Worst season of Dexter so far? (Massive Spoilers)

I can't help but feel that this season completely trumps Season 3 in terms of how bland it has been. Season 3, while I barely remember any of it, had the distinction of at least being enjoyable. Dexter overall has sort of fallen into the Twin Peaks-thing where the characters and performances are so good that it's never really bad. However, this season seems to be really pushing it.

So far, I only felt there were two great episodes. And tonight's certainly wasn't one of them. (The back-to-backs with Dexter's brother, the ice truck killer, were awesome.) For all the revelations bullshit, Colin Hanks' increasing insanity as the primary antagonist, what I enjoyed most was the reveal that Deb is more or less in love with Dexter. I liked the way they handled it, even though it was something they hinted at before ad nauseum in prior seasons.

The whole thing with the intern mailing Dexter the hand...I don't really see how that's going to really go anywhere given what the preview for the final episode suggested. So what, instead of making games about serial killers, the guy's going to actually kill someone? It was interesting when they showed the hand as he was having sex with Batista's sister (whose name escapes me), because I thought maybe they were going to do an Ice Truck Killer copycat sort of deal, but that's probably not where it's going to go. In fact, this seems like a wasted subplot floating in a season of filler.

While Colin Hanks gives a good performance each episode, he's not a particularly good villain, or a believable one, and I hated the twist with him being the sole killer. While it did add some "holy shit" inertia to his character, as you realized it was him who killed his sister in that manner, it hardly made the plot any more interesting. I thought that maybe they were going to have Gellar as Travis' equivalent to Dexter's father Harry constantly popping up to offer exposition, but they seemed to can that idea, too. Say what you will about last season, but I found Jordan Chase much, much more interesting.

Also, for better or for worse, we saw Dexter substantially grow in that season. Here, they started out with a new aspect to his character, that of questioning whether he's capable of faith, but that went out the window in favor of the typical serial killer -- of which Dexter killing said serial killer is of the utmost importance -- chase bullshit after father Sam died. As for Laguerta's screwing of Matthews, meh. Dexter isn't the Wire, and I don't come to it looking for the inner workings of police politics.

But in relation to the preview for the season finale: how am I supposed to feel any tension when I watch Dexter's showdown with Travis? Of course he's going to make it out alive; of course his son isn't going to die; of course there will be another season of Dexter; of course Travis is going to get killed. The only question is, how exactly is it going to happen? And what is going to happen surrounding the main climax? A good finale might slightly improve the overall season, but it's been boring most of the way through. But what do you guys think? Have you enjoyed this season? Hated it? Thought it was just OK?

I thought this season was pretty meh.

As far as I can remember, there was always been a 3rd party (and sometimes a fourth) that Dexter has had to deal with, whether it be another killer, cop, or family member, but this season it's just been DDK and him 'facing off' if you can even call it that. I feel like there's barely any tension. I'm not really questioning what's going to happen anymore as much as I'm questing when it's going to happen.

For example, I feel like in past seasons, him skipping out on work, leaving Harrison with the babysitter at random times throughout the night, and all that stuff would've raised a lot of questions. Someone somewhere would've been on his tail trying to figure out what he was hiding. This season, they quickly established that apparently no one gives a shit. This season's Dexter does some of the most suspicious shit I've seen and no one raises an eyebrow and if they do, it's resolves within minutes when it used to be a recurring, major theme in the past.

I'm in the same boat with the hand/intern bit. That whole thing in particular doesn't seem to fit in anywhere at all. I'm assuming they're going to reveal his deal is in the next episode, but as of right now anything involving this sub plot feels completely disjointed from everything else.

I like the other subplot with him and Deb, but I hope it actually goes somewhere in that they either actually get together (they're married in real life anyway so fuck it) or that it becomes a recurring problem/topic in future seasons. I feel like this is too big for them to just blow off in the next episode like I feel they might do.

I feel like I'm forgetting something else I wanted to say, but whatever. I'll watch the last episode. Hopefully it blows me away, but if not then oh well. This isn't my favorite season by any stretch, but I'd watch it again if I had to and one mediocre season (I liked last season, sue me) isn't enough to stop me from watching a show.

It's been better than last season as well as season 2. I also thought 3 was pretty good.

I easily guessed Travis was just a crazy dude way before the reveal that the Edward James Omos was a figment of his imagination during those killings... was a predictable season so far.

I've said it many times before and I'll say it now: the TV show has strayed too far from Lindsay's original vision.

