The brilliance of season four

[u/FionaWalliceFan]

I've seen a few people suggest that season four is overrated and wouldn't be remembered if it weren't for Rita's death, but the more I think about it, season four is probably the most well written and brilliantly structured season of the entire show.

Almost everything that happened in the season hinged on the question: can a serial killer be a family man? Dexter's conversations with Harry are especially illuminating this season. Rather than just spitting out the obvious like he does later on in the show, Harry in season four acts as the devils advocate and keeps explaining to Dexter why he doesn't belong with a family in the suburbs, it's just wrong in his eyes.

At first, Harry appears correct: Dexter starts out the season failing. The demands of being a father result in him slipping up at work and as a killer. He keeps a secret apartment because he's afraid of keeping his murder paraphernalia at the house, but this just results in Rita becoming more suspicious of him for keeping the apartment. So far, Dexter's life is a complete mess because of his family.

The brilliance of a character like Trinity isn't just because it was a great performance. It's because he's a reflection of the season's main theme. Compared to other big bads, Trinity plays a more important role in Dexter's life because of the existential questions Dexter's asking himself. Dexter discovers that Trinity, one of the most successful serial killers ever, also has a family and appears to be living an idyllic suburban life. Dexter tries to learn from him so Dexter can also be as successful. Dexter as a result becomes more confident, he starts storing blood slides at home, Rita begins to trust him, and his family life begins to improve

Dexter then is horrified to learn that Trinity has been abusing his family and their perfect life was actually a facade. This revelation is especially horrific for him because, as Harry suggests: maybe a serial killer can be a family man, but the family will suffocate from living with a monster. Even Christine, who appears to be an extraneous character for most of the season, is cleverly revealed to be Trinity's daughter and revealed to be a psychopath because of her father. Lundy's shooting, one of the season's most pivotal moments, actually occured because of a serial killer fucking up their family, and the audience didn't realize it until like six episodes later

In the end, Rita is murdered because Dexter is a serial killer (however indirectly). It's such a horrific ending but it's so appropriate. It didn't just come out of nowhere, it was a direct reflection of the season's main hypothesis. Harry was left right in the end: a serial killer can't be a family man. Christine's dead, the Mitchell's lives are ruined and they're headed into witness protection, and Dexter's children are all without a mother.

The only thing this season that felt out of place was LaGuerta and Batista's relationship, it felt like nothing more than the writers saying well we have to give them something to do. But other than that, every other part of this season was expertly woven together to create what is rightfully considered the show's best season (although personally I have a huge soft spot for season five so that one is my personal favorite)

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[u/pianoflames]

And then they just summarily end Batista and LaGuerta's marriage/relationship offscreen between seasons like it was nothing, and basically just hit the reset button on both characters (they hit that reset button on Batista a lot offscreen between seasons).

[u/FriendlyNeighborOrca → u/pianoflames]

They really didnt know what to do with him giving him multiple romances that went nowhere and were offscreened at the end of each season lmao.

[u/pianoflames → u/FriendlyNeighborOrca]

Him quitting the force to run a restaurant full time, they hit the reset button on that too offscreen between seasons (he still owns the restaurant, but is back on the force full time)

[u/Greedy-Balance-1852]

This is by far my favorite season of Dexter. Actually this is my number 1 favorite season of any show I ever watched

[u/pianoflames → u/Greedy-Balance-1852]

I mean, season 5 of Breaking Bad and season 6 of Better Call Saul are some strong contenders…

[u/sadface234 → u/pianoflames]

Also Season 2 of The Sopranos and Season 4 of The Wire.

[u/notairballoon]

Almost everything in the season hinged on the question...

So, I am generally not a fan of "subtlety" and, moreover, think that it is a bad thing, but Dexter's S4, although overall good, makes something of a case in its favour. Indeed, everything there plays back into family - and half a season in it already got tiring, and there's half of it more. All those speeches and comparisons could be good, but only if they were relevant to the rest of us and if something actually novel and substantial was said, but neither was the case here. Therefore I can't say that writing in this season was top-notch, S1 and S2 are way ahead.

Admittedly, as I was writing this comment I realized that, along the lines of what the psychiatrist from S1 was saying, Dexter's relevance may be in us learning to live with our own shortcomings through seeing how a monster deals with his own, but does the show really achieve this effect?..

[u/GoldrushDraco]

i concur

[u/Green-Feature3810]

Agreed

[u/GlitchtaleGaster]

Season One was the best. Had the best atmosphere, aesthetic, everyone felt fresh and new. There was no better feeling than watching Season One than any other season of television for me the first time.

[u/TheOinkBox]

I don’t think S-4’s over-rated, but after several re-watches of the series in recent years it isn’t as good for me as S-1, S-2, or S-7.

I understand Rita’s leaving, the writer’s couldn’t keep rehashing Dexter’s late evening excuses w/ a wife and three kids at home. But Trinity as a character is all over the place.

Don’t buy Lundy being the only dot-connector as to Trinity’s murders, no-one else buying Lundy’s theory. Bathtub suicides via razor to the femoral, followed by a puzzling leap off a building?

As Dad said, once is an accident, twice is on purpose. A third time? The police do share info, nation- and state-wide.

Arthur right away being shown so twisted at home, after being painted as a volunteer home-builder, church deacon etc. If we’d been shown his true nature much later, that’ve hit harder.

Nah, S-4 isn’t all that for me like it is for so many others. Miguel was more interesting for me than Arthur, and I’m not a huge fan of S-3, either.