List of Dexter episodes

Dexter is an American television series broadcast on the premium cable channel Showtime in the United States. The series is based on characters created by Jeff Lindsay for his "Dexter" series of novels. It was first broadcast on October 1, 2006. The series follows the life of protagonist Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a Miami Metro Police Department blood pattern analyst with a double life. While investigating murders in the homicide division, Dexter hunts and kills murderers and criminals who have escaped the justice system. Although the first season is based on the events of Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the series' second and third seasons do not follow the novels in the series. Show's writer Daniel Cerone said that the writers "didn't see the opportunity in the second book", Lindsay's second Dexter novel Dearly Devoted Dexter, to adapt it, and departed from its narrative.

The series has received generally favorable reviews from critics throughout its run. The pilot episode, which aired on October 1, 2006, attracted more than a million viewers, giving Showtime its highest series ratings in nearly two years. Encouraged by its critical success and high ratings, CBS began broadcasting Dexter for free-to-air on February 17, 2008, thus making Dexter the first program in two decades to air on a national broadcast network after being shown on a premium cable channel. Three seasons comprising twelve episodes have been broadcast in the United States, and the fourth and fifth seasons have been confirmed for broadcast. The first three seasons have been released on DVD and on Blu-ray, in regions 1, 2 and 3, respectively in region A (except for the third season in region 2). Box sets containing all the three seasons were released on August 18, 2009, on both DVD and Blu-ray.

The show has been nominated for a variety of awards, winning 16—including two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Satellite Awards, two Saturn Awards, and one TCA Awards—and was twice selected by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best television programs of the year: in 2006 and 2007. Other nominations include Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, PGA Awards, WGA Awards, and Peabody Awards. As of March 2009, Dexter has been nominated for over 50 awards, 14 of which being received by Michael C. Hall for his portrayal of the title character.

Overview

Seasons		Episodes	Originally aired in the US		Viewers per episode (millions)	DVD release			Blu-ray release
			Season premiere	Season finale		Region 1	Region 2	Region 3	Region A
	Season 1	12	October 1, 2006	December 17, 2006	2.0	August 21, 2007	May 19, 2008	February 14, 2008	January 6, 2009
	Season 2	12	September 30, 2007	December 16, 2007	2.4	August 18, 2008	March 30, 2009	August 21, 2008	May 5, 2009
	Season 3	12	September 28, 2008	December 14, 2008	1.4	August 18, 2009	TBA	August 20, 2009	August 18, 2009
	Season 4	12	September 27, 2009	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
	Season 5	12	2010	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

Season 1: 2006

The first season of Dexter was 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, 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. Christian Camargo appears as Dr. Rudy Cooper and is a recurring character until the end of the season.

The show's first season received generally favorable reviews from critics, being praised as "bold, different and exciting, with a central character and performance that take your breath away" by the New York Daily News. Although The Wall Street Journal sees "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", the aggregate site Metacritic scored the show's first season at 77 out of 100 based on 27 critics reviews.

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, while the finale "Born Free" drew an audience of 1.1 million viewers in the US. On average, the season was watched by two million viewers per episode during its original run. 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. It began to broadcast it on February 17, 2008, and thus, Dexter became the first program in 20 years to air on a broadcast network after being shown on a premium cable channel. 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, giving the network its best rating in the 10 o'clock timeslot since December the previous year. During its 12 weeks run, dropped to 7.1 million in early April, and to 6.6 million during the season's finale on May 6.

