Date Posted: 26/01/15

With the first Season being released in 2006 Dexter ran until 2013 when it ended following Season 8. I have seen every season with the exception of Season 8 because although I have the DVDs I have not yet watched it because Dexter was an amazing show and I relished every episode. When I do actually watch the final season I have to live with the fact that I will never again see a new episode. Still, it is probably time to sit down and finish watching the show plus finish my reviews.

Based on the novels Darkly Dreaming Dexter this HBO series follows the life and adventures of Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter expert for Miami Metro, who also happens to be a serial killer.

I have to be honest, I am someone who loves a great villain, if there is a great villain then I'll be rooting for them. You always know that the hero will win but sometimes I really don't want them to. Angelus from Buffy, the Green Goblin from Spiderman, and Khan from both Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and the more recent Star Trek Into Darkness. A great, charismatic, ruthless and (preferably) completely insane are a joy to watch.

Now Dexter Morgan is not your average villain, I mean he is a serial killer so cannot be considered a hero, but then he goes after certain people who meet a specific criteria, so he is not a psycho killing randomly.

However, he is not exactly a simple villain either.

If I had to label him I guess you'd describe him as an Anti-Villain, yes he does bad things, but does them for the right (?) reasons. I added the question mark because can you ever argue that killing someone is done for the right reasons??

Dexter and 24 are two of my favourite shows of all time, and Dexter did replace 24 as "the best show on television" spot in my mind.

First aired in 2006 Dexter follows the stroy of Dexter Morgan a blood spatter expert for Miami Metro Homicide who also happens to be a serial killer.

You would think that a series based on the activities of a serial killer would not want you to root for the killer, but Dexter does exactly that. I don't think I have mentioned this before but I am the guy who goes to see a film and roots for the villian, why?? Because the villian is far more interesting, he doesn't have to worry about saving the girl, or the world. A truly diabolical villian is a magnificent creation. I loved Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin, yes he was over the top, and yes he was cheesy, but you know what? He was also really entertaining. You may recall me singing the praises of Richard Roxburgh in Van Helsing because he was an entertaining villain, and in my opinion there is no greater villian you are rooting for than Dexter Morgan.

Based on the novel series Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, Dexter follows the Dexter Morgan, Miami Metro Homicide blood spatter expert, loving brother, devoted boyfriend, and serial killer. However, Dexter is a serial killer with a difference, he kills bad people, those that have escaped the law because they are clever or because they have been let off on technicalities.

Michael C Hall takes the role of Dexter Morgan. A charming, polite, well-dressed blood spatter expert who uses his expertise to help catch killers and also cover his own crimes. He works with his foul-mouthed sister Debora (Jennifer Carpenter), and is well liked by most of his colleagues. Dexter's co-workers include Dexter and Debra's commanding officer Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez), with Detective Angel Batista (David Zayas), Sgt James Doakes (Erik King), and lab tech Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee). He has a girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) and is a father-figure for her two children.

In Season 1, Dexter’s quite life is interrupted by the arrival of the Ice Truck Killer, who seems to want to shed unnecessary light of Dexter’s life. Trying to keep his two lives separate creates a lot of the shows tension as the Ice Truck Killer’s identity is slowly revealed over the 12 episode story ark. Hall obviously enjoys playing Dexter and walks the line between his normal life and his darker side perfectly. It is obvious why Dexter has managed to remain hidden because virtually everyone around him is under the impression that he is just a normal guy incapable of any violence.

James Doakes played by Erik King is the other gem of this series. He sees through Dexter’s pleasant exterior to the darkness that lurks behind his charming smile and bright eyes. During the series he realises that Dexter knows more about the Ice Truck Killer than he is letting on.

Dexter may only have 12 episodes but it builds to a nail-biting conclusion as Dexter and the Ice Truck Killer come face to face. Keeping the series run so short also keeps the tension at breaking point. Dexter grabs hold of its audience and does not let go. There are no ‘filler’ episodes where nothing much happens and it just serves to move the episode count a little further.

Dexter dares to take the audience to a very dark place. Supporting Dexter is the wrong thing to do because he is also a killer. However, by only killing the bad people in society it can make the audience wonder why there aren’t real people out there who do what Dexter does and avenge those that justice has failed.

