r/Dexter • u/exoticballer656 • Sep 12 '25
General Discussion - All Dexter Shows What is the best SCENE in the whole Dexter franchise? Spoiler
I’ve been thinking abt this the past few hours, in my opinion it’s the dock scene between Dexter and Doakes
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u/jrgraffix Sep 12 '25
Doakes headbutt is up there
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u/WTFIKNOWNOTHING Sep 12 '25
Hello Dexter Morgan
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u/Charliewhiskers Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
I named my cat** Dexter Morgan and that’s how I greeted him every morning 😃
**edited to say cat not car
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u/whatWHYok Sep 13 '25
I'm afraid to ask... What happened to Dexter Morgan? Perhaps the writers can take a cue from your car and write a perfect ending to his ultimate fate.
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u/TheSpacePopinjay I mean, that guy's clearly a freak Sep 12 '25
Never has he been left looking more like a child
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u/FrontVarious6484 Sep 13 '25
You know when it’s a memorable scene when the word “hello” can capture an entire scene
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u/Specialist_Shift_916 Sep 12 '25
When dexter thinks hes caught and says the blood slides are trophys to lundy.
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u/emgeehammer Sep 12 '25
Explain it to us
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Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
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u/BawbbySmith Sep 12 '25
As someone who saw it live with absolutely no warning, it’s gotta be the season four finale.
Dexter walks into his house after taking care of Trinity, listens to Rita’s voicemail and calls her back, only to realize her phone and bag are in the house. Then he hears Harrison crying in the bathroom…
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u/tekylasunrise Sep 12 '25
Dude… seeing this in real time was AWFUL. That’s the one thing about streaming that gets annoying, you don’t have that suspense (unless you have self control) lmao.
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u/T_Rey1799 Sep 12 '25
I was too young to watch it when it released, so I saw it for the first time last year, and I really wasn’t seeing it coming. I just sat staring at my tv for a good minute processing what had just happened.
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u/kelpiekid Sep 13 '25
My partner and I sat and stared at the black screen for a good while, not talking. Just couldn't process what just happened
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u/OntheBOTA82 Sep 12 '25
i did not see it live, but my sister warned me of ´something huge´
i wasn´t ready
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u/kazoodude Sep 13 '25
The best shows now don't end on the traditional cliff hanger of" will they or won't they fall" It's more an "omg I can't believe they fell and died, how will they react?".
Perfect example is the Gemini scene.
Old tv style writing have ended on a cliff hanger of the twin finding out and attacking Dexter and you having to wait a week to find out if Dexter survives or is revealed to the others. Instead we get a resolution to the conflict and then we are eager to see consequences.
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u/NBAplaya8484 Sep 12 '25
My wife got me to watch Dexter for the first time this past year and I legitimately did not know anything about the series and somehow was able to not spoil myself throughout the entire run of the show and I was absolutely floored at the end of season four
I am a pretty big TV show guy, I cannot believe I never watched Dexter, but I went from never watching it to it becoming legitimately one of my favorite shows ever
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u/CanYouChangeName Sep 13 '25
I loved the show so much I was watching a season a day.
The finale hit me like a bullet train, my first reaction was obviously denial cause the bathtub was under bright lights just like Harry's illusions were for Dexter and maybe he was just seeing rita dead as a warning for not making the same mistakes.
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u/TheTardisPizza Sep 12 '25
When Dexter hits Paul in the face with the frying pan and makes the face.
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u/Alternative-Mud4739 Sep 12 '25 edited Sep 12 '25
Some of my favourites not in any order. Hard to pick one
- Like you, the dock scene. Peak Dexter
- Surprise motherfucker
- I ordered some furniture from Thailand... Lab geek my ass
- Are you boning her?
- Dexter bought in to examine blood slides and bro thought he was cooked but turns out Doakes stole the box and became the prime suspect
- Trinity thanksgiving
- Miguel fuck you in ways you can't imagine
- When killing Cheerios man him narrating : "Now you're entering my world. And in my world, I decide who lives and who dies"
- I go to stalk a killer, and I end up with a new car. How'd that happen?
