TV SERIES · 2006–2013 · USA
Dexter
- Created by
- James Manos Jr.
- Network
- Showtime
- Seasons
- 8
- Episodes
- 96
- Studio
- Showtime Networks, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company
78 archived facts 8 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
78 Interesting Facts About Dexter
Interesting Facts (30)
- #001
The use of bird's-eye views of coasts and cities from a helicopter has started a drinking game in some places (including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and other cities in south Florida). Dexter talking about his childhood merits one sip, while a helicopter's view while flying above the relevant scenes merits two sips (the glimpse of a helicopter from below doesn't count).
- #002
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- #010
Edward James Olmos hesitated to accept the role of Professor Gellar because the part contained religious elements and religion was very important to him. He changed his mind when the producers told him the surprise in the story, and took the role because his view of religion was now legitimized as the delusions of a sick mind.
- #011
- #012
- #013
- #014
One aspect of the Trinity Killer parallels the BTK killer. Dennis Rader led a very active, normal family life at Christ Lutheran Church in Park City, Kansas; he was a deacon, congregation president and scout leader. Ironically, his use of a church computer to communicate with authorities led to his arrest.
- #015
At the end of the season 4 finale, 'The Getaway', as Dexter prepares to kill Arthur Mitchell at the table, he asks whether faking your death and starting over with a new identity might be a better alternative than being a killer and ruining your family. It is irony and foreshadowing, because in the season 8 finale Dexter does exactly that: he fakes his death, moves far away and takes on a new identity as a lumberjack living alone.
- #016
In season 3, episode 7, 'Easy as Pie', Debra tells Dexter to kill her if she ever ends up in a vegetative state. In the series' penultimate episode, Deb is shot, and in the finale her condition progresses to brain death. Dexter's last kill in the series (until New Blood) is a mercy killing that carries out Deb's wish and shows that he truly loved her.
- #017
- #018
The aerial helicopter shots of coastlines and cities have spawned a drinking game in some places (including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and other cities in south Florida). A mention of Dexter's childhood requires one sip, while a shot of the helicopter flying over the relevant scenes requires two (a shot of the helicopter from below does not count).
- #019
Dexter usually kills in a light brown shirt and greenish trousers. His light brown shirt has 4 buttons, each with two holes. This outfit matters to the character and the series; in one episode his father (Harry Morgan) appears beside Dexter in the same outfit, and in another episode Dexter imagines his unborn son in the same outfit. Other references to it are made throughout the series.
- #020
- #021
- #022
- #023
- #024
- #025
Contains a major spoiler — show
One aspect of the Trinity killer parallels the BTK killer. Dennis Rader maintained a very normal family life and was very active in the Christ Lutheran Church in Park City, KS. Among many positions, he was a deacon and congregation president and Cub Scout leader. Ironically, it was his use of a church computer to communicate with authorities that led to his arrest.
- #026
- #027
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the final episode of the season 4 finale "The Getaway" at the end of the episode where Dexter has Arthur Mitchell on the table and prepares to kill him, Dexter is talking to Arthur on what the alternative to being a killer and destroying your family would be, and Dexter asks: "Is faking your death and starting over with a new identity a better alternative?". This is irony and foreshadowing, for at the end of season 8, the series finale, Dexter does just that: he fakes his death, moves far away and takes on a new identity as a lumberjack who lives alone.
- #028
Contains a major spoiler — show
In season 3, episode 7 "Easy as Pie" Debra tells Dexter that if she is to ever be in terminal care, or a "vegetable" that Dexter should kill her. In the second to last episode of the show, Deb gets shot and her condition worsens in the finale to where she becomes brain dead. Dexter's final kill in the show (up until New Blood) is a mercy killing of of Debra, fulfilling her wish, also signifying that he does genuinely love her.
- #029
- #030
Production Story (10)
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- #039
Contains a major spoiler — show
Edward James Olmos was reluctant to accept the role of Prof. Gellar because of the use of religion, something really important to Olmos himself. When the producers told him the twist, he changed his mind and took the role because now his take on religion was justified as the ramblings of a sick mind.
- #040
Behind the Scenes (8)
- #041
- #042
- #043
Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan) has described the wig he wears in flashback scenes as "Surfer/Prince Valiant".
Dexter (2006): Jennifer Carpenter and Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), conversation sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Kristin Dos Santos from Los Angeles, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #044
In many of the crime scenes where Dexter gathers photographic evidence for forensic evaluation, he uses a Nikon DSLR and a 105mm Micro Nikkor lens rigged with a Nikon R1 twin macro flash kit. This ensemble enables him to shoot extreme close-ups without any shadow detail whatsoever, the preferred end result for such criminal investigations.