Episode #	Series #	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original airdate
101	1	"Dexter"	James Manos, Jr.	Michael Cuesta	October 1, 2006 (2006-10-01)
Dexter Morgan is introduced as a serial killer who kills escapees from the justice system. By day he is a blood spatter analyst who works for the Homicide Department of the Miami Metro Police. He is called to murder scenes involving mutilated bodies, but with no blood visible. The murderer, 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 sister Debra, a vice squad officer, tries to gain a transfer into the Homicide Department.
102	2	"Crocodile"	Clyde Phillips	Michael Cuesta	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 Maria 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.
103	3	"Popping Cherry"	Daniel Cerone	Michael Cuesta	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. 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, but was administering overdoses of medication to and slowly killing her patients. Elsewhere, Sergeant Doakes continues to harass Guerrero, as a group of corrupt police officers decide to take matters involving Guerrero into their own hands.
104	4	"Let's Give the Boy a Hand"	Drew Z. Greenberg	Robert Lieberman	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. Lieutenant LaGuerta seeks to comfort the mother of the latest Ice Truck Killer victim. The pressure on Sergeant Doakes escalates when Guerrero's associates begin following him.
105	5	"Love American Style"	Melissa Rosenberg	Robert Lieberman	October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29)
Dexter finds the Ice Truck Killer's latest victim mutilated but alive and strapped to a table for Dexter to kill. Instead, Dexter reports the crime scene, and finds a partial fingerprint of the Ice Truck Killer. 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.
106	6	"Return to Sender"	Timothy Schlattman	Tony Goldwyn	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, pretending that the witness has described as 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.
107	7	"Circle of Friends"	Daniel Cerone	Steve Shill	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.
108	8	"Shrink Wrap"	Lauren Gussis	Tony Goldwyn	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. At the same time, Debra is falling in love with her new boyfriend, revealed to be the real Ice Truck Killer.
109	9	"Father Knows Best"	Melissa Rosenberg	Adam Davidson	November 26, 2006 (2006-11-26)
Dexter learns that his biological father, Joe Driscoll, whom he though had died thirty years before, has actually died recently and had left all of his belongings to Dexter, including his house. Dexter travels to the house with Rita, while Debra and Rudy arrive at the house to assist him. Dexter gets on well with Rudy, but suspects there is something strange about Joe Driscoll's death, and about the identity of Dexter's biological mother. Rudy is insistent on attending the weekend trip, and one of Joe's neighbors thinks that Rudy looks familiar. 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. Meanwhile, Paul begins to slide back into his old abusive habits when he suspects Rita is preventing him from having unsupervised visits to their children.
110	10	"Seeing Red"	Kevin Maynard	Michael Cuesta	December 3, 2006 (2006-12-03)
Dexter is sent to investigate a horrific blood-soaked crime scene, which he usually enjoys, but he is gripped by a long-suppressed memory of a childhood trauma. 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 only temporarily. During a briefing at the station, it is suggested that Doakes had read Dexter's mind: Dexter had an internal monologue, which Doakes responded to. Angel investigates a hunch regarding the Ice Truck Killer, which leads him to suspect Rudy.
111	11	"Truth Be Told"	Timothy Schlattmann and Drew Z. Greenberg	Keith Gordon	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.
112	12	"Born Free"	Daniel Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg	Michael Cuesta	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 finds Rudy at Dexter's childhood home and finds that Rudy, the alleged Ice Truck Killer, is in fact Dexter's biological brother, Brian Moser, who grew up in a mental institution. Brian intends to have Dexter kill Debra as 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.

Season 2: 2007

The second season of Dexter premiered on September 30, 2007, and ended on December 16, 2007. "It's Alive", the season premiere, attracted 1.09 million viewers in the United States, making Dexter the first Showtime series to attract more than a million viewers with a season premiere. The season finale, "The British Invasion", attracted 1.4 million viewers, making it the program's most-watched episode until the airing of the season three finale, "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?". Including digital video recorder (DVR) usage, season two was watched by an average of 2.4 million viewers a week, outperforming season one by 21%. The season received an universal acclaim from critics, and was praised as "one of the best shows on TV this decade" by the Chicago Sun-Times, while Variety considers Hall's portrayal of the title character as a "towering achievement, one that eclipses the show's other shortcomings and rough patches"; the aggregate site Metacritic scored the season at 85 out of 100 based on 11 reviews.

