fuckyeahdexter

Hey, so… I wrote an article. About Dexter. And it’s been published. Do me a favor and read and reblog. Tweet it. Put it on FB. Spread it around! It would mean a lot to me :)

With the premiere of the sixth season of Dexter fast approaching, we figured it prudent to inform readers why exactly they should continue to watch Showtime’s hit series Dexter – and we’ve got some very strong reasons indeed.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

10. It’s going to be action packed

If we can infer one thing from the teaser trailer, it’s that season six very well may be the most exciting season to date. There was nonstop action, a plethora of intense cut-scenes, and, get this – that teaser was made from only the first four episodes. If the first four episodes have that much power in them, one can only imagine what’s to come in the last two thirds of the season.

9. We’ll be seeing a new type of big bad

Dexter has given television some of its best villains to date, each very different and uniquely terrifying. The sixth season will be no exception, and will introduce one of the series’ most gruesome killers yet. The executive producers say he’ll be more along the lines of the infamous zodiac killer – someone who actually believes that what he is doing is right, and that he is serving a higher purpose…. not because he is plagued by a need to kill, and doing it just because he can. It’s a refreshing, thrilling, and enticing perspective on killers – but what exactly is Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall) going to do about this guy? With someone as remorseless as our new killer, Dexter’s chase for him is vying to be one the most paralyzing and intense storylines yet.

8. The loss of boring subplots, and the addition of fresh ones

It seems the writers got the memo – time to fix the mess of boring subplots. Arguably of the least interesting aspects of season five was the ailing marriage of Angel Batista (played by David Zayas) and Maria La Guerta (played by Lauren Velez). There was just so much going on that these two were the least of our worries, and at times the subplot even became a nuisance. All they did was argue, and their conversations never exactly got them anywhere. But as we kick off season six, time has passed, and we find out that their relationship has ended in an amicable divorce. A genius move, in fact – it means no screen time for their irrelevant relationship, and more screen time for the things that matter. As if that wasn’t awesome enough, it seems that there will be some much more interesting subplots added to the formula. For example, Vince Masuka (played by C.S. Lee), who has gone five seasons as the shows biggest perv and coimc relief, has a genuine storyline this year. He will be getting a love interest, in the form of female intern Ryan Chambers (played by Brea Grant), in what is sure to be a hilariously raunchy relationship. More fresh subplots come in the form of tons of new baddies for Dexter, who, judging by the trailer, seems to kill more people in the first couple of episodes than he did all of season five.

7. “Demented Daddy Dexter”

Having a child thrown into the works in the beginning of the third season was certainly a huge surprise, and it’s been quite interesting to see how Dexter dealt with the situation, between deciding to be there for him, attempting to be a good father, and then attempting to raise the child by himself. Thus far, Harrison Morgan has been too young to say a word and too young to show a personality, but that’s about to change. This year will be even more interesting in the world of “Demented Daddy Dexter” – since a year has passed, Harrison can now talk some, shows the beginnings of a personality, and is off to preschool. It’s an entirely new dynamic for the pair. Based on last season, it’s clear how much Dexter loves his son, and the fact that his son will be more of a character than a fixture now means that we’re in for a treat. Their relationship will undoubtedly going to grow by leaps and bounds, likely growing into something incredibly beautiful.

6. The microscope on one of TV’s most dynamic brother/sister duos

At the end of the fourth season of Dexter, Dexter’s sister Deb Morgan (played by Jennifer Carpenter) discovered one of Dexter’s biggest secrets: that her ex-fiancé, the Ice Truck Killer, was Dexter’s biological brother.  Many fans were looking forward to seeing how this was going to be dealt with during the following season, but the death of Dexter’s wife Rita Morgan (played by Julie Benz) put things on hold and the issue was never addressed. In fact, Dexter and Deb did not have much communication at all. But this season, it has been confirmed that there will be a microscope on their relationship. And thank God for that – the two have one of the best sibling relationships on TV. They are all the other has got left of their family, and under the surface of their witty banter, they have a masterfully crafted, deeply intimate connection to one another (re: the parking lot scene in season four, episode five). Deb always calls Dexter on his bullshit, and Dexter helps to ground her often-erratic behavior, so in turn they balance each other perfectly. Thus, it is always a joy to watch scenes including the both of them. But as time goes on, we get closer and closer to answering the inevitable question that we’ve been facing since the beginning of the series: will Deb ever find out who Dexter truly is, and what will happen when she does? This could very well be the season it goes down, and keeping in mind the talents of Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, it is not something to miss.

