Dexter (season 1)

Dexter season 1
DVD box
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	12
Broadcast
Original channel	Showtime
Original run	October 1, 2006 (2006-10-01) – December 17, 2006 (2006-12-17)
Season chronology
← Previous — Next → Season 2

The first season of Dexter is an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's first novel in the Dexter series, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Subsequent seasons have featured original storylines. This season aired from October 1, 2006 to December 17, 2006,^[1][2] and follows Dexter's investigation of "The Ice Truck Killer". Introduced in the first episode, "Dexter", this serial killer targets prostitutes and leaves their bodies severed and bloodless. At the same time, Dexter's foster sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), a vice squad officer, aspires to work in the homicide department, and Dexter's girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), wants their relationship to be more intimate.^[3] Christian Camargo appears as Rudy Cooper and is a recurring character until the end of the season.^[4]

The show's first season received generally favorable reviews from critics; it was praised as "bold, different and exciting, with a central character and performance that take your breath away" by the New York Daily News.^[5] The Wall Street Journal saw "the grotesqueries of Dexter" as "not something that can easily be dismissed with the old "you don't have to watch" line", and concluded that "We do have to live among the viewers who will be desensitized, or aroused, by this show".^[6] The aggregate site Metacritic scored the show's first season at 77 out of 100 based on 27 critics reviews.^[7]

The season received high ratings for Showtime; the pilot episode attracted more than a million viewers, giving the channel its highest ratings in nearly two years,^[1] while the finale "Born Free" drew an audience of 1.1 million viewers in the U.S.^[8] On average, the season was watched by two million viewers per episode during its original run when factoring in DVR viewers.^[9] Due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild strike and encouraged by the show's critical success and high ratings on Showtime, CBS, a national terrestrial broadcast network, announced in December 2007 that it was considering airing an edited version of the first season of Dexter for free-to-air broadcast.^[10] It began to broadcast it on February 17, 2008,^[11] and thus, Dexter became the first program in 20 years to air on a broadcast network after being shown on a premium cable channel.^[12] During the show's rerun on the CBS network in 2008, the ratings were much higher, reaching 8.2 million viewers during its premiere February,^[13] giving the network its best rating in the 10 p.m. timeslot since December the previous year.^[14] During its 12-week run,^[15] it dropped to 7.1 million in early April,^[16] and to 6.6 million during the season's finale on May 6.^[17]

Plot

The main antagonist in Season 1 is "The Ice Truck Killer", a serial killer of prostitutes who eludes the Miami Metro Police Department. The killer leaves items at the crime scene that have personal relevance to Dexter.

Meanwhile, Dexter is romantically involved with Rita, a single mother whose soon-to-be ex-husband, Paul Bennett, is released from prison on parole. While Bennett is good to their children, he repeatedly — but unsuccessfully — attempts to get back with Rita. After Bennett threatens him, Dexter knocks Paul out, and then sets him up to look like he violated his parole by using heroin. While back in prison, Bennett insists that Dexter set him up, but Rita ignores him.

Debra begins dating a prosthetics doctor named Rudy Cooper — who is secretly the Ice Truck Killer. After they get engaged, Cooper kidnaps Debra and lures Dexter to the house where he is keeping her. Here Dexter recognizes Cooper as Brian, his long-lost brother. Brian tells Dexter that, as children, they witnessed their mother's murder at the hands of drug dealers, who then left the two of them in a shipping crate for two days, sitting in a pool of their mother's blood. He also learns that Brian spent much of his childhood in an institution. Brian brings Dexter to a bound Debra, intent that the two of them would kill her together to cement their bond and sever the ties between Dexter and his adoptive family. Dexter hesitates for a moment, but eventually stops Brian from killing her; moments later, the police arrive and Brian escapes. After luring Brian into a trap, Dexter drugs and kills him, making it look like a suicide; everyone, including Debra, remains unaware of the exact connection between Dexter and Brian. Dexter feels some regret over killing Brian, the one person who fully understood him, in order to save Debra, who he knows would reject him if she ever learned his true nature.

