes to Rita's. Paul is babysitting. He says Rita is stuck in traffic because of power outages. Paul apologizes for his behavior last time, asking rhetorically, "What are you supposed to say to a guy who is dating your wife while you're in jail?" Before Dexter might respond Rita arrives home and we learn that Paul was not the real babysitter. Cody begs for dad to put him to bed. Rita says that's what Dexter is here for, but Paul says Dexter won't mind. Dexter looks like he minds.

 

At work, Dexter tells LaGuerta that the blood splatter is inconclusive. Capt. Matthews pokes his head in to tell LaGuerta that D.A. needs worksheet on the Perry case. He mentions that Mayor Allen took D.A. and him out to dinner last night to celebrate the arrest. After Matthews leaves, Dexter tells LaGuerta that Matthews will have egg on his face soon enough. Dexter has told her that he thinks Perry is not the Ice-Truck killer. He says it's just a matter of time until the real killer kills again. But LaGuerta thinks the real killer might take the chance to disappear. Dexter thinks to himself that it won't happen. The Ice-Truck killer has unfinished business with Dexter. But Dexter can't just wait for something to happen. He needs "a distraction." Little Debbies [snack cakes] and the supposed suicides will do the job.

 

He finds the three women had the same psychiatrist, Dr. Emmett Meridian. Dexter notes that the shrink must be terrible at his job. He turns out to be squeaky clean. Dexter goes to talk to him as a patient. Dexter doesn't hide that he's a cop, but uses a fake name, Sean. Dexter says a friend killed herself and he needs to understand why. He says she had everything going for her. Shrink says that death makes sense to some. It's life that is the puzzle. Meridian says he thinks "Sean" is just using the suicide as an excuse to come see him. Dexter agrees and asks what his real intentions are. Meridian says "Sean" will tell him that.

 

Apparently, Dexter got the quick appointment on Meridian's lunch hour. When his lunch arrives it conveniently gives Dexter the opportunity to look at Meridian's appointment book. At the time of Vanessa's death, Meridian was in session with Scott Solomon. Meridian shares the Chinese food with Dexter and starts asking basic questions like "Are you married?" No, but yes to girlfriend. "Sex life?" Dexter says that's personal, but Meridian points out that this is therapy. Dexter says it might help him to open up if Meridian shared something about himself. Dexter asks him how he became a psychiatrist. Meridian points out how Dexter just took control. Meridian assumes Dexter gets away with that most of the time. Meridian says it's a way of keeping people from getting close. Meridian asks "Sean" if he has ever been close to anyone. Dexter says his foster father was the only one who ever really knew him. Meridian asks what kind of stuff they did together. Dexter says, "You know, normal father/son stuff."

 

Flashback: Masked guy strangles Harry with rope. Harry says, "Enough." Teen Dexter pulls off his mask and Harry compliments the ambush. Dexter says, "I won." Harry says it's not a game. It's not supposed to be fun. Dexter says he knows. Harry says this is the only way he know how to keep Dexter out of the electric chair. "This is about survival, Dex, nothing else. Got it?"

 

LaGuerta confronts Perry about details of the Ice-Truck murders. She points out they couldn't match prints on a lozenge wrapper. He says liquid nitrogen he used to freeze body parts have burned his fingertips. She suggests that he burned his fingerprints on purpose because he knew they wouldn't match. He asks her what's in it for him if he helps her do her job. She asks, "How about immortality?" She says they found his mother's body under his house. He can go down as a "pathetic loser" who killed his mom or "the most heinous killer in Florida's history." She says, "Your choice." He wants to talk to a reporter but she says that's not allowed to talk to press before the trial. He says that if she wants him to cooperate he's sure she'll find a way.

 

Dexter places a personal ad on Craig's List from Barbie to Ken asking the Ice-Truck killer, "Why the cold shoulder?"

