Dexter: Will Daddy Change Everything?

By Elaine B
I begin by noting that I have faith in the writers of the freshest most cutting-edge drama on television. But my faith was sorely tested at the end of the Season 3 premiere by the sudden plot twist that has a clearly besotted-by-Rita-and-kids Dexter suddenly contemplating that he will become a father in actuality rather than just a sort of informal doughnut-carrying dad.

For Dexter, who has always had father issues of his own, as well as a strong tie to his adopted family, becoming a father could be a step on the path to finding his own humanity. OR, it could be the worst mistake ever. Kids were used well in last season’s finale, but babies are an entirely different matter. We can only hope that they don’t make the writers get sappy — or even worse, lazy. On the other hand, future seasons (and we hope it will be a LONG future) can explore the notion of nurture vs. nature.

There are also disquieting comments coming from some critics who, unlike me, went ahead and devoured the first four episodes Showtime sent out in the Dexter press kit. Their complaint is that Jimmy Smits’ character Miguel Prado hogs too much of the center stage. Last season, Keith Carradine’s agent Lundy was played as a background menace rather than a co-star and that is as it should be. This series is about Dexter, not Prado or even Debs.

We’ll all see whether this series just keeps getting better or whether it has up and down years…either way, I’ll be watching.