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Dexter Season 4 Episode 1

Living The Dream

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EPISODE REVIEWS
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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 9/27/09

Dexter has to fit the newborn baby into his complex life. An old serial killer returns to Miami, and Frank Lundy returns to close the case.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

Dexter Morgan, Family Man.

9.0

By DexterMorgan2, Mar 06, 2013

Already from the first episode of season 4 we know where it's going and it looks like it's heading in the right direction The main storyline is the return of a serial killer named the Trinity Killer who kills in three's and Lundy has tracked him to Miami But Dexter is now a family man and is finding it hard to get things done because he is tired because of the baby, Harrison and all that shows at the end.moreless
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Dexter settles into suburban family life as a new killer is on the horizon in Miami. A solid start to what should be a great season

9.0

By huntercal, Nov 25, 2011

For me season 3 of Dexter was the highlight on TV last year, there was nothing that matched it. This of coarse leaves a huge expectation on this season and the signs were looking good from the outset. Dexter having new obstacles to hunt his prey all the while a new villain will appear to terrorize Miami.

This season kicks off with a very tired Dexter who finds it difficult to get some sleep with a cranky baby around and Aster being a terror teen. This leads to him slipping up in court riling up Quinn but in turns gives him his next kill. His planning is as meticulous as ever but he is having trouble staying awake through it all.

The villain in this season shows himself early with a kill in the opening scene. Soon Dexter discovers that this is an experienced killer that has been killing for years. Soon Dexter discovers that Former FBI Agent Lundy is on his trail Lundy sees the killer as the one that got away. Not too much is known about John Lithgow's Trinity Killer, but I for one am waiting with baited breath to see what type of character is revealed in the coming eps.

Deb is happy and in love with Anton but fears disaster around the corner, Lundy may just provide that in the ep to come. Meanwhile she is still on the chase for the CI that her father had an affair with and is slowly leading to Dexter's mom. In other news Leguerta and Batista are having a secret affair that they are both trying to hide from the restof the dept. but are having problems with Masuka seemingly everywhere they are.

With all the other characters also getting decent screen time and stories that will be fleshed out as the season goes on. This season has started well and gives you hope that this season may just lve up to the lofty expectations left from last season. Only time will tell but one thing is for sure, suburban life is shaking things up!moreless
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Great casting, unexpected come back and scary villain but déjà vu patterns, lazy graphic violence and hopeless writing

6.0

By goa103, Oct 25, 2011

Since Easy as Pie, the 7th episode of season 3, I have felt less and less interested by Dexter because his dark story is not the one I would have written. However being an optimistic I thought his baby with Rita could be the wake up call he needed. But what I think doesn't really matter so let's go back to Living the (American) Dream. A beautiful and inspiring title but when it comes to Dex you know something deadly is on the way. So as usual we were introduced to a new nemesis and all our favorite characters were back : Sweary Deb, playcop Quinn, cool Batista, kinky Masuka… But in the end it really felt like déjà vu and nothing really surprised me. Of course Jennifer Carpenter's performance is still irresistible but I wish things had changed a little more. For example they could have at least redesigned their office. But for a premiere I think it's important not to be too picky because there were still plenty of elements to enjoy.

First one character I wasn't expecting to show up was back. In fact it scenes made me realize how much I missed it. I know its relationships with other characters will greatly contribute to their development and it should also create some twisted story arcs.

Second John Lithgow plays Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer, and as a veteran I'm sure he'll do a great job. In fact his calm but disturbing attitude reminded me of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. However it would be foolish to expect him to be as good as Anthony Hopkins was. But his few scenes were quite shocking so I expect the worst to happen in the upcoming episodes. In fact it worries me because in my Easy as Pie review I denounced free graphic violence and I don't want this season to turn into a blood bath. I mean what's the point of showing something if it's explained by some character a few seconds later ? So I think it would be better to let the viewers imagination do its magic instead of fast-fooding some scenes.

