Dexter is an American television drama series. The series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a blood spatter pattern analyst for 'Miami Metro Police Department' who also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice. Set in Miami, the show's first season derived from the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), the first of the Dexter series novels by Jeff Lindsay. It was adapted for television by screenwriter James Manos, Jr., who wrote the first episode. Subsequent seasons evolved independently of Lindsay's works.

Dexter aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013.

 

SERIES SYNOPSIS

 

Orphaned at the age of three and harboring a traumatic secret, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) was adopted by a Miami police officer who recognized his homicidal tendencies and taught him to channel his gruesome passion for human dissection in a "constructive" way—by killing only heinous criminals (such as child molesters, mob assassins, and serial killers of the innocent) who have slipped through the justice system. To satisfy his interest in blood and to facilitate his own crimes, Dexter works as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department (based on the real life Miami-Dade Police Department). Although his drive to kill is unflinching, he is easily able to emulate normal emotions and keep up his appearance as a socially-responsible human being.

 

Season One primarily follows the exploits of a man dubbed the Ice Truck Killer and his game of wits with serial killer Dexter Morgan.

Prior to Activity in Miami

 

Brian traveled the country and even across the world following his release from the Tampa Mental Institution after being cleared at Age 21. It is believed that due to his isolation in the facility, he chose to travel in order to secure a life for himself and see what had passed him by growing up from the 1970s and part of the 80's. At some point in his lifetime he traveled to Paris, France where he would study the human form at the University of Paris-Sorbonne,^[5] that helped provide an acute knowledge of the human body (which would be used later in his life for the dismemberment of his victims). Brian states that a little while after he entered Prosthetics, though it's likely at this time he had already killed the man named Rudy Cooper in 1998, assuming his identity including all of his information in order to enter the medical field.

It is unknown how long Brian assumed the style he adopted of draining the victims of their blood then dismembering them piece by piece or when he made his first actual kill (by the way Brian describes it, the original Rudy does not sound like the first victim) but one thing was for certain: the hunger never stopped. It is likely that before he finally tracked down his brother Brian killed more than 50 people but this number can't be confirmed only the three prior to his arrival in Miami. It is likely that in a way similar to Arthur Mitchell, Brian transferred himself to various locations throughout the country in search of his brother while also working as a Prosthetic surgeon, allowing him the funds he needed while pursuing a field that best fit his interest in the human body and dismemberment (formed by watching his mother chainsawed to pieces in front of him). Here he would practice on his victims while trying to find the elusive Dexter Moser but was never clear on a location, until 2006. After leaving two bodies in Broward, Brian's travels brought him back to Miami where he discovered that Dexter Moser was in fact named Dexter Morgan.

Brian did his research at this point, able to trace back to the cop who found them at the scene Harry Morgan as well as his adoptive sister Debra Morgan. The more surprising fact is that in this time he learned about Dexter's life growing up (most likely when Dexter went out, he would sneak in to learn everything about him), at some point in one of Dexter's many victims Brian tailed him and observed the way his brother was. A feeling deep inside both made him feel overjoyed that his brother was just the same way that Brian had always been and also prompted him to finally make a move to show him there's someone else out there just like Dexter.

He started to construct an elaborate plan that would guarantee that he would not only show Dexter who he truly was (as he figured out that Dexter must not have had memory of the past, in addition he knew of Dexter's choice to only target criminals based on Harry's teachings), but reunite the two of them after making all the facts of Dexter's past come to light. So he started with a single victim, a prostitute left at a hotel...

Bloodless Victims

 

 

Dexter: "No blood. No sticky, hot, messy awful blood. No blood at all. Why hadn't I thought of that? No blood. What a beautiful idea"

 

 

 

Dexter Morgan returns home to find a message on his answering machine from his sister Debra Morgan regarding a murder at the Seven Seas Motel, she personally requests that he appears there with a "pretty fucking please with cheese on top" which causes him to laugh and he readies himself to show up on scene. As he arrives, he passes through the yellow tape looking around slightly until he spots his sister (in her undercover outfit) who pulls him into her motel room. She does a run-through on the body, saying that it's the third victim in the past five months, with the other two victims found in Broward chopped up just like this one. Dexter seems a little surprised at a Serial killer but Debra asks him if he can help her out, get a hunch on the situation that may enable her to finally transfer out of Vice into Miami Metro Homicide, where her brother works alongside the department as a forensic blood spatter analyst. Dexter agrees and heads outside, probably not expecting more than the usual work.

