List of Dexter characters

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List of characters, with biographical details, from the Showtime series Dexter and the Jeff Lindsay novel series it was based on, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, and Dexter in the Dark.

Contents

[edit] Dexter Morgan

Dexter Morgan, adopted son of respected Miami police officer Harry Morgan, has a secret. He may appear a likable, if slightly strange, young man with a genius for blood spatter analysis and problems with women, but his knowledge of the world of serial murder goes deeper than just a C.S.I.: Dexter spends his nights tracking down those who have escaped justice (rapists, child molesters, other serial killers etc.) and ritually murdering them (which he refers to as "taking out the trash").[1] It is hinted that his troubles originate from a suppressed memory in which he witnessed his mother being cut to pieces by a chain saw and was subsequently trapped in a cargo container, sitting in two inches of blood.[2][3] Harry later notices Dexter's homicidal tendencies and presents him with a code of ethics, dubbed "the code of Harry" by Dexter, by which he can only kill people who are themselves killers, in order to satisfy his urges.

[edit] Police associates

[edit] Debra Morgan

Debra, Dexter's adoptive sister, is a vice cop desperate to be transferred to Homicide,[4] a goal she accomplishes in the second episode.[5] Deb is smart, but unsure of herself, and so relies on Dexter's "expertise" to solve difficult cases. When one of Dexter's victims is found, Debra formulates a theory that could expose him. Dexter steers the investigation in a different direction, pointing to her lack of experience and knowing all along that her theory is correct.[6] In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, when LaGuerta is slain by Brian, Debra finds out her brother is a killer. Throughout Season 2, Debra is a key member of the Police Task Force that is trying to find the Bay Harbor Butcher, which (unknown to her) is her brother.

[edit] Sergeant James Doakes

Sgt. Doakes apparently worked as a Special Forces operative in Haiti about 15-20 years before becoming a Homicide detective. When he was prime suspect for the Bay Harbor Butcher, he was revealed to have an abusive father.[7] He is the only one on the force who doesn't like Dexter. The cheery, innocent-seeming young man gets on his nerves, and his passion for blood spatter gives him the creeps. What irritates him even more is that Dexter is usually right about cases, being in the right place at the right time. He hates Dexter to the point wherein he physically assaults him, but Dexter fights back and could've broken Doakes' arm had they not been interrupted[8]. Later on, Doakes discovers that Dexter practiced martial arts[9], which probably explains Dexter's skill in hand to hand combat. LaGuerta refers to Doakes by his first name and he listens to her, since they used to be partners before she arrested a high-profile drug dealer in a drug bust and got promoted, a fact which does not bother Doakes. When he is angrily questioning a seemingly innocent Dexter, Maria, due to her affection for Dexter, tells Doakes to back off, and he does. At the end of the first season, Doakes begins to follow Dexter around based on his suspicions[8]. After finding Dexter attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, Doakes comes to erroneously believe that Dexter is a drug addict. However, Doakes' false conclusion works in Dexter's favor, as he believes Dexter's (non-existent) drug addiction is caused by work-related stress which, as Doakes recounts, led many policemen down the same path. Feeling sympathetic towards Dexter, he apparently ends his stalking, but not before telling him to "stay clean".[9]. Eventually he realizes Dexter was lying about having an addiction, and stalks him once more. Then he stumbles upon Dexter's secret (that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher), but not before Lundy made Doakes his prime suspect as the Butcher after finding Dexter's blood slides in Doakes' car. Doakes attempts to apprehend Dexter himself in the Everglades, but fails and Dexter locks him in Jimenez's cabin where he waits to decide what to do with Doakes. However, Lila finds the cabin using a stolen GPS device and makes the decision for him. After finding out from Doakes that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher, she blows up the cabin by igniting propane tanks. Doakes's burned remains are found along with the dismembered body of Jose Garza. His funeral is largely unattended, with the exception of LaGuerta, Dexter, and Doakes' mother and sisters. Doakes was also divorced to a woman who turned out to be a criminal.

Doakes' role is very similar in the books, although somewhat less sympathetic; Dexter speculates that Doakes has a "Dark Passenger" of his own. He begins to stalk Dexter in Dearly Devoted Dexter and forces Dexter into a 'normal human world' of sitting on the couch, drinking beer, and spending time with Rita and her children — a life that Dexter, much to his own surprise, begins to enjoy. Doakes then has to work with Dexter to find a former Special Forces comrade, "Dr. Danco", who has begun preying on his former brothers-in-arms.

Doakes' encounter with Danco leaves him horribly mutilated, with two prosthetic feet, mandible claws and no tongue. [10]

[edit] Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta

Lieutenant LaGuerta is a no-nonsense woman in command of the Homicide division who is not above making her subordinates feel intimidated. She has a sincere dislike for Debra.[4] She does, however, make no secret of her attraction to Dexter, whom she flirts with constantly, to his discomfort. At the end of the first season, she was removed from command[2], but returned to her old job once the new Lieutenant proved to be unstable. [11] When her friend and former partner James Doakes becomes the prime suspect in the Bay Harbor Butcher case, she tries to clear his name. She learns from a questionable source of two Special Forces missions Doakes was on that directly conflicted with the deaths of two Butcher victims. However, Doakes is found dead in a seemingly accidental explosion along with the body of Jose Garza and the case is closed. The evidence LaGuerta finds is ignored. After his death, LaGuerta starts a memorial fund for him, asking police officers for donations, and refusing to think of her deceased friend as a serial killer.[10]

Her characterization in the show departs significantly from that in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, in which she is a shrill, manipulative woman whose only real objective is promotion within the department. At the end of the novel, Brian kills her while Dexter looks the other way.