The other characters are essentially just the background to Dexter’s ‘normal’ life. He has a girlfriend because that is what is expected, everything about his life has been carefully constructed in order for him to avoid detection. Harry (James Remar), Dexter’s deceased father appears as his mentor during the shows numerous flashbacks teaching him how to conceal his crimes. Harry also gave Dexter a Code to keep his son from killing innocent people. Each flashback gives an insight into the mind of Dexter and shows why he has the desire to kill.

It will come as no surprise that my Thumb is firmly pointing Up

9/10 - Dexter is a beautifully executed series. Dexter himself is the perfect serial killer (if there is such a thing) and as the inevitable confrontation between Dexter and the Ice Truck Killer draws ever nearer the audience will be glued to the screen.

Miami’s favourite serial killer returns in this nail-biting continuation of Dexter Morgan’s dual identity as devoted boyfriend and following his murderous desires. Miami’s favourite serial killer returns in this nail-biting continuation of Dexter Morgan’s dual identity as devoted boyfriend and following his murderous desires.

After the near perfection that was Dexter Season 1, it was going to be difficult for Season 2 to outperform its predecessor. However, it manages to do just that, and continues the adventures of Dexter Morgan, blood-spatter expert and serial killer.

Dexter (Michael C Hall) is struggling with the aftermath of the Ice Truck Killer’s actions from Season 1, and has not killed anyone for a month. His sister Debora (Jennifer Carpenter) is living with him and his girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) is convinced that he is a drug addict. To make matters worse Dexter’s underwater dumping ground for his victims has also been discovered sending veteran FBI agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) to Miami. He is a man who catches the impossible-to-catch killers and is brought in to capture the ‘Bay Harbour Butcher’.

As this season develops it becomes clear to the general public that the ‘Butcher’ only kills the bad people in society and develops a cult following. There is even an episode in which Dexter realises that a new comic strip starring the ‘Dark Defender’ has been created in his honour.

The familiar faces from the previous season return. Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez), Detective Angel Batista (David Zayas), Sgt James Doakes (Erik King), and lab tech Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee). In this season it is Doakes that threatens to steal the show as he clashes with Dexter on numerous occasions. Some of the finest moments in the show (and indeed on television) happen when Dexter and Doakes are just talking to one another. I cannot in good conscious give away the details of the interactions between the two but trust me when I say it is absolutely brilliant. James Doakes is so determined and so occupied with proving that Dexter is not the nerdy, science geek he pretends to be that at the beginning of the season he is relentlessly following him around. As the season progresses Doakes’ obsession with Dexter only grows more intense.

In addition to Lundy, two other new characters appear, Lila (Jaime Murray) as Dexter’s sponsor and Gail (JoBeth Williams) as Rita’s mother. Initially Dexter attends the Narcotics Anonymous meetings as a means of appeasing Rita and a way of explaining away his habit of disappearing at night without telling her where he has gone. However, after meeting Lila his life starts to spiral out of control as she encourages him to recognise his ‘addiction’ even though she knows that he isn’t a drug addict.

Dexter Season 1 was a fantastic piece of original television, taking the audience to the dark realm of rooting for the serial killer. Season 2 dares to go even further. Every week the noose seems to tighten around Dexter’s neck and he seems to find some way of keeping it from hanging him. Lundy is polite and even funny, but he is also very good at what he does, and as Dexter (under encouragement from Lila) becomes bolder as the ‘Butcher’ all he does is give Lundy another means of finding him.

The audience will watch believing that time might be up for Miami’s favourite serial killer and all the time they will be hoping that somehow he manages to escape.

Doakes and Dexter are the highlights, and the progression of their relationship will send the audience down the same harrowing dilemma as Dexter faces. Michael C Hall and Erik King have a great on screen chemistry and King is marvellously the intense, driven cop, determined to shine a very bright light on Dexter Morgan’s life. Now Dexter quickly realises his life would be easier of Doakes was out of the picture, but unfortunately Doakes is a cop, not a ‘bad’ person and therefore it goes against Dexter’s Code to kill him. Yet as Doakes won’t leave him alone, he is unable to fulfil his desire to kill, and as time goes on his life begins to unravel.