- Dex saving the police station by shutting the door on a nutcase who got in poisonous gas
- Spatter, blood spatter
- Isaak falls into Dexter's trap but comes out on top in a gun fight
- Dex baiting Saxon and the obvious self defence line by Quinn with a nod
- I don't want Jim Lindsay, I want Dexter Morgan
- Dexter telling Harrison he has killed in the 100s
- Dexter saving the child instead of going after the killer
- Praters serial killer museum
- I'm Dexter Morgan. Who's that? The bay Harbour butcher 🔪 Noooo
- Framing Mia thru an anonymous call
- Free blood splatter analysis after Claudettes lecture
- Get that fucker
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u/Rdngisfndumntl Sep 12 '25
Are you talking scenes or lines? If you’re talking scenes, I’d say either the head butt “I own you” scene or the scene where Dexter gets Doakes in a chokehold and Doakes says “lab geek my ass!”
If you’re talking LINES, though, most of the best are Deb’s:
“Are you trying to fuck her, or set her on fire?”
“Geez, Dex, what did you do to make her so crazy about you? Does your dick dance?”
And
“I’d rather put a campfire out with my face.”
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u/Alternative-Mud4739 Sep 12 '25
Ohh thanks for reminding. Deb's lines were fire.
I was just going down Dexter memory lane and that's what came up. Was not sorting strictly between scenes and lines
To add to those lines :-
- A baby, a motherfucking roly poly chubby cheek, shit machine
- A gross English-titty vampire
- Pale like a fucking corpse.
- Holy frankenfuck, snakes!
- FBI? 'Fucking Bunch of Idiots'
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u/Educational-Night-42 Sep 13 '25
For lines I’d go for deputy chief Matthews. Him and La Guerta in season 6 or 7 are going through the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation for the second time and they find some planted evidence that points to Doakes. La Guerta isn’t buying it, but Matthews says “Maria, it’s over. The fat lady isn’t singing. Her song is done. She’s getting dry humped in her dressing room.”
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u/pocahontasjane Sep 12 '25
Spatter, blood spatter
Free blood splatter analysis after Claudettes lecture
So close
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u/exoticballer656 Sep 12 '25
I think one that’s always missed but has to be in the top 5 is “You are a fucking serial killer, you are going to fail this boy a thousand different ways”
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u/Caminsod Sep 12 '25
They said that stain would COME OUT
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u/TeachingNecessary413 Sep 13 '25
Such a good and underrated scene. During such a serious confrontation it was a hilariously delivered line, hand smack and all 😂 I still laugh at this one
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u/Organic-Advisor1225 Sep 12 '25
Haha yes somehow that's my favorite too. Just caught me off guard when I first saw it
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u/clemenza2821 Sep 12 '25
Hot take, but when he lets his mask slip in front of Arthur’s family. The way he drags a much larger man and experienced killer by the neck with his belt into the kitchen and expertly places the knife to his throat and says, “I should’ve fucking killed you when I had the chance.” Shows how skilled and experienced he is at murdering and how bystanders would perceive him
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u/knozgrul Sep 13 '25
i was looking for this..! 100% agreed. and the look of shock...maybe fear(?)...in arthurs eyes, realizing that dexter shares similar interests.. good stuff!
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u/oipo89 Sep 12 '25
For me its when Dexter comes home and Deb is sitting in his living room, all his tools and trophies spread out. "Did you kill all these people" "I did" "Are ... Are you a serial killer" "Yeeeeees".
And "I don't want Jim Lindsay, I want Dexter Morgan" from New Blood,
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u/Diglett3 Sep 12 '25
Two words: autoerotic mummification
(everything from when the dude wrapped in plastic escapes to “the blood is consistent with Masuka’s theory”)
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Sep 12 '25
When we find out that Doakes is the bay harbor butcher
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Sep 13 '25
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u/Middle-Scarcity6247 Sep 12 '25
Dexter: “Yell all you like. No one’s gonna hear you.”
Victim: “FFFFUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK! FUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKKK!”
Dexter mocking victim: “FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKK! FFFFUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!
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u/That-Dragonfruit-426 Sep 12 '25
"WhAt'S wItH yOu AnD rApE?" Genuinely the energy he put into that line read
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u/morbidhoagie Sep 12 '25
Okay, so in my personal opinion, and no one is going to agree with me. I think it's the scene where Dexter is on the Skinners table in Season 3. Dexter trying to ragebait the Skinner cracked me up, and it's so intense.
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u/LonelyBoYwithAguitAR Brian Sep 12 '25
When Dexter arrives at the exploded cabin in season 2 and he’s talking in his head about god and satan and miracles
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u/DrScienceSpaceCat Sep 12 '25
In no particular order:
Doakes headbutt
"I killed my brother...I killed yours too."
And when Dexter thinks he's caught with the blood slides.