[edit] Angelo "Angel" Batista

Batista, a homicide detective in the television series and a member of the forensics team in the books, works closely with Dexter during the day.[4] While he does not share Dexter's fascination with blood, he can appreciate the art of murder. He is undergoing a painful separation from his wife that has lasted three months when the show begins, which was ignited by the fact that Batista had an affair with another woman. Apparently, their relationship fully ended by the time the second season began.[12] In the show he is the closest thing Dexter has to a best friend. Angel and his ex wife also have one daughter together.

[edit] Vincent "Vince" Masuka

Vince works alongside Dexter in the lab and in crime scenes.[4] He often cracks innuendo to the rest of the team, and harbors decidedly unrequited feelings for Deborah.

[edit] Camilla Figg

The Camilla Figgs of the books and television series differ significantly. In the books, Camilla Figg is a young member of the forensics team who has a crush on Dexter. In the television series, Camilla is the records supervisor at the Miami police station. She is Dexter's main source of information for criminals who have escaped the traditional justice system. However, she is unaware that Dexter hunts down and kills the people whose records she gives him. He tells her that he looks over old records as a hobby in hopes that he can "help out." On Harry Morgan's orders, she destroyed the file of the crime scene where he had found a young Dexter.

[edit] Captain Tom Matthews

Tom Matthews is the Captain of the Miami Police Department's homicide division and immediate superior of Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta; while he originally promoted her to her position as Lieutenant, he frequently clashes with her, and winds up (temporarily) installing another Lieutenant to supervise her after several embarrassing mistakes during the Ice Truck Killer case. Tom is nominally racist, calling LaGuerta a "spic" detective, and has a strong desire to use political leverage to increase his power in the law-enforcement agencies, the latest of which involved Tom planning to use the fame of successfully ending the Bay Harbor Butcher case to propel himself to the position of Deputy Chief. Before Harry committed suicide, he promised to look after Dexter and Debra, which is what he has done to this day.

[edit] Esmee Pascal

A Haitian-American police officer who replaces LaGuerta as Lieutenant at the end of the first season, described by Captain Matthews as "a real up-and-comer."[3] In the second season, she is revealed to be having personal problems with her fiancé Bertrand. She suspects him of adultery on little real evidence,[12] casting doubt on her rationality. Her obsession becomes so strong that she uses department resources to investigate him. She tracks his phone calls and has the forensics department do tests on his shirt. Because of this Captain Matthews returns control of the Homicide Division to LaGuerta, who is later revealed to be the one who had an affair with Pascal's fiancé.[11] However, LaGuerta only started the affair as a way to get her old job back, and breaks it off as soon as that goal is accomplished. [11]

[edit] Frank Lundy

Frank Lundy is a high-ranking and illustrious FBI Special Agent recruited by Captain Matthews to lead the task force dedicated to identifying and arresting the Bay Harbor Butcher.[13] Frank is an extremely intelligent and competent agent, to the point that he openly relaxes and takes breaks on duty without fear of missing important case evidence. Frank is most famous for his work with high-profile criminal cases including the Green River Killer and the DC Sniper, which has made many, including Sgt. Doakes, consider him to be a "rock star". He also becomes involved in a relationship with Dexter's sister, Debra. However, when Sgt. Doakes is thought to be the Bay Harbor Butcher, Lundy leads the force in a full-scale manhunt to find Doakes. But after Doakes is blown up in a seemingly accidental explosion, the case is considered closed and Lundy moves on to another murder case in Oregon, much to the surprise of Debra.

[edit] Kyle Chutsky

Chutsky is a federal agent who appears only in the book series. He is a former Special Forces operative who worked alongside Albert Doakes. When a member of their old unit is found with most of his body parts removed, Doakes recognizes the work of his former comrade, Dr. Danco, and Chutsky is called in to help with the case. In the course of the investigation, Chutsky is captured by Dr. Danco. His little finger, on which he wears a distinctive ring, is amputated and mailed to Deborah. Chutsky is later found missing an arm and a leg but fortunately, not much else. Dexter, after examining Chutsky's finger, pockets the ring, intending to return it to Deborah. The ring is found by Rita, who mistakes it for an engagement ring. In Dexter in the Dark, Chutsky is staying with Deborah and has not been returned to work for his agency due to his handicap.

Chutsky may be the inspiration for the TV character Frank Lundy. Both are older federal agents who are called in to help with a police case and both have romantic relationships with Debra.

[edit] Other friends and relatives

[edit] Rita Bennett

Rita is a mother of two who is slowly recovering from being abused by her ex-husband, Paul. Debra responded to the domestic violence call and saved her life; she then introduced her to Dexter.[4] She is tentatively starting a relationship with Dexter, but is unaware of how he spends his free time. Dexter states that he 'chose Rita because she's broken' and fears that if she gets better he'll lose her. They don't actually have sex until the episode 'Shrink Wrap'[14] but she came on to him twice before that because she had problems with Paul during their relationship. Rita stands up to Paul by demanding he sign the divorce papers he refused in prison and she offers supervised weekly visits. He at first tries to intimidate her, but signs them when she doesn't back down. Paul comes into the house drunk one night, and Rita reluctantly lets him in. He wrestles her on her bed and she successfully knocks him out with a baseball bat[7]. He then sues her for custody of the kids. Dexter takes it into his own hands by knocking him out and making it appear Paul had taken illegal drugs again, and he is sent off to jail.[2] Paul pleads with her in prison not to let Dexter near their children, claiming that Dexter had framed him, but she brushes him off. She later finds Paul's shoe outside of her house — just where he said it ended up after Dexter knocked him out.[8]

