Remember we’re studying Season 7 Episode 7.

The episode is called CHEMISTRY.

In Dexter’s opening lines of dialogue – an internal thought – he tells us:

DEXTER (V.O.)

Chemistry, I've heard some people have it,
an attraction that can't be quantified or explained.
Is that the reason behind this? Loss of control?
Maybe the desire to get Hannah on my table was
just a way to deny the affect she has on me.

But what is the affect Hannah has on him? Why did Dexter choose to fuck her instead of kill her?

Perhaps because Hannah is beautiful, but also deadly, just like the flowers she uses to kill, the flowers she is constantly surrounded by – the symbol of her beauty as well as the source of her evil – the perfect rose and its thorn.

The writer takes great care in selecting Hannah’s toxin of choice – from the plant aconitum  – also known as aconite (from a Greek word meaning ‘without struggle’). Aconite has been nicknamed ‘the queen of poisons’. Isn’t Hannah Dexter’s queen of poisons ?

The writer not only contrasts chemistry with botany but also compares the healing and destructive potential of both with the healing and destructive potential of Dexter’s relationship with Hannah.

Chemicals and plants can be both medicinal or poisonous – healers or killers.

In Season 7’s main plot which will Dexter and Hannah’s relationship turn out to be – poisonous or medicinal?

And when the entire series’ main plot is tied up in Season 8 which will Dexter eventually be – healed or killed ?

I’ll be looking in greater detail at the dialogue in this opening scene soon.

Read it here: Dexter Season 7 Episode 7: scene 1

The episode scene by scene breakdown can be found here.

Comments welcome.

In one episode, out of 50 scenes, how many are Dexter in?

1. 1.51 Hannah + Dexter (1)
2. 2.06 Deb + Sal Price
   
3. 1.24 Hannah + Dexter (2) + 1 extra Biker
4. 0.44 Dexter (3) + Hannah
5. 1.37 Dexter (4) + Sal Price
6. 1.15 LaGuerta + Deb
7. 1.39 Dexter (5) + Deb
8. 0.33 Dexter (6), Batista and Masuko
9. 0.58 LaGuerta, Batista, Masuko, Joey, Deb + Dexter (7)
10.  0.9  LaGuerta + Deb
11. 0.12 Batista, Joey, Masuko, Dexter (8) + 1 extra Cop
12. 0.42 Batista, Joey, Masuko, Dexter (9) + 1 extra Cop
13. 0.48 Batista + Joey
14. 0.34 Dexter (10) + Deb
15. 0.52 Deb + Sal Price
16. 0.53 Joey + Nadia
17. 0.24 Isaak Sirco, George + Jurg
18. 1.14 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
19. 1.20 Hannah + Price
20. 0.12 Price + Dexter (11)
21. 0.59 Dexter (12) + his dad.
22. 0.58 Joey + George
23. 2.51 Dexter (13) + Hannah (MIDPOINT)
24. 0.15 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
25. 0.33 Deb + Lab Technician
26. 0.33 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
27. 1.21 Deb + Price
28. 0.34 Hannah + Price
29. 1.30 Dexter (14) + Dad
30. 2.00 Price + Hannah
    
31. 2.38 Isaak + Dexter (15)
32. 2.11 Dexter (16) + Price
    
33. 0.19 Joey + Jamie
34. 0.36 Dexter (17) + Batista + Joey
35. 1.16 Deb + Dexter (18)
36. 0.16 Hannah + Dexter (19)
37. 0.12 Dexter (20) + Hannah
38. 0.10 Deb + Hannah
39. 0.11 Dexter (21) + Hannah
40. 1.15 Deb + Hannah
41. 0.02 Dexter (22)
42. 0.36 Hannah + Deb
43. 0.08 Hannah
44. 0.04 Dexter (23)
45. 3.00 Dexter (24) + Hannah (CLIMAX)
46. 0.51 Joey + Batista
47. 0.25 Masuko + Deb
48. 0.27 Maria LaGuerta
49. 0.29 Deb + Hannah’s V.O
50. 1.34 Dexter (25) + Hannah + Deb

Exactly half. 25 out of 50.

Exactly 23.06 minutes of screen time – just less than half of the 50 minutes episode.

Read the full scene breakdown here: DEXTER – Season 7 Episode 7

1. Out of 50 scenes, 38 have 2 characters (duologues).
2. 2 further scenes have 3 people, but only 2 people actually talk (duologue).
   
3. Scene 49 is 1 character reacting to another character’s Voice on tape (duologue).
4. So, actually 41 out of 50 scenes are duologues!
5. 3 scenes have 1 character and are less than 10 seconds.
6. ONLY 1 full scene has just 1 character & sets up the MAIN PLOT (27 secs).
7. 2 scenes have 3 talking characters.
8. 2 scenes have 5 characters.
9. 1 scene has 6 characters.
10. The Midpoint scene is a discussion on the nature of murder.

Read the full scene by scene breakdown here:

Here is a list of scenes, their length and which characters are in each scene.

The first character is often the one driving the scene, but not always.

