Summary

• Dexter's quality varied over seasons, peaking in the middle with iconic moments.
• New showrunners and shock value attempts caused the show to lose its way.
• Revival series "Dexter: New Blood" redeemed the show's legacy after a criticized finale.

Despite being one of the hottest shows on television for several seasons, looking at all the Dexter seasons ranked shows how the quality of the show varied over its run. Starring Michael C. Hall, Dexter followed Dexter Morgan, a blood analyst with the Miami Police Department who moonlighted as a serial killer. However, operating on a certain moral code, Dexter only targeted other killers. It was an intriguing premise with a dark protagonist which started Dexter off on the right foot.

Dexter's early season capitalized on its unique crime story while peaking in the middle of its run with some iconic television moments. However, new showrunners and lackluster attempts to add shock value to the series meant that Dexter lost its way. This led to a notoriously criticized finale as well as some redemption in the form of the revival series Dexter: New Blood. It makes for an interesting television journey with the Dexter seasons ranked showing the good and the bad the show offered

10 Season 8

Dexter Ends With Disappointment

Eight seasons is a long time for any show to run, but Dexter had re-earned quite a bit of goodwill with its penultimate season. Season 7 built up to the dissolution of Deb and Dexter’s relationship, setting the stage for a particularly tense final season in the wake of Laguerta’s death. However, in a baffling storytelling mood, the final season begins by revealing a 6-month time jump that robbed the show of so much of that tension.

Deb is now an addict and Dexter’s life has never been better with the show curiously choosing to focus more on Dexter interacting with new characters that have just been introduced rather than exploring this fractured relationship that was so central to the show from the beginning. However, season 8 is really best ed with the Dexter finale which was seen as one of the worst finales in television history, destroying so much of the show's legacy.

9 Season 6

Dexter Tracks The Doomsday Killer To Lackluster Reviews

Many fans view Dexter season 6 as the worst season and that is understandable as it is when the show lost its way and never recovered. In the eyes of many, the biggest issue plaguing the sixth season is the mere fact it often feels very standalone. There’s continuity with the first five seasons, but new showrunner Scott Buck tried to set a clear stage for him to work off of but lost the feel of the show. The first half is decent, with Dexter’s relationship with Sam filling a structural hole left in the wake of Lumen’s departure.

Sam’s death halfway through serves as an important turning point for Dexter

Sam’s death halfway through serves as an important turning point for Dexter, the last straw after a series of many, prompting him to go through some great late series development. Unfortunately, the twist with the Doomsday Killers was painfully obvious and drawn out with the audience able to get far ahead of the show in of the mystery. However, even with all the bad that came before, the excellent final scene ends things on an exciting note as

8 Season 5

Dexter And Lumen Take On The Barrel Girl Gang In An Up & Down Season

The first season following the original showrunner’s departure from the series, explicit confirmation that Dexter would run longer than six seasons, and aftermath of Rita’s death, meant season 5 had a lot to live up to and ultimately couldn’t. That said, it is an exciting season but seems to mark the moment that Dexter should have ended. Overall, the season is a mix of good and bad.

The Barrel Girl killers don't make for the most memorable villains on the show despite the brutality of their crimes. Quinn's investigation into Dexter with the help of crooked cop Liddy is promising but ultimately anti-climactic. However, Dexter's relationship with Lumen is the real highlight of the season. Julia Stiles is excellent in the role and it shows Dexter finding a true kinship that gives him hope for the future. Many were disappointed that she never returned.

7 Season 3

Dexter Reveals His Dark enger To Mixed Results

While there have been a number of people who learn about Dexter's "dark enger" over the course of the series, Miguel Pardo is the character that makes the revelation the most interesting. Miguel himself is one of the series’ most nuanced characters, with his truths and lies intimately blurred. While Skinner isn’t a particularly compelling TV serial killer, season 3 is filled with great character writing and unforgettable scenes between Dexter and Miguel.

It’s in season 3 where Deb starts to climb

It’s in season 3 where Deb starts to climb the ladder as well, cementing her character arc until Dexter hijacks her life at the start of season 7. Dexter's marriage to Rita is also a milestone, but these developments highlight how much season 3 doesn't really move things forward for the series as a whole and seems largely inconsequential. However, the dynamic with Dexter and Miguel is certainly the saving grace and one of the best parts of the series.

6 Season 9 (New Blood)

Dexter's Past Returns In An Attempt To Fix The Series' Conclusion

When Dexter Morgan returned for a ninth season, titled New Blood, it went a long way to fix the problems people had with the original series finale. While Dexter going off to live as a recluse seemed disappointing, seeing him return and realize he couldn't leave his sins in the past offered a great conclusion to his story.

The highlight here was bringing back his son, Harrison Morgan, who (like Dexter), had watched his mother brutally murdered. The idea that Dexter's son might be headed down the same dark path as Dexter gave him a chance to finally do something selfless. While there is a bit of the feeling that Dexter's return could have done something a little more exciting, it was a way of repairing the damaged legacy of the show and delivering an ending that feels a lot more fitting.

