"Dexter:" Killing people isn't so much fun, after all

Spent the week up north, where a friend (who only watches TV online) noted that the last two episodes of "Dexter" were already available via the Internets. In case you haven't seen them, I have (thoroughly legitimately, I assure you), and will now attempt to explicate this season's finales without much in the way of spoilers.

"Dexter's" had an exemplary second season, by my estimation, as the relatively moral serial killer has watched his entire world implode around him as an investigation into his many crimes has served to tighten a noose around his neck. The question the whole way through the season was: Would the writers be able to reasonably escape from the corner they spent the entire season exquisitely painting themselves into?

Let's recap the deep sh!t encircling Dex (Michael C. Hall) at this point, shall we?

* The bodies of all the people he murdered were discovered; he got labeled the "Bay Harbor Butcher" and got a crack FBI team investigating his ass, led by Special Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine), who subsequently cozied up to Dexter's sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter).

* As if that's not enough (and it is), Sgt. Doakes (Erik King), who's never trusted Dexter, kept at it, and in fact did discover his terrible secret, forcing Dex to cage him up and decide whether or not he should off him, too.

* And as if all that's not enough, Dex got involved with a really hot Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, Lila (Jaime Murray), who, it turned out, was quite capable of matching him in the crazy department, and assiduously went about proving it when he spurned her.

So, tonight, when Lila's in the hospital, accusing Dexter's friend Angel (David Zayas) of raping her, she tells him, "I'm your real soul mate. ... I see you inside. I'm the only one."

Dexter replies, "Look where it's gotten you."

Good point. And Lila makes a better point next week, when she tell Dexter, "I've always been afraid of you - from the first time I saw you I could see how hopelessly consumed you were by your need." Crazy as Lila may be, I stand by my earlier observation that not only would addicts everywhere be happy to put up with her lunacy, but that if there were any evidence that Narcotics Anonymous had any sponsors like her, drug use in America would skyrocket.

Anyway, suffice it to say, it doesn't end well for a number of characters, but - yes - the writers eked out a plausible enough plot device to ensure that Dexter, sure enough, will wreak havoc once more in season three.

And on that note, let's allow Jarvis Cocker to play us out with a nice little song:

"Don't believe me if I claim to be your friend/Cos given half the chance I know that I will kill again/I will kill again."

- "Dexter:" 9 and 10 tonight; 10 p.m. Monday, 9 p.m. Tuesday, 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and so on and so forth. Season final next week, same time.