John Lithgow brings a different dark passenger to Dexter’s Miami

I missed out on this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but I did witness the big presence made by Showtime’s Dexter in 2008 and remember feeling it felt sort of out of place in a convention that’s usually just about science fiction, fantasy and general geekery. Apparently it made enough splash then to have the show return to SDCC’09, as it was there again in full force, this time promoting this upcoming season and, in particular, the role played by guest star John Lithgow.

We got a chance to take a look at the first handful of episodes of Dexter‘s fourth season, and let me tell you, the first episode (hell, the first scene) alone is enough to tell you that Lithgow’s Walter Simmons carries a much different sort of dark passenger than Dexter does.

For anyone who’s teetered on the edge of the creepiness factor of Dexter, let me warn you that what Dexter does and how he carries it out is going to seem tame to what Simmons — the “Trinity Killer” — does, how he does it and how he later reacts to it, if that’s even possible to imagine. Simmons is a long-time serial killer, evading capture (and identity) for over 30 years, though his motivation for doing so appears to be much different than Dexter’s. By motivation I don’t mean how Dexter kills bad guys and Simmons kills innocents. I mean how Dexter does what he does to squelch his personal “dark passenger” and, after he kills, he feels better about it. Simmons seems awfully bothered by what he’s doing and has a ritual that’s more sick and twisted than methodical.

It’s not clear yet how Simmons and Dexter will clash this season, though Dexter does have a very active role in tracking him down. It remains to be seen, though, whether Dexter will have an appreciation for Simmons’s work like he did with his late brother — the “Ice Truck Killer” — or if this sort of monster is someone even Dexter can’t relate to.

Some other points from the season premiere, without getting too spoilery:

• There’s a surprise hook-up within Miami Metro. I honestly thought it was a dream sequence when I first saw it, because I didn’t see it coming at all.
• Keith Carradine’s Special Agent Lundy is back for what appears to be quite a long spell, perhaps for the entire season. This is, of course, making more than one Morgan uneasy.
• We get to see way too much Lithgow ass.
• Dexter’s a new daddy with a new house and new neighbors. And with being a new daddy, I whole-heartedly sympathize with his lack of sleep issues. The final scene of the second episode is simply brutal to watch.
• Quinn seems to be taking on a larger role this season and his relationship with Dexter (or lack thereof) is going to be interesting to watch.
• Deb left off last season digging into father Harry’s past. Expect to see more of that for the entire season.
• Vince … is Vince.

Dexter‘s fourth season premieres September 27 on Showtime.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Sep 18, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT