海角大神

Six months have passed since the events of the season 7 finale, revealing that, in spite of what previously occurred, Dexter has been able find solace in the peace that Debra鈥檚 forced bloodshed has provided him. No longer seen as the prime suspect for the Bay Harbor Butcher, or the focus of desire for , Dexter has taken these months to put his life in order, to once again be happy. 聽For Dexter, it鈥檚 as if things couldn鈥檛 be any better; Deb, on the other hand, isn鈥檛 holding up so well.

As Dexter has been enjoying his life, Deb, instead, made the decision to quit the force and join a private investigation firm; a step up from her previous position, no doubt, but one that she uses to punish herself for what she鈥檚 done. Instead of taking on the type of high-profile cases a former Lieutenant in the private sector should, it鈥檚 the 鈥渄own and dirty鈥� ones that she feels most comfortable immersing herself in. For Deb, it鈥檚 simply about mentally surviving what she has done and, right now, numbing the pain is the best that she can do.聽

Deb and Dexter鈥檚 relationship, too, has reached its breaking point, forcing Deb to realize that Dexter鈥檚 reaches far beyond what she could ever imagine, to include the loss of any innocents who may get in the way. And even though Deb is aware that James Doakes聽fell at the hand Dexter, to keep his secret safe, it was she who had the choice, who decided to choose Dexter鈥檚 life over LaGuerta鈥檚. The loss of a criminal鈥檚 life is one thing, while the loss of an innocent one is completely different 鈥� but to Dexter, they鈥檙e one in the same; just another mess to clean up, so to speak.

But Dexter鈥檚 life isn鈥檛 as perfect as he believes, and it鈥檚 Debra who has been able to touch the heart of the monster, forcing him to step outside his sociopathic lifestyle in an attempt to feel for, to understand, to 鈥渇ix鈥� the sister he inadvertently and unintentionally betrayed. As a serial killer mastermind, Dexter is self-sufficient and almost perfect, and it鈥檚 likely that he could very well thrive and survive if left alone. But Dexter isn鈥檛 alone 鈥� not anymore.

Dexter鈥檚 interest in human relationships has been a part of the series from the beginning, but now, with his secret out there, with Harrison growing up, with Deb taking on an emotional weight she was never prepared for, he wants to 鈥� and must 鈥� integrate himself in aspects of humanity that, up until this point, he simply observed. Like with most things, however, this must be learned, not forced, and Dexter still stumbles when he attempts to be 鈥渘ormal,鈥� even if his heart is in the right place.

Dexter鈥檚 weakness has been and always will be the human relationship, and as Dexter attempts to force Deb to understand that is 鈥渁ll right,鈥� to provide her with the same logic that he uses to sleep at night, he continues to reveal more and more of his broken personality, showing her what truly lies deep within his tainted soul. 聽What鈥檚 more, each and every attempt that Dexter makes at mimicking normality opens himself up to being caught, as Dexter was built for one thing and one thing only: to kill. Anything outside of that is, as Harry continuously warns him, a mistake. So which path will Dexter choose?

Perhaps the addition of Evelyn Vogel, who is revealed to have , will allow him to explore all that went in to creating the murderous machine that he finds comfort in. But still, even with knowledge of the past, Dexter is going to have to make a decision for himself and his future: Will he continue on his path of taking lives, fulfilling the destiny that his father, Harry, laid out for him? Or will he shed his bloody apron and continue to reach for those emotional bonds he yearns for, filling his world with life instead of death? At this point, is it even possible to change? Does anyone 鈥� including Harry 鈥� want him to change?

For many years, Dexter has excelled at the job he was given, to kill, but throughout, he has continuously reached beyond the murderous binds that tie him, obtaining things he could have never imagined possible. And though it鈥檚 Dexter鈥檚 past that most certainly defines him, it鈥檚 the decisions that he makes now, for his future, for his family, that will reveal the true strength of the man behind mask.

Anthony Ocasio blogs at .