14 DAY TRIAL // This September, the fifth season of Showtime’s critically acclaimed “Dexter” series will premiere. Not only will it bring a slew of new faces into the story of the much loved blood spatter analyst that doubles as a serial killer, but it will also have to strain to top last season’s shocking finale, which saw Dexter’s wife Rita brutally murdered. From the first teaser aired at Comic-Con, it is about to do just that, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Leading star Michael C. Hall, who’s received plenty of accolades for his portrayal of the twisted killer this past year, was in attendance at the Comic-Con 2010 with his wife Jennifer Carpenter (who plays his sister in front of the cameras). After the first teaser for season 5, which can’t be embedded online just yet, Hall answered questions from the media, including why he thinks audiences love Dexter, how he personally felt about Julie Benz’s departure and more.
“Showtime brought some fresh ‘Dexter’ footage to Comic-Con on Thursday with a Season 5 teaser that shows Michael C. Hall’s serial killer brought low after his wife Rita’s mysterious murder in last season’s cliffhanger. ‘It was me,’ Dexter dazedly says at the crime scene, in an open-ended line that summoned plenty of curiosity at the panel devoted to the show. The montage also showed a provocative shot of the couple’s infant Harrison seated and crying in a large pool of blood. (Unfortunately, Showtime is not yet allowing online embeds of the video due to still-unresolved music-rights issues.)” the LA Times writes.
“Hall – now greeted at Comic-Con to the rafters-rattling cheers typically reserved for a conquering hero – said the nonstop twists had kept the series from growing stale, although he was disappointed by the exit of costar Julie Benz, who played Rita. ‘It’s as wide open a feeling and as new as it’s ever been,’ the actor said of the show. ‘It’s a testament to our writing staff.’ Asked to pick a favorite guest star, Hall cited John Lithgow, who won plaudits last season for playing the Trinity Killer. He added jokingly: ‘I’ve enjoyed all the people I’ve killed’,” the publication further writes.
During the same Q&A, Hall said that he believed Dexter’s appeal was to be found in the fact that he killed only people who escaped justice. Should he been made to slay people randomly, the show would have lost its edge after only a few episodes. This way, by creating the impression that he’s a vigilante who, no matter the means, does a good deed, he grows on people.
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*Update: Below is the trailer. Enjoy.