Cast

Main cast

• Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
• Julie Benz as Rita Bennett
• Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan
• Erik King as James Doakes
• Lauren Vélez as María LaGuerta
• David Zayas as Angel Batista
• James Remar as Harry Morgan

Recurring cast

• C.S. Lee as Vince Masuka (11 episodes)
• Christina Robinson as Astor Bennett (11 episodes)
• Daniel Goldman as Cody Bennett (11 episodes)
• Geoff Pierson as Tom Matthews (9 episodes)
• Christian Camargo as Brian Moser (7 episodes)
• Mark Pellegrino as Paul Bennett (7 episodes)
• Margo Martindale as Camilla Figg (2 episodes)

Crew

The series pilot was developed by James Manos, Jr. based on Jeff Lindsay's novel. Manos served as an executive producer for the pilot along with John Goldwyn and Sara Colleton. The pilot was produced by Dennis Bishop. Steven Brown also served as a producer for the pilot episode. Chad Tomasoski worked as an associate producer. The pilot was directed by Michael Cuesta.

Manos, Goldwyn and Colleton returned as executive producers for the first season. Mid-season Clyde Phillips became a fourth executive producer. Daniel Cerone joined the crew as a co-executive producer and writer. Pilot director Michael Cuesta returned as a co-executive producer and regular director. Melissa Rosenberg also joined the crew as a consulting producer and writer. Timothy Schlattmann served as a story editor and writer. Lauren Gussis worked as a staff writer throughout the first season. Dennis Bishop returned to produce further episodes but left midseason and was replaced by Robert Lloyd Lewis.