5 Season 7

Deb Deals With The Truth About Dexter In An Exciting Season

Coming off of the disastrous season 6, it seemed for a moment that it might have only been a misstep as season 7 was a big recovery. Dexter regains its focus and class, telling a story that’s complex, emotional, and incredibly intense. Isaak Sirko is one of the series’ best villains, someone who can actually take Dexter out should he choose– but putting him at the mercy of other characters makes his role in the plot more dynamic.

The dynamic between Deb and Dexter is thrilling and engaging

Coupled with Laguerta’s investigation into Dexter playing out in the background, season 7 feels more like a finale than season 8 did. Dexter even takes out Estrada, the man who killed his mother. The dynamic between Deb and Dexter is thrilling and engaging as she peels back layers upon layers to uncover the truth about who her brother truly is. The whole season builds up to Deb killing Laguerta, compromising everything she’s ever believed in for the sake of a brother who’s pure poison.

4 Season 2

Dexter Is Close To Getting Caught In A Thrilling Season

Following the show's premiere, Dexter season 2 proved that the series was far more than just a great premise as it displayed some of its best writing and willingness to take risks. Season 2 stands out in particular for its very intimate connections to season 1. Essentially everything Dexter does in the first season comes back to bite him in a big way in the second, as he finds himself at the mercy of the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation, James Doakes’ ire, and Lila’s sudden affection.

Season 2 is one of Dexter’s tensest seasons and the way all the plot juggles until the finale makes for a very satisfying conclusion. It doesn’t quite hold a candle to the first season, in large part due to Lila’s rather frustrating presence at times, but season 2 is classic television.

3 Season 1

The Ice Truck Killer Taunts Dexter In Incredible Fashion

Very rarely is the first season of a show as good as the one Dexter has. Even today, it stands out as one of the best-written seasons of television ever. There are, of course, the early growing pains of most shows as the pace of things can feel a little awkward at times and the ing characters are still finding their voices. However, season 1 would be compelling enough just following Dexter’s serial killings day-to-day, but the inclusion of the Ice Truck Killer only makes the plot more compelling.

There’s suddenly a mystery at the center of the story, and it’s connected to Dexter himself, allowing the audience to care as much about the character as the plot. The whole season fits together like a seamless puzzle, even planting seeds that blossom into incredible plot points in season 2. It remains almost perfect, with only one that ranks higher as the best season of Dexter.

2 Season 4

Dexter Meets The Trinity Killer In The Show's Peak

For as strong as season 1 is, season 4 is just a bonafide masterpiece of television that is looked at as an example of how excellent the show could be. From its writing to its acting to its directing, season 4 of Dexter has no weak spots. Every little detail comes together into a soul-crushing finale that feels thematically appropriate. The season begins with Dexter himself struggling to juggle life.

Only in meeting a fellow serial killer - the Trinity Killer - does Dexter start to realize he can have it all. However, it’s all a facade, and in taking advice from someone who is actually a monster, Dexter opens the door that ends up ruining his life. It’s an incredible season that balances tension and drama better than most. John Lithgow's chilling performance also cements him as the greatest Dexter villain. While the show was not always consistent, Dexter season 4 stands on its own as a great season of television.

1 There Are Two Dexter Spinoffs In The Works

Dexter: Original Sin & Dexter Resurrection

The world of Dexter is not finished yet, as there are two spinoff coming. One (Original Sin) is a prequel that shows Dexter when he first becomes a serial killer. The other takes place years after Dexter: New Blood, which means it won't include Dexter Morgan at all since he died in that series. The most interesting of the spinoffs is Dexter: Original Sin, which follows Dexter Morgan when he is in college and his father helps him learn how to control his Dark enger.

Since Dexter: Original Sin takes place when Dexter was in college, the show will recast everyone with younger actors in the roles. Michael C. Hall will be back as the narrator for the prequel (similar to Young Sheldon). The new cast will include Patrick Gibson as Dexter, Molly Brown as Deborah, Christian Slater as Dexter's dad, Harry. Sarah Michelle Gellar is also appearing in the series as CSI Chief Tanya Martin and Joe Pantoliano is playing a character known as Mad Dog.

As for Dexter Resurrection, the title of the series is a slight misnomer. There is no way Dexter Morgan returns since he died. However, Michael C. Hall will be back in that series as well, and it might be clear how he will be back. In Dexter, his dad, Harry, kept showing up in visions that Dexter had and that is likely how Morgan will return here as well. If the new series has Harrison starting to follow his dad's footsteps with the Dark enger, Dexter himself could be in his hallucinations and delusions.

Both of the shows have a chance to rate highly among the seasons and spinoff that came before. The final seasons of the regular series mostly disappointed audiences, with rare exceptions. The New Blood series was an improvement but the franchise has to hope that these two new spinoffs could rank as high as early seasons, although with the high quality of early Dexter, that might be a hard level to reach.