The Best Episodes of Dexter, Ranked | Wealth of Geeks

Dexter brought a different type of energy to prestige TV in the late 2000s. Breaking Bad and The Sopranos grappled with a variety of literary themes, but the Showtime series starring Michael C. Hall cared about one thing only: what makes Dexter Morgan tick? Through eight seasons of sublime acting by Hall and mostly excellent writing behind the scenes, Dexter entertained and thrilled audiences while making them think about why they would root for a serial killer. Check out the best episodes of Dexter!

1. “The Getaway” – Season 4, Episode 12

The fourth season finale of Dexter feels similar to riding a roller coaster. Every moment the show makes viewers think Dexter has won his battle with the Trinity Killer, a roadblock enters the picture. The big reveal at the end of the hour lives on in television history, but the scenes of sentiment, such as those regarding Dexter and Debra’s sibling bond, help define Dexter as a show of substance. 

2. “Surprise, Motherf**ker” – Season 7, Episode 12

The relationship between Dexter and Debra evolves and comes into focus more than ever in the seventh season. When the last episode arrives, their very different worlds and moral codes collide in shocking ways. “Suprise, Motherf**cker” remains the last episode of Dexter at its best, as the eighth season’s redundancy and flatness felt stale. 

3. “Hungry Man” – Season 4, Episode 9

Dexter tries a little too hard to learn about what makes the Trinity Killer different from his other adversaries. The audience benefits the most from this decision when Dexter eats Thanksgiving dinner at Trinity’s house with the family. The famous supper scene left an indelible mark, with loads of black humor and sinister foreshadowing. 

4. “This Is the Way the World Ends” – Season 6, Episode 12

Dexter waits a little too long to let Debra in on the secrets of her brother’s past. The final episode of season six delivers a solid reversed course in this plotting, helping to set up for the seventh season while also answering questions about both main characters in a thrilling fashion. The climax of Dexter’s battle with Colin Hanks’ character, Travis Marshall, stands out, too. 

5. “Hello, Dexter Morgan” – Season 4, Episode 11

John Lithgow takes over in the penultimate episode of season four, leveraging every ounce of his gigantic frame and hunkering presence to let audiences know just how much Dexter has met his match. The final scene of the episode, when Trinity discovers Dexter’s true identity, serves as a masterclass in building tension on television!

6. “Born Free” – Season 1, Episode 12

Dexter creates a surreal juxtaposition between its main character and his fellow killer, brother Brian Moser. The final episode of the first season lays down much of the groundwork for the plot lines and character trends that will carry the show in the ensuing three seasons of its prime. A poignant moment between Dexter and Debra near the end of the episode shows the audience how close these two will become. 

7. “Are You . . .?” – Season 7, Episode 1

Debra finally learns Dexter’s biggest secret, and she takes it about like any sibling would. Despite being shocked and emotionally scarred from the revelation, Debra still wants to help Dexter become a better person, setting up a domino effect of events that come crashing down by the end of season seven. Even though Dexter dipped in quality by this point, episodes like this one show the reason diehard fans kept watching. 

8. “Seeing Red” – Season 1, Episode 10

Learning about Dexter’s past through his conversations with his late stepfather gives the audience one avenue for putting together the character’s puzzle. Other times an entire episode gives hints regarding Dexter’s drama. “Seeing Red” dives into some of Dexter’s rough childhood when he becomes overwhelmed by a crime scene that looks eerily familiar to an event from his youth. 

9. “The British Invasion” – Season 2, Episode 12

Dexter dates several different women throughout the show’s eight seasons, but nobody thirsts for his violence and dark passenger quite like Lila. When Dexter won’t give in to her obsessions any longer, she attempts to burn him to the ground with his stepchildren next to him. The finale gives Dexter a hero’s tale, something antihero shows do too often with their protagonists, but it gets the blood pressure pumping!

10. “Road Kill” – Season 4, Episode 8

The fourth season of Dexter towers over most others due to the chemistry between Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow. The two spend more time together in this episode than any other when Dexter intentionally places himself in Trinity’s perspective to glean information from his enemy. An ingenious plot executed with sterling acting. 

11. “Left Turn Ahead” – Season 2, Episode 11

Lila’s craziness stars in this episode. Her ability to stalk Dexter and make his life miserable makes her one of the more unique adversaries Dexter faces throughout the entirety of the series. Doakes’ prison escape presents several moral quandaries for Dexter. 

12. “Lost Boys” – Season 4, Episode 10

The antepenultimate episode of the fourth season introduces a creepy, jarring storyline surrounding Trinity’s kidnapping of a child. Dexter’s pursuit of justice helps to draw lines between the two killers’ mentalities, but Trinity starts to look too fearsome for Dexter to catch in time. 

13. “Resistance is Futile” – Season 2, Episode 9

Dexter utilizes the presence of Agent Doakes in the second season to flirt with the idea that Miami’s forensic expert might not have much time before his secret reveals itself. “Resistance is Futile” jams the hour with all of Dexter’s best elements, from interesting character developments to romantic flings with Debra and Lundy. 

14. “Dex Takes a Holiday” – Season 4, Episode 4

The early fourth season episode” Dex Takes a Holiday” envelops the audience in one of the show’s best tropes: the bottle episode. Dexter hunts a police officer while Trinity lurks in the shadows, not yet in Dexter’s sights. An excellent cliffhanger also reels fans into a desire for binge-watching the season!

15. “Truth Be Told” – Season 1, Episode 11

The penultimate episode of season one peels back some layers on the kinship between Dexter and the Ice Truck Killer. The show’s usual excellence shines through in how the writers weave personal connections into Dexter’s motives and battles with fellow psychopaths. 

16. “Do You Take Dexter Morgan?” – Season 3, Episode 12

The third season finale balances an underwhelming climactic battle with some novel personal growth from Dexter. Seeing Dexter revel in getting married to Rita helps expose him to emotions and feelings he never thought he could drum up. 

17. “Sunshine and Frosty Swirl” – Season 7, Episode 2

Much like shows such as The Sopranos and The Leftovers, Dexter uses the second episode of the seventh season to introduce a one-episode character so that Dexter can learn something about himself. This plot device should have been used more throughout the series, but it’s delicately done here. 

18. “Smokey and the Bandit” – Season 6, Episode 3

The closing monologue from Dexter in this episode sums up everything that makes the man such a tragic figure. His pursuit of a murderer named The Tooth Fairy remains one of the more interesting subplots of the season. Debra’s transition to a powerful police boss creates sympathy. 

19. “Teenage Wasteland” – Season 5, Episode 9

The evolution of Dexter as a parent helps to rearrange the audience’s view of him throughout the years. When his stepdaughter returns to Miami, Dexter has an epiphany about his role in her life, leading to a moment of moral superiority for the usually gray antihero. 

20. “What’s Eating Dexter Morgan?” – Season 8, Episode 3

Dr. Evelyn Vogel forms one of the true bright spots of the final season. Her obsessive studying of Dexter’s psychopathy picks up a lot of steam in “What’s Eating Dexter Morgan.” Debra’s character undergoes fascinating changes at the beginning of season eight.

21. “Those Kinds of Things” – Season 6, Episode 1

Dexter uses the setting effectively in the season six premiere, bringing Dexter to a high school reunion that shines a spotlight on his younger years. The mysterious setup of the season’s villain also applies foreshadowing and helps build adequate tension. 

22. “Dexter” – Season 1, Episode 1

The pilot episode of Dexter lays the groundwork for the character, the setting, and the supporting cast in an above-average fashion. Viewers don’t have to worry about reading the novel it’s based upon to understand what’s happening.