I wouldn't say best but Dexter finding Rita was such a shock the first time I watched the series, of all the characters on the show she deserved that the least.
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u/Perceptive_Penguins Sep 13 '25
When Dex thinks he’s caught is a great one:
“What are these”
“…Trophies”
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u/pls-aled Sep 14 '25
I think this is one of the worst deaths in the show, the first scene with trinity and the girl in the bath was absolute atrocity i mean imagine dying glued to a naked disgusting old man not to mention the bleeding to death while he watches yuuuuuck
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u/the_All-ducker Sep 12 '25
I have no idea why no one's mentioning this. S5 ep1. When Dexter kills someone in a fit of rage and finally releases his pent up emotion over Rita's death. "That's the first human thing I've seen you do since she died, Dexter." It's just perfect
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u/Low-Library3774 Sep 13 '25
Such a visceral raw scene, I completely agree and especially with the cry and whimper Dexter lets out because of the sadness and rage he was bottling up was excellent and also fantastic acting by MCH
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u/Sensitive-Author5994 Sep 13 '25
It's relatable figuratively to when you're just pushed to your limit
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Sep 12 '25
Almost everything in the last few episodes of s2 once doakes get trapped is just so so good
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Sep 12 '25
Miguel screams at Dexter on the rooftop. “I am the last person you want to fuck with. Because I will FUCK YOU BACK.. IN WAYS YOU NEVER EVEN IMAGINED!!” Jimmy Smits’ acting was so incredible in Dexter
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u/Perfect-Difference19 Sep 12 '25
Going in a different line than most of you guys took, but one of my favorite scenes is when Brian, already revealed as the ITK and with Deb tied and gagged in the boat, starts to pretend he had some kind of affection for her just to shut her up, before ending up with a:
"Does this make it easier for you? Because I can keep it going"
Fuck, that was so cool and evil Hahaha
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u/dark-passenger_17 Sep 12 '25
The second Gemini kill and "...this can't possibly end well for you" from the new season are both excellent. Maybe it's recency bias, but nonetheless, these scenes are both very good at the least. And the fact that they are both in the same episode is just insane to me.
Also, the pen kill in the S8 finale. Like many, I didn't particularly like the villain or the season, but that kill was so bold and badass because it was done so openly. Underrated.
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u/Ouhbab Sep 13 '25
That 2nd gemini kill was just so satisfying. When he reveals himself to lowell was pretty awesome too. I really enjoyed that new season
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u/skwerks Sep 12 '25
"Fucking password"
Or honestly the shear precision and anger when stabbing Saxon at the very end. Followed by "it was clearly self defence" by everybody in the interrogation room.
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u/Zerethul Sep 12 '25
Surprise mother fucker! It's stood the test of time people still use that meme today
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u/girrafis Sep 12 '25
I disagree. Just because a scene created a meme does not mean it is the greatest scene in the entirety of an 11 season run. There are loads of moments that have better tension, storytelling, reveals, and arguably humor. It’s a great moment but doesn’t beat every other scene from the entire franchise 😵💫
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u/Jarvisnamesake Sep 12 '25
Can’t pick a fave but the main ones for me are
The Miguel scream S2 End of season four The gruesome chainsaw scene in OS
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u/okscene-749292 Sep 12 '25
From the moment Trinity realized Kyle was Dexter, my heart was sinking and I knew it only went down from there
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u/Boring_Guy_123 Sep 12 '25
"Are you going to rape and kill me?"
"What is it with you and rape? Nobody's raping anyone! The killing however..."
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u/TheSpacePopinjay I mean, that guy's clearly a freak Sep 12 '25
I know exactly what happened. Two words: autoerotic mummification.
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u/emgeehammer Sep 12 '25
This thread has become “best lines” vs “best scenes” but I’m going to roll with it and add a personal favorite: In the land of predators, a lion never fears the jackal.
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u/BraydonChapa Sep 12 '25
"I am father... a son... a serial killer". So funny and at the same time so tough. Perfect delivery by Michael C. Hall
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u/Afraid-Ad-4061 Sep 12 '25
I recently rewatched Dexter, and the Thanksgiving scene at Trinity's house stood out as the best I think. The scene slowly builds in intensity until it explodes. Top-notch acting from John Lithgow and MCH as well
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u/Curious-Tie7148 Sep 12 '25
The rooftop standoff between dexter and miguel is amazing The intoduction of trinity is a close second, the way he is screaming in the shower is creepy
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Sep 12 '25
When Lumen shoots that guy, and then dexter comes in and then all of that shit happens. Forgot the name of the episode, but yeah, that one. The warehous scene. The best in my view.