Episodes

See also: List of Dexter episodes

№	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Dexter"	Michael Cuesta	James Manos, Jr.	October 1, 2006 (2006-10-01)
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is introduced as a serial killer who kills other killers who have escaped from, or haven't been found by the justice system. By day he is a blood spatter analyst who works for the Homicide Department of the Miami Metro Police. Dexter has a quasi-relationship with Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), a simiarly troubled divorcee raising two young children while her husband is in prison. One day, Dexter is called to a murder scene involving mutilated bodies, but with no blood visible. The murderer, soon to be nicknamed the "Ice Truck Killer", intrigues Dexter with this intricate methodology and a personal message in form of a mutilated doll. At the same time, Dexter's hard-nosed sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), a vice squad officer, tries to gain a transfer into the Homicide Department.
2	2	"Crocodile"	Michael Cuesta	Clyde Phillips	October 8, 2006 (2006-10-08)
Dexter assists detectives Batista (David Zayas) and Doakes (Erik King) in investigating the murder of an officer, who was working undercover investigating drug baron Carlos Guerrero (Rudolf Martin). Doakes is personally involved in the case, since he was having an affair with the officer's wife, who was also attacked. Meanwhile, Debra discovers the refrigerated truck in which the Ice Truck Killer dismembers his victims, and is promoted by her superior, Lieutenant María LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez), to the Homicide Department. Inside the truck, Debra, Batista, and Dexter find a block of ice with five fingertips in it, left deliberately by the Ice Truck Killer.
3	3	"Popping Cherry"	Michael Cuesta	Daniel Cerone	October 15, 2006 (2006-10-15)
After the discovery of another victim of the Ice Truck Killer at an ice rink, the missing guard, Tony Tucci, becomes a potential suspect. Meanwhile, Rita receives an unpleasant visit from her ex-husband's drug dealer, who confiscates her car, forcing her to take the bus to and from her job as a hotel receptionist. Dexter selects his next murder victim while having flashbacks of his first killing—a nurse who was caring for Dexter's sick father, Harry Morgan, but was administering overdoses of medication to and slowly killing her patients. Elsewhere, Sergeant Doakes continues to harass Guerrero, as a group of renegade police officers decide to take matters involving Guerrero into their own hands.
4	4	"Let's Give the Boy a Hand"	Robert Lieberman	Drew Z. Greenberg	October 22, 2006 (2006-10-22)
As the hunt for Ice Truck Killer continues, posed body parts are discovered which appear to be the calling cards of an increasingly impatient killer. The Ice Truck Killer escalates his killing spree, leaving body parts of his latest victim at sites connected to Dexter's childhood, which leads Dexter to confront his dark personal history. As Halloween approaches, Rita kidnaps a barking dog with a cynical owner, who keeps her children up at night, and gives it to a loving family. Meanwhile, Lieutenant LaGuerta seeks to comfort the mother of the latest Ice Truck Killer victim. Dexter finds the victim mutilated but alive and strapped to a table for Dexter to kill. Instead, Dexter reports the crime scene anonymously to his sister. The pressure on Sergeant Doakes escalates when Guerrero's associates begin following him.
5	5	"Love American Style"	Robert Lieberman	Melissa Rosenberg	October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29)
Rita learns that her colleague's fiancé, who was illegally immigrating from Cuba, is missing, and asks Dexter to investigate the problem using his police connections. He investigates Jorge Castillo, a salvage yard owner, and discovers that Castillo is murdering the smuggled immigrants who cannot pay for their freedom. Dexter discovers that Castillo's wife is involved in the murders, and kills both of them. Afterwards, he dumps their bodies in the ocean and frees their Cuban prisoners, not noticing a person watching him from the trunk of a car in the yard.
6	6	"Return to Sender"	Tony Goldwyn	Tim Schlattmann	November 5, 2006 (2006-11-05)
The body of one of Dexter's previous female victims has been found, despite Dexter's having thrown both of the corpses into the ocean. A young Cuban boy had witnessed the previous night's events, and Dexter dismisses his colleagues' leads that could direct them towards him. Eventually, Dexter frames the husband, whose body is still missing, with his wife's murder. The witness had described Jesus rather than Dexter. During this time, Rita dissuades her abusive husband, Paul, from attending their daughter's birthday party after he is released early from prison.
7	7	"Circle of Friends"	Steve Shill	Daniel Cerone	November 12, 2006 (2006-11-12)
Dexter must deal with Rita's menacing husband. Debra goes on a date with the prosthetics expert who made prosthetic legs for an Ice Truck Killer survivor. Debra and Angel are investigating the Ice Truck Killer and discover a familiar name with speeding violations near the scene of the Ice Truck Killer's third murder. Dexter is investigating Sergeant Doakes's knife victim; he already knows the killer's identity but needs time to locate him. The Ice Truck Killer is finally apprehended, but Dexter doubts that they have caught the correct man.
8	8	"Shrink Wrap"	Tony Goldwyn	Lauren Gussis	November 19, 2006 (2006-11-19)
An unexplained suicide of a wealthy and powerful woman leads Dexter to suspect that her psychiatrist, Dr. Emmett Meridian, may have killed her. But he gets a shock when a visit to the suspect reveals dark secrets from Dexter's past. Elsewhere, Rita becomes warmer towards her ex-husband Paul, who claims to have reformed. She wants to become more intimate with Dexter, who is afraid of physically consummating their relationship, but then he is able to have sex with her and once they have finished, he is worried that he might have scared her. Meanwhile, Debra is falling in love with her new boyfriend Rudy.
9	9	"Father Knows Best"	Adam Davidson	Melissa Rosenberg	November 26, 2006 (2006-11-26)
Dexter learns that his biological father, Joe Driscoll, who he thought had been long dead, has only recently died and has left all of his belongings to Dexter, including his house. Dexter travels to the house with Rita. Debra and Rudy arrive there later (following Rudy's advice) to assist him in cleaning out the house. Dexter suspects Joe Driscoll's death to be murder. Flashbacks to Dexter's childhood show his questioning his foster father Harry (James Remar) about his real parents, and Dexter finds that Mr. Driscoll donated some of his blood to the young Dexter for surgery. In the last scene, one of Joe's neighbors, an elderly woman, recognizes Rudy as a cable repairman, who happened to be Joe's last visitor before his death; after Dexter, Rita, Debra and Rudy had left the premises, Rudy is shown to have returned to the elderly woman's house, dressed as the cable repairman again. Meanwhile, Paul begins to slide back into his old abusive habits when Rita attempts to prevent him from seeing their children.
