Ketamine is a cyclohexanone-derived general anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist with analgesic and hallucinogenic properties, used medically for anesthesia, depression, and pain management.
Dexter Morgan uses it to subdue his victims in a fictional storyline in the Showtime series Dexter: New Blood replacing his previous use of M99.
Using Ketamine[]
- "Runaway"
After Harrison nearly dies of a drug overdose, Dexter buys ketamine from local veterinarian Dr. Salena Patel by pretending that his goat, Vincent van Goat II, is sick. No longer having access to his sedative of choice, M99, ketamine is Dexter's replacement.
Dexter later attempts to inject Miles O'Flynn with it, but is interrupted by the arrival of Sergeant Logan, forcing Dexter to assault Miles as a cover. Dexter later uses ketamine to subdue Jasper Hodge, but before Dexter can perform his kill ritual, the police arrive, forcing Dexter to kill Jasper through a forced overdose instead.
While investigating Dexter, Angela Bishop learns of his attack on Miles who shows her the injection mark on his neck from where Dexter had tried to give him ketamine. While checking out Jasper's body, Angela also finds the mark on his neck from Dexter injecting him with ketamine. Angela's search for similar murders in Miami leads her to the Bay Harbor Butcher Case.
Looking at old pictures of the Bay Harbor Butcher's victims, Angela sees injection sites similar to Miles and Jasper's. Angela visits Dr. Patel who has a lengthy list of people who have purchased ketamine from her, one of whom is Dexter.
With the help of a distraction from Harrison, Dexter subdues him with ketamine and later kills Kurt in his bunker.
After arresting Dexter for the murder of Matt Caldwell and contacting Angel Batista, Angela accuses him of killing Jasper and being the Bay Harbor Butcher. Angela tells Dexter that both Jasper and the Butcher's victims had the same wheelmark on their necks and ketamine in their systems.
Notes[]
- In "Sins of the Father," when Angela Bishop accuses Dexter of being the Bay Harbor Butcher, she says that the Butcher's victims had ketamine in their systems. However, they actually had M99.
- This appears to have been a retcon that was later corrected in Resurrection as Angela's web search also mentioned the presence of ketamine in the Butcher's victims.