Dexter jogs by Scott Solomon's house and as Scott conveniently drops a melon as he takes groceries out of car, Dexter says he remembers seeing him at Meridian's office. Scott is always leaving when Dexter claims he's arriving. But he didn't see him last week. Scott says he was there, but notes that he doesn't remember ever seeing Dexter there. Dexter asks how Scott likes Meridian. Scott says he's the best thing that has ever happened to him… so far. Meridian asks Dexter the same. Dexter says, "I'm a sociopath. There is not much he can do for me." Scott laughs, assuming Dexter is joking. Scott, who seems to be gay and attracted to Dexter says, "Cute and funny. Let me guess - taken." Dexter says he's got a girlfriend.

 

Rita brings kids to playground to be with Paul but Paul says the supervisor called and cancelled. He knows it's Rita's day off and he asks if it would really be so terrible if they spent time with their kids together. She says she has a lunch date with Dexter. But she decides to cancel it.

 

Vince tells Dexter that all the forensics point to Vanessa committing suicide. Dexter still isn't convinced. He has another session with Meridian. Dexter says he wants to talk about fakes - people who pass themselves off as people they're not. Meridian asks "Sean" if that's how he feels about himself. Dexter says he wasn't talking about himself. Dexter notices a camera hidden in a plant and then answers, "You." Meridian says that's a common first-time reaction to therapy. … I'm only pretending to care because I have another motive." Meridian admits he needs a paycheck but that doesn't mean he can't care for his patient or enjoy his job. Meridian then asks about "Sean's" job. Dexter said he does forensics but Meridian asks what kind. Dexter tells him he does blood spatter. Dexter says he hates it. But Meridian figures the categorizing and analyzing must be soothing. Dexter agrees. Then Meridian asks about "Sean's" girlfriend. Dexter reports that she canceled lunch to be with ex-husband. Meridian notes that it sounds like a lot of things are out of "Sean's" control right now. "No wonder you cut yourself off from your emotions. That way you never have to feel powerless." Dexter asks what he should do. Meridian advises him to accept that certain things are out of his hands.

 

Flashback: Bully harasses teen Dexter outside school. At home, Dex tells Harry that he wanted to kill the bully. Harry says he's proud that Dex was able to walk away. Dex tells him not to be. He still wants to kill him. Dex asks when the feeling is going to go away. (We don't hear an answer.)

 

LaGuerta managed to have reporter interview Perry. Now she wants Perry to talk about the case. He says he still wants to talk to a reporter. He made the guy as a cop. He says, "Nice try." She says he's the one in jail and she's calling the shots. He says he knows she's trying to prove he's a fraud, but he says that she is the fraud. He says he knows how she got promoted. He describes that when she and Doakes were partners it was Doakes who got the drop on a major cocaine dealer and brought her along for the ride. Doakes covered the fire escape and sent LaGuerta to cover the stairs. She got lucky. She insists that she deserved the promotion.

 

Boyfriend gets Debra to come to his office and he says a woman lost both her legs and he wants to take a cast of Deb's legs for her. Deb objects but he pulls her pants down and she cooperates. He slathers lubricant on her legs and she says it feels good. He kisses her. She mentions she hasn't told anyone about "us". She says this matters to her and if she talks about it it will go away. He insists he's not going anywhere.

 

Dexter breaks into Meridian's office late at night. Rita is waiting for him and he receives a texts message from her asking where he is. He thinks, "Breaking and entering." He looks on Meridian's computer and finds recordings from the hidden camera. Vanessa is asking for another prescription but Meridian refuses. She begs for just one more. He says they've talked about it. The anti-depressants are a temporary crutch. It seems that all the women were suicidal and he encouraged them to go with those feelings and even suggesting that "the truly courageous" use guns.

 

Dexter goes to Rita's late and she kisses him like she's been desperate to undo standing him up for lunch. She says she hopes he didn't get the wrong idea. She says it was scary seeing how easily she could fall back into her old life but he likes her new life and she finally feels she's in control. She starts kissing him. He's thinking that this is a disaster. He chose Rita because she was damaged. If she gets better he'll lose her. She says she's ready and she takes off her nightie. She wants him to spend the night - for real. He says tonight is not good. He has to get back to work. He leaves, and thinks he can't have sex with Rita. She'll see he's really empty and she'll leave. He doesn't want her to go. He concludes that he can't kill Meridian yet - he needs another therapy session.