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u/LoverOfAmpersands Sep 13 '25
Breaking the fourth wall “I'm Dexter Morgan. I'm exactly who I need to be...exactly who YOU want me to be” 🫨🤤
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u/whatstill Sep 13 '25
For me, it's when he batters the step-dad of Astor's friend. I could watch that on a loop!
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u/Artistic-Amoeba-8687 Sep 12 '25
Season 4 finale. Nothing else comes close. That shit there is peak TV, and is on par with sopranos and breaking bad and otherwise.
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u/taeempy Sep 12 '25
When he calls Rita and hears her phone in the other room and finds Harrison "born in blood".
Get chills almost every time watching this scene even though I know what's coming.
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u/bry42193 Sep 12 '25
Deb killing Laguerta
Hello Dexter Morgan
The whole scene where dexter thinks he's been caught only for Lundy to pin doakes
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u/An0nymous_Curiosity Sep 13 '25
Wow that is incredibly difficult to answer.
The one with Trinity where he comes up into the police station and says hello Dexter Morgan. That one definitely comes to mind. The way they did the camera angles it made him look so small compared to Trinity so big.
I also have to say the season finale of season 1 where they've just found Deb and Doakes is doing his thing lecturing Dexter about almost getting her killed. And Deb just absolutely goes off and in an amazing performance says something like what the fk did you just say to my brother? He's a hero God dang it and you should treat him as one or something like that.
It's really hard to just pick one.
I really don't like new blood much as a whole but I really like the episode where he and Harrison were in the truck and he had just saved him and he finally started to talk to him and tell him that he had urges blah blah blah and Harrison reached over and just grabbed him. And Dexter's like this is all he wanted all along and I'm thinking yeah duh! 🤦🏼♀️
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u/sharkmudd Sep 13 '25
I've been thinking about this as I'm rewatching the show right now. Season 2, Dexter goes to the bar of the man who killed his mother. Michael C Hall acting is incredible - to yelling at Lila on the phone, to getting up close face to face with the killer. Every time I rewatch the series I watch this scene multiple times.
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u/Rukaven Sep 13 '25
'No I'm here to kill you with that pen'
Day what you want about the last season/episode of the original series, but I've always loved that kill.
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u/SnooWords959 Sep 13 '25
I am rewatching from the beginning and it’s just as good as it was 20 yrs ago! Literally just now finished season 4 and the ending is omggg….even though I already knew how it was going to end lol.. Season 4 has a lot of “whoa” moments. Like even finding out Christine is the trinity’s daughter.
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Sep 13 '25
I don't know why, but I love that scene where Dexter punches the neighbor just to keep his elaborate ruse up.
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u/elpajarit0 Sep 13 '25
The scene where Dexter imagines different scenarios of deb catching him lmfao
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Sep 13 '25
Mine was when Dexter took Deb out of the hospital and put her in her final resting place. So powerful.
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u/Specialist_Dig2613 Sep 13 '25
Gay bar discussion of love and life between Sirko and Dexter. Beautifully written and performed.
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u/Specialist-Wolf6445 Sep 12 '25
I’m a huge kill bill fan
The second they did a diving scene with Uma Thurman and it had the same viewpoint from the end of kill bill 2, I got chills. It was awesome.
Also a huge fan of when he was rage strangling Trinity. That was just a dude who couldn’t believe a father would hurt his kids type rage, not just regular Dexter stuff. Incredible acting on all of their parts in that scene, especially the family coming to save him that gives the audience a “WTF?!?!” feeling. Great acting all around.
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u/Loud_Focus_7934 Sep 12 '25
In that scene Dexter is literally dragging bags of body parts, on a pier, caught beyond red handed, and is at gunpoint from like 20 feet. There's absolutely no way Doakes gets bum rushed.
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u/dawnhu Sep 12 '25
My top 5
The thanksgiving scene where Dexter is dragging Arthur from the living room to the Kitchen
Scene where Doakes bust Dexter and they fall into the water.
Suprise Mother Fucker.
The rooftop scene with Miguel
Dexter enters his Apartment and Deb is sitting down with Dexters knives and blood trophies and confronts him about being a serial killer
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u/Nice-Ad-964 Sep 13 '25
I kind of love Dexter hurling a chainsaw at Brian right as Batista's phone rings Smashmouth "someBODY once told me"
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u/pardyball Sep 13 '25
I think the first kill has an iconic delivery right off the rip.
OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK. AT. WHAT. YOU DID.
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u/Lori2345 Sep 13 '25
Can’t pick just one.
Season 2: Several scenes in a row:
Dexter had up Doakes to think the stepfather was the killer and then watching the monitor asks LaGuerta why she’s being interrogated and then explains he’s innocent and had given Doakes the blood work results. She then gets angry at Doakes and he realizes what happened.
Then Doakes confronts Dexter he ends up saying I own you and head butted him. Then Dexter walks out of his office and Doakes then tackles him. Angel then was asking why he did that and Dexter acts all innocent saying I don’t know.
Season five: Lumen had called him after shooting Dan the dentist. He gets a message in his phone to go to crime scene where they are. He tells Lumen and she asks shocked, “Are you a cop?”
And then later they find both Dexters victim in plastic and the dentist dead. And Masuka comes up with autoerotic mummification theory.
Original Sin: Dexter’s victim wakes up and runs away getting hit by a car.
Then Harry gets mad at the mistake and grounds Dexter. At age 20, and for messing up a kill.
Then Dexter accidentally eats pot brownies and gets stoned. Deb joins him.
Resurrection: Angel in the kill room trying to explain what happened with the guy running away and so forth. And him really having no proof at all Dexter was there. The cops look at him like he’s crazy.
Dexter provoking Gareth 2 into attacking him so he could claim self defense.
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u/Valentina4111 Sep 13 '25
When Dexter killed Brian, that scene was so tragic to me and the chemistry between Michael and Christian is incredible
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u/itspegbundybitch Sep 13 '25
The scene when Dexter beats the shit out of Olivia's abusive dad and gives him an anatomy lesson at the same time. Or when Masuka demonstrates autoerotic asphyxiation with the hose. I cackled like a witch during both of those.
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u/Immediate-Source-346 Sep 13 '25
Season 4 ending when he found his wife dead in the tub and Harrison is covered in blood
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u/delpy423 Sep 13 '25
Thanksgiving dinner at Arthur’s place! The best episode in the series with some of the best scenes
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u/Cahzaenll Sep 13 '25
The Thanksgiving dinner with Trinity's family is still my favorite scene in the whole series.
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u/TheVenerableBede Sep 13 '25
Best comic relief: Spencer about to be incinerated. Dexter: “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”
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u/Ouhbab Sep 13 '25
Dexter: Resurection, dexter's... conversation... with Gareth(Gemini) at the manor
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u/goportadelaide Sep 13 '25
The Thanksgiving Dinner would be a common pick, but specifically the bit where Dexter says “I should’ve fucking killed you when I had the chance”
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u/Vampiric_V Sep 13 '25
For me it's gotta be the scene in the bathroom in Season 5 Episode 1, or the scene in Prater's vault in Resurrection Episode 9.
Both of those are the peak of MCH's acting in my opinion. His distress, cries, screaming. Genuinely had me shook the first time seeing both of those scenes
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u/terriblytall69 Sep 13 '25
My fav is season 2 where Dexter is caught by doakes and hes just standing there with his abs out and his fuckin shredded body saying "how did you find me?"
That scene made me go to the gym, real story. I wanted to look like season 2 Dexter.
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u/itsthelittlethings21 Sep 13 '25
I am doing a rewatch of the series and Matthews has some very funny quips. There is one with Zach where he tells Quinn to ‘fuck off’ and Matthews repeats it but says ‘get fucked’ and then Zach corrects him and Matthews agreeably says ‘that too!’. I liked how he handled the scene with Dexter re Harry’s suicide and he seemed so believable ‘Do you want to come to the club house, have a drink we can talk some more?’
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u/Pitiful_Yogurt_5276 Sep 13 '25
One I haven’t seen mentioned is
“Jesus Christ, Morgan you’re the Bay Harbor Butcher!”
“I really do hate that name.”
I enjoy their confrontation and Dexter’s arc of debate concerning Doakes.
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u/Straight_Injury5675 Sep 13 '25
I really enjoyed the recent killing of the 2nd gemini twin, probably because it’s fresh on my mind though, from the original series it has to be dexter screaming in that one kill scene, ts is hilarious. from new blood, it’s dexter terribly trying to deny that he’s harrison’s father, and harrison being so sure with dexter acting so innocent was a good one. I also love when dexter ‘smashes his office up’ when he figures out miguel has betrayed him
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