Detective Angel Batista has always been a man of integrity, a cop with a strong moral compass and a deep loyalty to the people he’s worked alongside. However, in ‘Dexter: Resurrection’, that same sense of justice may be clouding his judgment.
Episode 7 brings their long-brewing tension to the surface in a chilling confrontation, with Dexter warning his old Miami Metro colleague: “This won’t end well for you.”
Angel Batista Wants Dexter Prosecuted For Murders He Didn’t Actually Commit
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that when Dexter Morgan makes a threat like that, he means it. Angel Batista, however, seems determined to keep pushing, perhaps without realizing the kind of danger he’s walking into. His heart may be in the right place, but his reasons and methods are starting to feel less like a calculated pursuit of justice and more like an emotionally driven vendetta.
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The irony here is that Batista is laser-focused on prosecuting Dexter for the deaths of three people, James Doakes, Maria LaGuerta, and Debra Morgan, without having the full picture. Yes, Dexter’s fingerprints are all over those tragedies. However, the actual killers in each case were someone else entirely. James Doakes met his end at the hands of Lila in season 2. Maria LaGuerta was shot by Deb, trying to protect Dexter.
Debra Morgan was fatally wounded by Oliver Saxon, with Dexter ultimately ending her suffering by pulling the plug. Dexter bears moral responsibility for each of these deaths, but he didn’t physically commit the killings that Batista is so fixated on. For a man with Batista’s investigative experience, the tunnel vision is surprising, and frankly, it’s starting to make him look out of his depth.
To make matters worse, Batista is no longer a law enforcement officer. He’s retired, without any official authority to pursue charges. That makes his crusade against Dexter not only personal but essentially powerless in the legal sense. He didn’t even loop in Joey Quinn, his old colleague and someone who might actually help him find leverage. Instead, Batista is charging forward alone, fueled by his own convictions.
Will Dexter Actually Kill Angel Batista?
One of the most intriguing questions hanging over ‘Resurrection’ now is whether Batista will survive this season at all. Episode 7 makes it clear that Dexter has drawn a boundary, stay away from him and Harrison, but boundaries mean little when someone is as determined as Batista. By Harry’s Code, Batista doesn’t fit the profile of someone Dexter would kill. He’s not a murderer, and he’s not a predator.
However, the Code has always been more of a flexible guideline than a rigid rule, especially when family is on the line. If Batista shifts his focus toward implicating Harrison in Ryan Foster’s murder, Dexter may feel forced to take extreme measures. That said, killing Batista would be a massive deviation from the character’s usual moral framework. It would also undo a lot of the nuanced development the franchise has built in ‘Resurrection’.
So, a far more likely and narratively satisfying outcome is that Dexter uses other methods to neutralize Batista. He’s already shown this season that he can dismantle enemies without killing them, as with Lady Vengeance, whom he dealt with by simply tipping off the police. If push comes to shove, Dexter could frame Batista, discredit him, or even lean on his powerful new admirer, Leon Prater, to make Batista back off. In many ways, that kind of manipulation would be more dangerous than a clean kill.
‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Finally Debuts Dexter’s Bold And Unhinged Persona
While Angel Batista’s pursuit may feel increasingly misguided, Dexter himself is undergoing a transformation that’s hard to ignore. In episode 7, he’s not just bold, he’s downright unhinged, in a way that’s both reckless and thrilling to watch. He kills Gareth’s twin brother in broad daylight. That’s not the careful, shadow-hugging Dexter fans remember. And yet, instead of losing ground, he gains Prater’s favor.
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His confrontation with Batista leaves no doubt in the detective’s mind about who the Bay Harbor Butcher really is. The old Dexter would have avoided this move at all costs. Even his interaction with Detective Wallace at the criminology college feels daring. Walking right up to her after a lecture on the New York Ripper to casually drop a tip about blood spatter? It’s almost as if Dexter is daring the world to catch him.
Meanwhile, Harrison’s subplot is quietly evolving in an ironic twist. After killing Ryan Foster earlier in the season, Harrison is now considering a career in criminal justice. He is following the Morgan family tradition, just from the “other side” of the badge. His relationship with Dexter remains the emotional center of the story, especially as Dexter admits that his feelings for Harrison are unlike anything else in his life, even if he’s “emotionally deficient” by standard measures.