As he moves down into the pool he is greeted by the always perverse Vince Masuka, his coworker with a sense of humor. After making a joke about his attraction to Debra, he asks why Dexter is even here and Dexter replies by saying it's a crime scene though Masuka points out that he does blood spatter and there isn't any at the scene. This catches Dexter by surprise, something he hadn't thought of before as Masuka explains there's no blood in, on or around the body at all before he asks Detective Angel Batista to go ahead and show the body to Dexter. He approaches anxious to see the body, his face lined with an expression of awe while viewing the corpse of this dismembered corpse wondering to himself just how could he get rid of the blood? He begins to praise the work in his mind, saying that he's never seen such clean and neat dead flesh feeling it's unique. Angel describes that the body isn't complete however, pointing out a rough cut that seems interrupted on the left thigh (leaving it in just three pieces, not four as the other leg) and they begin working on the angle of there possibly being a witness in the area. Dexter stands up, believing he can't think if there's no blood and finds a way to head out of there since he's the blood guy then there's nothing he can do there. As Dexter leaves the scene, he looks back thinking that perhaps this guy exceeded his own abilities.

Debra Morgan is added to the case thanks to their father's old friend Captain Tom Matthews and Dexter later visits his girlfriend Rita Bennett in order to go out on a date with her. The two arrive at a festival of sorts, where all sorts of food items and partying commences while Dexter sort of plays along to seem normal enough. As the two stand at a crab table with Rita smashing the claws to find the meat inside, Dexter notices police off in the distance having sealed off a crime scene. Dexter's curiosity gets the best of him and he brings Rita towards the edge of the crowd before telling her he'll be right back. As he equips his forensic ID he notices a body laid out just like the one from earlier, beautifully preserved as well as bloodless.

Angel insults the killer by calling him a "Son of a Whore", a savage, an asshole killer...mainly because of the fact that they have to come in and work on a Friday Night. Dexter plays along agreeing, stating that this seems like the same guy and same pattern with Angel confirming no blood, absolutely bone dry. He begins to inform Dexter that the left leg has a difference in cut this time (it's rough at the ankle, not so much at the knee and midthigh is completely smooth). In addition, the very top of the thigh has the muscle and skin completely filet'd off revealing nothing but bone. Dexter claims that their killer is experimenting, trying to find the right way when Angel suddenly mentions the head missing, which causes Dexter some surprise. He thinks to himself now that this guy is good at what he does, smirking. In an awkward situation, Dexter later describers his fascination with the killer as pure artwork and even demonstrates his technique by "slicing" Rita's thigh at just the right point before getting somewhat sexually aroused by the incident. Rita isn't quite ready for that kind of contact and leaves Dexter feeling a bit out in the open, his head filled with thoughts of this new killer.

The Ice Truck Killer Gets His Name

 

The following day Dexter Morgan meets with his sister Debra Morgan for lunch, having common small talk until Debra mentions an interesting fact: cell crystallization. She overheard a coroner say the word and brings up her observation about realizing the body parts looked cold, something that hits Dexter as an eye opener. He figures the cold would slow the blood flow and since this most recent victim was the only one showing those signs, the type of storage facility would have to be mobile so he discovers that the transportation has to be a Refrigerated Truck. Dexter figures then that Deb should check for any stolen refrigerated trucks in Miami, a point that she later mentions during a briefing by Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta regarding the case. Because of the nature behind Debra's attempt at explaining her observation (it's fairly nervous and stuttering), LaGuerta dismisses it as something she should "keep to herself".

Dexter had been tracking a potential kill of his own during this investigation into the yet unknown Serial killer and he found this in a violent-rapist turned murderer named Jamie Jaworski. After ambushing him at a factory, Dexter went through his usual ritual before ending Jamie's life to appease his own Dark Passenger while also picking up the pieces to dispose of in his boat (as a note: these body parts were likely disposed of before seeing the Ice Truck and he was simply on his way home from the Mariana). Dexter parks in front of a hotel to take some time to admire the bloodslide for Jamie, feeling that it was a good night. From behind him a truck pulls up and turns on its light, rather bright to get Dexter's attention. He sits there for a moment until it decides to pass by him, surprisingly turning out to be a Refrigerated Truck, in fact it's an Ice Truck the perfect size to act as the transport for bodies, keeping them cold and preserved. Dexter can't believe his luck and begins to follow the truck, unknowingly reaching a dead end...and the truck begins to turn itself around, facing Dexter.

Dexter begins to feel that he's in a dangerous situation, the Serial killer knew exactly that he was being followed and lured Dexter into a trap. The man faces Dexter's car for a moment before driving slowly towards him, turning up the brights on his highbeams so that it prevents Dexter from getting a good look into the driver's seat. As Dexter tries to get glimpse something flies from the window and smacks against the windshield: it's the head of the woman from earlier, having been preserved in the front seat up there with him. Dexter gets out but is unable to see anything more of the truck before police arrive to deal with the situation. They paramedics give Dexter a basic eye test to see how he's doing and Maria LaGuerta arrives to talk about Debra's theory with the Ice Truck panning out seeing as Dexter pretty much just backed it up.