5. The overall theme: What is faith?

Harrison is getting older, and Harrison is getting smarter, so Dexter’s got to start thinking long term about how he wants to raise his son. For Dexter, this raises the question of religion – or more specifically, what is faith, what does it mean? Let’s think about the journey that brought Dexter to this question: seasons one through four, Dexter was inching towards ridding himself of the ‘need’ for his dark passenger. But the end of season four showed him that you can’t have it all, and that it’s a part of who he is, never going away. Season five was about rehabilitating him, more or less, and accepting his need. So season six it seems, ventures into the “What is my purpose on this earth?” territory. Because whether you believe in God or not, we all find ourselves wondering what our purpose in life is. Hence the question of faith that Dexter is wrestling with: “What am I here for?” It is such a universally puzzling question to everyone on this planet, and I can preemptively say that Dexter’s exploration and interpretation of this subject will definitely be one worth watching.

4. The additions of the talented Edward James Olmos, Colin Hanks, and Mos

Perhaps one of the most crippling things about season five was the addition of guest star Julia Stiles. Unfortunately, she is one of those actresses that have many fans who rabidly love her, and many people who rabidly hate her. It risked (and actually did end up) alienating some fans. Basically, picking an actress that people have so many preconceived notions about for a show like this is just not a great idea. This year, however, we see the additions of Edward James Olmos, Colin Hanks, and Mos (formerly Mos Def), among others. There are countless reasons to be excited for these guest stars – Olmos’ career is decorated with nominations and awards, Colin Hanks is the unarguably talented son of industry legend Tom Hanks, and Mos, although a rapper, even has an Emmy nomination under his belt. With these choices, the show doesn’t risk alienating so many fans, and instead is simply drawing in new ones. And based on that trailer, it looks like these three are doing quite the excellent job, bringing lots of fresh stuff to the table.

3. The change in showrunner

After the completion of season four, which quickly became known as having one of television’s most shocking season finales, we received an additional shock – Clyde Phillips, showrunner for the first four seasons, stepped down, and was replaced by newcomer Chip Johannessan. Now, no offense to Chip, but he may not have been the best man for the job. Having come off of series such as 24, Moonlight, Beverly Hills,and 90210, Dexter was completely foreign territory. The result? Season five, whether you loved it or hated it, truly felt like a different show. But soon after season five it was announced that Johannessan was stepping down, to be replaced by Scott Buck – the wisest move they could have possibly made. Honestly, Buck probably should have been the man who got the job in the first place… for those of you who don’t know, Buck is no newcomer to Dexter – he has been with the show since it’s second season, and is responsible for some of the series’ best episodes. Buck also worked with Michael C. Hall previously on Six Feet Under, where he also wrote some of that series’ best episodes. Simply put, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s going to deliver.

2. “I’m feeling like my old self again.”

You heard it right – Dexter Morgan is going back to his roots. He’s come a long way in five seasons, but a year has passed since then, and he’s had time to repair himself from much of the emotional trauma that the death of Rita and loss of Lumen (played by Julia Stiles) has put on him. He will in no way be forgetting or ignoring all the personal progress he’s made regarding his humanity, but he has decided to back to what truly makes him Dexter; to start over again, after all of this heartache.  So whereas season five was unusually dark, season six will be a completely departure from this. It’s going back to the Dexter we know and love – that man who is one of television’s most deliciously sarcastic, witty, dark, paralyzing, clever, terrifying, loveable and unique characters in existence.

1. Michael C. Hall, the man himself