Everybody's favorite serial killer is back. Season 7 of Dexter premiered on Showtime last night with an explosive episode to kick things off. Last season ended with a twist that was extreme even by Dexter standards. I'll admit, I was a little worried that the writers may have gotten themselves in too deep a hole; that they could never recover from the implications of Deborah Morgan discovering Dexter in the act of killing somebody. I was truly puzzled at the idea of how to keep the story going. After giving it more thought, however, it made perfect sense. Since the lowly beginning of Deb's career as a police officer in season 1, she has become a much more competent investigator, with the ability to trust her instinct and think like a detective. In the early days, Dexter had to help her along with leads and evidence so that she could keep up, but over time she has turned into a top-notch cop. So it seems only natural, based on her ever increasing talents and her being the closest person to Dexter his whole life, that she would eventually catch on.
What I admired most about the season premier was that instead of fearing the possibility of putting Dexter under too much pressure and backing off, the writers decided to pile it on. Deb seems unable to deny her investigative instinct and keeps digging and digging. The episode ends with Deb finding out the whole truth after ransacking Dexter's apartment, at which point he has no choice but to confess. Plus, there is the added pressure of LaGuerta finding the blood slide and connecting it to the Bay Harbor Butcher. (It was nice to hear James Doakes mentioned again). Finally, the side plot developing with Dexter and Lewis' strained relationship seems to have a lot of promise and it would probably be a good idea to keep an eye on that story. It will be very interesting to see where things go from here. So far, everyone in the show who has had any idea of Dexter's secret has ended up dying. Could the same fate be in store for Deb? If so, could the show last without such a main character to add intricate layers to the plot? I am definitely excited to see what the rest of Season 7 has in store. I think Michael C. Hall said it best in an interview about the new season: "This show is always at its best or most potent when Dexter's in hot water and the water is really as hot as it's ever been now."