Dexter is a remorseless, pitiless, soulless serial killer. He's a monster in the truest sense of the word. He doesn't view his "dark passenger" as a curse, he thinks of it as a companion. Something that can share and enjoy in his malicious deeds. The books do a thorough job of explaining Harry's code, in that it was a means to not just protect Dexter, but to set him on a path where in Harry's fucked up mind, Dexter's monstrous nature might inadvertently do some good. Dexter is not an anti-hero, he's a villain. What makes him fascinating is that he is a true sociopath, and he's okay with it. He wouldn't think twice about killing anyone, even his sister, if it meant he could protect his secret and continue his work.

The TV show followed the character fairly well until the third season, when everyone realized "hey this show is super popular" and they proceeded to dumb it the fuck down. Dexter is not a misunderstood guy who had traumatic shit happen to him. He's a killer, vicious and terrible, and he's always been that way. However the TV show thinks the audience can't handle a sociopath as the protagonist. That they need someone to 'root' for, I guess. The joy in reading the Dexter novels comes from seeing a vicious predator up close, without the threat of imminent death. Kind of like seeing a tiger in a zoo. It's fascinating to think that these creatures wouldn't bat an eye for shredding you to pieces and eating you, and it's also fascinating to think of Dexter--a human being--that wouldn't bat an eye at serving you up on his table, if it didn't mean getting caught.

So in short, Dexter's been a shitshow since the third season.

Nah, Season 5 is the worse. I really like the spotlight on Debra this season, and the other characters have been used much better. Angel/LaGuerta was boring, Quinn/Angel and the game developer guy have have been much better side stories.

Overall, it's no S1,2 or 4 but it's okay.

@Hunkulese:

ARE YOU SERIOUS? 2 WAS AWESOME! The action, Dexter nearly getting caught...him murdering that bitch in Europe, it was great!

@dudeglove:

Quinn and Batista were so good together. Breaking that on-screen relationship up was a mistake.

Nothing beats season 4.

No, because two words.

Julia Styles.

@oatz said:

Nothing beats season 4.

This. Looks like I should just consider season 4 as the end of Dexter. That shit season 5 turned me off on Dexter, I considered watching 6 but I forgot about watching the premiere and never bothered catching up. Looks like I have no reason to check in with this show anymore.

I thought this was one of the better seasons, 1, 4, and this one are the only ones I'd call "good", 2 was okay, 3 was awful and 5 was kinda boring.

@Hunkulese:

ARE YOU SERIOUS? 2 WAS AWESOME! The action, Dexter nearly getting caught...him murdering that bitch in Europe, it was great!

I appreciate how they continue to show Dexter's progress of trying to become a normal human being and how he must adjust his life in order to not interfere or disrupt his time with his son. With that being said, it doesn't really seem to have the same kind of pull that the other seasons had. Usually I couldn't wait to watch the latest episode but with this season I've been somewhat hesitant to watch with as much excitement. Edward James Olmos had a really sinister feel to his character and was one of the more interesting points in the entire season. As others were, I was disappointed when he was actually dead and revealed Colin Hanks as the killer. I'm not saying he's not a good actor but he fits the lackey role better than being the killer. The engagement storyline between Deb and Quinn has amounted to Quinn acting like shit and instead of using his suspicions of Dexter as in previous seasons, has turned him into a dumb joke of a man. It has not been the greatest season thats for sure but I can only hope that the season finale will bring some sort of ultimatum that Dexter has to face or any kind of major tribulation that would leave it at a cliff hanger like how the final scene of the fourth season was. I think there's two more seasons planned so here's to hoping that the crew step their game up and bring this show to a great season that it deserves.

@H2Oyea:

When you think about it, he was the first truly innocent person that Dexter let die. Sure, he didn't intend to kill him, but it was either that or get caught.

I used to LOVE the tension around the possibility of Dexter getting caught. But oh well. As Julian Casablancas once sang, "those days are gone."

Season 5 had a lot of good shit in it. Remember that tense episode where Dexter's chasing down the guy who almost runs right in front of Deb and the other cops? Good stuff. And Julia Stiles wasn't that bad. You complainers just complain to complain. But I will admit that no season comes close to season 4. That's just a classic run of episodes. Mostly because of the awesomeness that is John Lithgow.

This season, though. Just plain sucked. I'm pretty much done with the show.

Still think the first was the best, followed by 2 then 4. 3 just felt boring and 5 and 6 have just felt like more of the same shit. Also picking watching shows like GoT and Boardwalk Empire(which airs an hour later for me) have made the show seem less impressive. Also I found the Dexter Deb romance kind of super creepy.

@Marz said:

I easily guessed Travis was just a crazy dude way before the reveal that the Edward James Omos was a figment of his imagination during those killings...

I'm pretty sure everybody else did, too.