In season two, Rita's relationship with Dexter becomes troubled. After finding out what Dexter did to Paul, she suspects that Dexter owns the drugs Paul was injected with. Dexter allows her to think he is an addict, as it is better than saying he is a serial killer. She pushes him into Narcotics Anonymous and threatens to leave him when he expresses reluctance. After Dexter has an affair with his sponsor, Rita breaks up with him, although her children still try to maintain a relationship with him. After Dexter lies to Lila about working late (he had gone to kill Jimenez), Lila breaks into Rita's house, afraid that they had rekindled their relationship. Angered, Dexter breaks up with her. The next day, Dexter apologized to her for his infidelity, saying that Lila is one of his big mistakes. Later she calls him and states she wants him back, due to her "feelings for him". His breakup with Lila, his love for Rita and her children, and his sincere regret over what he had done convince Rita to start dating him again. By the last episode of Season 2, their relationship is back to where it was in Season 1.[10]

[edit] Cody and Astor Bennett

  • Daniel Goldman (Cody) - Season 1
  • Preston Bailey (Cody) - Season 2
  • Christina Robinson (actor) (Astor)

The children of Paul and Rita Bennett.[4]

Cody does not remember the abuse his mother suffered at the hands of his father and so, when Paul returns home from prison, he is overjoyed. Astor, who remembers her father's abuse all too well, is saddened but comes to love her father, who appears to have changed. They have a good relationship with both Paul and Dexter, oblivious to the tension it creates between the two. At the end of the first season, Paul is back in prison and Rita tells him that he can either explain to them all the bad things he had done or never see them again.

During season two, Astor and Cody try to maintain their relationship with Dexter even though he broke up with their mother. Cody hides toys in his bag, forcing him to come to their home to return it, and asks Dexter to attend an oral report he makes in class. Dexter's love for Cody and Astor helps convince Rita to rekindle their relationship.[10]

The TV show's characterization of Astor and Cody is a major departure from the book series, in which both children are budding sociopaths whom Dexter teaches to be cautious, meticulous killers.

[edit] Gail

Rita Bennett's mother.[11] She is a former schoolteacher who was fired by the school board due to "philosophical disagreements." Gail disapproved of what she saw as the gradual acceptance of mediocrity in the way schools treated children. She has high standards, making her judgmental of her daughter and her grandchildren. She also distrusts Dexter, who she believes is a drug addict, and believes Rita is repeating her mistake with Paul by getting involved with another addict. Near the end of season two, Rita breaks off all ties with her mother and forces her to leave her home, not wanting her children to be exposed to her (like she was).

[edit] Harry Morgan

A respected member of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Harry was Dexter's adoptive father and the first to discover the young boy's blood-lust. He taught Dexter how to channel his violent urges into vigilante justice, and how to cover his tracks. Dexter operates under what he calls "the code of Harry," named after his father.[4] Harry appears only in flashbacks, having passed away 10 years before the series begins. The Dexter of the television series later discovers that Harry committed suicide after he witnessed Dexter's work first hand,[15] but no such revelation is made about the Harry Morgan of the books. In both the first book and show it was Harry who gave Dexter "permission" to kill one of the nurses, who was murdering patients with overdoses of morphine.

[edit] Doris Morgan

  • Kathrin Lautner

Debra and Dexter's mother, who died of cancer when Debra was 16. She is seen briefly in a flashback in season 1, urging her husband to contact Dexter's biological father for a blood transfusion,[7] and again in another flashback in season 2, suggesting that Dexter be tested by a psychologist.[11]

[edit] Laura Moser

Dexter and Brian's biological mother who was involved in the drug trade. She and three others were sawed into pieces in a shipping container as her two sons watched, causing their murderous urges.[2][3][8] In the second season, it is revealed that Laura had an affair with Harry Morgan and was working as a police informant, trying to get evidence against Santos Jimenez's boss. No such revelation is made about the Laura Moser of the books.

[edit] Joseph "Joe" Driscoll

Joe was the biological father of Dexter and Brian, and boyfriend of Laura Moser. Joe was in the US Army and served in the Vietnam War, and later became a drug-addicted criminal, at some point being landed in prison. When Laura was exposed and murdered for being involved with the police in their attempts to bring their gang to justice, Joe went underground, abandoning his sons to the justice system, and settled in Date City, Florida. This was the reason Joe adopted the name "Joseph Driscoll", his real name remains unknown. Dexter barely knows or remembers anything about Joe, but he does know he is an expert bowler and recovered from his drug abuse.

Harry Morgan, Dexter's adopted father, was able to track Joe down, but decided he wasn't a nice enough person to meet with Dexter, however, he did convince him to give a transfusion of his rare blood when Dexter was injured in an accident and needed surgery. Joe then received a handmade thank-you-card, which he apparently treasured, and, in the event of his death, named Dexter his son, next-of-kin and executor-of-his-will, leaving him his house and all his possessions.

Joe met his death at the age of 60, as when Brian (now the Ice Truck Killer and going under the alias of "Rudy Cooper"), who knew it was the best way to reconnect with his long-lost brother, tracked Joe down and got access to his house while disguised as a cable repairman. Brian was able to slip Joe a sedative, and then injected him with diabetic insulin, causing Joe to have a seizure and die of cardiac arrest.

