Dexter - Season 3

I've just finished catching up with season three of Dexter, courtesy of CastTV. Despite the crappy video quality and the audio that was often times out of sync and the fact that the stupid site forced you to take 54 minute breaks for every 72 minutes of video streamed (this in an attempt to get you to sign up for the premium service which means you PAY for the crappy video quality and out of sync audio...), the third season of Dexter was as addictively engrossing as seasons one and two.

After the amazing debut season with the Ice Truck killer, I had no idea how the writers would ever be able to top themselves. But season two upped the ante with the obsessive Doakes and psychotic Lila.

How in the world could you top the Bay Harbor Butcher?

Indeed, when season three started it seemed like we were in for a series of standard serial killings...ho-hum. But in the very first episode we got a one-two sucker punch of Dexter accidentally killing an unintended victim (who just happened to be the little brother of a popular Assistant D.A.) and getting the news that Rita was pregnant.

So much for ho-hum!

Jimmy Smits' portrayal of A.D.A. Miguel Prado was a long way from his good guy roots with Victor Sifuentes (L.A. Law) and Bobby Simone (N.Y.P.D. Blue). His dark and manipulative, vain and vindictive killer lurking under the guise of upstanding public servant made Dexter's demonic dark side look positively righteous and normal in comparison. At IMDB it says Jimmy Smits' trademark is that he's "known for his portrayal of good men with deep moral convictions."

Way to blow away the typecasting, Jimmy!

Although the season was neatly tied-up with Dexter dispatching his former BFF Miguel and pinning it on season three's psycho, The Skinner (on whom he performed the patented Sayud Jarrah Ninja-breakdancing move...) and made it to the church in time to marry lovely Rita, I'm still psyched for season four. Could the files on Daddy Morgan's confidential informants that are sitting on sister Debra's desk be Dexter's next close call?

If you thought Miguel Prado's wrath was intense, wait 'til Debra finds out it was Dexter's Mom that Harry was having an affair with and that it was his brother who was the Ice Truck Killer!