In the season, the bodies of Dexter's victims are uncovered and an investigation is launched in Dexter's own department to find the killer, dubbed the "Bay Harbor Butcher". During this time, Debra struggles to recover after surviving Ice Truck Killer's attempts to murder her, and Rita sends Dexter to Narcotics Anonymous meetings when she suspects that he has an addiction. Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), follows Dexter, suspecting that he is connected with the "Ice Truck Killer" killings. Two new characters are introduced: Keith Carradine appears as Special Agent Frank Lundy, an FBI agent who heads the "Bay Harbor Butcher" investigation, and Jaime Murray guest-stars as Lila Tournay, Dexter's psychotically unbalanced Narcotics Anonymous sponsor.

Episode #	Series #	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original airdate
201	13	"It's Alive!"	Daniel Cerone	Tony Goldwyn	September 30, 2007 (2007-09-30)
A suspicious Doakes follows Dexter at all times, which makes it impossible for Dexter to kill. Thirty-eight days after his last kill, Dexter gains an opportunity, but finds himself unable to murder gang leader Little Chino (Matthew Willig). An emotionally unstable Debra returns to work in the Homicide Department. She tries to resume a normal lifestyle, but finds herself under scrutiny from the public. Paul tries to convince Rita that he was framed by Dexter, but she refuses to believe him in spite of the evidence presented to her. Scuba divers discover the bodies of 30 of Dexter's mutilated victims on the ocean floor.
202	14	"Waiting to Exhale"	Clyde Phillips	Marcos Siega	October 7, 2007 (2007-10-07)
The Miami Metro Police Department, led by FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy, begins the hunt for the "Bay Harbor Butcher". Both Dexter and the police are hunting for Little Chino, and Dexter is determined to kill him properly given a second chance. Debra and Dexter struggle to overcome memories of the encounter with Brian that led to his death. After Paul's funeral, Rita confronts Dexter about his involvement in Paul's death, and he admits to having an addiction, which Rita infers to be to drugs. LaGuerta's and her new boss, Lieutenant Esmee Pascal (Judith Scott) are not getting along very well.
203	15	"An Inconvenient Lie"	Melissa Rosenberg	Tony Goldwyn	October 14, 2007 (2007-10-14)
Rita threatens to leave Dexter if he does not commit to a program to deal with his drug addiction. He starts attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings, while still trying to evade Doakes' constant surveillance. At the meeting, Dexter meets a mysterious and flirtatious woman named Lila (Jaime Murray), who volunteers to be his sponsor. Later, he hunts down a new victim, Roger Hicks (Don McManus), a used-car salesman who murders beautiful brunettes. Lundy invites Debra to join the new task force investigating the Bay Harbor Butcher, and soon discovers a pattern to the murders.
204	16	"See-Through"	Scott Buck	Nick Gomez	October 21, 2007 (2007-10-21)
Dexter begins to question Lila's suitability as his sponsor, and Rita encourages him to find a male one. Rita's visiting mother, Gail (JoBeth Williams), becomes sure that Dexter is hiding something from the family. Cody starts having nightmares about the Bay Harbor Butcher. When Vince announces that he has found a way to identify the marina where the Bay Harbor Butcher moors his boat, Dexter attempts to destroy some of the evidence. Debra starts dating Gabriel (Dave Baez), whom she met at the gym, and LaGuerta returns to her job as lieutenant.
205	17	"The Dark Defender"	Timothy Schlattman	Keith Gordon	October 28, 2007 (2007-10-28)
Dexter discovers that one of the men who murdered his mother in front of him as a boy is still alive. He dreams that a comic-book hero based on the Bay Harbor Butcher saves his mother, and is encouraged by Lila to seek closure by confronting his mother's killer, Santos Jimenez (Tony Amendola). Doakes and LaGuerta investigate a homicide in a comic-book store, and reminisce about their days as partners. Rita's mother warns Dexter to leave Rita and her children alone. Debra begins to lose faith in her relationship with Gabriel, suspecting that he is taking advantage of her.
206	18	"Dex, Lies, and Videotape"	Lauren Gussis	Nick Gomez	November 4, 2007 (2007-11-04)
