Season One

Season One consists of the first twelve episodes of the Showtime series DEXTER. The season originally aired in 2006.

Season One was the only season to be almost directly related to the novels, specifically Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Subsequent seasons featured original storylines.

Dexter is introduced as a serial killer and blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Homicide. In order to fit in with society, Dexter Morgan maintains superficial relationships, which he calls "blending in." In this season, he becomes involved in several police cases, while also playing a game of cat and mouse with another serial killer.

For more info, see:


 * Dexter Morgan/Season 1

Viewers
The pilot episode "Dexter" attracted more than a million viewers, giving the channel its highest ratings in nearly two years, while the finale "Born Free" drew an audience of 1.1 million viewers in the U.S. On average, the season was watched by two million viewers per episode during its original run when factoring in DVR viewers.

Reviews
The show's first season received generally favorable reviews from critics.

It was praised as "bold, different and exciting, with a central character and performance that take your breath away" by the New York Daily News.

The Wall Street Journal saw "the grotesqueries of Dexter" as "not something that can easily be dismissed with the old "'you don't 'have to watch' line" and concluded that, "We do have to live among the viewers who will be desensitized, or aroused, by this show."

The aggregate site Metacritic scored the show's first season at 77 out of 100 based on 27 critics reviews.

Main Cast

 * Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
 * Julie Benz as Rita Bennett
 * Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan
 * Erik King as James Doakes
 * Lauren Velez as Maria LaGuerta
 * David Zayas as Angel Batista
 * James Remar as Harry Morgan

Recurring Cast

 * C.S. Lee as Vince Masuka
 * Christina Robinson as Astor Bennett
 * Daniel Goldman as Cody Bennett
 * Devon Graye as Teenage Dexter Morgan
 * Dominic Janes as Young Dexter Morgan
 * Maxwell Huckabee as Three-Year-Old Dexter Morgan
 * Geoff Pierson as Thomas Matthews
 * Christian Camargo as Brian Moser
 * Mark Pellegrino as Paul Bennett
 * Brad William Henke as Tony Tucci
 * Angela Alvarado as Nina Batista
 * Sam Witwer as Neil Perry
 * Katherine Kirkpatrick as Laura Moser
 * Margo Martindale as Camilla Figg

Guest Cast

 * Rudolf Martin as Carlos Guerrero
 * Mark L. Young as Jeremy Downs
 * Judith Scott as Esmée Pascal
 * Valerie Dillman as Valerie Castillo
 * Jim Abele as Mike Donovan
 * Ethan Smith as Jamie Jaworski
 * Denise Crosby as Nurse Mary
 * Gina Hecht as Mrs. Tucci
 * José Zuniga as Jorge Castillo
 * Vernee Watson-Johnson as Mrs. Doakes
 * Tony Goldwyn as Dr. Emmett Meridian
 * Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Rita's Lawyer

Crew
The series pilot was developed by James Manos, Jr. based on Jeff Lindsay's novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Manos served as an executive producer for the pilot along with John Goldwyn and Sara Colleton. The pilot was produced by Dennis Bishop. Steven Brown also served as a producer for the pilot episode. Chad Tomasoski worked as an associate producer. The pilot was directed by Michael Cuesta.

Manos, Goldwyn and Colleton returned as executive producers for the first season. Mid-season Clyde Phillips became a fourth executive producer. Daniel Cerone joined the crew as a co-executive producer and writer. Pilot director Michael Cuesta returned as a co-executive producer and regular director. Melissa Rosenberg also joined the crew as a consulting producer and writer. Tim Schlattmann served as a story editor and writer. Lauren Gussis worked as a staff writer throughout the first season. Dennis Bishop returned to produce further episodes but left mid-season and was replaced by Robert Lloyd Lewis.

