The Batlord

I have a short memory, so my ranking might not be personally definitive, but here goes.

1.) Season 7 - Dex and Debra's relationship really blossomed into one of the most interesting character dynamics I've ever seen. The writers managed to walk a very fine line while portraying their dysfunctional, codependent relationship as both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The main storyline wasn't quite as good as previous seasons, but by the end, the hitman guy had really grown on me.

2.) Season 2 - Overall this might be the most solid season, besides maybe 4. I think it might have ruined season 8, since everything that could have been done with Dexter possibly getting caught in the end had already been done. The tension of this season was just brilliant.

3.) Season 4 - The last great villain of the series -- probably the best too -- and like the best Batman villains, Lithgow really was a mirror for Dexter's own personal demons. And dat ending.

4.) Season 1 - The show was still finding its legs, so it had some growing pains, but the drama of Dexter slowly finding out more about his past was some compelling ****.

5.) Season 5 - All in all it wasn't a great season, and the premise of Dexter and Lumen's relationship was about as absurd as I was willing to accept, but they had such great chemistry that I still loved them together. Still, that was pretty much the only really standout thing about the season -- though Jonny Lee Miller did make for a pretty good main villain.

6. Season 8 - Lotta random, uninteresting subplots that had no business being introduced at the end of an eight season series, lotta logically-challenged plot developments, bland villain, and just a general lack of direction. There were some great moments though, but what really saved this season from being an abject failure was the continuation of Dex and Deb's emotional rollercoaster... at least until Hannah showed up and took entirely too much focus away from that. This season really did have potential, but in the end they squandered it. Dat ending though.

7.) Season 3 - There was just something boring about this one. It wasn't bad, just really mediocre. I don't have anything to rail against, but I also don't have anything to praise. Dex and Rita's continuing relationship was intriguing, but not as much as the other three out of the first four seasons. The main villain was good as a character, and there was definitely a certain tension since you knew it wasn't going to end well, but there was just too much time in-between the beginning of the season and when he became an actual threat. There's a difference between slow-burning and just plain slow.

8.) Season 6 - If it wasn't for Mos Def and the end of the season finale, there would really be **** all good about this season. Mos Def and Dexter had good chemistry, and it was interesting to see a "good guy" in the role of Dexter's mirror, rather than another villain, but then they killed him off entirely too early and that was the end of anything even remotely good. But worst of all was the villain. Edward James Olmos had presence, but the character was written so poorly that he still came off as two-dimensional and ridiculous, and his "protege" was completely uninteresting. To make it worse, rather than come up with actual good villains, the writers relied on laughable, over-the-top, quasi-gore spectacles and painfully cliched religious babble to try to shock people.

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