Can Dexter violate the principals that separate him from every other serial killer even if it means that he will escape spending the rest of his life in prison?

I absolutely loved this Season and as I watched it on tv I had to wait seven agonising days before I could watch the next episode. I honestly cannot think of a single flaw and that is saying something, so I feel that a single Thumbs Up is insufficient so I am giving it my rare 2 Thumbs Up

10/10 - Without a doubt Dexter is the best show on television. There are no ‘nothing really happens’ episodes and Season 2 raises the stakes as Dexter struggles to keep his head above water. Anyone who has a television should watch this show.

Dexter Morgan, blood-spatter expert and serial killer, may have found a kindred Spirit in assistant district attorney Miguel Prado

Well, after the nail biting tension of Season 2, you can imagine that I was approaching Season 3 with some caution, I mean after all, how could a new season possibly be better than the previous one?? I just hoped that Dexter hadn't peaked and would leave me with a show that was just a shadow of its former self - thankfully I needn't have been concerned.

All new season kicks off with a new killer in town. Dexter Season 3 shakes up the previous formula from the last two seasons. Revelations made during the previous season regarding Dexter’s father Harry have provoked Dexter into rewriting his Code to match his own desires and not those of this father. A new killer, the ‘skinner’, a person who skins his victims alive is now the focus of attention for Miami Metro’s finest.

Rita (Julie Benz), Dexter’s long term girlfriend, reveals that she is now pregnant with his child and she intends to keep the baby because she is a good mother. Dexter (the magnificent Michael C Hall) proposes and the remaining series for the two of them focuses on their plans for the wedding and Dexter preparing himself for the prospect of fatherhood as well as killing people in his spare time.

Dexter meanwhile, during one of his night time activities, accidently kills a stranger in self-defence. He is left reeling by the fact that he has just done something spontaneous, and that he may have murdered someone innocent. His problems further escalate when he meets the stranger’s brother, Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) a prominent assistant district attorney and old flame of Lt. LaGuerta. Fortunately Miguel doesn’t suspect Dexter, instead he suspects a drug dealer man nicknamed ‘Freebo’, but he seems to be fascinated by Dexter and catches him moments after he has dispatched Freebo. Miguel seems to want to be nothing more than to be Dexter’s friend, even giving him evidence that can tie him (Miguel) to Freebo’s death.

What follows is the slow introduction of Miguel Prado into Dexter’s world. The friendship seems to be developing to a mutual beneficial partnership, so much so that Dexter asks Miguel to be his best man. Unfortunately, Miguel proves to be unstable and both men square up to one another as each tries to keep ahead of the other.

In the wake of Season 2 Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez), has promoted Angel Batista (David Zayas) to sergeant, and lab tech Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) has a paper he wrote on the Bay Harbour Butcher published. They are joined by new character Det. Joseph "Joey" Quinn (Desmond Harrington) a moody officer who is under investigation by Internal Affairs agent Yuki Amado (Liza Lapira) for unknown reasons.

Now that Dexter is not confining himself to his previous Code he is able to expand his repertoire of victims. There is an especially great moment when a man approaches Astor (one of Rita’s two children from her previous marriage) in a supermarket and Dexter immediately recognises another ‘predator’. He warns the man off but after spotting him taking photos of Astor on the beach decides that whilst he is not a killer he is sufficiently bad enough to fit into his revised Code.

The Skinner is not as threatening as the Ice Truck Killer was and has no connection to, or knowledge of Dexter’s activities. Season 3 really looks into Dexter’s evolution away from the rigid structure of the Code he has held so dear for so long. He is very soon no longer going to be so free, he loves Astor and Cody (Rita’s other child) like he is their father, and will soon be Rita’s husband.

Regrettably after the break neck pace of Dexter Season 1 and Season 2, Season 3 is a little slower. Miguel is a fine addition to the characters and the audience will really want to believe (as Dexter does) that Miami’s best loved serial killer will not have to bear the burden of his duel life alone any longer.

As obvious as it sounds by following on from Season 2 this season just doesn’t have the nail-biting tension of its predecessor. Dexter being relentlessly hunted down by Lundy was brilliant and Doakes was also a joy. This time Dexter is not the focus and as a result the season, whilst still undeniably good, cannot be as good as Season 2 was.