- #045
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Characters & Cast (7)
- #049
- #050
Sgt. Doakes tells Dexter that after looking into his background, he found that Dexter studied advanced jujitsu in college (which would possibly equate to a black belt) and that Dexter finished at the top of his class in medical school but chose blood spatter analysis as his career. This implies that Dexter is a non-practicing M.D., though it is never further explored or mentioned thereafter.
- #051
Dexter's "knock-out" syringe ostensibly contains a solution of what he refers to as M-99 (Etorphine Hydrochloride), an animal tranquilizer more potent than morphine and is used by veterinarians to sedate creatures as large as elephants. The substance can only be legally acquired and administered with a DEA license.
- #052
- #053
- #054
- #055
Contains a major spoiler — show
Edward James Olmos was reluctant to accept the role of Prof. Gellar because of the use of religion, something really important to Olmos himself. When the producers told him the twist, he changed his mind and took the role because now his take on religion was justified as the ramblings of a sick mind.
Easter Eggs & References (12)
- #056
- #057
If the theme music sounds familiar, many fans have noticed that it is very reminiscent of the score from The Ipcress File (1965) by John Barry. Season 1: Ep. 12 is titled "Born Free" and features the Andy Williams rendition that serves as a clue for Dexter. This Oscar-winning song was written by Barry (& Don Black).
- #058
Dexter frequently uses aliases that make reference to Bret Easton Ellis books and their film adaptations. These include using "Patrick Bateman" (the main character from American Psycho (2000)) when buying tranquilizers and "Sean Ellis" (reference to both Ellis and Sean Bateman - from The Rules of Attraction (2002)) when seeing a psychiatrist.
- #059
- #060
- #061
Sgt. Angel Batista at times refers to Dexter as "socio" when speaking to him as a friend or in confidence. This is a clever English/Spanish play on words. While "socio" in Spanish means "associate" or "partner," it is also the beginning of the word "sociopath/sociopata" (in both English and Spanish).
- #062
- #063
- #064
- #065
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the final episode of the season 4 finale "The Getaway" at the end of the episode where Dexter has Arthur Mitchell on the table and prepares to kill him, Dexter is talking to Arthur on what the alternative to being a killer and destroying your family would be, and Dexter asks: "Is faking your death and starting over with a new identity a better alternative?". This is irony and foreshadowing, for at the end of season 8, the series finale, Dexter does just that: he fakes his death, moves far away and takes on a new identity as a lumberjack who lives alone.
- #066
- #067
Contains a major spoiler — show
John Lithgow plays The Trinity Killer in Season 4, Peter Weller plays corrupt cop Stan Liddy in Season 5 (as well as directs several episodes) and Clancy Brown plays Kurt Caldwell in Dexter: New Blood. All 3 of these actors were in 1984's The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai.
Deeper Meaning (7)
- #068
- #069
The name of the main character, "Dexter," is also a Latin word meaning "right hand." The implied complement is the Latin for "left hand," "sinister," reflecting his hidden dark side. In 2010, author Jeff Lindsay confirmed at a book signing in Edinburgh that he chose the name Dexter because it was the opposite of "sinister," reflecting the character's surface normality.
- #070
- #071
Contains a major spoiler — show
One aspect of the Trinity killer parallels the BTK killer. Dennis Rader maintained a very normal family life and was very active in the Christ Lutheran Church in Park City, KS. Among many positions, he was a deacon and congregation president and Cub Scout leader. Ironically, it was his use of a church computer to communicate with authorities that led to his arrest.
- #072
- #073
Contains a major spoiler — show
In season 3, episode 7 "Easy as Pie", Debra tells Dexter that if she is ever in terminal care, or a "vegetable", Dexter should kill her. In the second to last episode of the show, Deb gets shot and her condition worsens in the finale to where she becomes brain dead. Dexter's final kill in the show (up until New Blood) is a mercy killing of Debra, fulfilling her wish, also signifying that he does genuinely love her.
- #074
Career & Awards (3)
- #075
Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in TV Drama for his portrayal of Dexter Morgan. He was also nominated five times for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
- #076
- #077
Life & Family (1)
- #078
Series star Michael C. Hall revealed in January 2010 that he was afflicted with Hodgkin's lymphoma, but continued to work on the series. Most of his fellow cast members were surprised by the news because he had not disclosed his condition during production. As of mid-2010, Hall is in remission.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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