Series 7 pulls Debs into the world of Dexter‘s Dark Passenger.
Dexter Morgan has always been an unusual character in that for the previous six seasons we, the audience has never quite been certain if to think of him as some good anti-hero or bad like every other serial killer you can think of. We obviously know Dexter’s actions are bad but are his reasons? This season is determined to put that all into context and it’s done nicely through the core element of the series which is Dexter’s relationship with his sister Debra and his own humanity. Does Dexter really have any control over his self named Dark Passenger? And what are the future consequences of what that discovery may mean.
The series opens where season six ended (don’t worry if you missed it there’s a recap at the start) with Debs finally discovering her brother’s secret in the worst possible way; Jennifer Carpenter is given the material to go through the emotional rollercoaster of discovering the person and indeed her “hero” as she describes him, is not who she thought him to be and love (and is now in love with), but is an entirely different person and goes against everything she stands for in law and justice; she is a lieutenant afterall. But then love and family has a habit of clouding ones judgement. After the initial horror has waned and her attempt to be Dexter’s killer ‘clinic’ fails, she tries to understand or at least accept his secret. Dexter meanwhile is forced to face up to the repurcussions his actions now have on another person with Deb now accountable for some of his actions. Dexter begins to realise how his crimes look from the perspective of his sister and indeed the world.
As with every series there is a nemesis this time in the shape of Ukranian crime boss Isaak Sirko (played by british actor Ray Stevenson), who has arrived to avenge the death of someone Dexter killed – A ruthless yet intriguing character yet Stevenson ably plays the intimate moments of conversation he shares with Michael C. Hall‘s Dexter – subtle yet poignant.
However the biggest unlikely threat is Captain Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez) who is desperate to prove Sergeant Doakes (Erik King) was innocent and find out who the real ‘Bay Harbor Butcher’ is. And she’s got Dexter in her sights and Deb in a tailspin. Again if you missed earlier seasons flashbacks help to explain some of the backstory.
To complicate the Morgan siblings relationship even more is Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski), another killer who Dexter falls in love with and becomes a headache for Deb who wants to prove her guilt as she struggles with her own feelings. This part of the story is not my favourite part of the series but serves to enlighten Dexter to facets of his personality he hadn’t considered previously: Specifically who is and who controls his Dark Passenger?
Overall one of the best seasons and leads us nicely towards the eighth and final season of Dexter. With enough threads along with a few shocks to keep us all guessing how the writers are going to end the series. The writing is solid however, the use of the strip club in every episode must have made the camera man very happy, yet was unnecessary. I’m sure Quinn and indeed Sirko could have found other places to talk. Hotel rooms? Coffee shops? Bars? Telephones?
And if you’re still confused what to think of Dexter, amongst the series seven special features is the Writer’s Roundtable which serves as a great extra to give us some insights into the mind of our lead character.
Dexter Season 7 is available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD now.