Still it gets a Thumbs Up because it is way better than  anything else on tv

8/10 - Not as good as Season 2 but a great addition to an already excellent series...Bring on Season 4

In Dexter Season 4 the great Michael C Hall once again steps into the shoes of Dexter Morgan, serial killer, and Dexter Morgan, blood spatter expert, however, this time he is also Dexter Morgan, family man. All the faces from the previous series once again return with John Lithgow joining the cast as the twisted “Trinity Killer” with Keith Carradine reprising his role from Season 2 as FBI Agent Frank Lundy.

My love of this show is obvious, I mean I have barely had time to get off my knees after bowing before the previous seasons. The continued adventures of my favourite serial killer are still as entertaining as ever, and the supporting cast are obviously comfortable in their respective roles.

Dexter is married now, so what does Season 4 have in store??

Well, Dexter is high demand, he is married to Rita (Julie Benz) and father to not just his own son Harrison but to Rita’s children Aster and Cody. His work for Miami Metro is also demanding as the city doesn’t seem to be able to go a single day without a murder with tourists becoming a particular target. His Dark Passenger is also always along for the ride, always chipping away at him, and urging him to satisfy his desire for blood.

Dexter is juggling with the demands of his life, and his lack of sleep. Still, his job seems to be fairly routine with homicide investigating a series of killings that become known as the ‘vacation murders’. Then FBI Agent Frank Lundy returns. Fortunately his arrival has nothing to do with Dexter or the Bay Harbour Butcher (who Lundy suspected wasn’t Doakes) , it seems that Lundy is now retired but wants to solve the case of the “Trinity Killer” the only serial killer to ever elude him. This is a killer so good that officially the FBI doesn’t even ackhnowledge that he even exists.

Satisfying his dark urges and being a good husband and father consumes Dexter as he attempts to juggle everything at once. His sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter – Hall’s then real-life wife) who was settling down with boyfriend Anton (David Ramsey) is suddenly confused by the abrupt return of Lundy, a man she almost left everything behind to be with and the renewal of her feelings for him.

Joining the hunt for Trinity, Dexter becomes increasingly reckless as his home life threatens to collapse around him and his Dark Passenger causes him to make the mistake of killing an innocent man.

Dexter’s main problem is that it peaked very, very early, Season 2 had the FBI’s best serial killer hunter Frank Lundy looking for Dexter, and each week the noose seemed to tighten a little more with Dexter only just managing to wriggle through. James Doakes (Erik King) was also amazing in that season with some of the finest moments being just Dexter and Doakes in a room talking to one another, indeed Doakes was so good at his job that he almost managed to persuade Dexter to give himself up. The problem then became where the series can go after being so intense in Season 2. The answer seemed to be that Dexter begins to share his secrets with someone else, that someone else being Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) in Season 3 which as we know did not end well for Miguel. Unfortunately that story arc did not carry the same intensity as Season 2 and regrettably Season 4 doesn’t either.

The Trinity Killer has been killing for 30 years which makes him the most successful killer in history, and gives Dexter hope that he might never be captured. There are also a number of striking similarities between the pair (to go into any more detail would spoil it) which lead Dexter to postpone Trinity’s murder as he tries to learn more about the man behind the killer.

As before the background characters are pretty much left in the background however Quinn (Desmond Harrington) starts a relationship with reporter Christine Hill (Courtney Ford) and Angel Batista (David Zayas) is involved with Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez). Debra is given more focus as her seemingly good relationship with Anton is complicated by the return of Lundy.

Despite not being as intense as Season 2, Dexter can still deliver the goods and each episode is a joy to watch with Michael C Hall continuing to make his audience cheer with his inner monologues. As with all great shows just when the audience is starting to relax they are hit with something horrifying that will leave them in stunned silence and waiting in anticipation for Season 5.

The show continues to delight and remains fresh and original, so of course it gets a Thumbs Up

8/10 - The Best Show on television – Pure and Simple.

