Dexter on Showtime (2006 - Present)

Dexter, the notorious horror-crime series, stars Micheal C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, police consultant, sociopath, and serial killer, as he systematically tracks and executes other serial killers.

The first season follows the case of the Ice Truck Killer while exploring Dexter's pathology and background from the murder of his mother to his adoption by Miami police officer Harry Morgan (James Remar) and his relationship with adoptive sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter).

The first season of Dexter establishes the show's unique vision of Miami as a dark, dangerous environment where killers lurk freely, casting Dexter Morgan as a dark avenger of the innocent. Tension mounts as Dexter needs to stay one step ahead of the police while tracking his prey, constantly torn between loyalty to his police officer sister, his badge, and his own bloodlust.

Everything culminates in a finale that sheds a harsh light on Dexter's family history and psychological makeup. The first season of Dexter is a must for any serious fan of psychological horror and crime stories.

Showtime’s favorite serial killer is back for a new season in Season 2 of Dexter. This season, the bodies of Dexter’s victims have been uncovered. An investigation is launched in the department where Dexter works in order to locate the killer – the “Bay Harbor Butcher” as he has been dubbed.

Sgt. Doakes is constantly watching everyone in the department, which means Dexter has not killed anyone in over a month. He also learns a few things about Harry – including the fact that Harry committed suicide from the guilt of walking in on Dexter during a kill. Because of this and his lost faith in the Code, he has images of turning himself in wandering through his mind.

Debra continues to deal with the trauma of her near-death experience with the Ice Truck Killer. She stays with Dexter, and that adds further complication to his life. Special Agent Lundy is brought in to find the “Bay Harbor Butcher” and Debra becomes romantically involved with him.

In a climactic turn of events, Sgt. Doakes confronts Dexter about his odd behavior. It is initially passed off and then he returns to the accusations at a remote cabin. Dexter turns it on him and begins framing Doakes for the bodies – including placing his slides in Doakes’ vehicle.

The season finale ends with Doakes in a cage inside the cabin, an explosion and Lila trying to flee to Paris after Dexter tries to kill her and saves children from a trap that she set earlier on after he rejected her plea for love.

Now that the case has been closed on the Bay Harbor Butcher, Dexter is free to do what he does best: kill criminals. But Season three presents further problems for Dexter as he mistakenly kills an innocent man and soon after finds out that Rita is pregnant. With a baby on the way, Dexter struggles with the thought of whether he is fit to raise a child and have a family of his own.

To make matters worse, the man that Dexter accidentally killed is actually the brother of the assistant district attorney, Miguel Prado (played by Jimmy Smits). Ignorant of this, Miguel befriends Dexter and the two begin to learn more about each other. Miguel discovers that Dexter has killed people, but accepts why he kills and begins to become his pupil.

At the same time, Dexter and Miguel's relationship develops, and they discover more about each other, the police department is busy trying to catch a serial killer known as The Skinner. And as his wedding day approaches, Dexter becomes The Skinner's next target.

Dexter season four originally aired in fall 2008, and was heralded by fans and critics as one of the best seasons of the series. John Lithgow guest starred in a tour-de-force role as the “Trinity Killer,” a middle-aged family man struggling with his own “dark passenger.”

Season four finds Dexter Morgan newly married with a newborn son, trying to reconcile his squeaky clean family life and his murderous urges. Dexter finds a kindred spirit in the “Trinity Killer,” a.k.a. Arthur Mitchell, played to spine-chilling perfection by John Lithgow.

When it is revealed to Dexter that Arthur is not only a blood thirsty serial killer, but also an amiable family man with a wife and two teen-aged children, he can’t help but be intrigued. He befriends Arthur and his family at their church using the alias Kyle Butler, seeking an answer to his ultimate question — can he have both his family and his “hobby”?

It is quickly revealed that appearances can be deceiving. Arthur is a sick tyrant who abuses his family and cannot stop his repeated pattern of murders. Dexter vows to have Arthur on his table, but soon finds out that he must pay dearly for the satisfaction.

Season Five finds Dexter Morgan in commanding possession of the title, "World's Most Sympathetic Serial Killer." The first episode opens with our titular anti-hero immobilized by grief in the immediate moments following his discovery in the bathtub of Rita's blood-soaked body. As he attempts to manage his sorrow while parenting baby Harrison, he finds temporary relief in killing again: first with a rage-filled assault on a stranger during a chance antagonistic encounter, followed by his signature, methodological discovery and the pursuit of fellow serial killer Boyd Fowler.

A surprising chance at redemption comes with the introduction of victim Lumen Pierce, whom Dexter saves from Fowler's torturous hands, only to discover the trauma she had endured was actually perpetuated by "The Group," still at large--but not for long. Dexter and Lumen connect in a mission of vengeance; however, once they have tracked down and killed all of the perpetrators, Lumen loses the will to kill, and withdraws from the relationship, leaving Dexter even more bereft.

Meanwhile, Dexter increasingly struggles to stay ahead of his sister and her partner/boyfriend, both undergoing challenging subplots of their own, as they get closer toward his murderous truth. The season concludes with a sweet birthday celebration for Harrison, and Dexter's heartbreakingly hopeful resolution that he is finally ready to move on.

Dexter Season six gets started with the crew still chasing the Doomsday Killer (DDK), but not with the same earnest as previous seasons; however, Dexter is still up to his serial-killing ways under the guidance of his “dark passenger.”

Perhaps the most intriguing plot of the season is Deb’s newfound need to explore her underlying intimate feelings for Dexter, an issue she strongly pursues once ending her fling with the unpredictable, yet street-wise, Quinn.

Inspired by a pamphlet and the religious aspects of DDK’s ritual homicides have Dexter considering his lack of religion, and he enrolls his son into a Catholic pre-school to ensure his salvation “just in case.”

As always, Dexter is miles ahead of his colleagues in discovering the identity of DDK and aims to get Travis on his table. Not one to miss his mark, Dexter achieves his goal in the Season six finale – only to have Deb walk in as he plunges the knife into his target.

This leaves us all to wonder whether Deb will overlook her “by the book” policing when it comes to her brother, the one she may be in love with. The exploration of what is sure to be a new relationship between these two is certain to propel Dexter Season seven to epic proportions.

Season seven of Dexter was a cataclysm stage-setter for TV's favorite serial killer, Dexter Morgan, providing all the factors that need to be in place for the final Season eight. The big change that occurred was Debra’s discovery of her brother’s pastime outside of work, causing a huge psychological war in her mind on how to keep Dexter’s dark side hidden while at the same time; she still has to function as a police officer. Ultimately that comes to a final shift in the season finale. In the meantime, Captain Maria LaGuerta continues to inch closer and closer to nailing Dexter as the Bay Harbor Butcher. She almost has Dexter behind bars, but over-zealousness blows the case and Dexter is freed. He then moves to shut LaGuerta up completely to stay undiscovered.

The above said, LaGuerta is not standing still. She continues to work the case against the show's main character, moving closer to an arrest. Ultimately, however, that decision is taken out of her hands by Dexter’s sister, forcing Debra to lose her perspective of personal integrity completely in the process. Debra’s world is shattered in the process, and it sets the stage for her choosing between her life and career and her brother.