WARNING: For those of you who haven’t seen Seasons 1-4 of this excellent series please be aware, this review will contain MAJOR SPOILERS. If you don’t want to ruin the surprise, please see those seasons first before reading this review.
On that note, let’s dive right into Season 5 of...
Dexter has been a show I’ve been following closely since its first viewing in the UK. As a character, Dexter is one of the most interesting anti-heroes in TV culture. For one thing, he’s a serial killer – but he only kills villains, living by a strict moral code. Another, he claims to be a monster, devoid of emotions – but as the series progresses, he realises that he DOES have emotions and he CAN live amongst society if he tries hard enough – or can he?
And that’s the moral dilemma with Dexter, despite the rather cruel and wicked ways he brutally murders people, he’s played with so much vulnerability that you actually come to like him as a character. I want him to settle down and have a normal life – but as we’ve seen in previous instalments, Dexter’s dark path always comes back to bite him in the ass and stick the middle finger in his attempts at normality.
Before I get into the opening episode (which I recently caught up with on FX), let’s recap what happened. Dexter was married to Rita and they had a baby called Harrison. Dexter was struggling with family life, while at the same time keeping his dark secret to those whom he loves. The target of this series was a serial killer called the Trinity Killer – who, in my opinion, was one of the greatest TV villains ever and played amazingly by John Lithgow (who in turn won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy). To explain why I think he was so great would take far too long – just watch the series and decide for yourself.
Anyway, during the run of the series, Dexter sees the Trinity Killer (real name Arthur Mitchell) as a kind of role model as he also has a family and is a killer – but manages to keep both sides of his personality away from the people he loves. Naturally, as the series progresses, things go a bit Pete Tong and Dexter realises what a monster he is. So, come the final series, Dexter kills Trinity and he returns home to his wife Rita... only to find that she’s brutally murdered and left in a pool of her own blood!
Seriously, this is one of the most shocking moments in TV history and it still chills me to the bone. The way I describe it doesn’t do it justice – watch the series finale and you’ll realise how shocking it is!
Series 5 picks up where this left off, with Dexter now distraught over his wife’s death. After series 4 ended, I figured that Dexter would now be infuriated at his loss, thus leading him on a self-destructive path where he embraces his dark side.
Amazingly though, this is not how the show goes. Dexter is emotionally distant from everyone, a combination of inner guilt, combined with his lack of basic human emotion, makes him an empty shell of a man – unable to truly grieve for Rita. There’s even a really heartwrenching scene where he has to tell Aster and Cody (Rita’s kids) that their mother is dead and all he can say is “sorry for your loss”, which is what he picked up from when he visits the undertaker (no, not the wrestler!) and he is impressed that the undertaker can say this and show emotion, yet not really give a toss.
It’s this strange turmoil in Dexter that really is the focus of the show. The fact that he has so many conflicting feelings, but is unable to show them, is a testament to Michael C Hall’s brilliant acting ability and the skill to make such a dark character sympathetic. Soon, Dexter realises that if he stays his poison will affect everyone he loves... even his son. Therefore, he makes the choice to run away and leave his life behind. Does he stay gone for good? Without giving too much away, it wouldn’t be much of a series if the main character left in the first episode.
What’s really good about this episode is that we are intercut with scenes of when he first meets Rita on their first date, whilst at the same time hunting a new criminal. It’s quite sad to know that, even back then, his line of work conflicted with his relationship with Rita and he begins to realise how much of an impact his line of work has affected those he loves without him trying to. And for, once, Harry isn’t on hand to help him out, leaving Dexter to face his demons alone.
Overall, this was a very sombre episode, dealing with Dexter’s grief and making choices that would ultimately affect those he cares for. Unlike usual season openers, it didn’t introduce the new villain or even have any murders other than Rita, but that wasn’t what this show was about. It was a tribute to a character that was a very important figure in his life. She showed him a human side that Dexter didn’t realise he had – and paid the price for it. Now she’s gone, we are left wondering, how will this affect Dexter? Will he go on a murderous rampage, or try and maintain the last few pieces of humanity he still has?
Well, judging by trailers for the next episode, Dexter will be tested. With the FBI on his trail, having found new evidence that he was at Arthur Mitchell’s house, and Quinn now on Dexter’s case, his world could be about to unravel. Is this foreshadowing the end of Dexter?
SUMMARY
For those new to Dexter, I recommend you watch a few series first to get an idea of what’s going on (or at the very least Season 4 so that you get an idea what’s going on). This episode does really depend on you watching the previous ones so you get an idea of what’s going on. However if, like me, you have been watching Dexter from the word go, you will find this both a sad – but intriguing start to the season. It’s not about who the villain is this time, but rather where Dexter is going to go from here now that the love of his life is gone; and whether he can stop the monster inside him from poisoning anyone else in his life. I, for one, will be watching this series to see what happens very closely.
Regards
Pandragon
Regards
Pandragon
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