Dexter: New Blood episode 7 recap: Did Kurt murder Iris?

If you thought the previous episode of Dexter: New Blood was shocking, then you were probably on the edge of your seat by the time credits rolled on Dexter: New Blood episode 7. Not only is Angela becoming increasingly suspicious of Dexter, but Kurt’s brief stint behind bars doesn’t hold long enough to subdue him as a threat.

Kurt knows Dexter killed his son, and he might just hurt Harrison to make Dexter pay. Dexter has a lot to contend with in these final three episodes, that’s for sure. So, let’s recap what happened in the latest episode.

Dexter: New Blood episode 7 recap

Now aware that “Jim Lindsay” is actually Dexter Morgan, Angela calls him to the Clarke Caves to give her his expert opinion on what happened to Iris. Careful scrutiny convinces Dexter that Iris was shot through the torso, likely by a rifle. Worse still is that Iris was buried alive in the caves. The only possible thing connecting Iris’s death to Kurt is a skin fragment caught on one of Iris’s teeth. With DNA testing, that could be the smoking gun Angela needs to arrest Kurt.

Dexter also briefs Angela on what happened between him, Molly and Kurt and takes her to Kurt’s murder cabin in the woods. Since Dexter’s last visit, the entire “motel room” setup has been completely stripped. Kurt appears to be going into damage control mode.

But while the adults are growing increasingly wary of Kurt, Harrison still won’t hear a bad word against him and starts his job at the truck stop. On his first day there, Kurt and Dexter butt heads over coffee just as Angela arrives to arrest Kurt. The DNA was a match.

For now, Dexter is content to let the local law enforcement take care of Kurt, so he doesn’t have to risk pushing Harrison further away by killing the guy he looks up to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to last long. After conferring with his lawyer, Kurt decides he’s ready to make a statement. He gives Angela a long sob story about how his abusive father is the one who actually killed Iris, although he admits to witnessing the murder happen and apologizes for not coming forward sooner.

It’s hard to tell if Kurt is telling the truth or not. I’m assuming he’s lying, but his story and the flashback to go along with it make it seem plausible. That said, even if he didn’t kill Iris, we know that murder is likely what pushed Kurt into becoming a killer. I don’t think it’s an accident that there is a parallel to be drawn between Kurt and his father versus Dexter and his son.

Either way, since the DNA test wasn’t a 100 percent match to Kurt, his story is solid enough that it gets him off the hook. While frustrated, Angela is forced to back down for now with Iris’s murder being attributed to Kurt’s dad. The bad news is, Kurt is now free to come after Dexter.

Before wrapping his first shift, one of Kurt’s trucker friends gives him an envelope to pass along to his dad. Inside is a titanium screw, although Dexter doesn’t realize that at first. Confused, he creates a diversion so he can get some one-on-one time with Kurt while he’s still imprisoned. First, he tells Kurt to stay away from Harrison. But then Kurt starts taunting Dexter, recalling their earlier conversation about how their many meetings seem to be fate.

Dexter: New Blood episode 7 recap: Kurt knows the truth about Matt

Kurt recalls the night when Dexter picked him up in front of the tavern. He thought it was snowing that night, then later realized it was falling ash courtesy of the crematorium. Kurt found titanium screws inside Dexter’s truck and put two-and-two together. Dexter cremated Matt’s body, but titanium doesn’t melt. The screws came from Matt, who we know sustained a serious injury.

So yes, Kurt knows what Dexter did, and now it’s serial killer versus serial killer. Dexter realizes he’s going to have to kill Kurt.

Elsewhere, Angela vents to Molly regarding her guilt over Iris’s death. She was supposed to leave town with Iris that night and wonders if Iris might have survived. Molly mentions how lucky she got when Dexter showed up just in time to save her from Kurt, though how he could have known is anyone’s guess. Angela says he overheard them.

A skeptical Molly points out that Dexter was way too far away for that to be possible and recalls him charging his phone nearby. He must have been recording them, she deduces. That’s weird, too, though, isn’t it? Angela seems to think so, and the preview for next week’s episode shows Angela questioning the drug dealer Dexter tried to kill. Uh-oh.

At the end of Dexter: New Blood episode 7, Harrison almost gets jumped by a bunch of classmates in revenge for breaking the kid’s arm in last week’s wrestling match. Harrison whips out his straight razor and sends them scurrying, helped along by Dexter intervening.

Finally, Harrison’s resolve breaks, and he confesses to Dexter that he remembers everything that happened when the Trinity Killer murdered Rita. Listening to Molly’s “Bay Harbor Butcher” podcast episode brought it all back. We also get a quick John Lithgow cameo showing what baby Harrison witnessed that day. Harrison also admits he’s full of rage and thinks of hurting people all the time. But before Dexter can say anything, he takes off with some of his friends, and Kurt’s henchman knocks Dexter unconscious.