Dexter, the crime drama television series released in 2006, is one of the most popular shows. It is discussed and re-watched even after so many years of its conclusion. The show concluded in September 2013 with a total of 8 seasons.
The show follows Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall, a forensic blood spatter analyst. It is soon revealed that he is a vigilante serial killer at night who has lost all hope in humanity.
The show is praised for its brilliant writing, but season 4 remains one of the most well-written seasons in television history. The season 4 finale saw Dexter's wife Rita Bennett's (Julie Benz) death at the hands of the Trinity Killer. It was not only one of the most brutal deaths on the show but also changed his trajectory on the show.
Here is everything about Rita's death on the show and how it changed the course of the story.
Who killed Rita Bennett in Dexter?
After marrying Rita in the season 3 finale, Morgan's dual identity, especially his late-night killings, was deeply affected. Not only was he a father and husband now, but his new roles threatened the survival of his prime identity—that of a killer.
Morgan's killings were a means for him to be sane, but now he was unable to do them regularly, which made him anxious. He discovers the Trinity Killer, aka Arthur Mitchell, in season 4 when he is exhausted with his domestic life.
His frustration soon turns into an obsession with the Trinity Killer as he desperately wants to know how he manages to lead a double life when he is failing at it. This is the beginning of the premise of Rita's death, as his obsession soon leads to Arthur discovering Morgan's true identity.
Thinking that Morgan could be a threat to him, the Trinity Killer kills Rita off-screen and leaves her body in the bathtub filled with her own blood. The scene is very brutal, with her son on the bathroom floor, crying and covered in his mother's blood.
Dexter finds his wife with their child and is immediately reminded of when Harry finds him as a baby in the storage container.
How did Rita's death impact Dexter on the show?
Rita, their child, and his family were his moral compass on the show. While season 4 and especially Rita's death remain one of the most iconic scenes on television, fans quickly noticed her as an example of the media's "Women in Refrigerators" trope.
After supporting Morgan throughout four seasons and having almost no character arc of her own, she was killed for the emotional growth and maturity of the male protagonist, in this case, her husband.
With little trust in humanity, Rita's death is a turning point for Morgan, who becomes more bleak in the subsequent seasons. He also never had any genuine love interest on the show after her. The ones he did pursue were important for his killings rather than himself.
While the makers felt that killing Rita was a good creative decision for the show's success and the character, and it did them good with the scene itself, the later storyline could not leave a lasting impact.
Benz discussed her feelings on a podcast after she was told Rita was being killed from the show. She remembers having a panic attack and calling her manager and boyfriend-
''...I felt so vulnerable... I was [bawling], I was really upset... I loved it [the show]. Also it was such a great family, and then here you are being told, like, 'OK, well we're still going to get together as a family but you're on your own'."
While the show could not top this milestone, it continued to air until 2013. A spin-off series, Dexter: New Blood, was released in 2021. Two more upcoming series, Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection, are also reportedly in development.
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