10	10	"Seeing Red"	Michael Cuesta	Kevin R. Maynard	December 3, 2006 (2006-12-03)
Dexter is sent to investigate a horrific blood-soaked crime scene, which he usually enjoys, but is taken aback by a long-suppressed memory of a childhood trauma instead. Rita is charged with assaulting Paul and could lose her children in a custody battle. However, when Dexter finds out, he decides to remove Paul from his and Rita's lives, but by framing him rather than killing him. Angel investigates a hunch regarding the Ice Truck Killer concerning amputee fetish; he turns to Rudy for help but ends up getting stabbed in the parking lot. Meanwhile, Rudy displays a growing interest in getting to know Dexter, particularly in the lately awoken trauma he had recently experienced.
11	11	"Truth Be Told"	Keith Gordon	Drew Z. Greenberg & Tim Schlattmann	December 10, 2006 (2006-12-10)
The Ice Truck Killer strikes again, leaving a real nightmare before Christmas at Santa's Cottage. Sergeant Doakes becomes more suspicious about Dexter after uncovering a series of Dexter's lies about his connection to the Ice Truck Killer. Dexter finally finds he is connected to the Ice Truck Killer over a past case involving Harry Morgan and a blood-bath crime scene in 1973 involving Dexter's biological mother. Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta braces herself as Captain Matthews blames her for the department's failure to find the Ice Truck Killer, and he has her replaced. Rudy and Debra spend some quality time together, and Rudy proposes marriage to the smitten detective. Rita decides to take her children, Astor and Cody, to visit Paul, who has been sent back to prison.
12	12	"Born Free"	Michael Cuesta	Daniel Cerone & Melissa Rosenberg	December 17, 2006 (2006-12-17)
Doakes and LaGuerta begin to suspect that Rudy is the Ice Truck Killer, while Dexter finds a suspicious picture of the shipping container where his mother was killed. A call from her ex-husband makes Rita suspicious of Dexter and his behavior. Dexter recalls that Rudy is in fact his biological brother, whose real name is Brian Moser. Brian intends to kill Debra with Dexter in a reunion with his true family, but Dexter stops him. As the police close in, Brian escapes and Dexter is left with Debra, appearing to have saved her. The same night, Brian breaks into Dexter's apartment and attempts to stab Debra, but Dexter captures him. After an emotionally charged conversation, Dexter slices his brother's throat and leaves him upside down to drain, staging it as a suicide, while wondering what would happen if everyone knew the truth about him.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Mitovich, Matt (2006-10-04). "Short Cuts: Dexter Slays the Ratings, and More!". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/news/Short-Cuts-Dexter-15508.aspx. Retrieved 2009-01-16. 
2. ^ Goldman, Eric (2006-12-18). "Dexter: "Born Free" Review". IGN. http://au.tv.ign.com/articles/751/751498p1.html. Retrieved 2008-09-30. 
3. ^ "Dexter—Episode Guide > Season 1, Episode 1". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/Dexter/Dexter/episode/843320/recap.html?tag=content_wrap;episode_recap. Retrieved 2009-08-08. 
4. ^ Zulkey, Claire (2007-12-16). "Dexter: Doakes is gone in a bang". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/12/dexter-doakes-i.html. Retrieved 2009-03-20. 
5. ^ Bianculli, David (2006-09-29). "Dexter is dead on target. An avenger - and a serial killer". Daily News (New York). http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2006/09/29/2006-09-29__dexter__is_dead_on_target__.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
6. ^ Dewolf, Nancy (2006-09-29). "The Good, the Ugly and the Bad". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115949032468577451.html?mod=2_1168_1. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
7. ^ "Dexter (Series: Showtime, Sunday 10:00p (60 minutes))". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/dexter. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
8. ^ "Dexter Slays Showtime Records". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. 2006-12-20. http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-dexterfinaleratings,0,126770.story. Retrieved 2009-03-20. 
9. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Gough, Paul (2007-12-19). "Dexter kills in second-season finale". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN1954618820071221. Retrieved 2009-03-20. 
10. ^ Szalai, Georg and Andreeva, Nellie (2007-12-05). "CBS eyes Dexter for edited broadcast". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN0455576020071205. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
11. ^ Smith, Lynn (2008-02-17). "The slicing and dicing of Dexter". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/17/entertainment/ca-dexter17. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
12. ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-02-20). "Dexter Gains a Wider Audience". The New York Times. http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/dexter-gains-a-wider-audience/. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
13. ^ "Weekly Primetime Ratings (Wk OF 2/11)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. 2008-02-20. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=022008_05. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
14. ^ Kissell, Rick (2008-02-18). "'Knight' rides back to success - Entertainment News, TV News, Media". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981094.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
15. ^ "Dexter: Watch Full Episodes and Video". CBS.com. 2007-10-23. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/dexter/. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
16. ^ "Fast Facts Overnight Ratings (for 4/6)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. 2008-04-07. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=040708_04. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
17. ^ "Fast Facts Overnight Ratings (for 5/4)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. 2008-05-05. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050508_04. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 

External links

• List of Dexter episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of Dexter season 1 episodes at TV.com
• Dexter at epguides.com