No one ever doubted that Dexter (Michael C. Hall) would eventually get his man and dispense his own special brand of serial-killer just on the Trinity killer (John Lithgow). It was what came next that will have Dexter fans buzzing for weeks to come. The end of Dexter Season 4 is nothing short of a game changer. The usual M.O. for Dexter is to wrap up each season neatly, and pick up with Dexter in the gang engaged in business as usual. This time, it's different. Quite different. If you haven't watched the Dexter season 4 finale yet and don't want to be spoiled, do not read on.
Tonight saw the death of Rita, Dexter's wife - and the final victim of the Trinity killer. After an intense game of cat and mouse that dominated most of the episode, Dexter sent Rita and Harry away to give himself a chance to catch Trinity and end the game. Naturally, he succeeded - but unbeknown to him, Rita had forgotten her ID at home. After dispatching Trinity, Dexter returned home and retrieved a voice mail from Rita saying she had stopped by the house. He realized what was going on, called her phone, and sure enough heard the ring coming from within the house. Suddenly he heard Harry starting to cry from the bathroom, and Dexter went in to find Rita killed bathtub style. A Trinity special.
The scene held several connotations. For starters, Dexter found Harry covered in his mother's blood - much in the same way Dexter's adoptive father Harry found him. We all know that Harry went on to train Dexter in the way of "The Code," will Dexter's affected psyche take the entire situation as a calling - as Arthur had eluded to?
The weight of this occurrence will surely weigh heavily in Dexter's fifth season. It is hard to imagine season five being anything other than a dark tour de force of a psychological drama. To introduce a big bad would almost dilute the larger issues left hanging: will Dexter Adopt Astrid and Cody? What direction will their lives take after this horrific event? Better yet, what will become of Dexter's psyche? After grudgingly accepting his human side, will Dexter be able to prevent his 'Dark Passenger' from seizing total control amid the grief and anguish?
