In the aftermath of Mad Men, I've been drowning my sorrows in Dexter, which is having a fantastic fourth season, in large part because of Lithgow's perky/fragile, alarmingly naked, and genuinely chilling performance as Trinity, the serial killer from Habitat for Humanity.
I'm particularly fascinated by the way in which Dexter's relationship with Trinity has changed with each episode. Earlier, this new father figure triggered Dexter's fears about his home life: Is Dexter's family just his cover story, or worse, a burden he wishes he could dump in the river? But in the most recent episodes, the theme has shifted toward the question of Dexter's mortality and the limits of growth. If Dexter becomes a "real boy," capable of remorse and human intimacy, will that heal him — or lead him to suicide, exposure, a total breakdown of control?
The show has never been strictly realistic about serial killers, but they've taken a leap to an unnerving new place, exploring the psyche of someone very much like the BTK Killer who terrorized Wichita for seventeen years while living in a seemingly normal family. Like Trinity, he was a Boy Scout leader and the lay president of a Wichita Lutheran church. Will having a family make Dexter better than his adoptive father ever thought he could be, or much, much worse, with a new set of victims living with him?
My insane theory about Astor (plus praise for The Middle and an Aaron Sorkin Fantasy). ![]()





Hollywood First
Emily Nussbaum's Want-to-Sees
Todd Oldham Creates Art Nerds With New Book
Cruz Is Irresistible in Broken Embraces
Emily Blunt Trades Prada for Prudery
Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room Is Pure Pleasure