America’s (and mine) best loved serial killer is back, and Season 5 picks up right where Season 4 left off and focuses on Dexter’s different lives as father, co-worker, and of course serial killer. This time around he is joined by another who also carries the burden of a ‘Dark Passenger’ and is out for blood.

He’s back and this time his ‘Dark Passenger’ has found a friend…by the way there is a MAJOR spoiler at the beginning of this review so if you don’t want to know what it is watch Season 4 before you read this…ok, moving right along…

Picking up immediately after the end of the previous season in which Dexter found Rita murdered in the bathtub by Trinity, everything is about to change for everyone’s favourite serial killer. He is now a single father to Harrison and must contend with the shock of not only loosing Rita but how to break the news of her death to her children. After telling them Dexter considers abandoning his former life and starting afresh somewhere new but realises that he cannot just run away.

Astor and Cody (Rita’s children) go to live with Rita’s parents leaving Harrison at home with Dexter. Struggling to cope with being a single parent Dexter hires a nanny not only to watch the baby but also to give him a chance to pursue his ‘other’ interest. Setting his sights on a man named Boyd Fowler (Shawn Hatosy) Dexter goes through his usual stalk, and kill routine, only to realise that someone has witnessed his kill.

The witness is a woman named Lumen (Julia Stiles), who Dexter learns was the victim of a series of violent assaults by Boyd and a number of others. She, like Dexter, wants nothing more than to find those men who assaulted her, and murdered a number of others, so she can kill them.

Trying to make up for his inability to save Rita, Dexter takes Lumen under his wing and the two begin to track down the others who hurt her.

A friend of mine and I used to watch Dexter religiously, now I had seen the Season 5 season finale before he did. I told him there was a major shock at the end but I refused to tell him what it was, then a few days later I got a text that read: “Rita!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” To which I replied: “I know!!” It was not an indepth conversation I grant you but it pretty much summed up how sorry I was to see her leave the show, and it is truly a shame that Julie Benz has gone. I guess I can understand it because without Rita, Dexter now has to focus on his son alone, and what he will do now that Rita has been so brutally taken from him. To make matters worse, he cannot take revenge on Trinity because he has already killed him and when he did, he was unaware that Rita had already met her end by his hand.

So obviously, apart from Julie Benz the familiar faces the audience has come to know and love all assemble for Season 5 with the main cast being joined by a host of guest stars that include Peter Weller and Jonny Lee Miller. Julie Benz appears in a flashback in the first episode which reveals how she and Dexter first met but apart from that she does not feature in the series again. As usual Dexter is the main focus of the series however the surrounding characters do a fair amount of screen time this time around. Dexter’s sister Debora (Jennifer Carpenter) starts a sex-based relationship with fellow officer Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington), who harbours suspicions regarding Dexter’s involvement with Rita’s death and why Trinity chose to go after her in the first place. Angel Batista (David Zayas) and Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) are also struggling to find a balance between their professional lives and their new lives being married to one another.

Whilst there are other things happening in the lives of those around him the focus is still on Dexter and what happens following the end of his ‘normal’ life. Lumen is also now carrying a ‘Dark Passenger’ and in her it seems as though Dexter has finally found a kindred spirit, someone who can see the real him, and someone that he doesn’t have any secrets from. Unfortunately, the audience may find themselves having the same dilemma that they had during Season 2 when Doakes discovered who Dexter really was, will Lumen share the same fate as everyone else who discovered Dexter’s secret or will she be taken from Dexter in as brutal a manner as Rita?

Also it does seem that the writers were trying to create another Doakes in Quinn but it is obvious that Quinn lacks the intensity or the intelligence of James Doakes so it is clear that he is never going to convince anyone that Dexter was involved in Rita’s murder. Indeed Dexter finds evidence that could tie Quinn to a murder scene so far from being only just one step ahead (and then one step behind Doakes in the phenomenal Season 2), Dexter could easily paint circles of blood around Quinn and he would still be unlikely to catch him.

Whilst Dexter was at its best for Season 2 (I may have mentioned that once or twice before) all other seasons have remained must-watch television and now that 24 has finished remains the only thing on television that the audience should go out of their way to see. Dexter Season 5 adds a greater dimension to an already excellent series and as always will leave the audience eagerly awaiting Season 6.

