Written by: Kevin Berge
Dexter Morgan, father of the year for sure. (Image Courtesy of: remotelyinterestingtv.wordpress.com)
Quick Take: Dexter Season 5 examines the trauma that Dexter Morgan is dealing with from the previous seasons, less consistently written but one of the most emotionally resonant yet. While not the best season of the series, it is another quality season with top notch performances.
Previous Season Reviews: Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4
***This is a review of the fifth season of Dexter including heavy spoilers from the season. Only those who have watched the first five seasons of Dexter or are not concerned with being spoiled should read on.***
Often Dexter is broken down by halves. The first four season of Dexter are considered the classics of the series while the fifth through eighth seasons are condemned. This is a simple way for people to generalize the series' problems.
It is not however a correct way to see the series which truly only has two bad seasons (which admittedly are quite bad) and the third may be the worst of the remaining six, not the fifth or seventh. While less consistently written than the its predecessors, the fifth season is intense and well made television from start to finish.
Immediately picking up with Dexter Morgan after Rita's death at the hands of the Trinity Killer, the season follows Dexter as he tries to deal with the fallout of losing the woman who had helped him find his humanity.
Paralleling Dexter's loss is the introduction of Lumen (Julia Stiles), a victim of a group of men who collect women, sexually abuse them, then kill them led by motivational speaker Jordan Chase (Johnny Lee Miller) who is barely saved in time by Dexter. In order to deal with his own loss, Dexter must help Lumen overcome her abusers.
Where this show deviates from the previous four most heavily is that it is no longer about the stages of Dexter's growth. Instead this begins the focus on themes in the series, exploring trauma and how people can face and overcome the horrors they endure.
The season still follows Dexter in a mental chess game against a dangerous serial killer opponent, and it is a good game to watch with Chase an intriguing and enigmatic villain particularly with Lumen as Dexter's sidekick.
***This is a review of the fifth season of Dexter including heavy spoilers from the season. Only those who have watched the first five seasons of Dexter or are not concerned with being spoiled should read on.***
Often Dexter is broken down by halves. The first four season of Dexter are considered the classics of the series while the fifth through eighth seasons are condemned. This is a simple way for people to generalize the series' problems.
It is not however a correct way to see the series which truly only has two bad seasons (which admittedly are quite bad) and the third may be the worst of the remaining six, not the fifth or seventh. While less consistently written than the its predecessors, the fifth season is intense and well made television from start to finish.
Immediately picking up with Dexter Morgan after Rita's death at the hands of the Trinity Killer, the season follows Dexter as he tries to deal with the fallout of losing the woman who had helped him find his humanity.
Paralleling Dexter's loss is the introduction of Lumen (Julia Stiles), a victim of a group of men who collect women, sexually abuse them, then kill them led by motivational speaker Jordan Chase (Johnny Lee Miller) who is barely saved in time by Dexter. In order to deal with his own loss, Dexter must help Lumen overcome her abusers.
Where this show deviates from the previous four most heavily is that it is no longer about the stages of Dexter's growth. Instead this begins the focus on themes in the series, exploring trauma and how people can face and overcome the horrors they endure.
The season still follows Dexter in a mental chess game against a dangerous serial killer opponent, and it is a good game to watch with Chase an intriguing and enigmatic villain particularly with Lumen as Dexter's sidekick.
When Dexter meets Sherlock Holmes, if Sherlock Holmes took up sexual abuse ring masterminding. (Image Courtesy of: zoom-cinema.fr)
Once more, this season is led by Michael C. Hall who plays Dexter Morgan more human than he has ever been. Hall perfectly carries Dexter's deep and confused grief, his growing love of Lumen, and uncertainty with trying to teach her to kill properly.
Jennifer Carpenter is again strapped with an unnecessary love interest, but she also carries an interesting level of uncertainty about her job and where the line can be drawn with killing. Desmond Harrington makes Quinn somewhat likeable this season despite the character's confused storyline.
The three excellent guest stars put in quality performances. This may be Julia Stiles' (The Bourne Ultimatum) best performance of her career as she truly sells Lumen's fragile state. Johnny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) makes Chase both fascinatingly charismatic and despicable. Peter Weller (Robocop) also is great in a small role as the persistent Stan Liddy.
