DEXTER Season 4 Episodes 1-4 (review)

Dexter returns to Showtime this Sunday night, with the premiere of it's fourth season.

If, for some silly reason, you are not familiar with one of my favorite tv shows on the air, stop reading, go and buy Seasons 1-3, watch them and subscribe to Showtime by Sunday.


You will thank me.

Now, if you want spoilers, click away.




Meet Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), new husband and new father. A completely different person on the surface from the first season when every single one of his actions was an intentional construct to make people believe that he fit in among them.

Now, Dexter is married to Rita (Julie Benz) and is raising her son and rebellious teenage daughter. Together, Dexter and Rita have a newborn baby, which takes it's toll on Dexter's work as a serial killer. For the first time in his life, Dexter is spread too thin. He makes mistakes and jeopardizes the secret life that he and his late adopted father, Harry (James Remar) spent years developing.

If this wasn't enough, a new investigation brings retired serial killer expert Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) back to Miami, collecting clues regarding this season's arch nemesis, The Trinity Killer (John Lithgow). Throw in a secret romantic relationship between Angel Batista (David Zayas) and Lt. Maria Laguerta (Lauren Velez); Deborah's (Jennifer Carpenter) attraction to Lundy despite being involved with former informant Anton Briggs (David Ramsey) and Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington) stealing cash from a crime scene and providing information to an ambitious reporter (Courtney Ford) and you've got more story potential than most series deserve to have.

Both the writers and Michael C. Hall continues to develop Dexter as one of the most complex characters on television and the series certainly doesn't hurt by it's consistent strong writing and excellent performances. Dexter is unrelenting and at times, it's hard to sympathize with him as your main character.

That being said, it is addictive and engrossing to the point of obsession. I watched the four episodes in one sitting, ending at four in the morning.

The worst part?

I have that many more weeks to find out who gunned down Lundy and Deborah at the end of the fourth episode.

Don't get mad at me.

I told you there would be spoilers.