When Dexter, Rita, Deborah Morgan (Dexter's adopted sister) and "Rudy" came to sort out Joe's house, Dexter took blood samples of himself and Joe and sends them to Vince Masuka to perform a DNA test, which came back as a match. Dexter suspected that Joe's apparent heart attack was actually murder, However, the body is cremated before Dexter could obtain proof, and as such, he never found out what "Rudy" had done. After stealing the ashes, Joe is laid to rest by his sons when they scatter Joe's ashes at the entrance of Joe's favorite bowling alley.

Joe and Dexter, when compared, are shown to have great physical resemblance, and Dexter also inherited his father's bowling skill.

[edit] Manny Borque

A conceited caterer who appears in Dexter in the Dark. He is hired for a very high price to cater Dexter and Rita's wedding. He claims to be booked two years in advance. Through a contractual loophole, Manny is able to make whatever he wants and charge whatever price he decides. He is killed by members of the Moloch cult. This makes Dexter a murder suspect as he was the last person to see Manny alive and owed him a large amount of money, giving him a motive.

Manny has not appeared in the television series but he may be the inspiration for a marine biologist by the same name who appears briefly in the second season to examine some algae found in the bags used to dispose of Dexter's victims. Vince calls the marine biologist a "prima donna", which describes the caterer's personality perfectly.

[edit] Villains and Victims of Season 1

[edit] Paul Bennett

Rita's abusive and manipulative husband and father of Astor and Cody[4], who has been in prison for various crimes. Paul (correctly) suspects Dexter for framing him for the drug charge that sent him to his latest stint in jail.[8] After a short while in a federal prison, he loses hope after failing to convince Rita of Dexter's plan to frame him, and as Rita relates, is involved in a fight shortly thereafter with another inmate and is beaten to death with an iron bar.

[edit] Jorge and Valerie Castillo

A husband-and-wife team of human traffickers who transport illegal immigrants from Cuba. If an immigrant cannot pay them, he or she is locked up in Jorge's junkyard, taken out on Jorge's boat and drowned. Dexter kills them both, but not before getting relationship advice out of them[16]. Shortly after Dexter dumped their bodies, the Ice Truck Killer dived into the ocean and placed Valerie's corpse back in the junkyard, where it was discovered by the police and almost led to Dexter's capture[6].

[edit] Norberto Cervantes

  • Cristos

Norberto Cervantes was a professional hitman and assassin working for Carlos Guerrero. Norberto was dispatched to kill Officer Ricky Simmons when Carlos discovered that he was an undercover cop trying to infiltrate his organization, and Norberto did so by throwing him off a freeway overpass, but not before Ricky bites and takes a chunk of flesh out of Norberto's arm. Norberto then checked Ricky's phone, and discovered he had been in constant contact with his wife, Kara, and to prevent information leaking to the police, Norberto went to the Simmons residence, and shot Kara in the back and departed, but not before his bleeding arm left a drop of blood at the scene. When Kara succumbed to her injuries in hospital, her secret lover, Doakes, was driven to investigate harder and soon discovered the DNA trail and arrested Norberto. LaGuerta offered Norberto a more lenient sentence in exchange for providing enough evidence to bring down Guerrero, and he seriously considered this, but somehow Guerrero knew, and arranged for another one of his assassins, disguised as a prison guard, to bring Norberto to the prison's showers, where he stabs Norberto to death.

[edit] Matt Chambers

  • Sam Trammell

Also known as Matt Brewster and Matt Rasmussen. Dexter first learns of him in court by noticing the crying family of his latest victim. Matt is a repeated drunk driver who has killed and crippled several people. Whenever this happens, he changes his name and moves to a new city. Dexter kills him in an abandoned liquor store.[5]

[edit] Brian Moser/Rudy Cooper

Brian Moser was the older brother of Dexter. As children, both witnessed their mother, Laura, being slain with a chainsaw while they were in the same shipping container with her, after which they were both left for three days until the police found them. The officer-on-scene, Harry Morgan, immediately gathered Dexter up and sent someone in to retrieve Brian. While Dexter was adopted by the Morgan family, Brian was left in the state's care. Brian states that in his opinion Morgan didn't want anything to do with him because he saw him as a "damaged kid" (Brian suffered severe psychological trauma due to the experiences in the container and was left in a state psychological ward, where over time he developed murderous tendencies.)[8]

Upon being released, he went underground, refining his ability to kill and taking on the identity of a plumber he killed (Rudy Cooper) as an alias, all while he searched for his brother. Eventually, Brian not only discovered Dexter's location and history upon being separated, but also discovered he was similarly "damaged"; upon learning this, Brian immediately plotted to reunite with Dexter for the purpose of killing people side-by-side.

Brian went to Miami, working as a prosthetist and became a friendly and popular local worker, while he laid an intricate and complex trail of murder for Dexter to follow, killing local prostitutes and becoming the "Ice Truck Killer." In a strange twist, Brian developed a relationship with Debra, Dexter's adopted sister, while treating one of his own victims, Tony Tucci. Dexter realized the truth about who the Ice Truck Killer was after Brian attacked and nearly killed Angel. (Angel had stumbled upon a clue that led him dangerously close to the killer's true identity.) Brian immediately kidnaps Debra, and then Dexter himself, bringing him to the unconscious Debra for the purpose of killing her and then starting their new life together. However, as Dexter had been trained to control his murderous urges and kill only those who deserved it, this conflict in ideology led the brothers to a fight until approaching police forced Brian to flee.