 

Meridian tells "Sean" that we all have a dark side that we don't want anyone else to see. Dexter asks who Meridian deals with his "wolf". Meridian says he accepted it was there and made friends with it and he's let it out for a big meal every once in a while. Meridian says "Sean" has to accept who he is. Then Meridian turns off the lights and says he wants to go through a deep-relaxation exercise. He wants to go back to when, as a child, "Sean" felt powerless. He wants to bring some of those memories to the surface. Meridian tells him to close his eyes and concentrate on breathing. Dexter is thinking, "This is ridiculous. I could be killing him right now."

 

LaGuerta asks Doakes if he told anyone about their cocaine bust. He says no. So it seems Perry must have hacked into the police records.

 

Flashback: Bully, Josh, has pushed Dexter too far and Dexter heads towards him with knife. But Harry pulls him away and lectures him about consequences. "Lose control, become powerless, and it's over."

 

The memory upsets Dexter. There was a quick flash that implies little Dexter was there when his real mom killed herself and Dexter got spattered with her blood. "Sean" runs out of Meridian's office. He goes to Rita's. He kisses her and has sex with her against the wall and the falling onto the floor.

 

He gets out of her bed and she says, "You're sweet." She assumes he feels he has to leave before the kids find him there. She says next time they'll tell the kids that he's staying over. He's expresses surprise that she wants there to be a next time. She says, "And a time after theat." Then she asks, "Don't you?" He says, "No. I mean, yeah. I just - I didn't freak you out?" She asks rhetorically, "Why would you think that? Dexter, there is nothing you could ever do that would scare me away."

 

LaGuerta brings a plastic-wrapped decapitated head to Perry and asks how the killer did it. He tries to hide how uncomfortable he is. He says he can't help. She puts it right in front of his face and he starts crying and says, "Keep it away!" She says the medical examiner says they can't tell how his mom died. It could have been a heart attack. She says Perry didn't have the courage to kill her. He says he knows details about the Ice-Truck killings. She says the I.T. guy checked the firewall. They know he hacked in. The paneled car was only purchased last month. She sticks the head back in his face and he admits he lied.

 

LaGuerta tells Matthews that Perry recanted. Matthews and D.A. say they're still going to trial. She doesn't argue.

Dexter goes back to Meridian and tells him that he had sex with girlfriend. Meridian says "Sean" should be proud of himself. Dexter is. Then Meridian asks him what he's going to focus on today. Dexter says he's going to tell him something he's never told anyone before. "I'm a serial killer." Dexter says it feels so amazing to say out loud. Meridian thinks he's joking but Dexter says he's not. Dexter says Meridian should try it [confessing]. Dexter says he knows Meridian's big, bad wolf has racked up a tidy little death toll. Then Dexter waves to the hidden camera. Meridian looks horrified but Dexter says he's disabled the cameras and copied the files. Dexter suggests that if Meridian focuses on his breathing then he'll remember Meghan, Carolyn, Vanessa. Meridian says those sessions are confidential. Meridian says the session is over and gets up to open the door. Dexter puts a headlock on him

 

Meridian wakes up bound and gagged. Dexter admits being a bit conflicted. Meridian helped him understand that he can't control the fact that he's a killer. But Dexter was raised with a certain set of principles. "I'm sorry, doc. Actions have consequences, and this is yours. I'm going to have to let you go."

 

Debra is in bra and jeans and singing to radio. Boyfriend calls. He says he has to clean up his place before he comes over. Then we see that he's the Ice-Truck killer. He replies to "Barbie". The message says, "Be patient. One day we'll share a cold one." Then he goes into his refrigerated room and prepares to cut up another body.