Do I even need to say which direction my Thumb is pointing?? – Up, obviously.

8/10 - Excellent slice of TV drama and without a doubt the best thing on television

First aired in 2011 Season 6 sees a few changes happening in Dexter Morgan’s comfortable world of serial killing. The world’s best loved serial killer this time clashes with the Doomsday Killers, who use apocalyptic symbolism to hopefully…well…bring about an actual apocalypse.

As you know Dexter is my favourite series of all time and continues to be great in this, its Sixth Season. As usual there is a new murderer in town, and it is up to Dexter Morgan, devoted father, blood splatter expert and serial killer to bring him to justice. Things are a little more complicated than that naturally but first let me give you the lowdown on what Dexter has been up to…

Following on from the events of the previous season María LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) is promoted to Captain after blackmailing Deputy Chief Matthews (Geoff Pierson), whose name was on a prostitute's ledger. Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) is teaching a group of forensic science students, he hires an intern named Louis Greene (Josh Cooke), video game designer and computer programmer. In his final act as Captain Matthews promotes Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) to the department’s lieutenant.

The Doomsday Killers arrives in town named Professor James Gellar (Edward James Olmos) and his student Travis Marshall (Colin Hanks), who seek to bring about the end of the world through killings based on the Book of Revelation. They leave signs of the Apocalypse including the Alpha and Omega or the Four Horsemen as a cryptic tableau at each crime scene.

Dexter starts to see something of a kindred spirit in Travis because he is seemingly being forced into committing the killings by Gellar, and Dexter believes that if he can separate the two then Travis might yet be saved. Not surprisingly things go awry when it turns out that Dexter and Travis have more in common than Dexter had previously thought.

The formula for this series has been shaken up a bit and as Debra is promoted to lieutenant there is naturally a lot of conflict from other members of the team. Angel Batista (David Zayas) and LaGuerta have divorced by are trying to still remain friends, after Batista is passed over from promotion he starts to think that he failed relationship may have been the reason. Debra’s relationship with Quinn also ends after he proposes, she declines and they split up leaving him to enter into a downward spiral of drinking, being drunk and one-night stands. He also believes that her promotion was the reason that they split as she couldn’t be lieutenant and involved with one of the detectives in her department.

Dexter does manage to keep himself out of the department’s line of sight as they and he hunt down the Doomsday Killer. He also befriends a reformed murderer named Brother Sam (Mos Def) and through him starts to think that perhaps anyone can be redeemed if they truly want to be.

The series continues various themes like Dexter’s belief that perhaps he can be redeemed and maybe his Dark Passenger will one day leave him, as he gets closer to Sam, he starts to develop a genuine friendship with a man who recognises that Dexter also has done things he wants to redeem himself for. One of the highlights of the season is when Dexter loses control following the murder of Brother Sam at the hands of one of the former criminals he was trying to help. Sam tells Dexter to forgive but when Sam’s killer mocks Sam, Dexter snaps and goes on something of a rampage after a murder across the country is attributed to the Trinity Killer with his father Harry being replaced by his serial killer brother Brian (Christian Camargo) who encourages him to embrace his killing nature by killing who he wants and when he wants. It is great to see Dexter being encouraged to do dark things by his twisted brother but eventually he comes to realise that Harry is the person he needs by his side.

Colin Hanks does well as the man consumed by guilt over the acts that Geller is forcing him to do in the name of bringing about the end of the world. The twist here is pretty impressive and will take you by surprise, it pushes Dexter and the Doomsday Killer into a confrontation that ends with one of the greatest cliff hangers ever…

As Dexter is in danger of drowning in my drool I am going to leave this review here but suffice it to say Season 6 gets a Thumbs Up.

7/10 – Even after six seasons Dexter is still not letting go of the grip it has on its audience, and leaves the audience with the best series cliff hanger seen since Star Trek The Next Generation’s episode The Best of Both Worlds

Picking up immediately after Season 6 ended with Dexter Morgan facing the greatest challenge of his life thus far when those closest to him learn of his true identity as a serial killer and LaGuerta finds evidence which confirms that James Doakes was not the Bay Harbour Butcher which means that the Butcher is still at large.

