*Caution! Contains Spoilers*

Date of Airing - September 2010 (USA)

---Brief Overview---

Dexter is a US tv show about Dexter Morgan; a father, a brother and a Serial Killer. Since witnessing his mum being murdered when he was 3 years old he was adopted by Harry Morgan the police officer who found him after sitting in his mothers blood for 3 days. Since his childhood he has developed urges in which he needs to kill, and as his adoptive father discovered this taught him a "code" - to only kill murderers so his killings would be justified. He works for Miami Metro Homicide department by day and goes out and kills and dumps the bodies of his mutilated, victims in the sea. In the series prior to this (series 4) his department were on the hunt for the Trinity Killer (played by John Lithgow) who Dexter does not want to reveal his identity to the police as he wants to kill Trinity himself. By the end of season 4, Dexter accomplishes this, but then arrives back home to discover that Trinity had already killed his wife Rita.

--- Series 5 Plot ---

The main plot of Series 5 is focusing on Dexter overcoming his grief over the loss of his wife, and now being a single parent. It is hard for him to juggle his natural urges to want to kill with his job and being committed to being a good dad to his young song Harrison.

In each series there is always a serial killer as the predominant feature for Miami metro to investigate. In this series Dexter stumbles upon a killer called Boyd Fowler who works for the Department of Sanitation and so executes him in his home. He is found to be killing many young girls, all blonde and disposing of their bodies in barrels in a river. When Dexter tracks him down and kills him in his home, he realises a person is in the next room who has seen everything he is capable of....but she turns out to be a victim of Boyd's crimes. After of course much convincing Dexter informs the woman named Lumen (played by Julia Stiles) that he is not a monster, and means no harm to her and shows her what Boyd had done to many women before and explains why he killed him. Lumen confides in Dexter that Boyd had her locked up for days and that she was sexually abused but he was not the only perpetrator. After witnessing Dexter's execution of Boyd, she decides she wants to exact revenge on all 5 of the men who had abused her. After some too-ing and fro-ing and Dexter battling his conscience and his 'dark passenger' Dexter wants to help her, partly as a way of compensating for not being there for his wife Rita. Lumen and Dexter spend the rest of the season in pursuit of this aim.

The protagonist in this series is played by Jonny Lee Miller: a motivational speaker called Jordan Chase. It is hard to pin anything down on him, as he is the instigator for these crimes but does not actually participate in the abuse and mutilation of these girls himself (so no DNA evidence to link him to it) but he encourages 4 other guys, who it is later discovered all went to the same summer camp when they were youths. His catchphrase "Just take it" is a key theme throughout this series. Over the course of the episodes it is not smooth sailing, as Jordan is aware that Lumen is the last of the "barrel girls" who survived and knows she and Dexter are after him. Of course after many plot twists and turns Lumen and Dexter eventually kill Jordan, but Debra (Dexters adopted sister and a Detective at Miami Metro Homicide department) comes in just at the scene of the crime after her theory that a victim of these men was on the loose and she had a lover who was helping her. Debra appreciates their relationship and their loyalty and so does not arrest either of them, but never moves the curtain to see that it is actually her brother who is the villain.

As always someone is always suspicious of Dexter and this season it is Debra's partner (both at work and in the bedroom!) Quinn (played by Desmond Harrington) who hires a corrupt police cop called Liddy to investigate Dexter. He bugs Dexter's home and overhears him talking of killing someone and witnesses him and Lumen practising stabbing Jordan Chase. Liddy also collates videos of them dumping the mutilated bodies of the men they murdered in the ocean. Liddy attempts to arrest Dexter and put him in his van, but Dexter kills him in self defence but only after Liddy tells Quinn he has evidence of Dexter and his extra curricular activities. When Liddy's dead body is found, only Quinn knows what he was really up to, and who could have killed him but will he rat out the Love of his life Debra's brother? Of course not. He is blinded by love. But nevertheless he clearly knows what Dexter is capable of...


---My opinion---

I am probably biased but I absolutely LOVE Dexter. He is an emotionally stunted guy, who even though he is a serial killer the viewer can't help but feel empathy for him as he always ends up losing all those near and dear to him. His wife was murdered at the end of the last series, and after growing emotionally attached to Lumen in this series, she leaves him once their mission is complete leaving him devastated...will anyone be able to love him for who he is? Even knowing his dark passenger, he thought she was the only one who saw him for what he truly was and was accepting of it. His love for his son Harrison is clear, as at the end of the series he hopes for more for his son, not to be clouded and as burdened as Dexter feels with his urges he can't control. I have watched Dexter since season 1 and have to admit not each season is as gripping and enthralling. Season 1 was amazing but looking back, a bit basic as it was more of an introduction to Dexter's character and exploring his layers as a person and a serial killer. Season 2 was exciting, fast paced and gripping. Season 3 was absolutely terrible and I hardly watched it and Season 4 was the most challenging, jaw dropping and addictive season ever. In comparison, Season 5 was far better than the first 3, but was a bit of a letdown in comparison to the multi-faceted twists and turns that were exhibited in Season 4. Jonny Lee Miller is convincing and determined in his role as a cocky, untouchable serial killer who eventually gets his comeuppance but in comparison to John Lithgow's performance in Season 4 he is a bit bland and not as scary. Michael C Hall as Dexter is in top form as always and gives a stunning performance as a broken man, trying to love again whilst also getting over the grief of losing his wife.

Overall this is an amazing TV series and I can't wait for season 7 this fall!