Dexter Morgan is a Forensics Expert, a loyal brother, boyfriend, and friend. That's what he seems to be, but that's not what he really is. Dexter Morgan is a Serial Killer that hunts the bad.
Let's face it. They really provided us with a series ending season of Dexter in season 2. The Bay Harbor Butcher storyline was something that was frantic and manic enough that it could have been a great end-arc for the entire show. And they played that card really early. It's doubtful that we'll ever get anything as seat-squirming as that ever again. What we're left with now is...Dexter's journey into manhood. Our love of this show ultimately is due to Michael C. Hall's portrayal of Dexter Morgan. His inner monologue and vermouth-dry narrative offer a pitch perfect "take my hand" trek into the mind of a serial killer, as his heart slowly grows three sizes too large.
I, myself, always tried to stray far away from calling Dexter Morgan a "serial killer." He's a killer for sure, complete with a dark past and childhood trauma. But he's certainly not textbook. "A serial killer who kills serial killers" is a fantastic pitch that helped this show get on the air. But that's not what he is. He's not a foul embodiment of evil and malice like you would find while researching into the black and rotting psyches of actual serial killers like Albert Fish or John Wayne Gacey. Dexter's like the "SNL's Anal Retentive Chef" of killers. One quick and fatal stab is conveniently all he needs to satisfy his hunger for death. It's a sudden and remarkably clean release that's able to satiate his "dark passenger." Just the notion of taking a life is Dexter's addiction. He doesn't wear people's skin. Or cook them in a stew. He gets no sexual gratification from any of it. In fact, when we first met Dexter he was best of both worlds. A fully functioning sexual male with no interest in sex. Dexter is a show that delivers heavily on the gruesome, but due to its wonky psych 101 explanation of Dexter's motives, it's addictively accessible to most of the viewing public.
Dexter entered season 3 with a bug up his butt about Harry Morgan (James Remar) - his foster father and mentor. Dexter even doubted Harry's "code" of killing right after he wound up inadvertently making an "off the books" kill. This rebellion against Harry's teachings provided the backdrop for a season that would teach us that Dexter's need to kill and his need to avenge had become one in the same. It's something that he never expected, and it became integral to the storyline involving Dexter and his new best friend, Miami's pit-bull ADA Miguel Prado (the exceptional Jimmy Smits). Dexter had been taught to do "good," by refining his sinister urges and targeting only murderers. But now that he's been doing it for so long, his need to right wrongs and provide social balance is now almost a more powerful driving force than his "passenger." If Dexter can overlook certain morally-bankrupt notions, Dexter and Miguel can truly end up being best "bros" for life. Miguel wants to be friends, and works hard to break down Dexter's epic defensive shell. Dexter himself makes great strides when he decides that he both wants and deserves a best friend.
