Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Contains spoilers from all seasons of the show.  Do not read if you do not want to know what happened.
Towards the end of when I lived in Massachusetts, I really had no one around me that I could count on for anything.  All of my friends lived in Boston or Springfield and never could seem to find the time (most of them, not all) to make the journey to Worcester. So when I wasn't working or studying for graduate school, TV and Internet were my friends.

My buddy Adam had previously recommended this new show called "Dexter" starring Michael C. Hall on Showtime.  I had watched the pilot with him, and my friends Christa and Dave.  It intrigued me, so when I was in Worcester in my apartment all alone every night (except for the cats, who would sit on the bed and watch with me), I rattled off Season 1 on demand. 

It was a tightly constructed, hour-long show that left plenty of twists in the wake of its mystery.  Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who goes by his own set of rules taught to him by his (now dead) father, Harry, also happens to work for the Miami Metro Homicide Division. Only those who deserve to die (i.e., committed crimes against innocent people) are to be killed. No exceptions. No one is aware of his secret life, even his own sister (adopted, not by blood).  It's a great show and I got out of the habit of watching it after season 3 ended, as I had just moved back to Delaware yes, with my parents. 

Dexter's sister, Deb

It wasn't until last year that I got back into it when my brother urged me to watch it again with him.  I still need to watch Season 4 at some point, but at least I knew who all the characters were so it wasn't difficult for me to jump right back into the storyline.

Season 5 was able, but it wasn't something I looked forward to watching each week quite as much as other shows, such as "True Blood" or "Mad Men."  But the story was strong enough to keep me interested.  However, I did stick it out until the end and was not completely disappointed.  Julia Stiles had a guest arc on this past season and she wore on me after a while like she always does.  Plus, it's tough to take someone whose big break came from light fare such as "The Prince and Me" and "Ten Things I Hate About You." 

Understandably, though, I was a little wary about this season of Dexter because I didn't know if the central mystery would be enough to maintain my interest.  It always seems to me that on "Dexter," they arrive at the conclusion a couple of episodes too soon and some of the rest of what happens is filler.  But so far this season, that has yet to happen.  I think there are three episodes left and we are just digging into the mystery after a major twist, which I will talk about soon. 

Some say that Dexter peaked and subsequently vallied after season 4, which featured the always interesting John Lithgow waltzing away with an acting Emmy for portraying the Trinity killer.  Maybe this is so, to a certain extent, but I think this season (6) has started a rally as its central mystery is intriguing. 

The central mystery of season 6 entails a moniker bestowed on the killer(s) by Deb: "The Doomsday Killer (DDK hereafter)."  Various tableaus of Biblical plagues and events in the Book of Revelation portending the end of the world.  While Miami Metro Homicide is trying to solve these cases, worse and worse killings (along with their subsequent tableaus) are occurring, making the department look bad.

This season, Marshall and Geller are shown working together in an old church trying to bring their tableaus together and thus bring about the end of the world. Travis, although conflicted, seems easily influenced by Geller.

Tableaus include the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the whore of Babylon, and the bowls of wrath.  The tableaus are very visceral and frankly, pretty creepy.  Dexter, forensic blood spatter expert and hidden resident serial killer, has narrowed the search down through work of his own (I will leave other subplots alone, even though they are interesting) who he thinks one of the killers might be.  His name is Travis Marshall, and he is an art restorer at the Miami Museum.  Dexter thinks he is a mentee of an Emeritus fanatical religious studies teacher, Professor Gellar.

Colin Hanks as Travis Marshall; Edward James Olmos as Professor Gellar

Dexter eventually guilts Travis into working to help him solve the DDK case by revealing information implicating Travis.  It appears that Travis is cooperating and they are close to tracking down Gellar.  Dexter hopes to do to Gellar what he has done with the rest of his victims: drug them with a shot to subdue and move them, and kill them on the table wrapped in Saran.  Yuck, but cathartic.  This must be done to stop the killings that have terrorized a city.

Travis and Dexter go inside the old church where Geller is masterminding his plots.  A noise is heard, and soon Travis and Dexter separate.  Dexter is determined to get Gellar.  He sees something that sparks his interest.  A possible trap door.  He moves the piece of furniture covering it and goes downstairs.  He turns on the lights and walks around.  Perhaps he smells something, but an appliance on the floor catches his attention.  He opens it and finds...Gellar. 

It appears that, like Dexter, Travis has a dark passenger and has been acting alone.  The conversations between Gellar and Marshall appear to have been figments of Marshall's imagination, much like Harry is to Dexter. 

I've always been fascinated by religion and this season of Dexter is using the interesting parts of Revelation to its advantage.  I certainly hope the finale is as exciting as others have been, and I'm curious to know how they will set up for next season.  Is it curtains for LaGuerta?  Deb?  Only Showtime will tell.