Dexter: Sublimely Unnerving: Ep. 1 Review

The return of Showtime’s “Dexter,” America’s favorite serial killer drama, with the season 4 premier, “Living the Dream” is perched on precarious narrative terrain. This is a good thing. Having married longtime girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) at the end of season 3, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is now a suburban dad facing the daily duties of tending to dirty diapers and ear infections, which derail his freedom to kill at the worst possible moments.

“Living the Dream” is clearly not the ideal life for Dexter as he struggles to balance his workload —and body count—with the demands of parenthood. But he does so in ways that are funny, apprehensive and, because it’s Dexter, sublimely unnerving.

The arrival of a new serial killer in town, the Trinity Killer, brilliantly played by John Lithgow, heightens dramatic tension, as Dexter must reflect on his new inability to kill. The Trinity Killer, as the name suggests, kills in threes, and we are introduced to his M.O. in a truly disturbing murder scene where he lies naked with his victim in a bathtub of blood, forcing her to observe her own face of death in a hand held mirror.

The return of Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) as retired FBI serial killer hunter proves to pay out in multiple returns. Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) must once again contend with her ‘daddy issues,’ both through her relationship with Lundy and her search for information about her real dad. Meanwhile, Dexter must navigate the minefield of developing a working relationship to someone who could expose him.

While the show is not strong on supporting characters, and many questions remain about Dexter’s internal drives, the season opener provides enough suspense to keep the big questions lingering. As Dexter holds his young son with baby bottle in hand, he tells him that he will try to be the best father he can, which means daddy’s ‘got a brand new bag.’

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