Premieres: Showtime's Dexter and Homeland

Dexter 

Dexter begins its 7^th season on Showtime at 9pm Sunday, September 30.  Watch a preview of the first two minutes.

 

When we last saw Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall) he was in the abandoned church, the headquarters of the villain of the season, the Doomsday killer. He had just dispatched the killer. His sister Debra (played by Jennifer Carpenter), discovers him standing over the dead body of the Doomsday Killer. Is this the end for Dexter, our favorite serial killer? 

Not quite yet. The preview lets us in on how Dexter explains a dead body lying on an altar, wrapped in plastic, with a knife in his chest. Whenever, we think Dexter’s career as a serial-killer/public-avenger is about to be over, Dexter always manages to escape, to cover up, to explain. 

Debra is first and foremost a cop, so her first instinct is to call in a report. Dexter told Debra that the killing was done in self-defense. He says he snapped because of all the anger he has over the murder of his wife. Dexter begs her not to make the call. He tells her he will lose his job if she does. He reminds her of his toddler son, Harrison—what will happen to Harrison?  It looks like he is successful in persuading her to become part of the cover-up.

If you saw the last episode of season 6, you probably remember why Debra was in that church. Debra has decided that all her romantic relationships end badly because she is in love with Dexter. That was the ick-moment of the episode. 

However, it’s not totally icky, because Dexter was adopted by Debra’s parents. There is no blood relationship.  But still it is icky.  They were raised together as brother and sister. They are brother and sister whether or not there is a biological connection. 

Debra is in for a heap of hurt now. She went to the church because she could not wait a single moment before telling Dexter she is in love with him.  (Most of us might want to wait for just-the right-moment before launching into a declaration of quasi-incestuous love.)  Not Debra, she is the impulsive type when it comes to affairs of the heart.  

Now Debra has to deal with her inappropriate feelings of love and her entirely appropriate feelings of horror about what her brother has done. I think all talk of romantic feelings are going to be put on hold for a while.

 

So far Debra only knows about this one murder.  How will she react if, or when, she finds out about all the other murders? 

One way or another, Dexter will prevail.  After all, we have a whole season to get through, and then there is season 8, the last season.  It won’t be much of a show if Dexter spends the season on Death Row.   

Homeland

“Homeland” begins its second season on Showtime at 10 pm, Sunday, September 30.  Everything I have read about season 2 says it is going to be a stunner.  Read my pre-review of "Homeland."