Sep 27, 2010 11:47 GMT  ·  By

Last night marked the end of a long wait for fans of Showtime’s killer series “Dexter,” as season 5 premiered – and not only did it not disappoint, as some skeptics believed it would, but it actually was one of the most emotional episodes ever.

Reviews of the first episode of the highly successful series, whose season 4 ended with what has been deemed the most shocking and gruesome deaths on television, are now available and they promise season 5 will be just as big a winner as the previous 4.

As fans must know, in the final episode of season 4, Dexter (Michael C. Hall), the blood spatter analyst who moonlights as a serial killer, walked in his home to find his wife Rita (Julie Benz) in a bath of blood – literally.

Because of the unexpected and quite of the ordinary twist, not few were those who said there was absolutely no way the show would get better – and that it could only go downhill from now on.

Judging by the first episode of the new series, they couldn’t be farther from the truth. Without spoiling this for fans who haven’t had the chance to see it yet, suffice it to say that this is the most emotional episode so far, reviewers agree.

At the same time, it also promises a season just as strong, if not actually stronger, than those before it.

“One of the nice things about this episode is that we get to see Rita (Julie Benz) alive one last time. We see her first date with Dexter,” Primary Ignition says.

Michael C. Hall’s performance as Dexter in this episode is naturally subdued, as his character is feeling something he’s never felt before, and is struggling to keep his mask on amidst everything. I absolutely loved that primal scream he let out toward the end of the episode. It sounded like a wild animal in pain. It was perfect,” the same reviewer writes.

“Welcome back to the scene of one of television’s most gruesome crimes, and prepare yourself for another season of material so painfully uncomfortable to watch, it’s bound to be... completely enjoyable,” Entertainment Weekly’s TV Recaps also says.

“Yep, the dichotomy of Dexter is something we’ve learned to expect and appreciate,” the same reviewer notes, adding season 5 will also stay true to it, to the most surprising results.

While most reviewers agree that the first episode of season 5 is by far the most slow-paced of the series, it also plants lost of questions and the seeds of future plots – combining them all in such a manner that fans can’t but be happy their favorite killer (with a conscience) is back.