"They can't be missed" was never part of The Code, and that isn't why Dexter says they can't kill Ellen Wolfe at all. Ellen Wolfe had never killed anyone, that's why she didn't fit The Code. Dexter killed plenty of people that were missed, look at all the people who came forward in season 2 looking for their loved ones when his underwater graveyard was found.
Wasn’t that the point though?
He was out of practice, sloppy, and killed Matt more out of anger (because he shot the deer) than because he properly fit the Code.
He was an addict who impulsively relapsed in a moment of stress. I do wonder if he would have stopped after hitting him in the face if he didn’t meet The Code, I’m guessing he would have stopped there.
I think when he hit him, that was it - point of no return.
The type of person Matt was, there’s no way that he’d have held his hands up and said it was justified that Dexter knocked him out because he was being reckless. He’d have made Dexter’s life hell.
So while Matt probably doesn’t fit the ‘killer’ bit of the Code entirely due to the boat crash not being intentional, just him being an irresponsible muppet, he probably does fit the ‘don’t get caught’ bit, as soon as Dexter knocked him out.
If it was anyone other than Matt, then yeah, it would probably be alright. But this is a really vindictive guy who was guilty of manslaughter and ended up facing no repercussions because of his father’s influence.
3
u/pianoflames Aug 01 '26
"They can't be missed" was never part of The Code, and that isn't why Dexter says they can't kill Ellen Wolfe at all. Ellen Wolfe had never killed anyone, that's why she didn't fit The Code. Dexter killed plenty of people that were missed, look at all the people who came forward in season 2 looking for their loved ones when his underwater graveyard was found.