Dexter Preview: Season 8, Episode 7 - Dress Code

We're headed into the second half of the season for Dexter, and if past seasons are any indication, by this point we should be seeing the overall plot of the season begin to really take shape. All signs point to Zach Hamilton being at the center of that, as Dexter attempts to take the kid under his wing and be his mentor, or his "Harry." The preview for Sunday night's "Dress Code" indicates that Zach has some doubts as to whether or not he can control his dark passenger.

That concern may hint at one of the biggest distinguishing factors between Dexter and Zach. When Harry imparted the code on Dexter, Dexter hadn't yet made his first human kill yet, right? Zach already has. He's indulged in the murder of an innocent person. There may not be any going back for him. And if the look he gave Cassie when he was knocking on Dexter's door is any indication, he may have set his sights on a new victim.

Here's a clip that shows Zach seeming very anxious to make his next kill…

I will be very surprised if this kid manages to harness his inner monster. But it just occurred to me that Dexter could be helping to feed and strengthen the monster that may go on to kill him. Let's say Zach does manage to live by the code. What if he decides that because Dexter's a murderer, he should be taken out? Wouldn't be impossible. The teaser poster for the series have shown us Dexter on the table, wrapped in plastic. Consider the series finale with Dexter laying on a table about to be killed the same way he's killed countless others. It's a chilling thought, but wouldn't that be a darkly fitting ending? And then Deb takes Zach out.

Zach isn't the only outside character addressed in the preview. As last Sunday's episode revealed, Hannah is back! Unsurprisingly, Deb wants her gone. We saw a glimpse of Deb's concern in the preview as she noted that asking Dexter to kill Hannah last season was about when she started to lose herself. Here's a bit more of Deb's conversation with Dexter.

Did Hannah dump them both in the middle of nowhere? If so, what for? Just to let them know she's back and she can still get to them?

Dexter airs Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET on Showtime.