Showtime’s popular series Dexter returns for its sixth season this Sunday. Break out the celebratory knives!
America’s favorite serial killer has found an uneasy balance between his homicidal urges, his job as a blood spatter expert at Miami Metro, and his recent single parent status. The year also finds Dexter searching for faith and wondering what kind of legacy he’ll leave to his son Harrison. To help lead —or most likely mislead—him on the path of the righteous man, we get a promising bunch of guest stars.
Of most interest to genre fans is the addition of Battlestar Galactica‘s Admiral Adama himself, Edward James Olmos. This isn’t Olmos’ first visit to Miami, having been a part of Miami Vice for five seasons, but it is his biggest role since Battlestar Galactica ended. Olmos plays Professor Gellar, a professor of religion with a protege in Colin Hanks’ (Roswell, King Kong) Travis. The teacher-student relationship seems to be set up as a dark mirror to the relationship Dexter had with his father Harry. Gellar and Travis have a divine plan, you see, one that can only be baptized with a lot of blood. Dexter‘s had a special knack for taking character actors known for their good-guy roles and making them fantastic Big Bads. See: John Lithgow’s jaw-dropping transformation into season four’s Trinity Killer. So what will Dexter make of Olmos and his ability to portray a staunch moral compass?
Also new to the cast is Mos Def (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) as Brother Sam, a reformed convict who could help Dexter on his spiritual quest.
Last season was mostly a quiet one, and wisely so, in some respects, after the shocking season four finale. The showrunners knew Lithgow’s Emmy-winning performance couldn’t be repeated. So instead of giving viewers a retread, they gave us, and Dexter, a chance to refocus. It’s a fresh start for a compelling character and I’m stoked to watch Olmos lend his gravitas to a twisted leader. And while we may see Dexter find religion, his church will surely remain wrapped in plastic.
Dexter airs Sundays at 9PM ET/PT on Showtime.
Theresa DeLucci has been reviewing television on Tor.com for three years. Her coverage includes Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Lost, Dexter and Game of Thrones.