Dexter's Victims

 * Mike Donovan
 * Jamie Jaworski
 * Matt Chambers
 * Jorge Castillo
 * Valerie Castillo
 * Emmett Meridian
 * Brian Moser

Summary

 * "Dexter"

Dexter kills a man who has murdered several young boys. He is dating Rita Bennett, a woman raising two young children while her drug-addicted husband is in prison for abusing her. One day, Dexter is called to a murder scene involving mutilated bodies, but with no blood visible. The murderer, soon to be nicknamed the "Ice Truck Killer," intrigues Dexter with this intricate methodology and a personal message in the form of a mutilated doll. At the same time, Dexter's sister Debra, a vice squad officer, tries to gain a transfer into the Homicide Department.


 * "Crocodile"

Dexter assists detectives Angel Batista and James Doakes in investigating the murder of an officer, who was working undercover investigating drug lord Carlos Guerrero. Doakes is personally involved in the case, since he was having an affair with the officer's wife, who was also attacked. Meanwhile, Debra discovers the refrigerated truck in which the Ice Truck Killer transfers his victims, and is promoted to the Homicide Department. Inside the truck, Debra, Batista, and Dexter find a block of ice with five fingertips inside, left deliberately by the Ice Truck Killer.


 * "Popping Cherry"

After the discovery of another victim of the Ice Truck Killer at an ice rink, the missing guard, Tony Tucci, becomes a potential suspect. Meanwhile, Rita receives an unpleasant visit from her ex-husband's drug dealer, who confiscates her car, forcing her to take the bus to and from her job as a hotel receptionist. Dexter selects his next murder victim while having flashbacks of his first killing — Nurse Mary who was caring for Dexter's sick adoptive father, Harry Morgan, but was administering overdoses of medication to her patients, slowly killing them. Elsewhere, Sergeant Doakes continues to harass Guerrero, as a group of renegade police officers decide to take matters involving Guerrero into their own hands.


 * "Let's Give the Boy a Hand"

As the hunt for Ice Truck Killer continues, posed body parts of his latest victim are found at sites connected to Dexter's childhood. This leads Dexter to confront his dark personal history. As Halloween approaches, Rita kidnaps a barking dog from a neglectful owner because it keeps her children up at night, and gives it to a loving family. Meanwhile, Lieutenant LaGuerta seeks to comfort the mother of the latest Ice Truck Killer victim. Dexter finds the victim mutilated but alive and strapped to a table for Dexter to kill. Instead, Dexter reports the crime scene anonymously to his sister. The pressure on Sergeant Doakes escalates when Guerrero's associates begin following him.


 * "Love American Style"

Rita learns that her colleague's fiancé, who was illegally immigrating from Cuba, is missing, and asks Dexter to investigate the problem using his police connections. He investigates Jorge Castillo, a salvage yard owner, and discovers that Castillo is murdering the smuggled immigrants who cannot pay for their freedom. Dexter discovers that Castillo's wife is involved in the murders, and kills both of them. Afterwards, he dumps their bodies in the ocean and frees their Cuban prisoners, not noticing a person watching him from the trunk of a car in the yard. Meanwhile, Debra and Doakes question Tucci about the Ice Truck Killer, and through him they find their first bit of tangible evidence.


 * "Return to Sender"

The body of Dexter's previous female victim has been found, despite Dexter having thrown both of the corpses into the ocean. A young Cuban boy had witnessed the previous night's events, and Dexter is apprehensive that he could direct them towards him. Eventually, Dexter frames the husband, whose body is still missing, with his wife's murder. The boy witness describes Jesus Christ rather than Dexter. During this time, Rita dissuades her abusive husband, Paul, from attending their daughter's birthday party after he is released early from prison.


 * "Circle of Friends"

Dexter must deal with Rita's menacing husband. Debra goes on a date with the prosthetics expert who made prosthetic legs for the Ice Truck Killer survivor. Debra and Angel are investigating the Ice Truck Killer and discover a familiar name with speeding violations near the scene of the Ice Truck Killer's third murder. Dexter investigates Sergeant Doakes's knife victim; he already knows the killer's identity but needs time to locate him. The Ice Truck Killer is finally apprehended, but Dexter doubts that they have caught the correct man.