After learning that he was filmed while cleaning his boat at the marina, Dexter becomes desperate and tries to destroy the videotape, which he eventually manages to do before it is viewed by his colleagues. A mock killer mimics and claims to be inspired by the Bay Harbor Butcher, and unless the police finds him, the FBI may take over the case completely. After learning about his mother's secret relationship with his foster father, Dexter questions Harry's motives about his own adoption. At Rita's mother suggestion, Dexter brings Lila to dinner, and when Rita finds out that Lila accompanied Dexter on his road trip, Rita breaks up with him. Dexter and Lila leave together and have sex later.
207	19	"That Night, a Forest Grew"	Daniel Cerone	Jeremy Podeswa	November 11, 2007 (2007-11-11)
A written manifesto sent by the Bay Harbor Butcher to a local newspaper sends Lundy's special task force into chaos. Doakes almost discovers the truth about Dexter's past, which forces Dexter to devise a plan to get him suspended from the police force. During a romantic dinner with Dexter, Lila learns that Dexter plans to attend one of Cody's school events where he will see Rita, and becomes jealous. Rita stands up to her mother and compels her to move out of the house. Debra breaks up with Gabriel and decides to pursue a relationship with Lundy, not knowing if her feelings are reciprocated.
208	20	"Morning Comes"	Scott Buck	Keith Gordon	November 18, 2007 (2007-11-18)
A desperate Lila sets her loft on fire in an effort to sustain her relationship with Dexter, but Dexter realizes that Lila is lying when she claims it was an accident. Jimenez visits Dexter and the suspicious Doakes breaks into Dexter's apartment and finds the hidden collection of blood slides. Lundy re-examines all of the department's old cases when he suspects that the Bay Harbor Butcher has a history in law enforcement. Rita tells Dexter that he is no longer welcome to visit her house or her children.
209	21	"Resistance Is Futile"	Melissa Rosenberg	Marcos Siega	November 25, 2007 (2007-11-25)
Under constant surveillance by federal agents, Dexter is unable to dispose of his latest victim's remains. He apologizes to Rita, admitting that his affair with Lila was a mistake, but she is still hesitant to forgive him, as Lila retaliates by pursuing Angel. After finding Dexter's collection of blood slides, Doakes seeks the advice of an old friend in Haiti to analyze them. The department begins to suspect Doakes' involvement in the Bay Harbor Butcher case, but cannot find him for questions. Debra and Lundy spend the night together and contemplate making their relationship public.
210	22	"There's Something About Harry"	Scott Reynolds	Steve Shill	December 2, 2007 (2007-12-02)
After their latest confrontation, Dexter imprisons Doakes in a cabin hidden in the Florida Everglades, but is unsure of what to do next. Doakes reveals information that leads Dexter to a surprising discovery about his foster father's death. The FBI continues the search for Doakes, while LaGuerta tries to prove his innocence. As the investigation comes to a close, Debra realizes that Lundy will leave Miami at the end of the investigation. She confronts him about the future of their relationship. Rita and Dexter reconcile and visit the beach together, while Lila plans to frame Angel for raping her.
211	23	"Left Turn Ahead"	Timothy Schlattman and Scott Buck	Marcos Siega	December 9, 2007 (2007-12-09)
Dexter contemplates admitting to the Bay Harbor Butcher killings. Doakes escapes from his cell but runs afoul of two drug smugglers. The FBI is displeased with the lack of progress in the Bay Harbor Butcher case and assigns a deputy director to take over Lundy's role in the investigation. Angel is arrested for the sexual assault of Lila, who offers to drop the charges if Dexter will resume their relationship. Debra investigates Lila's past and discovers that she is an illegal immigrant. Meanwhile, using Dexter's satellite navigation system, Lila discovers the cabin in the swamp, where Doakes is being held.
212	24	"The British Invasion"	Daniel Cerone (teleplay); Daniel Cerone and Melissa Rosenberg (story)	Steve Shill	December 16, 2007 (2007-12-16)
Lila finds Doakes imprisoned in the cabin, and realizes that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She ignores his pleas for help, and kills Doakes by setting the cabin on fire. Doakes is found dead, and because the evidence of the Bay Harbor Butcher killings indicates him as the criminal, the case is closed. Debra and Lundy try to resolve their relationship problems and Dexter reconciles with Rita. When Lila threatens Rita's children, Dexter realizes that he needs to find a solution to Lila's obsession with him. After Lila attempts to kill him, Dexter follows her to Paris and kills her.