While Dexter is out, Brian sneaks into his house (for what may be referenced as the first instance but it is likely he has been here before) to figure out more about his brother. He leaves a Dismembered Doll in his freezer, with the head of the doll stuck to the front of the door before leaving. When Dexter returns during the day he notices the head "calling out" to him in a sense, as he moves forward playfully flicking the hair...he opens the door to discover the rest of the doll's body. The same expression of awe and curiosity fills Dexter, he enjoys the company of this new "playmate" and welcomes the challenge while admiring his opponent: this is more than just hunting a killer or being hunted by one...it's a friendly gesture of wits and Dexter accepts.

"Dexter: I suppose I should be upset. Even feel violated. But I'm not. No, in fact I think this is a friendly message. Kind of like..."Hey, wanna play?". And yes, I wanna play. I really, really do..."

 

What is believed to either be the same day or the next, after Dexter returns home from a swim in the river he gets a knock on the door from his sister Debra Morgan thus prompting him to remove the head from the fridge and place it in the freezer along with the body before answering the door (feeling that trying to explain it would be "awkward"). Deb comes in and explains that Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta has everyone out looking for a hidden Refrigerated Truck, while Deb personally feels that this guy would more likely hide it in plain sight than attempt veiling it. LaGuerta, still feeling a strong distaste for Deb, dumps her "witness" theory on Deb to keep searching for one rather than actively join the investigation. Dexter suggests that if Deb can find that truck, she'll find her golden ticket into homicide. After she heads out and Dexter prepares himself for court, he looks in the freezer once more to fiddle with the parts admiring the doll head while putting each body part in a position like a "puzzle", until he discovers that one of the hands has an oddity: each of the five fingernails is colored differently (pink, yellow, purple, orange and green). This frustrates Dexter in a sense because he has no idea what it means (at the time...).

The following day as Dexter is sleeping he receives a call from his sister saying that she found an Ice Truck (first time use of the word). Debra mentions that a cop named Juan Pierre called her about it following her mention of having Patrol keep an eye out on it. The truck was left there overnight and she asks Dexter if that was the truck he saw. He knows it is, but tells her that he wasn't sure (just to play along, he wants to keep the fact that the killer knows who he is a secret). She then notices that the truck's still on, something that results in Angel Batista as well as half the department arriving to turn it into a crime scene. They open up the back and step inside to notice a large ice block featuring the fingertips of a victim displayed perfectly in the center of the block in an surreal fashion. Dexter mentions that no blood was spilt, that the body was already drained beforehand then both he and Batista claim that it was done the old fashion way by slitting the jugular and hanging the body upside down to allow the heart to pump out the rest. Tom Matthews arrives and learns that Debra Morgan was responsible for the find, so he asks LaGuerta to compliment her on his behalf. LaGuerta instead grills her over it, saying that another "stunt like that" will not end well for her.

As part of protocol and in an attempt to find any type of clue as to who the killer is, the police department orders the deconstruction of every single piece of the Ice Truck. Dexter stands on watching, knowing that this guy is too careful to leave any kind of evidence...because he knows that if it were him, he'd do the same. Debra walks up and makes the same observation, something he acknowledges in his head as the real focus is wheeled off to the side: the ice block featuring fingertips. Later on at the lab, while Vince Masuka slowly melts the ice, Dexter stands on anxious to see what puzzle this killer has in store for the department. When enough of the ice clears to reveal the differently colored fingernails of each fingertip, it finally occurs to Dexter that these messages aren't for them...they're meant specifically for himself. The thrown head, the doll's body as well as the one hand painted different colors (the same colors as this victim's fingertips)...he feels that the killer is trying to impress him and as he smiles, he does feel impressed.

A little later on it is Dexter himself (while in his mind) who verbally first says the name Ice Truck Killer, ultimately the name must have been decided shortly after finding the truck as the rest of the department begins using it as well. Interestingly, Brian does not use an Ice Truck after this point yet the name sticks regardless. Back at the lab Dexter confirms that because of the postmortem gloving around the joints, suggesting that the victim was already dead before she was relieved of her fingertips. While Dexter believes this is a sign of letting Dexter make the next move, he asks if there's an ID and Debra says that the victim was ID'd as Sheri Taylor, another prostitute. Deb is called in to talk with Captain Tom Matthews who makes the decision to have Maria LaGuerta transfer Deb out of Vice into Miami Metro Homicide due to her tremendous work on the case thus far. Debra is overexcited that she finally gets to pursue her dream and chase after the Ice Truck Killer as well. After Deb leaves and Tom is about to head out, LaGuerta asks him if he made the right decision...before he tells her that he promoted her after all as well. He exits saying that he wants this "Ice Truck Son of a Bitch" caught.

Dexter returns home following a congratulations dinner with his sister as well as dealing with recent victim Matt Chambers, placing his slide in the box. As he turns around he notices a startling sight: the doll head he had placed in the freezer now sits pasted on the door again, something that proves that Brian had returned yet again inside of his house. He opens up the freezer though to see that the entire body of the doll is missing, something that he was not expecting and feels that this is a message that he needs to come find the killer. He is left with the head, something that Dexter later equips as sort of an unusual key chain.