It leads us to Dex and Rita, lemonly played by Julie Benz. As usual Michael C. Hall performance is great but I have to admit that Dex is not growing on me anymore. In fact season 3's ending dramatically changed my mind about the show, specially its controversial morality, and the path the writers have decided to follow. I respect their talent but we have to question their decision and I wonder for example what Jeff Lindsay, writer of the Dexter novel series, thinks of the show. Has it already jumped the shark for him ? It's a question I can't help asking because they have already planned a 5th season and as a fan I worry the show will never end.

But don't get me wrong, Dexter is still a good show. This time I specially enjoyed the contrast between his daily routine and night life. So there's still something fascinating about it. However it's not as great as it could have been. Do the show creators still care about their baby or it's now only in the lucrative hands of the network ? Beside Trinity an other character was introduced and the episode ended on a climax but don't we already know what will happen in the upcoming episodes ? Surprise, surprise… or not.moreless
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Dexter is back...

8.5

By vman85, Feb 21, 2011

Yes people Dexter is back after a 9 month wait our favourite serial killer who doesn't get caught is gonna be gracing our T.V screens for the next 12 weeks. Dexter is now happily married to Rita, has a new baby boy that just won't go to sleep and hasn't killed anyone for months until now.

Debbie is still looking into Harry's past, getting closer to Dexter's mom. Agent Frank Lundy or I should really say now retired from the FBI is back in pursuit of the so called "The Trinity Killer" Yep, this guy apparently kills in three's. The Trinity killer makes his mark in this episode as he kills his victim naked in the bath tub, somewhat disturbing in my view.moreless
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Disappointing start for the anticipated new season.

7.0

By thefanof, Feb 21, 2011

It is great to have Dexter back, nobody would deny that, but after watching this season premiere I could not help but feel that this show is losing a bit of its appeal. The new story arc, involving the Trinity Killer, seems forced, and is not as entertaining as the past season-long guest stars. Plus, can John Lithgow portray a murderer?

But it's more than that as the show seems to be reaching with a lot of cliches lately (last season ended with a pregnancy and a wedding, and this season started with our hero getting in a car wreck, not exactly groundbreaking television.) There was also a random get together out of nowhere between Maria and Batista. Save that stuff for Grey's Anatomy.

It is unfair to judge an entire season based on one episode, but if this is any indication this will be the worst season of Dexter yet.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Michael C. Hall	Dexter Morgan
Julie Benz	Rita Bennett
Jennifer Carpenter	Debra Morgan
C.S. Lee	Vince Masuka
James Remar	Harry Morgan
David Zayas	Angel Batista

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Kelly Huddleston	Lisa Bell	Guest Star
James Ingersoll	Cop	Guest Star
Gino Aquino	Benny	Guest Star
Keith Carradine	Frank Lundy	Recurring Role
David Ramsey	Anton Briggs	Recurring Role
Courtney Ford	Christine Hill	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (8)
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- (Dexter is putting up lots of red strings at the crime scene)
  Deb: What is this, Extreme Home Makeover, Forensics Edition?
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- Dexter: (voice over) First up today finish the Lisa Bell blood work. Tonight a little Benny Gomez recon, then go home and sing the last 95 verses of America The Beautiful to my baby son. Who knew life could get so unsimple?
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- Dexter: I'm not uncheered.
  Masuka: Yeah? Tell that to your face.
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- Lundy: Dexter. How is my favorite blood spatter analyst?
  Dexter: Uh, great. How is my favorite serial killer hunter?
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- Dexter: (voice over) Blood tells. Blood always tells.
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- Dexter: (voice over) Maybe the night wasn't perfect. Maybe I need to reboot the way I do things. But at least I'm on the right road. I'm on my way to taking care of my family, raising my son... And all the while doing what I have to do to satisfy a calling that I can't ignore or deny. I can do this.
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- Dexter: (voice over) If I wanna be around for my son, I have to do this right. I'm killing for two now.
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- Dexter: (voice over) There's this cliché, where serial killers are
  always described as quiet, kept to themself,... Kind of a loner. And it's a cliché for a reason.
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NOTES (0)
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Deb: What is this, Extreme Home Makeover, Forensics Edition?
  
  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a TV show on which a team of professionals helps renovate a house.
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