Season 3 wasn't a bad season, but it was pretty low stakes and lacking in much intensity. Season 4 swung the complete opposite way, this is hands down the darkest season of the whole show and I absolutely loved it.
Season 4 is about Dexter trying to stop a serial killer called the Trinity Killer, who kills in triplets that recreate the death of his own family. This easily rivals the BHB storyline from Season 2 as the best thing Dexter has done to date. The Trinity Killer (aka Arthur Mitchell) is a terrifying antagonist, made even scarier by John Lithgow's chilling and unhinged performance. This is hands-down the scariest season of Dexter yet and it's all because of Mitchell. There are a lot of things I love about this storyline, like how Lundy introduces the case but gets killed off early in the season leaving Dexter and Debra to solve it on their own, or how he becomes a bit of a pseudo father figure for Dexter who wants to learn how he juggles being a serial killer and a family man, or the reveal that he manages to juggle those aspects by being an incredibly abusive father. The tension slowly builds as the Trinity Killer does increasingly demented things, culminating in a phenomenal last four episodes that blow the endings of Seasons 1 and 2 out of the water entirely. It also helps that Dexter's arc about juggling his own family life and being a serial killer epitomizes what I love about the series, with all the messes Dexter has to deal with pilling up episode after episode. And unlike the first three seasons, he's not actually able to clean all of them.
In terms of its subplots, Season 4 is a bit more of a mixed bag than seasons past. One of the bigger storylines this season involves Quinn entering a relationship with an annoying reporter named Christine that causes him to develop some tension with Dexter and Debra. While I predictably found Christine annoying at first, the late season reveal that she's Arthur Mitchell's daughter and the one who shot Lundy made her an infinitely more interesting character. Similarly, Rita bonding with a neighbor as Dexter struggles with family life wasn't all that entertaining, but Masuka stumbling on Rita and said neighbor kissing turned this storyline to absolute gold (not to mention what happens to Rita). The only storyline I really didn't love this season was Angel and Laguerta entering a relationship together. It's not because I don't like them together, though. I think they're both great characters and am perfectly fine with them dating. It's more just that their back-and-forth about keeping their relationship secret got really annoying really fast. Thankfully, however, these are all subplots, and the Trinity Killer stuff is so damn good, I'm willing to excuse the season's weaker elements.
While this season was pretty good, most of the highlights ended up being in the final four episodes:
Dirty Harry: Characters dying in TV shows tends to be pretty emotional and shocking, but I found that what really makes for great television is what comes after the death, the fallout or "aftermath" episode. Case in point: Lundy dying was a gut punch, but Debra blaming herself and struggling to deal with his death was what really left me gutted. Even more, this episode has Dexter and Rita's relationship start to get especially strained as she learns he still has his apartment, as well as Dexter learning of the Trinity Killer's identity and that he's also a family man.
Hungry Man: I don't think I've felt this anxious and sickened by an episode of TV since Ozymandias and An Alchemist's Anguish. Pretty much everything that happened at the Mitchell household over Thanksgiving was just increasing levels of "Nope". The tension just kept boiling throughout the episode until that insane blowout at the table, where both Mitchell's and Dexter's monstrous sides really show. The fact that it all takes place on Thanksgiving, a time when even the most dramatic shows tend to have their most light-hearted episodes, just makes it seeing all of Mitchell's abuse all the more shocking. Thankfully, the stuff at Rita's house added enough levity to keep Hungry Man from feeling too grim, and both Christine twists were absolutely fantastic. I was glued to the screen all episode, it's hands down the best thing Dexter has done to date.
Lost Boys: In case Hungry Man wasn't intense enough, this episode has Dexter frantically try to track Arthur down to stop him from killing a little kid. Lost Boys is intense and scary, with Mitchell at his most eerily childlike, and it culminates in a pretty great battle between the two serial killers. Outside of that, Debra getting confirmation that Christine is lying through their interview was pretty clever.
Hello, Dexter Morgan: This episode had so much going on in it that I can't just single out a reason why I think it's so good. Obviously, the best moment was the ending, where the Trinity Killer finally learns about Dexter's true identity. But there's also Christine's suicide, Dexter pretending to be mad about Rita kissing their neighbor, Laguerta and Angel's surprisingly clever wedding, and Dexter racing through a kill. Any one of these scenes would be the highlight of your average Dexter episode, but they all happened in Hello, Dexter Morgan.
The Getaway: Season 4 of Dexter is a tragedy, it was always going to be. It has all the hallmarks of it. While the antagonist is bad, Dexter ended up facing consequences for decisions he made. He had tons of chances to kill the Trinity Killer, but his inability to juggle his life constantly got in the way. So Mitchell finally died, it was about time, but for the first time Dexter faced lasting consequences for his decisions, and Rita died. It's an awful but genius twist ending, packed with symbolism and leaving me wondering how the show would continue. But even outside of that, this finale has Debra learning about Laura Moser and the relationship between Dexter and the Ice Cream Killer, a moment long overdue. The Getaway really feels like a series finale in a lot of ways, albeit a dark one. It's just as satisfying as the previous three finales while still packing a massive gut punch for its ending.
Overall, while it had a bit of a slow start and some weaker subplots, Season 4 managed to stand out with a phenomenal antagonist, grippingly darker tone, and fantastic final few episodes that even managed to save the season's weaker elements.
5/5 Stars