Brian later attempted to kill Debra while she was staying at Dexter's apartment, but instead fell into a trap set by Dexter, who then brought him to the cooling room, where Brian performed his murders. After a few choice words between them, Dexter, knowing he has no other choice, slashes Brian's throat and drains his blood into a bucket, killing him in the same manner as Brian slew his victims. Dexter then unbound Brian's wrists and put his fingerprints on the knife, making it appear to the police that Brian killed himself.[8]

Dexter suffered greatly after killing his brother, even to the point it made his killing sloppy and hard to do. Dexter also had several visions of Brian, which proves how deeply he cared about him. In the end, Dexter had to say goodbye to his brother, accepting the fact that he was gone for good, before he could move on with his life.

[edit] Mike Donovan

A pastor and choir conductor who killed and buried several young boys. He is Dexter's first victim in the series (Dexter's case of blood slides is shown to be have quite a few previous "trophies", however.) Dexter kills him out in the woods, where he had buried several of his victims (who are exhumed by Dexter and shown to Donovan shortly before his death).[4]

[edit] Jeremy Downs

  • Mark L. Young

A nineteen year old boy living in a halfway house after he is released from juvenile hall. At the age of fifteen, he was convicted for killing another boy. Dexter attempts to kill him but lets him go after finding out that his victim raped him.[17] After Jeremy killed a second, innocent, boy, Dexter tracks him down to kill him, but Doakes arrests Jeremy before he can ambush him. Jeremy revealed to Dexter that the trauma from the rape has left him just like Dexter; "empty". Dexter realizes Jeremy couldn't help himself, and urges him to kill only those that deserve to die before leaving. Dexter later visits Jeremy in prison for the purpose of training him, only to find Jeremy had taken his words to heart after all and killed someone who deserved to die - himself.[18]

[edit] Carlos Guerrero

A drug lord responsible for the death of Officer Ricky Simmons and his wife Kara. Sergeant Doakes becomes his main target after accusing him of murder in front of his church and his daughter Rose. Several officers use Doakes as bait, luring Guerrero into attacking him and giving them the evidence they need to convict him.

[edit] Jamie Jaworski

  • Ethan Smith

A valet with a taste for sexual sadism. He recorded his rape and murder of Jane Saunders and posted it on the Internet. He escaped justice due to a faulty search warrant. Dexter kills him at a deserted construction site where Jaworski had been stealing copper pipes. He is Dexter's second victim on the show.[4]

[edit] Cindy Landon

A black widow who appears in a flashback. Her only line is "I'll fuck you if you let me go."[6]

[edit] Gene Marshal

An arsonist who appears in a flashback. Dexter places candles around him before cutting him up. His only line is "Have you ever watched someone burn alive?"[6]

[edit] Emmett Meridian

A psychiatrist who, as Dexter figures out, has encouraged at least three of his female clients to commit suicide. Dexter kills him, but not before having a few sessions to work out some intimacy issues.[14]

[edit] The "First Nurse"

A nurse who kills her patients by morphine overdose. She believes that she is helping her victims by ending their pain and keeps an album containing their obituaries. Harry Morgan almost becomes one of her victims when he gets sick and is placed in her care. The nurse is never explicitly named in either the books or the television series.[17] "First Nurse" is the nickname Dexter gives her in the novels.

[edit] Neil Perry

Neil Perry is a brilliant, but deeply disturbed, computer analyst with a compulsion to kill animals. Neil was regularly abused by his mother, but never struck back; only when she died of a heart attack did he finally lash out, mutilate her corpse and bury it outside his trailer home. Neil began to see the chance for fame during the Ice Truck Killer case, using his own skills to hack into the police database and reading the newspapers. Eventually, he set himself up as the killer, kidnapping a prostitute in a fake attempt to kill her, possessing photographs of the corpses not released to the public, allowing his mother's corpse to be discovered, and readily confessing to the murders. While in prison awaiting trial, Dexter, who had been contacted by the true Ice Truck Killer earlier, realized Neil was a fraud when Neil failed to recognize him. Despite Dexter and LaGuerta's insistence, Captain Matthews refused to acknowledge the possibility that they may have the wrong man, and publicly announces Neil's identity as the Ice Truck Killer. Dexter's subtle manipulation eventually drives LaGuerta into investigating Neil's innocence, and she soon realizes that he found the information in the database, though the Captain and District Attorney continue to refuse to release him. Later on, the Ice Truck Killer pours the collected blood of several of his victims in a hotel room. Shortly after its discovery, the blood is matched to the drained victims by DNA, proving Neil's innocence to the police and leading to his release.[2]

[edit] Alex Timmons

A sniper who appears in a flashback. His only line is "Yes, I did it. Is that what you want to hear?"[6]

[edit] Villains and Victims of Season 2

[edit] Little Chino

A very big member of a gang called the Twenty-Ninth Street Kings who uses a machete to kill any witness of his gang's crimes. For every kill he makes, he has a teardrop of blood tattooed on his arm.[12] Still reeling from the death of his brother, Dexter makes several failed attempts to kill him before finally succeeding.[12][13] He is Dexter's first victim in Season 2.

