Dexter S6 E1 "Those Kinds of Things" Review

I have become so conflicted with Dexter since around Season 4. Dexter has so much potential to dig deep and show a deeply tormented man, trying to keep his unquenchable thirst to kill at bay, while raising a family and working as a blood splatter analyst for Miami Metro Police Department. Instead Dexter never carries through its developments, opting to always reset every season. Every year we are given a new villain that Dexter will need to track down and stop before he/she/or they do anymore harm. In Season 4 Dexter had to fend of The Trinity killers advances while protecting his wife Rita and kids, but by season end Rita was dead and the kids moved in with their grandparents. Last Season Dexter meet Lumen a young women who he connected to, and as a women seeking vengeance against the people who assaulted and tortured her she saw Dexter for who he really was and loved him for it, but once again by season end Lumen had been "cured" of her dark passenger and she moved on.

And so here we are in Season 6 with a fresh slate, its unfortunate Dexter (the show) has no greater ambitions, instead Season 6 feels (for better or worse) like taking Dexter back to his roots, more forensic cop by day killer by night. Dexter just happens to be looking out for the future of his son, by finding a pre-school he feels comfortable inducting his son into. Debra is cursing up a storm like usual and still dating Quinn, but apparently the investigation that had Quinn pinned as the man who killed Liddy last year, has been neatly and conveniently wrapped up off-screen. Batista has thankfully divorced LaGuerta (also off-screen) since they were the most annoying couple last year. This whole episode just feels to convenient, everything is as normal and simple as it use to be, where is the drama, why isn't Quinn under investigation or more importantly, still suspicious of Dexter.

Having said all that this was still a pretty damn great first episode, with Dexter tracking his latest prey at his high school reunion and being forced to be more social, something Dexter is not very good at, which leads to hilarious scenes of him trying to comprehend the phrase "Hammer Time" and more specifically how it relates to normal time. Watching Dex return fully expecting to be ignored as he was in high school, only to be the center of attention was the highlight of the episode, dancing terribly, getting a BJ from the prom queen, playing tag football, and learning that his date to the spring formal found out she was a lesbian after him. Its all played for laughs and is a great counterpart to him trying to get proof that the star of the football team killed his own wife, so he can kill him.


Back in Homicide a duo of religious killers, take their first step into whatever apocalyptic vision they have. Killing a fruit vendor by disemboweling him, replacing his intestine with snakes, and finally sewing the Alpha and Omega sign into his chest, all while quoting from the Bible (specifically Revelations). Colin Hanks seemingly plays the student role of this psychotic duo trying his best to seem like a killer but, so far I'm not convinced. He looks like a little boy wearing his daddy's jacket, and it honestly looks quite silly.


Either way Dexter is back, with an interesting set of villains, and a back to basics feel. Even if everything feels artificial and conveniently reset for the new season, its still fun to watch Dexter stalk his prey, and his new interest in religion could only lead to some great moments throughout the rest of this season. I just fear this show will lose its appeal the more it continues the same formula.

(4 out of 5)