I haven't watched this season, and probably never will. Once I realized it was always going to follow the same formula: someone finds out about Dexter's secret, looks like he's going to get caught, then miraculously get away scot-free, I gave up on this series. I'll watch the season where he actually gets caught and is revealed, until then I'm done with the series.

Nothing can beat the awfulness of season 5, even S3 was good in comparison, if only because it was just boring, not bad per se.

I am enjoying this season, the problem is that Dexter doesn't feel really threatened by anyone since the Trinity Killer (and Quinn feeling that there's something wrong about him). Those days of Doakes and Lundy seem to be gone.

What I'm still intrigued about though is the fucking intern. I've always thought that he was so shady from the moment I saw him, and I'm sure his story is not gonna be over in this season.

This season has easily been the worst. I can't think of any other season where characters were as unlikable, confusing, sloppy, or dumb as this one (which says a lot, because most of the characters are usually incredibly stupid), with as many plotholes or uncharacteristic Dexter moments.

An earlier post had it right. Dexter has been dumbed down horribly, but it's been far more obvious this season than any other. But it's not just Dexter the character that's been the problem, the entire show has been terrible. The villains, awful. The sidestories, boring and completely predictable. The big twist of the season, most people called within the first few episodes, desperately hoping they would pull a double-fake-out, which they never have done. There's been nothing exciting or anything at stake this season.

The biggest problem has been, as mentioned, the show being insultingly predictable and safe. This show used to challenge, surprise, and shock the viewers. It has been deliberately playing it safe this season, and it's depressing as hell to see a show that used to be so great trip all over itself to appear more and more for ratings. Supposedly there's two more seasons, and I hope they stop this playing-it-safe nonsense and get back to what made Dexter great in the first place as it marches toward it's endgame. Dexter, as a character, has been completely defanged this season more than any other.

@NeoGamer said:

Nothing can beat the awfulness of season 5, even S3 was good in comparison, if only because it was just boring, not bad per se.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who thinks 5 was worse than 3.

i thought season 2 was the worst one but season 5 and 6 is missing one thing Julie Benz

i thought this season was going to be bad when they introduced religion but they did a decent job with it

That Deb subplot with her therapist, especially the dream sequence, is just silly. There were lots of other moments that bothered me this season (apparently Miami doesn't have any kind of witness protection, and the sequence where Dexter dials 911 and the show didn't acknowledge that they'd be able to track his cell phone). I still think season 5 was worse, mostly because I don't think Julia Stiles is a great actress.

I liked season 2, save for Lila, who I couldn't stand. I think I prefer 1, 3, and 4.

I kind of felt like this season was taking a horrible turn when it got heavy on all the religion and what not.   I think the thing that bothers me about dexter at this point is that i don't understand the sense of progression as a character throughout the past few seasons. 
 
Season 3 (i think ?) he felt alienated due to his hobby and inner workings and wanted some sense of belonging. So he befriended Jimmy smits and tried to let him into his world   Then season 4 he comes across trinity and envys him because Trinity is just like him but also has everyone around him fooled and manages to live a seemingly happy lifestyle with his family  Then season 5 he befriends Julia Stiles and guides/teaches her on her path of revenge while sort of being attracted to her?  

Now for the first half of this season he's on some religious kick to try to rid himself of his dark passenger and then determines he can't so he tries to help rid Travis of his and fails miserably. 
 
 It all just feels so arbitrary. I couldn't help but cringe when dexter moved the fuckin table off the trap door to presumably follow Gellar at the church. So fuckin dumb. 
 
I don't know how i feel about the whole incest thing. Thankfully it's cropping itself up at the end of the season and didn't permeate itself throughout the whole thing. 
 
On a sidenote, i have to Jennifer Carpenter has really got some acting legs underneath her on this show especially when you consider that she starred in White Chicks. It's crazy to think she's doing this show where she plays the boss and sister of her real life ex-husband only to find out she may have incestual feelings for her brother. That's gotta be some kind of crazy mindfuck lol

@oatz: Season 1

5 and 6 have been the best so far because Dexter's bitch wife is dead.

I agree with your thoughts on this season. I don't think a great finale can redeem it though, they shoud've done waaaaay more with the religious themes.

I hope Deb tries to get it on with Dexter is all I'm sayin'. AND WITH RITA'S GHOST WATCHING OVER THEM DOING IT.

Anyway, this season only just caught my full attention when Dexter realized that Gellar was some locked up/hidden imagination only Travis could see and even then I had predicted something like that would happen, but I still question how Gellar used a cell phone to keep in contact with him. Did Travis just pull off that thing Al Pacino did in that one movie? Talking with some imaginary supermodel or whatever? I wish I could further elaborate my dwindling interest in the series, but as someone who has read the first Dexter novel, I wish some things that had happened in the book would happen in the show, namely with LaGuerta and Deb possibly knowing Dexter's secret.