[edit] Jose Garza

Also known as Christopher Harlow. He is a murderer and drug trafficker connected to Santos Jimenez. He calls the now-dead Jimenez's cell phone, now in Dexter's possession, trying to buy cocaine. When he finds out about Jimenez's cabin, where Dexter holds Doakes captive, Dexter captures him. Dexter brings Garza to Jimenez's cabin and kills him in front of Doakes with his hand saw.[15] After Lila blows up the cabin, Garza's brutally dismembered body is found alongside Doakes's, which the task force considers conclusive evidence that Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher.[10]

[edit] Roger Hicks

  • Don McManus

A car salesman who targets and murders brunette women. He uses credit checks to obtain information on his victims, ensuring that they are single, have no pets, and live in a place that keeps neighbors at a distance. When Dexter tells him about his relationship problems with Rita, he seems to empathize and rants on his hatred of women. An enraged Dexter quickly stabs him in his chest after Hicks uses a nasty slur to refer to Rita. Dexter also compliments Hicks on his talent for lying.[9]

[edit] Santos Jimenez

One of the three men present at the murder of Dexter's mother, Laura Moser. Having made a deal with the police, he is the only one of them who is free at the time of the show. In his old age he runs a tavern in Naples, Florida. Dexter tracks him down beats him and attempts to kill him. In a moment of confusion Lila is able to convince him to stop. Later, to punish Dexter for ignoring her, Lila gives Jimenez the address of the bowling alley Dexter will be leaving. Waiting outside his truck Jimenez slashes Dexter's arm with a knife and escapes. After Lila's influence nearly gets him exposed as a killer, Dexter abandons what she taught him and kills Jimenez with a chainsaw, the same weapon used to kill Laura Moser.

[edit] Lila Tournay/Lila West

Dexter's former Narcotics Anonymous sponsor.[9] She works as an artist, often using stolen items in her work. Dexter has an affair with her, leading to his breakup with Rita. She confesses to Dexter that her old boyfriend Marco became her dealer and when he left her she got 'so fucked up' and burned his house down. Lila was unaware that he was passed out inside, the police blamed the fire on his drugs and she went to her first Narcotics Anonymous meeting. She later sets her own loft on fire and helps Santos Jimenez attack Dexter, believing that she and Dexter are closest in times of crisis. She also breaks into Rita's house, afraid that Dexter might have rekindled his relationship with her, and Dexter immediately ends their relationship afterwards. When Lila's intrusion on Dexter's personal life and her false accusations against Det. Batista incur the wrath of Debra, she runs a background check and discovers Lila's real surname (West) and the fact that she has been illegally living in the United States on an expired visa. Debra then confronts her with this information and demands that she leave the country or be deported. Lila, following Dexter and watching him on his boat with Rita, Astor and Cody, breaks into his van, takes his GPS device and finds the address for Jiminez's cabin. Arriving at the cabin, she finds Doakes caged inside and upon hearing from him that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher decides to protect Dexter and ignites propane canisters inside the cabin, destroying it, and killing Doakes. Later, she abducts Astor and Cody. Although Dexter manages to track them down Lila traps them inside her loft and sets it ablaze. Dexter and the kids narrowly escape, and Lila manages to flee Miami. While living in Paris, Lila checks her mail and discovers a postcard from Miami with Doakes' picture on the back. Dexter, who was in the room the entire time, injects Lila with a spinal epidural (so he can say his piece to her while also ensuring that her death is painless) and lays her on the couch. Lila pleads for her life and tells him that she killed Doakes and tried to get rid of the children for Dexter's sake. Dexter thanks her for helping him come to terms with and embrace what he is, and then stabs her through the heart, and wraps her corpse in a plastic garment bag.[10]

[edit] Ken Olson

A wannabe vigilante inspired by the Bay Harbor Butcher. He has successfully killed two criminals. One was a drug dealer he ran down with his car (Olson stole his drugs afterwards). The other was an abusive husband whose anger was provoked when Olson slept with his wife, whom he pushed down a flight of stairs. His third attempted victim, a robber who hurt Olson's mother, escaped by stretching out the rope Olson used. Dexter originally planned to stop Olson without killing him. Upon learning about Olson's first two victims, who Dexter believes did not deserve to die, Dexter decides that Olson must be killed. Olson may also be the first of Dexter's victims (except for Brian) from whom Dexter did not obtain a blood sample. Under Lila's influence, Dexter said he "had" to kill Olson (out of necessity) but did not "need" (feel the urge) to kill him.[19]

[edit] Juan Rinez

A pimp who murdered one of his prostitutes, he was Dexter's second human victim. He is arrested but let off due to a faulty warrant. When Tom Matthews visits Harry Morgan during Debra's birthday party to inform him of Rinez's release, Harry loses his temper and later tells Dexter that he was right in training him. However, Dexter finds and kills Rinez himself. When Harry finds his son standing over Rinez's dismembered body, Dexter feels that Harry committed suicide days later, unable to face the reality of what he trained his son to do.[15]

[edit] Jimmy Sensio

A blind Voodoo high priest nicknamed "the man with God in his mouth." He can be hired to perform "death curses" by selling his targets drinks poisoned with ricin. He appears to be truly insane, claiming to be possessed by a spirit and cursing Dexter. After weeks of being stalked by Doakes, Dexter's murderous urges have become unbearable. However, he is for some reason reluctant to kill Jimmy and lets him go. Jimmy quickly leaves town, alive and well.[12].

[edit] Curtis

A man that used to be a close friend of Sgt. Doakes in the Army. It turns out that Curtis murdered his wife. Doakes was about to send him to jail, but Curtis refused and both were holding gun point at each other. Curtis then talked about his pain and the reason why he killed her. Doakes then talks about his failed marriage and told Curtis that the only way to deal with this pain was to go to prison. However Curtis still refused and Doakes was forced to shoot Curtis. Curtis then fell dead on the floor. This is one of the few victims that had no connection with Dexter.

[edit] Villains and Victims who appear in the novels only

[edit] Carl

Carl is a serial killer who successfully killed eleven people before being captured by Harry Morgan. After a teenage Dexter is caught trying to kill a school bully, Harry introduces him to Carl to teach him the importance of not getting caught. Carl appears in Dexter in the Dark.

