Dexter: Season 4 (Showtime, 2009)

[ayaa1977]

The not yet aired first episode of the 4th season of Dexter was leaked to the internet, and to all of you skeptics out there let me tell you; it delivers big time! Meticulous and perfectionist Dexter is no more, he is tired and sleep deprived because of his new life and new baby, and he is making mistakes; grave mistakes. Now we are dealing with a serial killer who tries to have it all and we get to watch that. Mad in particular I think you would enjoy watching this episode and restore your faith in the series. At least you will enjoy the parody of Dexter’s morning routine opening title. A brilliant scene that comes a few minutes after the episode begins shows you what happens to his morning routine after he gets married, and it is really funny and sad at the same time. His exhaustion is manifested in serious mistakes that at the end of episode leaves him in a critical situation, and leaves us biting our nails waiting for the next episodes which we won’t get for a few more months when the season starts.

We also gets a fearsome serial killer, the Trinity killer, John Lithgow, Dick from Third Rock from the Sun, who waits naked for his victim in her bathroom, stun and strip her then kills her in the bath tub and leave her in a literal blood bath. I truly believe that if the season keeps up with this premise it will be an awesome season.   

[madali]

I'll wait for a few more episodes to be released, then I'll check it out.

[ayaa1977]

I'll wait for a few more episodes to be released, then I'll check it out.

Actually it turns out Dexter will premier a lot earlier this year, Sunday September 27th instead of its usual starting date in November. I am happy that I am getting my Dexter fix a whole lot sooner than I expected.

[kaytee]

John Lithgow is a terrific actor but that will not get me back to watching this series.

[ayaa1977]

John Lithgow is a terrific actor but that will not get me back to watching this series.

Kaytee, if you didn't like the show in its first two "brilliant" seasons then it is obviously not your cup of tea and nothing said or done about it can change that by the 4th season. As for myself, I am at the opposite end of this subject, I really dig this show and it is one of my absolute favorite of all time.

[madali]

Dexter: Season 4 (Showtime, 2009)
IMDB Link

It is extremely rare for a show to really bounce back the way "Dexter" has in its fourth season. The first season was brilliant, one of the best debut first seasons of a show ever made. The second season came a bit short but still good. It is the third season that almost killed the show for me. Awful and had no reason to continue watching it. The last season ended with Dexter being a father. How worse could it get?

Fucking shock. The fourth season turned out to be better than season three by a long short, surpassed season 2, and probably even better than the first season.

Dexter has grown as a character. He has a better understanding of who he is. He knows that he has his Dark Passenger with him, and he has accepted that. He also realizes that he is not an empty shell of a human being. Monster as he might be, he has accepted that he loves his family. He is trying to balance his life now, not constantly whine about who he is.

In season 4, Dexter is a strong person. He has grown as a person. And he his paths cross with the show's best villain so far, Arthur, who somehow is better than any of the other serial killers in the show so far.

After season 3, I was almost sure that the show was dead. The latest season proves that it is still one of the most brilliant shows ever made and the finale...well, the finale...makes season 5 seem like it be very exciting.

4/5

[ayaa1977]

The fourth season of Dexter started really well. It was such a good first episode that made you wonder how possibly the rest of the season would live up to it. Fans of the show weren’t so sure that the show has any beat left in it after a relatively weaker third season, which finished on a lull note and not so promising future for Dexter Morgan, everyone’s favorite serial killer, after all he was totally domesticated. Now with a nagging wife and a house full of children including a crying baby, sure life won’t be the same. Dexter is bound to balance and eventually choose either his “dark passenger” or his family.

Then comes the Trinity serial killer, a ruthless disturbed man, now in his 60’s, played to a perfection by John Lithgow, who has been killing for over 30 years in different States, and the frightening thing, no one is even aware of his existence because no one connected the dots and found his pattern. To the law enforcements in each city, those were random unrelated murders. Then came retiring Special Agent Lundy, Debra Morgan’s ex-flame from second season, who connected the dots and found the pattern, he is tracing Trinity after he started his latest cycle. Unfortunately Lundy and Debra got too close that he got murdered and she was left for dead. Now Dexter has to find the killer and rid the world from him. But then he see something in Trinity that made him want to observe and learn, he made him his project, and the consequences for this choice, let me tell you, were devastating.

The season as I mentioned started strong, then it coasted through the middle section, the part where Dexter was running his little observational experiment and it was somewhat frustrating. The final two episodes of the season gathered so much steam and played like a cat and mouse chase thriller. At the last scenes of the finale, which was a satisfying conclusion for the season and perhaps the series, we are left wondering whether there should be a fifth season. Dexter Morgan made his choice and want his family more, he can and want to change. Then comes the final reveal, a surprise move that will ensure that the fifth season not only would be good, I think it would be first and second season’s awesome. I can’t wait till next September. As for this season, I would give it 4/5.  

[madali]

I think they should have a great Season 5, and then end it. Hope they dont drag it on until it becomes stale.

[ayaa1977]

I think they should have a great Season 5, and then end it. Hope they dont drag it on until it becomes stale.

I totally agree, it better to go out with a bang than a whimper. To tell you the truth if it was not for that last scene, which was so shockingly surprising, I would have preferred that the show ends right now. But with what happened, they should have work out so hard to fuck up the 5th season, because making it the greatest season ever should not be so hard.

[madali]

I think Season 1 would had a great ending. Dexter walking and imagining everyone cheering him on was perfect.

[shariqq]

I've seen until med of Season 2. Can I go straight to Season 4?

[madali]

Yeah, probably. But I liked Season 2. The only thing probably matters, prior to the start of season 4, is this:

Rita was pregnant and the baby (Dexter's) baby is born.
Dexter's sister had a relationship with an older FBI agent and then the agent moved away.

I think thats it.

However, it would be nice to know the major themes of Season 2 and 3 to understand the current development of Dexter, so I'll spoil 2 and 3 under the spoiler tag.
[spoiler]
Season 2: Dexter was trying to get rid of his killing addiction, and he had an affair with a woman who seemed to understand his addiction. Dexter realizes that he can't quit his addiction. The woman is a bit crazy herself, kills the black detective that is always following Dexter, and in the finale, Dexter kills her. Dexter's lesson in this season: He can't be free from his killing nature. Live with it. The Dark Passenger always rides with him.

Season 3: Dexter knows that he can't quit his "Dark Passenger" but in this season he befriends a cop who he shares his secret with. Dexter finally has a partner, but the partner starts to enjoy it and stops listening to Dexter's (Harry's) rules. Dexter has to kill him.
Dexter's lesson in this season: You can't have a partner. Work alone. The Dark Passenger is his and his alone.
[/spoiler]

[shariqq]

Excellent. I'll click that button when, hopefully soon, I get down to watching Season 4.

[ayaa1977]

I think that you should finish watching season 2 Shariq. It was arguably the most thrilling season of them all. The first ran as a procedural, the killing of the day and the over arching mystery, but in the second the hunted was Dexter himself which made him the more thrilling.  I personally liked the Third, but I acknowledge it was thematically the weakest. The fourth season has an excellent start and ending, and a very good middle section, and as Mad pointed out, the very best villain ever.

The show picked up three Golden Globe nomination, deservingly so. I think John Lithgow has a good chance winning Best Supporting Actor Award in the Golden Globes and in next year's Emmys. Michael C. Hall will always be shadowed by the more glamorous Hugh Laurie from House and John Hamm from Mad Men, but he was so damn good especially in this season, and I hope one day the voters realize that.