As a girl who's spent a good portion of her life watching true-crime shows or any horror TV, I had to watch Dexter once or twice. After a few rewatches and a major hyperfixation, I’ve finally put together the ultimate ranked list of every Dexter season.
Of course, this list does not include New Blood, Resurrection, or Original Sin. All of those Dexter shows deserve more time and energy to analyze than I have in this list. Let's take some time to give the original series its flowers first.
Let's get the ranking of Dexter seasons started with the last one, obviously.
8. Season 8
I mean, you knew it was going to be the last one ranked.
I’m going to come out with an unpopular opinion: I don’t necessarily hate the last season of Dexter like everyone else seems to. I actually find the ending to be not that terrible. It makes sense when you think about everything Dexter (Michael C. Hall) went through. This is just him paying for his sins and having to leave everything behind.
Other than that, there’s not much going for this season. I feel the pacing and writing were weak at times, and certain story choices undercut the past, including rewriting Dexter’s moral code, which undervalues Harry’s (James Remar) role in the show.
7. Season 6
I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of any series focusing on religious killings, just because I think that you can get lost in the sauce of trying to deliver a good message. That’s exactly what season 6 did. Travis Marshall (Colin Hanks) was okay as a killer, and the reveal that he was the Doomsday Killer was fine, but beyond that, this season was really slow.
The only bright spot comes toward the end, when Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) finally sees what Dexter is doing, setting off a whole spiral. Season 7 was so much better, as we’ll talk about later.
6. Season 5
Season 5 of Dexter was honestly one of my favorites from the latter half of the show because I really liked Julia Stiles as Lumen, and the idea of Dexter working with someone with a similar code was always interesting to me.
But quite frankly, I don’t remember much from this season except for Dexter and Lumen. I don’t remember a lot of the killers. I don’t remember a lot of the drama. I really loved their interactions, which is why I rank it so much higher than season 6, because it wasn’t as slow. The story just isn’t as memorable.
5. Season 7
After season 6, the show's quality began to decline, but season 7 was its last saving grace. Season 7 was basically Debra versus Dexter, and that is the kind of stuff fans love to see.
In this season, Dexter’s secrets are no longer kept so close to him, and Debra is forced to lie again and again to cover for her brother.
Not only that, but Maria LaGuerta (Luna Lauren Velez) kept closing in on Dexter and Debra, and they were forced to shoot her at the end, leading to a massive cliffhanger — ugh, it’s the best.
Somehow, this season didn't even make the top half of the ranking, which just proves how great the other seasons are.
4. Season 1
To be honest, I think that the first season of New Blood, as well as the continuation of Dexter: Resurrection, matches season 1 of Dexter. It's really slow compared to the next three seasons. That's not a bad thing necessarily. It’s slow in a way that builds up the tension and keeps you locked in from the moment you press play.
The show’s first season gave fans their first taste of Dexter, an antihero with dark humor who somehow made us all love a serial killer. It was the beginning of it all, and for that, it truly stands out as one of the best.
With all of that said, the next three seasons beat it out.
3. Season 3
I loved adding Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) to Dexter in season 3. Adding him to Dexter's key story that season made it more complicated and interesting than ever.
Dexter killing Miguel’s brother beforehand gives them an instant connection, and they bond over their pasts and grow close without Miguel ever knowing what Dexter did. Now, that is good writing.
Their relationship only grows deeper and more twisted as the season goes on, which is what makes it one of my favorites of the whole show.
2. Season 2
Dexter season 2 is iconic for many reasons. Not only does it feature James Doakes (Erik Kang) way more (and it also leads to some hilarious memes years down the line), but it’s also the first time we see Dexter truly challenged in his moral code by Lila West (Jaime Murray).
She was insane in several ways and completely unsustainable. Still, for a moment, it was interesting to see how Dexter reacted to someone who was essentially the opposite of him, which made season 2 even better than the first.
1. Season 4
You knew this was coming! Dexter season 4 features one of TV's best villains: John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer. There's no beating the excellent storytelling, tight pacing, and characterization of season 4.
It’s almost a crime that anything came after season 4 because this season was so good. Dexter and Arthur’s (Lithgow) interactions were some of the best, and they gave Dexter hope that he could be a better man, but in the end, Arthur turned out to be an even worse monster.
The ending is also considered one of the series' best, a cliffhanger the show never quite beat. I will forever love this season, and honestly, I think it’s time to rewatch it.
You can watch all eight seasons of Dexter on Paramount+.
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