The scene with Carl may be the inspiration for a scene in the second season of the television series, in which Harry teaches Dexter a similar lesson by showing him an execution by electric chair.

[edit] Dr. Danco

A surgeon who mutilates people while keeping them alive. He removes everything in a body that is not essential for life, leaving his victims unable to move or communicate, driving them insane. In medical school, he learned that he could cut people open without feeling any empathy. A patriot, he offered his services to the United States military as a torturer. His comrades, who included Sergeant Albert Doakes, nicknamed him "Danco" after a vegetable slicing machine. The joke was that Dr. Danco, like his namesake, made sliced "vegetables." Dr. Danke likes to listen to Tito Puente while working on his victims. During a covert operation in El Salvador, he was turned in to the enemy in exchange for several prisoners. In Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dr. Danco is released and goes to Miami, looking for revenge on his former comrades. His real name is revealed to be Martin Henker.

[edit] IT

IT — introduced in Dexter in the Dark — is a mythical, godlike entity which existed since the beginning of time and has several similarities to the Dark Passenger. IT's story is explained with a somewhat Biblical tone. IT takes great pleasure in entering creatures as a "passenger" and making them kill other creatures. IT works to create other murderous entities similar to ITself but soon turns against many of them, causing them to flee. IT and IT's offspring go to war, with IT being victorious. Some of IT's remaining children stay in hiding, fearing IT's power.

[edit] Alexander "Zander" Macauley

Zander is the son of a rich family who owns citrus groves, a large ranch, and a business that Dexter says "[dumps] phosphates into Lake Okeechobee". A seemingly charitable man, Zander often goes to impoverished areas and employs a homeless person to work on his family's ranch. However, Dexter finds that according to Zander's tax records, the ranch is idle. Zander murders the homeless people he employs and disposes of their bodies in large drums of acid, keeping a single shoe as a trophy. Zander is also connected to the cult of Moloch. The Watcher first learns of Dexter by watching him kill Zander.

[edit] Randy MacGregor

A real estate agent who rapes and murders young boys. He takes the boys out on his boat, equipped with toys and children's movies, and, when he is finished with them, ties their bodies to anchors and drops them overboard. He keeps several photos of his victims. When confronted with these photos, he says to Dexter "I hope one of them was yours". A red cowboy boot worn by the photographer in one picture shows Dexter that MacGregor has an accomplice. He appears in Dearly Devoted Dexter.

[edit] The Old Man

The unnamed leader of a cult that worships the ancient god Moloch. His cult is responsible for several murders in which the bodies were burned and decapitated, the heads replaced by ceramic bull heads. He wields an ornate bronze dagger with the Aramaic letters "MLK" (Moloch) etched into it. He is killed by this dagger, wielded by Cody Bennett, at the end of Dexter in the Dark.

[edit] Steve Reiker

A pedophile and murderer who photographs kidnapped young boys. Dexter wishes to kill him, but cannot because Sgt. Doakes keeps following him. Dexter is finally able to kill him at the end of Dearly Devoted Dexter. He is Randy MacGregor's accomplice.

[edit] Dr. Darius Starzak

A former professor of religious philosophy at the University of Krakow. He was fired for membership in an illegal society, a cult worshiping Moloch. He is shot to death by Dexter at the end of Dexter in the Dark.

[edit] Kurt Wagner

A college student and a member of the cult of Moloch. He is responsible for several murders in which the bodies are beheaded, burned, and given ceramic bull's heads. One of his first victims is his girlfriend. He has a distinctive tattoo of the Aramaic letters MLK on the back of his neck. He is found killed in a fashion similar to his own victims.

[edit] The Watcher

Members of a cult that worships the ancient god Moloch. The Watcher is not a single person but a group of cultists who believe that the spirit of Moloch jumps from one person to another. The Watcher tails Dexter, who he refers to as "The Other", in Dexter in the Dark, believing that Dexter's Dark Passenger is a child and enemy of their god.

[edit] Dr. Wilkins

A professor at the University of Miami. He attempts to frame a colleague for the murders of the Moloch cult. He is shot through the head by Dexter while attempting to sacrifice Astor and Cody to Moloch.

