Dexter: How to Kill Friends And Influence People

What a terrific third season of Dexter! After two seasons of Dexter struggling with his past, in this season he gains acceptance and finally has an intimate relationship with someone.  What am I talking about?  Well, we begin season three with Dexter angry at his dead father and questioning why he must still follow Harry’s Code.   For the rest of the season Dexter discovers the hard way that Harry knew what was best…

We begin with a botched murder where Dexter accidentally kills the younger brother of Miami assistant district attorney, Miguel Prado. Through the investigation, Miguel befriends Dexter and the two become regular bosom buddies as they try to solve the murder.  Bent on revenge for who he thinks killed his brother, Miguel goes to kill the suspect but finds Dexter there doing the job for him.  Miguel quickly discovers that Dexter has killed other people but instead of having him arrested for murder, Miguel wants to learn from Dexter how he too can carry out his own form of justice, a speedier justice that does not bother with the trivialities (and errors) of the judicial process.

But this life is too much for Miguel and he soon escapes from Dexter’s controlling guidance so he can murder a defense attorney who’s long been a thorn in Miguel’s side.  For this action, Dexter decides he must kill his blood brother, and kill him he does.  In the end Dexter accepts that Harry was right–that no one can know his true self–and that he is consigned to keep this part of his life a perpetual secret.  At the same time, he’s better able to adjust to the normalities of life as he assumes the role of surrogate father to Rita‘s two children, Rita’s new husband, and a soon-to-be natural father of Rita’s third child.

Debra finally earns her detective badge even though she, like her father before her, is romantically involved with a police informant.   After two seasons of awkward relationships–one with a serial killer who only used her to get to Dexter and one with more of a father-figure than boyfriend material–Debra experience real affection with someone, and while this storyline was more of a distraction from the Dexter-Miguel story, it was the first season where I really enjoyed Debra as a character.

So next season we will likely get to see a kinder, gentler Dexter as he settles into married life and starts teaching his new son how to strangle small animals.  It should be fun.

Dexter will return for a new season on Showtime at some point in 2009.

Dexter, Season 3, Showtime

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Photographs courtesy of Showtime and IMDbPro.