'Dexter: Resurrection' Episode 9 Ending Explained: Is Angel Batista Dead?

So, the major event we fans have been theorizing about has finally come to pass. A spoiler warning for those who haven’t watched the ninth episode of Dexter: Resurrection yet: the tragic news here is that Angel Batista is dead. I think we all saw this coming, but what we were left speculating about was the manner of his death or who was going to kill him.In my previous articles, I had theorized that Dex wouldn’t harm Batista because of his code, which left us with only one possibility, that is, Batista would be killed by either Leon Prater or his henchwoman, Charley. And that’s what happened in Dexter: Resurrection’s penultimate episode. Batista ended up at Prater’s, trying to convince the eccentric billionaire that the man in his friend circle is a force to be reckoned with. He’s not some rideshare driver. He’s a master manipulator. He is the infamous Bay Harbor Butcher. Yes, Batista told Prater each and every little detail, and now Dex’s secret identity is not so secret anymore. Prater knows who Dex is. Prater knows Dex has a son. And what Prater does best is exploit people’s weaknesses. So, with that said, allow me to theorize further on what plans Prater has for Dex, and how he’s going to tame the beast to realize his own fantasies.

In Dexter: Resurrection episode 9’s ending, Batista paid a visit to Leon Prater, trying to warn him of the danger he was in, unaware of the fact that he was the danger. Now, we didn’t see the entire conversation that played out between them, but I assume the moment Batista accused Dex of being the Bay Harbor Butcher, Prater just couldn’t control his excitement and signalled Charley to lock him up so he wouldn’t end up sharing Dex’s secret. You see, Prater wanted to own Dex, and he would go to any lengths to do so. However, first things first, you might be wondering why Prater and Charley trust Batista so easily. The thing is, Dex’s secret identity was the key to solving the mystery centered around the disappearance of Prater’s serial killer guests. They started to disappear or turn up dead as soon as the new guy, Ronald Schmidt, joined the club. Charley knew that there was something wrong with Red, but she couldn’t put her finger on it, and Batista’s revelation put everything in place. It even explained why his son, Harrison, had a different surname than his father. Even Prater connected a dot or two and told Dex that he now understood why he was so drawn to the blood slide box that belonged to the Bay Harbor Butcher. But we all know, truth isn’t what satisfies Prater’s demons. He wants to see the blood. He wants to see the bruises. Prater wants to see his heroes in action. And therefore Prater made the most obvious demand. He wanted the Bay Harbor Butcher to kill Batista in front of him. But you see, I found it quite strange that a man like Prater, who had idolized the Bay Harbor Butcher and likely had been studying him for a long time, wasn’t aware of his code. Because he wouldn’t make such a demand if he did, right? 

Dexter Morgan wasn’t some random serial killer. He only hunted other serial killers who spilled innocent blood, so why the hell did Prater ask him to kill an innocent man? I think Prater wanted to test his loyalty towards him. He didn’t just want to watch Dex kill someone in front of his eyes. He wanted to put a leash on Dex and tame him, make him his own, the same way he owned half the city, or at least the people working for him. I believe Prater deliberately asked Dex to break his code so he would know who was in charge, but Dex doesn’t submit to anyone. He refused to kill Batista. Instead, he used the knife to free his old pal, but Batista wasn’t in the mood to return favors, and decided to kill Dex. However, before he could do so, Prater stepped in and shot Batista to death.

You might have noticed that after firing multiple shots at Batista, Prater fired one last one at Dex. Well, it didn’t hit Dex, but that last shot was seriously questionable. Did Prater fire it deliberately, or did he pull the trigger in the heat of the moment? I mean, we still don’t know much about Prater. He too could be a serial killer. Maybe in that moment, he let his guard down, and his hidden demons took over his body, compelling him to kill a person again? We know that the New York Ripper hasn’t targeted anyone in recent years, so Prater’s urges and desires might be getting out of control again, right? However, if Prater fired an intentional warning shot, then it could mean that he wanted Dex to know who was in charge of his life now. And the things he will do to him or his son if he refuses to follow his orders, that is, if he refuses to be a personal court jester and bark on command whenever the king yawns of boredom. I believe Prater cannot, or does not, want to kill people himself, because it will taint his public image if someone exposes him, but he still wants to feel the thrill of the hunt and feed his dark desires. He wants to be in control, even though he can’t really get his hands dirty.

In episode 9’s ending, Prater told Dex that he wanted to sponsor him. He wanted to be his benefactor, and I already explained the reason why. During this conversation, Prater revealed that he had a similar arrangement with the Gemini Killers, but now that Dex had killed him, there was an empty spot, and Prater would make sure that Dex would fill it in. He told Dex that he had extensive files on all the potential serial killers across the globe, and with his wealth and influence, he could invite them to join his group, a little retreat in New York City, giving Dex the playground he yearned for. Well, that was actually Dex’s original plan when he joined his group, and he would be more than willing to kill some nasty serial killers, but the only issue is, he wanted to act of his own free will. And not on someone’s orders, especially when they are constantly threatening to harm his son. And you see, that’s the whole conflict between Prater and Dex. Prater wants to own him so his toy doesn’t disappear or die (remember Cooper Morris), but Dex isn’t of the kind to be tamed or follow orders.

So far, Dex didn’t have any solid reason or excuse to kill Prater, but all hell broke loose when Prater brought Harrison into the equation and tried to intimidate his teenage son. Dex didn’t want history to repeat itself. He didn’t want another Trinity Killer to harm his family, and therefore decided to end the evil before it was too late. In Dexter: Resurrection episode 9’s ending, Dex arrived at Prater’s penthouse, for one last time, to put an end to the eccentric billionaire and his club. But you see, Dex didn’t really have any criminal evidence against Prater, which meant he would have broken his code if he had killed Prater. However, in the end, Prater just killed his old pal in front of his eyes and gave Dex the reason he had been looking for. By killing Prater, Dex is not only going to avenge Batista’s death but also protect his family from future threats. Though I have a strong feeling that he’ll let Charley live because he knows that Prater has been exploiting her weakness for all these years and forcing her to kill for him. In short, she’s just trying to keep her mother alive by working for Prater.

But as we all know, nothing is as easy as it sounds in Dexter Morgan’s life. The way things transpired in episode 9’s ending, I am quite certain that he will take it as a lesson, and instead of charging at Prater like a mad bull, he’ll take him out when he’s at his most vulnerable. And this is the interesting part. I feel you guys already know when he’s the most unprotected and the most vulnerable. It’s during a “show-and-tell.” Charley doesn’t attend those meetings, as she isn’t exactly a fan of the serial killer presentation. But hold on. I am not saying Dex is going to do some theoretical “show-and-tell” for Prater. He’ll give him the fun of a “live action” serial killing, and that’s when he is going to kill the ___ (feel free to fill in the blanks). I guess Dex’s loud cry in the closing shot was indicative of the mayhem that’s about to be unleashed in Dexter: Resurrection.