[edit] Differences in the characters in the novels and the TV series

  • Deborah Morgan / Debra Morgan: In the books, the character's name is spelled "Deborah," and she is described as "voluptuous." She also talks about how she has not been taken seriously because she has large breasts. In the TV series, the character's name is spelled "Debra," and the actress playing her (Jennifer Carpenter) does not fit the "voluptuous" description. In the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter and the follow-up novels, Deborah finds out her brother is a killer, and appears to accept it; in the TV series, Debra remains unaware that Dexter is a killer, and it is suggested that she would not be able to handle this knowledge.
  • Brian Moser: In Darkly Dreaming Dexter (unlike in the TV series), Brian does not use the name Rudy Cooper and does not get romantically involved with Deborah. He is noted as having a very strong resemblance to Dexter, to the point that upon seeing an image of Brian with dismembered corpses, Dexter and Deborah are convinced that Dexter is the murderer of the novel. The only physical differences noted by Dexter when they meet are that Brian is an inch or two taller, thicker through the shoulders and chest, and paler. He first meets Dexter face-to-face in the shipping container where their mother was murdered, with Deborah tied up and ready for Dexter to kill. Rather than killing either Deborah or Brian, Dexter lets him go. Their professions differ as well; the books have Brian working with imports, while the series has him as a prosthetic surgeon. The age gap between Brian and Dexter is noted as being only 1 year in the book, while the television series has it at 2. Also, in the books he is known as the Tamiama Slasher; in the show, he is known as the Ice Truck Killer.
  • Sergeant Doakes: In the novels, Doakes's first name is "Albert," and he served in El Salvador with the US Marine Corps alongside Kyle Chutsky and the butcher "Dr. Danco." After LaGuerta's murder at the end of Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Doakes believes Dexter was the killer, and tails Dexter in Dearly Devoted Dexter, intending to "catch him in the act." Instead, Doakes himself is captured by "Dr. Danco," who tortures him by removing his feet, hands, and tongue. In Dexter in the Dark, Doakes returns briefly, but cannot communicate (Erik King, who plays Doakes in the TV series, has joked in an interview that in the second book, his character becomes "a stub"[citation needed]). In the show, Doakes is killed by Dexter's psychopathic ex-girlfriend Lila when she ignites propane tanks inside the cabin he is locked up in during the Season Two finale.
  • Lieutenant LaGuerta: In the novels, LaGuerta's first name is "Migdia," but in the TV series, her first name has been changed to "Maria." In both Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first novel, and in the TV series, LaGuerta is portrayed as being skilled at political manoeuvring and self-advancement but incompetent when it comes to actual police work; in the TV series, she appears competent, but allows her emotions to take precedence over both ethics and police procedure, lessening the value of her work. In both the novel and the TV series, she flirts with Dexter, although the flirtation - and Dexter's response to it - are handled more subtly in the TV series. In the novels, LaGuerta is stabbed to death by Brian at the end of the first book; in the TV series, LaGuerta remains alive and very much a factor in the lives of Dexter and Deb.
  • Vincent Masuoka: In both the television series and the novels, Vince is socially and emotionally awkward, but in the TV series his character is more prominent. In the novels, Dexter views him as a kindred spirit, believing that Masuka's displays of emotion are faked because he (Masuka) doesn't know the appropriate responses to events, and that therefore Masuka is another person "pretending to be human."
  • Angel Batista: In the book series, Angel Batista habitually introduces himself as "No relation" (to former Cuban dictator Batista), and as a result is nicknamed "Angel-no-relation" by Dexter. He also plays a less prominent role in the novels than in the TV series, and is a forensic scientist rather than a homicide detective.
  • Camilla Figg: Camilla Figg in the novels is an entirely different character from the Camilla in the television show. While the show's Camilla was old enough to have worked with Dexter's father, the book's Camilla is a young woman who is infatuated with Dexter and works with him in forensics.
  • Rita Bennett: In the book series, Dexter's love for Rita seems less sincere than it does in the television series; he only considers her a part of his disguise. However, their relationship does not go through the troubles in the television show. They are, by a humorous misunderstanding, engaged in Dearly Devoted Dexter and married at the end of Dexter in the Dark.
  • Cody and Astor Bennett: In the book, they have developed sociopathic personalities, which Dexter hopes to mold using Harry's code. On the TV series, however, they appear to be normal.
  • Paul Bennett:In the book series, Rita's ex-husband is mentioned but never makes an appearance since he is dead before the events of the books. In the TV series, by contrast, Paul appears in the second half of the first season and in early episodes of the second season, and his interactions with Dexter lead to a key plot point. In the books, he beat Rita's children as well as beating and raping her; in the series he clearly loves his children and his violent tendencies are directed toward only Rita.
  • Mike Donovan: In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, this character is referred to as "Father Donovan," suggesting that he is a Catholic priest. There is no mention of him having a family. Unlike the television show, Father Donovan's victims include both boys and girls. Also he thanks Dexter for killing him.
  • Jamie Jaworski: In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jaworski works as a janitor who abducts young girls. Frustrated by the Tamiami Slasher case, Dexter kills him very sloppily, even forgetting to take a blood sample from him. The Slasher kills his next victim in a similarly messy way as a form of satire.
  • The First Nurse: In the novels, the nurse is basically the same as in the TV series. However, her motivation for killing her patients is never given in the novels. In the TV series, she claims to be helping her victims by ending their pain.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Character profile. New York Times (2006-10-1). Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Seeing Red". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-12-03. No. 10, season 1.
  3. ^ a b c "Truth Be Told". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-12-17. No. 11, season 1.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Dexter". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-10-01. No. 01, season 1.
  5. ^ a b "Crocodile". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-10-08. No. 02, season 1.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Return to Sender". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-11-05. No. 06, season 1.
  7. ^ a b c "Father Knows Best". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-11-26. No. 9, season 1.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Born Free". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-12-17. No. 12, season 1.
  9. ^ a b c d "An Inconvenient Lie". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-10-14. No. 03, season 2.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "The British Invasion". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-12-16. No. 12, season 2.
  11. ^ a b c d e "See-Through". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-10-21. No. 04, season 2.
  12. ^ a b c d e "It's Alive!". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-09-30. No. 01, season 2.
  13. ^ a b "Waiting to Exhale". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-10-07. No. 02, season 2.
  14. ^ a b "Shrink Wrap". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-11-19. No. 08, season 1.
  15. ^ a b c "There's Something About Harry". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-12-02. No. 10, season 2.
  16. ^ "Love American Style". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-10-29. No. 05, season 1.
  17. ^ a b "Popping Cherry". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-10-15. No. 03, season 1.
  18. ^ "Circle of Friends". Dexter. Showtime. 2006-11-12. No. 07, season 1.
  19. ^ "Dex, Lies, and Videotape". Dexter. Showtime. 2007-11-04. No. 06, season 2.
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Dexter
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Jeff Lindsay (novels) · James Manos, Jr. (TV series)  · Daniel Cerone  · Clyde Phillips
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