The season lets Lauren Vélez play the largest role in the season's subplots. Maria LaGuerta and Angel Batista's marriage was the show's first noticeably convenient storyline to keep characters relevant though it is effective in continuing to make LaGuerta a complicated manipulator which Vélez plays well.
Where this season struggles in comparison to its predecessors is the noticeably slow start. The writing does not seem as certain of itself with some noticeably lacking episode. Where the show succeeds is its middle chapter which is intense all the way through especially "Take It!", perhaps the entire series' best episode.
The direction is still strong. The pacing isn't as tight, but many of the shots are memorable even in lesser episodes. One of the weakest episodes, "First Blood", includes the excellent airport scene where Lumen realizes how damaged she is. "Take It!" is a masterfully directed hour by Romeo Tirone whose been the cinematographer of many episodes of Dexter.
Jennifer Carpenter is again strapped with an unnecessary love interest, but she also carries an interesting level of uncertainty about her job and where the line can be drawn with killing. Desmond Harrington makes Quinn somewhat likeable this season despite the character's confused storyline.
The three excellent guest stars put in quality performances. This may be Julia Stiles' (The Bourne Ultimatum) best performance of her career as she truly sells Lumen's fragile state. Johnny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) makes Chase both fascinatingly charismatic and despicable. Peter Weller (Robocop) also is great in a small role as the persistent Stan Liddy.
The season lets Lauren Vélez play the largest role in the season's subplots. Maria LaGuerta and Angel Batista's marriage was the show's first noticeably convenient storyline to keep characters relevant though it is effective in continuing to make LaGuerta a complicated manipulator which Vélez plays well.
Where this season struggles in comparison to its predecessors is the noticeably slow start. The writing does not seem as certain of itself with some noticeably lacking episode. Where the show succeeds is its middle chapter which is intense all the way through especially "Take It!", perhaps the entire series' best episode.
The direction is still strong. The pacing isn't as tight, but many of the shots are memorable even in lesser episodes. One of the weakest episodes, "First Blood", includes the excellent airport scene where Lumen realizes how damaged she is. "Take It!" is a masterfully directed hour by Romeo Tirone whose been the cinematographer of many episodes of Dexter.
So romantic. (Image Courtesy of: dexterdaily.com)
This season is an intense emotional ride for the most part. Dexter shows surprising humanity and awareness with Lumen that makes their relationship fascinating and the story's main focus. This makes it all the harder when Lumen leaves Dexter in the last episode to move on.
For all my time with Dexter, no moment hit me quite as hard emotionally in the series' run as when Dexter had to accept that Lumen had become whole and had to move on. Hall plays the moment beautifully in its bittersweet confusion.
As a whole, Jordan Chase is one of Dexter's best adversaries. Similar to last season, Dexter and Chase build up a false friendship only to see through the facade. The game between them near the end as both lose control of the situation and must act is intense.
At its heart, this season is very much a reflection of season 2. Once more, Dexter is asked to respond to tragedy and unexpected change in his life. This season doesn't work quite as well on that front as Rita's death ultimately becomes a sidenote in the story, but he is still powerful TV.
If this had been Dexter's final move toward humanity before everything finally fell apart, it would probably stand up stronger in the long run. However, it is instead the introduction to a new and unwanted detour in the Dexter story known as season six.
Season five was just unlucky to be stuck between the best and worst seasons of Dexter's eight year run.
For all my time with Dexter, no moment hit me quite as hard emotionally in the series' run as when Dexter had to accept that Lumen had become whole and had to move on. Hall plays the moment beautifully in its bittersweet confusion.
As a whole, Jordan Chase is one of Dexter's best adversaries. Similar to last season, Dexter and Chase build up a false friendship only to see through the facade. The game between them near the end as both lose control of the situation and must act is intense.
At its heart, this season is very much a reflection of season 2. Once more, Dexter is asked to respond to tragedy and unexpected change in his life. This season doesn't work quite as well on that front as Rita's death ultimately becomes a sidenote in the story, but he is still powerful TV.
If this had been Dexter's final move toward humanity before everything finally fell apart, it would probably stand up stronger in the long run. However, it is instead the introduction to a new and unwanted detour in the Dexter story known as season six.
Season five was just unlucky to be stuck between the best and worst seasons of Dexter's eight year run.