Season 3: 2008

The third season of Dexter premiered on September 28, 2008, and ended on December 14, 2008. "Our Father", the season premiere, attracted 1.22 million viewers in the United States, making it Showtime's highest-rated drama season premiere since Nielsen Media Research began compiling ratings in 2004. The season's finale, "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?" attracted 1.5 million viewers. Season three was watched by an average of 1.1 million viewers a week. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, which ranged from being praised as "truly and incredibly exciting television" in the San Francisco Chronicle, to "lack[ing] the crackling tension the drama had supplied in previous years" by the Chicago Tribune; the aggregate site Metacritic scored the season at 78 out of 100 based on 13 reviews.

In this season, Dexter mistakenly kills an innocent man for the first time, but initiates a friendship with the man's brother, Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits). In the meantime, Rita discovers that she is pregnant, and Debra investigates the murders of a new serial killer, called "The Skinner", to gain promotion to detective. In addition to Smits, Dexter's third season introduces two recurring characters: Desmond Harrington as Det. Joey Quinn, who becomes Debra's partner when he is transferred from the narcotics department to homicide, and Anne Ramsay as Ellen Wolf, a defense attorney whom Miguel detests.

Episode #	Series #	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original airdate
301	25	"Our Father"	Clyde Phillips	Keith Gordon	September 28, 2008 (2008-09-28)
Several months after the second season finale, Dexter hunts down drug dealer Fred "Freebo" Bowman (Mike Erwin) but mistakenly kills an innocent man who happens to be the younger brother of Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado. Dexter frames Freebo, but begins to question the necessity of his father's code. Debra has reformed her life and is determined to become a detective, but refuses an Internal Affairs officer request to co-operate in an investigation of Quinn. Rita realizes that she is pregnant.
302	26	"Finding Freebo"	Melissa Rosenberg	Marcos Siega	October 5, 2008 (2008-10-05)
Dexter and Rita try to decide what to do about her pregnancy, as Dexter wonders whether he is fit to raise a child and commit to a family. Debra tries to identify a body, which Dexter recognizes as that of Freebo's girlfriend, Teegan Campbell (Jelly Howie). Realizing that Freebo must have killed her, Dexter assumes that Freebo is still in town and races to find him before the police. Miguel also searches for Freebo, seeking revenge for his brother's death. Quinn introduces Debra to his informant, Anton Briggs (David Ramsey), with hopes of finding clues to Freebo's whereabouts.
303	27	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	Scott Buck	John Dahl	October 12, 2008 (2008-10-12)
Dexter starts questioning the inclusiveness of Harry's code when he realizes that Nathan Marten (Jason Kaufman) is a pedophile targeting Astor. A second murder victim, skinned in a similar manner, is discovered. Knowing that the victim cannot have been killed by Freebo, Dexter helps Debra to identify the body in hope of proving that Freebo was not the culprit. After Dexter tells Debra that Rita is pregnant, Debra offers Dexter advice on fatherhood. Debra arrests Anton when he refuses to co-operate in the investigation and he lights a joint of cannabis in front of her.
304	28	"All in the Family"	Adam Fierro	Keith Gordon	October 19, 2008 (2008-10-19)
After an unsuccessful marriage proposal, Dexter must convince Rita that he is looking for more than a convenient merger of finances and parenthood. Miguel's brother, Ramon (Jason Manuel Olazabal), criticizes the police for not finding his brother's killer, and when Miguel suggests telling Ramon the truth, Dexter realizes that he must prove that Ramon cannot be trusted. After a short-tempered outburst at a hotel guest, Rita is dismissed from her job, leaving her wondering whether she will ever have a real career. Debra and Quinn are assigned to the case of a man who was killed by his fiancée. Angel becomes entangled in a sting operation when he picks up a prostitute who is actually Vice Detective Barbara Gianna (Kristin Dattilo).
305	29	"Turning Biminese"	Timothy Schlattman	Marcos Siega	October 26, 2008 (2008-10-26)
Miguel tells Dexter of Ethan Turner (Larry Sullivan), a man who has killed three of his wives. After he decides that Turner fits Harry's code, Dexter tries to find Turner in Bimini. Rita is hospitalized after a medical emergency, and Dexter cannot be found. On Dexter's return and Turner's reported disappearance, Miguel asks Dexter whether he killed Turner. Debra finds herself oddly attracted to Anton while working with him on finding one of Freebo's confidants. Dexter is hesitant to agree when Rita suggests that they buy a house and move in together.