 * "Shrink Wrap"

An unexplained suicide of a wealthy and powerful woman leads Dexter to suspect that her psychologist, Dr. Emmett Meridian, may have killed her. He gets a shock when a visit to the suspect reveals dark secrets from Dexter's past. Elsewhere, Rita's ex-husband, Paul, claims to have reformed. She wants to become more intimate with Dexter, who is afraid of physically consummating their relationship. After they do have sex, he is worried that he might have scared her. Meanwhile, Debra is falling in love with her new boyfriend, Rudy. At the end of the episode, the viewers learn that Rudy is the Ice Truck Killer, while unknown to the characters.


 * "Father Knows Best"

Dexter learns that his biological father, Joe Driscoll, whom he thought was long dead, has only recently died and left his house to Dexter. He travels to the house with Rita to arrange for its sale. Debra and Rudy soon arrive there (following Rudy's advice) to assist him in cleaning out the house. Dexter suspects Joe Driscoll's death to be murder. Flashbacks to Dexter's childhood show his questioning his adoptive father Harry about his real parents, and Dexter discovers that Mr. Driscoll donated some of his blood to him in his youth for surgery. In the last scene, one of Joe's neighbors, an elderly woman, recognizes Rudy as a cable repairman, who happened to be Joe's last visitor before his death. Rudy is shown returning to the elderly woman's house dressed as the cable repairman. Meanwhile, Paul begins to slide back into his old abusive habits.. Doakes is under investigation after shooting a fleeing suspect, and Batista wrestles with his conscience as he realizes that the evidence doesn't fit Doakes's version of events.


 * "Seeing Red"

Dexter is sent to investigate a horrific blood-soaked crime scene, which he usually enjoys, but is taken aback by a long-suppressed memory of a childhood trauma instead. Rita is charged with assaulting Paul and could lose her children in a custody battle. However, when Dexter finds out, he decides to remove Paul from her life, but by framing him rather than killing him. Angel investigates a hunch regarding the Ice Truck Killer concerning amputee fetish and turns to Rudy for help. Soon after, Angel is stabbed in the parking lot. Meanwhile, Rudy displays a growing interest in getting to know Dexter.


 * "Truth Be Told"

The Ice Truck Killer strikes again, leaving a real nightmare before Christmas at Santa's Cottage. Sergeant Doakes becomes more suspicious about Dexter after his ambivalence about Batista's survival. Dexter finally learns that he is connected to a past case involving Harry Morgan and a blood-bath crime scene in 1973 involving Dexter's biological mother. Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta braces herself as Captain Matthews blames her for the department's failure to find the Ice Truck Killer and he has her replaced. Rudy and Debra spend some quality time together, and Rudy proposes marriage to her. Rita decides to take her children, Astor and Cody, to visit Paul, who has been sent back to prison.


 * "Born Free"

Doakes and LaGuerta begin to suspect that Rudy is the Ice Truck Killer, while Dexter finds a picture of the shipping container where his mother was killed. Doakes begins tailing Dexter, convinced that he is somehow connected to the Ice Truck Killer. Rita's ex-husband calls from prison and warns her about Dexter and his behavior. LaGuerta's replacement, Lt. Esmee Pascal arrives and takes over the Ice Truck Killer Case. Dexter recalls that Rudy is in fact his biological brother, whose real name is Brian Moser. Brian intends to kill Debra with Dexter in a reunion with his true family, but Dexter stops him. As the police close in, Brian escapes and Dexter is left with Debra, appearing to have saved her. The same night, Brian breaks into Dexter's apartment and attempts to stab Debra, but Dexter captures him. After an intense conversation, Dexter slices his brother's throat and leaves him upside down to drain, staging it as a suicide. He wonders what would happen if everyone knew the truth about him.

Episodes
Dexter premiered on October 1st, 2006 with the episode of the self title Dexter. The season set up the usual 12 episode format of one hour running time. This is normal considering most half-hour shows run about 24 episodes a season.

Seasons
Primera temporada