The Debra thing is weird... But this has been my favourite season so far, just ahead of season 5 and 3.

I guess that makes me a major oddity.

I really liked this season, but I don't really know why. I guess I've liked all seasons, though the one with the latino prosecutor was the worst.

I'm really enjoying this season. Also:

@Bruce said:

Of course he's going to make it out alive; of course his son isn't going to die; of course there will be another season of Dexter; of course Travis is going to get killed.

I'm not so sure about that. They killed his wife, remember? If he lost his son, he'd definitely become more savage than before and that might be interesting to see.

I thought the religious, apocalypse themed serial killers were pretty cool.

this season is just plain sloppy. nobody is trying anymore.

@Galiant:

What would be WAY too obvious. I'd be offended as a fan if they did that.

@Apathylad said:

That Deb subplot with her therapist, especially the dream sequence, is just silly. There were lots of other moments that bothered me this season (apparently Miami doesn't have any kind of witness protection, and the sequence where Dexter dials 911 and the show didn't acknowledge that they'd be able to track his cell phone).

I KNOW, RIGHT? One of the best parts of Dexter is how he outsmarts Miami Metro, making them seem completely incompetent in every aspect.

Like I said prior, the episodes with Dexter's brother returning were my only salvation from this episode. They could have done a ton with the religion / faith stuff, but they blew it.

Season 3 was fantastic. Prado was a fucking boss, fuck the haters.

and 6 has been pretty decent.

@Bruce: So there's no pleasing you, apparently. The way you think it's going to play out isn't doing it for you, and killing his son would be too obvious as well...

Whatever, man. Nothing they could do would please you, sounds like you're just sick of the series in general.

I think it's easy to look back in hindsight and say anything from the past was better. This season for me has been good because it's focused more on dexter rather than his family. His son is in it sure, but he can't talk of course, and plays minor roles in how the plot is unraveling. I hate La Guerta so her not being in it nearly as much is much more interesting for me. I like the partnership of Quinn/Batista. Really good chemistry. So overall, I'm happy with the quality of this season. I heard someone on a podcast complaining that the season sucks, then mentioned how the other 2 kids are never in it. It's a show about Dexter killing people. It's bad because the other 2 kids aren't in it? Really? Thinly veiled argument to say the least. Anyways, I'm happy with what I see and am happy to keep watching it. It's better than a lot of programs on tv that's for sure.

@Galiant:

That's a bit extreme, no? I really like Dexter, and as I said originally, it's not bad television. I just find this season increasingly boring and predictable.

The season overall was quite boring, but the season finale made up for all of that.

@dekkadekkadekka said:

5 and 6 have been the best so far because Dexter's bitch wife is dead.

are you shitting me???!

@Swoxx said:

The season overall was quite boring, but the season finale made up for all of that.

ha.

@DeF said:

@dekkadekkadekka said:

5 and 6 have been the best so far because Dexter's bitch wife is dead.

are you shitting me???!

In what way, sir? Because she is dead and I am happy at that fact. I hated her.

@KingWilly: Yeah I know the novels were quite fast with that stuff. Never read em though.

@dekkadekkadekka said:

@DeF said:

@dekkadekkadekka said:

5 and 6 have been the best so far because Dexter's bitch wife is dead.

are you shitting me???!

In what way, sir? Because she is dead and I am happy at that fact. I hated her.

If you didn't like her that's okay (although that means you're crazy!) but the fact that you say this makes seasons 5 and 6 the best when there is SO much wrong on a pure storytelling level as opposed to the very well executed first and second seasons!

Can't please everyone, i thought the season was really good and loved the ending.

People expect too much from a show that is based on an overrated book series, the show has been far superior to the books that everyone wanted it to copy, especially after the 2nd book.

@DeF said:

@dekkadekkadekka said:

@DeF said:

@dekkadekkadekka said:

5 and 6 have been the best so far because Dexter's bitch wife is dead.

are you shitting me???!

In what way, sir? Because she is dead and I am happy at that fact. I hated her.

If you didn't like her that's okay (although that means you're crazy!) but the fact that you say this makes seasons 5 and 6 the best when there is SO much wrong on a pure storytelling level as opposed to the very well executed first and second seasons!

If I had to rank them, it would look something..... LIKE THIS:

4 > 5 > 1 > 6 > 3 > 2

I hated Rita. No real reason, really. She just got so god damned annoying midway through season 2 and never fully recovered.

I thought it was pretty good. I don't see why everyone on the internet calls it complete shit, seems like it's just because it's not 1 and 2. I was disappointed with the "twist", but I enjoyed the season overall. Loved how it ended, "Oh god."