The key cast all reprise their roles so if you don’t know who they are then go back and check out my previous reviews, so I am not going to mention the actors by their real names anymore, I’ll just refer to the characters they play.

This is one of the best seasons to date but before I start singing its praises let me bring you up to date on what is happening…

Debra walks into the church to find Dexter plunging his knife into Travis’ heart at the end of Season 6 (spoiler alert), picking up straight away Debra struggles to understand why her brother murdered Travis. She tries to rationalise it and as Travis threatened Dexter’s son she seems to accept that Dexter killed Travis to protect Harrison. Thinking quickly Dexter convinces her to help him torch the church and cover up the truth about how Travis died, unfortunately Dexter’s blood slide keep sake of his victims slips off the table in the ensuing confusion only to be found by LaGuerta in the burnt remains of the church.

Initially Debra believes that the killing was a onetime thing but then suspicion leas her to search  Dexter’s apartment where she finds the rest of his slides, and the tools of his deadly side and asks him the one question that will change everything: “Are you a serial killer?”

Dexter answers the question and the rest of the season follows Debra’s attempts to come to terms with the fact that her believed brother is not the man she thought she was made more complicated by her feelings for him. Dexter tries to convince her that he is what he is and Harry knew all about it, and helped him hone his skills. Dexter also starts a relationship with a woman who has also committed murder but managed to escape justice, he finds in her a kindred spirit and it seems that finally my favourite serial killer may have found someone with whom he can live happily ever after.

Debra’s attempts to help are hindered by LaGuerta who is convinced that James Doakes was not the Bay Harbour Butcher and her suspicions start to point to Dexter. She learns how his mother died and when she realises that two of the people who were responsible for killing her were amongst the Butcher’s victims she decides to see what happens if she uses her authority to get the third man released from jail.

I think this has to be the best season since Season 2 because like that season this one has Dexter’s duel lives colliding in a way that means nothing is ever going to be the same again, up to this point he has managed to keep the two apart but after Debra learns the truth she tries to help him without understanding how strong Dexter’s Dark Passenger’s desire to kill really is.

There is the usual subplot to the series and this time it revolves around Batista, one of my favourite characters, leaving the police to open his own restaurant. I don’t think I have given enough credit to Batista over the course of these reviews because he is a truly nice guy, he is not corrupt, he is loyal to his friends, and is incredibly unlucky in love. As Dexter himself says in one series “You [Batista] are the one person I wish I was most like” and it is nice to see this character getting away from the smothering nature of his job and seeking a new life away from Miami Metro, I really hope that he is in the final season because the show will suffer without him if he is not. 

Quinn is also on hand but I don’t really find him especially interesting as he is just a bit of an asshole really, and Masuka’s intern Louis Green seems to not only know about Dexter’s dark side but seems determined to mess with his life…er…not a great plan their Louis if you want to…you know…live

This season is very much a four person show with Dexter (obviously) and his relationship with Debra and fellow killer Hannah McKay taking centre stage whilst LaGuerta is hot on Dexter’s tail and is determined to prove that Doakes was innocent and the Bay Harbour Butcher is none other than Dexter Morgan.

Ray Stevenson takes the role of Isaac Sirko the main antagonist for this series who is the head of a Ukrainian Crime Syndicate that has come to the United States to find the murderer of a close friend of his, this leads him into conflict with Dexter as naturally Dexter was the one who killed the man that Sirko knew. The moments when these two come face to face are especially interesting with each recognising that if the circumstances of their meeting has been different then the two might have been friends.

The ending is yet another excellent cliff hanger that makes me want to crack straight on with Season 7 but as I know that Season 8 is the last I must confess that I am reluctant to sit down and watch it. The main reason is when I have watched it there will never again be another episode of Dexter that I haven’t already seen and as this is my favourite TV series of all time I am not looking forward to never being able to sit down and watch a new episode of this sensational series every again.

As far as this season is concerned it is still truly excellent, worthy of another Thumbs Up, and still as good now as it was when it was first aired.

9/10 – Yet another great instalment of the truly amazing series, that leads me wanting to see the final season but also leaves me with the knowledge that once I have seen it, I will never experience the joy of watching this series for the first time ever again.