This Little Piggy (Dexter)

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This Little Piggy (Dexter) – Episode recap

This Little Piggy is the fifth episode of Dexter’s eighth season, which aired on July 28, 2013. The series follows Dexter Morgan, a blood-pattern analyst for Miami Metro who leads a secret life as a vigilante killer.

Plot in brief
- Dexter and his sister Debra must work together to find Dr. Evelyn Vogel after she’s kidnapped by Jacob Elway, aka Yates.
- Meanwhile, Quinn pushes to investigate a wealthy family in the Norma Rivera murder, but the case encounters political pressure within the department.
- Ed Hamilton admits to an affair with Norma Rivera, but security footage gives him an alibi. His son Zach starts asking a lot of questions about Norma’s death.
- Masuka confirms through a DNA test that Niki Walters is his daughter, prompting Masuka to ask Debra to look into Niki’s background.
- Yates breaks into Vogel’s house and abducts her. Rackets and a hidden lair are uncovered at Yates’ property, where past victims’ toes were broken over time before their deaths.
- Dexter and Debra manage to locate Vogel just as Yates closes in, and Vogel explains how their strained relationship has reached a turning point.

Ending and aftercare
- Dexter, Debra, and Vogel team up to outsmart Yates. Dexter kills Yates and, with Debra and Vogel, disposes of his body at sea. He tells both Debra and Vogel that they’ve become his chosen “family.”

Viewership and reception
- The episode attracted about 2.55 million viewers and held a 1.2 rating in the 18–49 demographic.
- Critics gave mixed reviews. Some praised the closure of the Vogel storyline and the deepening of Dexter and Debra’s bond, while others felt the season’s pacing and ambiguity remained problematic.

Production notes
- Written by Scott Reynolds and directed by Romeo Tirone. This episode marked Reynolds’s tenth writing credit and Tirone’s sixth directing credit.