Check out who dominates the sequence of scenes building up to the Climax – the two most important women in Dexter’s life: Deb and Hannah.

Season 7 Episode 7:

1. 1.51 Hannah + Dexter
2. 2.06 Deb + Sal Price
   
3. 1.24 Hannah + Dexter + 1 extra Biker
4. 0.44 Dexter + Hannah
5. 1.37 Dexter + Sal Price
6. 1.15 LaGuerta + Deb
7. 1.39 Dexter + Deb
8. 0.33 Dexter, Batista and Masuko
9. 0.58 LaGuerta, Batista, Masuko, Joey, Deb + Dexter
10.  0.9  LaGuerta + Deb
11. 0.12 Batista, Joey, Masuko, Dexter + 1 extra Cop
12. 0.42 Batista, Joey, Masuko, Dexter + 1 extra Cop
13. 0.48 Batista + Joey
14. 0.34 Dexter + Deb
15. 0.52 Deb + Sal Price
16. 0.53 Joey + Nadia
17. 0.24 Isaak Sirco, George + Jurg
18. 1.14 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
19. 1.20 Hannah + Price
20. 0.12 Price + Dexter
21. 0.59 Dexter + his dad.
22. 0.58 Joey + George
23. 2.51 Dexter + Hannah (MIDPOINT)
24. 0.15 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
25. 0.33 Deb + Lab Technician
26. 0.33 Deb + Hannah’s dead husband’s sister
27. 1.21 Deb + Price
28. 0.34 Hannah + Price
29. 1.30 Dexter + Dad
30. 2.00 Price + Hannah
    
31. 2.38 Isaak + Dexter
32. 2.11 Dexter + Price
    
33. 0.19 Joey + Jamie
34. 0.36 Dexter + Batista + Joey
35. 1.16 Deb + Dexter
36. 0.16 Hannah + Dexter
37. 0.12 Dexter + Hannah
38. 0.10 Deb + Hannah
39. 0.11 Dexter + Hannah
40. 1.15 Deb + Hannah
41. 0.02 Dexter
42. 0.36 Hannah + Deb
43. 0.08 Hannah
44. 0.04 Dexter
45. 3.00 Dexter + Hannah (CLIMAX)
46. 0.51 Joey + Batista
47. 0.25 Masuko + Deb
48. 0.27 Maria LaGuerta
49. 0.29 Deb + Hannah’s V.O
50. 1.34 Dexter + Hannah + Deb

Read the full scene breakdown here: DEXTER – Season 7 Episode 7

So what can we learn from the scene by scene breakdown of our favorite serial killer?

5 interesting points:

1. The episode is 52 minutes long.
2. There are 50 scenes in total.
3. Only 5 scenes are over 2 minutes long.
4. These longer scenes pinpoint the major turning points (scene 2: set-up, scene 23: midpoint, scenes 30,31, 32: Act 2 Turning Point + scene 45: Climax.
5. The longest scene is 3 minutes and is the Climax.

Here is a list of scenes and their length (Season 7 Episode 7). Notice a structure?

1. 1.51
2. 2.06
3. 1.24
4. 0.44
5. 1.37
6. 1.15
7. 1.39
8. 0.33
9. 0.58
10. 0.9
11. 0.12
12. 0.42
13. 0.48
14. 0.34
15. 0.52
16. 0.53
17. 0.24
18. 1.14
19. 1.20
20. 0.12
21. 0.59
22. 0.58
23. 2.51 (MIDPOINT)
24. 0.15
25. 0.33
26. 0.33
27. 1.21
28. 0.34
29. 1.30
30. 2.00
31. 2.38
32. 2.11
33. 0.19
34. 0.36
35. 1.16
36. 0.16
37. 0.12
38. 0.10
39. 0.11
40. 1.15
41. 0.02
42. 0.36
43. 0.08
44. 0.04
45. 3.00 LONGEST SCENE + CLIMAX
46. 0.51
47. 0.25
48. 0.27
49. 0.28
50. 1.34

Notice the 3 Act structure ?

Look at the scene lengths from Act 1 through to the Midpoint (scene 23) – quite short right?

Then we’ve got the Midpoint scene – a big important dialogue between Dexter and his lover Hannah on the nature of murder – which lasts almost 3 mins.

Then, from the Midpoint, scenes 24 through 29 are a series of short scenes until –

– the Act 2 Turning Point (comprising of 3 scenes: 30,31 + 32) which are all 2 mins +

Then, look at the length of scenes building up from the opening of Act 3 until the Climax – scenes 33 through 44 –

– eleven short sharp scenes just a few seconds long until BANG – the explosive Climax – 3 minutes – the longest scene in the episode – Dexter V Hannah OR Hero V Antagonist – 3 whole minutes of sheer high-voltage intense emotional drama!

Then, to wind us down, 5 mid-length scenes of the Resolution (between 0.25 and 1.34 in length) to resolve the episode and set up the next.

Brilliant writing, and tightly structured – especially note the short sharp scenes leading us to the explosive Climax.

Read the general scene breakdown here: DEXTER – Season 7 Episode 7