306	30	"Sí Se Puede"	Charles H. Eglee	Ernest Dickerson	November 2, 2008 (2008-11-02)
Miguel discovers Dexter has killed at least two people and is accepting of his unique viewpoints. Dexter's true body count and his alternate identity remain unknown to Miguel. Dexter tries to distract Miguel with a plan to release a jailed murderer and kill him, but soon realizes that Miguel has a far darker plan for his vigilantism than Dexter could have imagined. Debra is upset when she realizes that she may be partially responsible for the death of Freebo's skinned doorman, Wendell Owens (Marc John Jefferies). Angel asks Barbara out on a date.
307	31	"Easy as Pie"	Lauren Gussis	Steve Shill	November 9, 2008 (2008-11-09)
Miguel suggests Ellen as a potential victim to Dexter, but after properly vetting her, Dexter believes that she does not fit Harry's code. Miguel's wife, Sylvia (Valerie Cruz), tells Rita that she suspects Miguel of having an extramarital affair. Debra revels to Anton that he is being used as bait to lure The Skinner and decides to find the murderer another way. Dexter's old friend Camilla Figg (Margo Martindale), who is dying of cancer, asks him for help in ending her life. Dexter struggles to write a list of his friends to invite to the wedding.
308	32	"The Damage a Man Can Do"	Scott Buck	Marcos Siega	November 16, 2008 (2008-11-16)
Miguel finds Dexter another victim, a debt enforcer called Billy Fleeter (Jeff Chase), whom Miguel wishes to kill. Debra discovers that The Skinner is a tree-trimmer and learns that Anton was never registered as an informant. When she tells him that he was never legally obliged to work for the police, he disappears. Rita loses control due to her pregnancy hormones and is angry at Dexter's refusal to help organize their wedding. After Ellen expresses her concern about Miguel's behavior towards her, he makes an unannounced visit to her house and presumably kills her.
309	33	"About Last Night"	Melissa Rosenberg (teleplay); Scott Reynolds (story)	Tim Hunter	November 23, 2008 (2008-11-23)
In the wake of Ellen's disappearance, Dexter fears that Miguel may have strayed from Harry's code and killed her, in spite of what Dexter tried to teach him. Dexter tries to prove that he is still in control to Miguel, but realizes that Miguel had been dishonest from the beginning of their friendship. Rita confronts Miguel about his actions when Sylvia becomes convinced that Miguel is having an affair. Debra realizes that Anton has been kidnapped by The Skinner, whom the police believe to be George King (Jesse Borrego). Unfortunately, the only witness, King's employee Mario (Jerry Zatarain), is too afraid to talk to the police.
310	34	"Go Your Own Way"	Timothy Schlattman	John Dahl	November 30, 2008 (2008-11-30)
After realizing that he was manipulated by Miguel, Dexter cannot gain the upper hand as Miguel threatens to launch an ethics investigation into Debra's relationship with Anton, a key witness in her case. Having rescued Anton after his encounter with The Skinner, she wonders if their relationship is worth jeopardizing her career for. Dexter takes Ellen's ring, a memento of the kill, from Miguel's house to use as evidence against him. Rita tells Sylvia that Miguel is having an affair with LaGuerta, while Miguel contacts The Skinner and tells him that Dexter is the only person who knows Freebo's whereabouts.
311	35	"I Had a Dream"	Lauren Gussis and Charles H. Eglee	Marcos Siega	December 7, 2008 (2008-12-07)
Dexter struggles to distance himself from Miguel, who will be his best man at his wedding, and starts plotting to kill him. LaGuerta begins to believe that Miguel is Ellen's killer, and searches his car for forensic evidence after inviting him over for dinner. Miguel realizes that LaGuerta suspects him of Ellen's murder, and decides to kill her. When Debra starts avoiding Anton, Dexter tells her of their father's affair with his informant, Laura Moser (Katherine Kirkpatrick), without revealing that she was also Dexter's biological mother. Debra discovers The Skinner's whereabouts, but he escapes when Quinn is injured.
312	36	"Do You Take Dexter Morgan?"	Scott Buck	Keith Gordon	December 14, 2008 (2008-12-14)
After killing Miguel and framing The Skinner, Dexter is targeted by Ramon. LaGuerta tries to persuade Dexter to expose Miguel as a murderer when she learns that a highway will be named after Miguel. Angel recommendation of Debra for promotion to detective is threatened when Angel learns that Debra slept with Anton. Dexter discovers that Rita has been married twice before, once when she was sixteen, which she hides from him. Dexter is imprisoned by The Skinner, who demands to know Freebo's whereabouts, but Dexter escapes in time for his wedding.

