Over the first three seasons of Dexter our favorite serial killer, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), has had more than enough obstacles that have hindered his nighttime ‘hobby.’ From the all-out manhunt for the Ice Cream Truck Killer to Sergeant Doakes’ ridiculous obsession with solving the Bay Harbor Butcher case, it certainly hasn’t been easy for Dexter to get his kills in. But all of those deterrents pale in comparison to the new challenge in his life: being a devoted husband to wife Rita and father to new son Harrison.
A little more than a year has passed since Dexter parted ways with Miguel Prado and the Skinner and now we find him “living the dream” (as doting wife Rita happily puts it). Yup, the Morgans now live together and have the messy, suburban house complete with boisterous kids, white picket fence and cheesy, always-smiling neighbors. These basic components of life that most people find normal Dexter finds complicating. His befitting response to it all: “Who knew life could get so… un-simple. I can deal. I can deal.”
In fact, that has been the charm of the series over the years. In the pilot, Dexter was painted as a man that had to fake every single interaction and relationship, just to keep any justice seekers off the scent of his private life. And three seasons later, he’s turned into so much more than that. In fact, it’s been great to watch an unwilling Dexter care more and more about those in his life. And Season 4 will take this tens times further as Dex deals with inherent parental instincts and feelings for his son Harrison.
But of course, things will get even more interesting really quickly. Not only is Dexter struggling to juggle all of his responsibilities (the “new-parent” lack of sleep affecting the way he does his real job), but he will quickly find himself enamored with a case more intriguing than the Ice Cream Truck Killer. A homicide turns out to suggest the workings of yet another rival serial killer for Dexter to trade blows with.
The first episode is packed with surprises and updates on all of your favorite characters. There are some new and juicy relationships that will make for interesting development of the peripheral cast. And Special Agent Frank Lundy is back (but retired) and I’m sure he will be on Dexter (and Deb’s) tail in some way. Of course, Dexter does get right back to his kills, although parenthood is really affecting his approach. Easily, the best quote of the first episode is his declaration: “If I’m going to be around for my son, then I have to do this right… I’m killing for two now.”
Probably the biggest question that remains is if the show can continue to keep the edge that has made it one of the best dramas on TV the past couples of years. At Comic-Con, we asked executive producer Clyde Phillips how long do they plan to keep the show going and is there a definitive ending planned. He responded by saying that no end is near and that each nemesis that is brought into the fray allows the writers to explore a new side of Dexter’s character. I’m game for that, as long as we keep things fresh and new. Heck, I sat through six seasons of 24 as terrorists insisted on destroying Los Angeles six different times, so Dexter is far from redundant at this point.
So does Season 4 feel predictable at this point as John Lithgow is introduced as the “Trinity Killer,” Arthur Mitchell? Even more, will he be the best villain the show has seen? While it’s reasonable to assume that Mitchell will die before the curtain closes on this season, the ride to get there looks exhilarating given the seemingly strong start to the upcoming season. And as with the start of every new season, we can only wonder who will closes in on Dexter’s secret and who will have to die in order for him to protect it.
Overall, Episode 4.1 is non-stop tension and action and is the perfect 60 minutes to launch us into the next 11 episodes.
Tune in to Dexter this Sunday on Showtime.
I thought the episode was great, and had a healthy dose of humor. People have berated Dexter’s change since season 1. Character growth requires change as long as the core tenets of the show are maintained. Dexter still needs to kill. He is still at the mercy of Harry’s shadow. Dexter wants to be good. It’s all there. I think there were a few too many love trists going on at. Miami homicide thought. And that gets in the way of Dexter’s story. I’m sure all the side characters want to do more and the writers are trying to appease that want so we get slightly less Dexter per hour cramming more “others” (Lost reference not intended).
Oh, and by the way, I DID NOT NEED TO SEE LITHGOW’S EXPOSED BUTT!!! DAMN YOU SHOWTIME!!! DAMN UUUUUUUU!!!
Very interesting opener. It has a totally different vibe and pacing than previous seasons, but that’s part of what I like about each season of Dexter. As you mention, it’s a different challenge that Dexter is presented with in each season, and as he continues to evolve as a character and truly feel emotion, no matter how much he has denied it in the past, this seems like the next logical challenge. That said, it seemed like a bit of a rough start, as this is a totally different situation for Dexter and in some ways not quite as edgy as in the past. Lithgow looks promising as the seasons rival character, however, and I hope a few episodes in it will find its pace and run with it from there.