After three episodes, Dexter: New Blood continues to display the protagonist's inner anxieties and fears as he constantly monitors the police's ongoing pursuit of Matt Caldwell, while also trying to take care of Harrison and be a good father to him. Dexter has dealt with plenty of stress in the past (when he had Rita and the kids, and his forensics job in the original series), but in this episode, Dexter appears slightly more upset and disoriented, incapable of handling the pressure of covering his mess and raising a family in his new home. As Dexter states, perhaps it's not killing for a long while that has gotten him in trouble, since he was so good at it in Miami while maintaining his life at the same time, but in Iron Lake, Dexter has a difficult time finding that balance.
Along with Dexter and his attempts to desperately make his struggles go away so that he can return to the peace and quiet he inhabited in Iron Lake, there's more focus on Harrison, including how he behaves in school, and his willingness to protect a fellow student from cyberbullies. There are also a few darkly funny and bleak moments that make the episode resemble a crime drama with black comedy (an homage to Fargo). These include a bloody moment in which Debra uses a woodchipper to chop up some body parts in order to give her brother some ideas about how to deal with Matt's remains, and a scene in which a mysterious killer shoots down the isolated female stranger (who was trapped in a room during the previous episode) in the snow.
More Emphasis On Harrison
Dexter's son, Harrsion, is still understandably trying to find himself as he attends school in Iron Lake, attempting to fit in with the community. When he recognizes that a shy student named Ethan is being cyberbullied by the same guys Harrison and Audrey were hanging out with in the second episode, Harrison displays his caring humanity by helping Ethan get back at the bullies. Harrison even shows his toughness by slightly choking a bully to prove he's not messing around. These actions reveal Harrison's evolution as a character because, in previous episodes, he would mostly keep to himself and not get involved in any trouble, but here is willing to help out people like Ethan and provide support.
Meanwhile, Harrison's bond with Audrey also continues, signaling the start of a friendship that could go even further due to their ability to get along well (even though they've just met). There are moments when Harrison and Audrey simply sit and talk to each other about their personal lives, and their increasing interest in true crime, which could foreshadow how they view Matt Caldwell's case (or other mysterious activities in Iron Lake) in the future. Harrison's new friend, Ethan, also appears to unleash some inner killer vibes when he unveils graphic and bloody anime artwork to Harrison that envisions Ethan as a Punisher-type figure brutally killing his cyberbullies. Could this draw Harrison and/or Ethan into the possible nature of killing, or is it just curiosity?
The Show's Relevance To Major World Themes
Along with cyberbullying, this episode also brings the theme of podcasting into the series by introducing a popular podcaster named Molly Park (Jamie Chung) who is shown very briefly in this episode, but appears to be interested in Matt Caldwell's disappearance mostly to intrigue her Instagram followers, along with her fancy wardrobe and her sparkling personality. While Molly's true intentions aren't known yet, her widespread attention may cause Iron Lake to go into a frenzy, and provide trouble towards Dexter's quiet lifestyle, especially since Dexter hears about Molly for the first time during his dinner with Harrison, Angela, and Audrey.
Climate change has also become a recurring theme. For the second time since the first episode, Audrey finds herself crossing paths with Edward Olsen, a wealthy tycoon who has resources (helicopters) but also doesn't care about protecting the environment (chemical plants that release lots of carbon dioxide). Audrey and Harrison also have a discussion with Dexter and Angela about moving the dead white deer Matt Caldwell killed out of the butcher shop and taking it to Reservation land so the deer can be given a proper ritual and resting place.
The Villains Remain A Mystery
Whether or not Edward Olsen could potentially be a major villain or killer, or if he's just a wealthy businessman who intends to destroy the efforts of environmental protection, remains to be seen. He appears to be a nice gentleman on the outside, but when he tells Audrey that people are complicated, and that she'll "understand how the world really works" one day, that raises suspicions, including how he asked Audrey if she wanted to wait in his car. Could Olsen be connected to the mysterious killer who fatally shot the woman trapped in the room, or if there are multiple killers involved with kidnapping other young women?
This mysterious killer acts like a predator who, like Dexter, is skilled with a hunting rifle, and experimental when analyzing dead bodies (which is shown when this killer cleans the dead woman's body and takes out her blood, placing it in a bucket). This killer could be a match for Dexter, setting up a potential showdown.
Kurt Caldwell (another rich man), who desperately wants to find his son Matt, also raises plenty of suspicion. He claims he wants Matt back, but at the same time, criticizes Angela and the police for not putting in enough effort in their search for the missing Caldwell. When Dexter finds Kurt outside, drunk and throwing a beer bottle up in the air, the father tells Dex that he saw his son alive during a FaceTime call, which of course is impossible, leaving Dexter to wonder why Kurt would lie like that, or if it's just Kurt's depressed state of mind. However, for Dexter, Kurt doesn't appear to be a grieving father, but more of a man who's lost and caught up in his own emotions, especially since he hasn't done much when it comes to looking for Matt.
From the look of things, Dexter and those close to him will surely have more enemies to face in the foreseeable future. Debra also continues to symbolize Dexter's conscience and his mood swings (such as not getting enough sleep) and contemplating over how to trust Harrison (like recognizing that he's not a cheater on school placement exams). When Dexter envisions Debra dressed as a police officer, pushing him and pointing a gun at him, this reflects Dexter pushing himself too hard to deal with many things at once. How will Dexter handle the pressure in the next episode?