Season 4: 2009

On October 21, 2008, Showtime commissioned the fourth and fifth seasons of Dexter, each consisting of 12 episodes. The show's writers convened during February and March 2009 to brainstorm ideas for the fourth season, while filming was scheduled to begin in June 2009. On May 27, 2009, Showtime announced John Lithgow will guest star in all 12 episodes as Miami's latest and deadliest serial killer, while Carradine will return as Lundy. The fourth season will premiere on September 27, 2009, and is going to focus on Dexter trying to find a way to balance his family life, now that his son is born, and his "extra-curricular" activities. The season received some positive reviews before airing, such as from Michael Ausiello from Entertainment Weekly who saw the fourth season as being "bloody promising". The season opener has been leaked to the Internet in late August 2009.

Episode #	Series #	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original airdate
401	1	"Living the Dream"	Clyde Phillips	Marcos Siega	September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27)
402	2	"Remains to Be Seen"	TBA	TBA	October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04)
403	3	"Blinded by the Light"	TBA	TBA	October 11, 2009 (2009-10-11)
404	4	"Dexter Takes a Holiday"	TBA	TBA	October 18, 2009 (2009-10-18)
405	5	"Dirty Harry"	TBA	TBA	October 25, 2009 (2009-10-25)
406	6	"If I Had a Hammer"	TBA	TBA	November 1, 2009 (2009-11-01)
407	7	"Road Kill"	TBA	TBA	November 8, 2009 (2009-11-08)

References

General
Writer and director names, and original airdates of each of the episodes were taken from these databases:

• "Dexter - Episode Guide - MSN TV". msn.com. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
• "Dexter Episodes - Season 1–3". Tv.com. Retrieved 2009-08-19.

Specific

External links

• Dexter at Showtime
• Dexter at Metacritic
• Dexter at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com