Dexter Morgan is going to meet his maker. Not literally — well, perhaps literally — but definitely figuratively. The eighth and final season of Showtime’s drama will introduce Dr. Evelyn Vogel, a psychiatrist played by veteran British actress Charlotte Rampling.

Vogel seeks out Dexter’s help because a killer is stalking her. She also holds a big key to his past: Vogel helped Dex’s father Harry invent “The Code” that he used to manage his son’s psychotic impulses (that is: Dex only kills people who deserve it).

On a chilly April morning in Long Beach, the Dexter production team was shooting a scene at a snack bar on the beach. Dex (Michael C. Hall) and Vogel discussed his frustration with his estranged sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). In the background, extras hired to play volleyball players tossed the ball back and forth underhanded over the net, while joggers ran in wide circles around the snack bar.

“I won’t just let her go,” Dexter says.

During a break, I say to Rampling: So this is all your fault then? READ FULL STORY »

When Scott Buck is ready to talk, you better be prepared. The Dexter showrunner’s answers tend to be rapid-fire direct, the interview equivalent of speed dating. When we met in his Hollywood office two months ago, the writer-producer was perhaps even more urgent than usual. Dexter‘s final season is debuting in the summer for the first time (June 30), which has the creative team meeting earlier deadlines than usual (don’t worry, they assure the show is on track — this final storyline has been in the works for years). Below Buck talks about the Miami Metro gang’s last days in the sun.

What to expect from Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) this season: “Dexter is a character who has evolved so much over the years that’s he’s almost unrecognizable to who he was in the beginning when he was in the brain of a psychopath. We’ve gradually seen him evolve and become more human. As that’s happened, the show itself has become more real because we’re seeing it through Dexter’s eyes. The trick of the show is that he’s a likable serial killer. But we don’t ever want our audience to forget that he is a serial killer and I think we take him on that final journey this season. This is the person you’ve been loving all these years, but this is ultimately what happens with a serial killer.”

What to expect from Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter): “We’ll see an even darker side to Debra this year — I don’t know if you can go much darker than killing [Maria] LaGuerta — but we’ll see how that has affected her and we’ll see a different side to her than before.”

Bringing back Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski): READ FULL STORY »

What does the final season of Showtime’s Dexter hold for the intrepid Miami Metro team?

First, there’s a new “Big Bad” this season dubbed The Brain Surgeon (he removes little pieces of his victim’s brains, you see). Plus, there’s the matter of Capt. Maria LaGuerta’s death in last season’s finale at the hands of Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). That storyline initially takes a backseat since Miami Metro thinks it’s a closed case and doesn’t realize Deb and Dex (Michael C. Hall) were involved. But somehow we suspect her case won’t remain shut all season. Here’s some relatively spoiler-free (this is what you learn at the start of the season) teases from Dexter‘s supporting players. And be sure to check out this week’s stunning Dexter cover that everybody is buzzing about:

Det. Sgt. Angel Batista (David Zayas): The good-hearted investigator was planning to retire last season and run a restaurant. But LaGuerta’s death changed that plan. “He’s back this season, especially with the revelation of LaGuerta’s death,” Zayas says. “He’s going to have an interesting way of dealing with certain things.” Zayas doesn’t know how the season ends, but hopes his character eventually learns Dexter’s secret and, when he does, that Batista will “maintain his dignity, maintain his honesty, hopefully do the right thing. I feel like Batista has a big heart, which sometimes leads to bad choices as well as good ones. But hopefully when and if the truth comes out he’ll handle it like a professional.” Zayas says his reaction to the show concluding was initially sadness, but notes, “It’s also a wonderful way to end the series while it’s still on top. It was a great experience and I learned a lot and made a lot of life-long friends.”

Forensic investigator Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee): READ FULL STORY »

Here’s a three-minute preview of the final upcoming season of Showtime’s Dexter, which gets underway June 30: READ FULL STORY »

Ready for a first look at new footage from Dexter season 8?

Below is a new Showtime trailer promoting Dexter and the premiere of new drama series Ray Donovan, which stars Liev Schreiber as a Hollywood fixer. There’s only a few brief nuggets, but they’re good ones — we get glimpses of how Dexter and Debra are responding to season 7′s shocking ending (when Deb pulled the trigger on Capt. María LaGüerta). As you might expect, Deb isn’t doing too well — “I shot the wrong person,” she says — while Dex is utterly remorseless.

Dexter returns June 30 to Showtime (including Yvonne Strahovski reprising her role on the show) followed by the premiere of Ray Donovan. ICYMI, the two previous Dexter season 8 teasers (no new footage) are here and here. READ FULL STORY »

Yvonne Strahovski is officially returning to Dexter for the show’s eighth season.

The actress is set to reprise her role in a multi-episode arc this summer as Hannah McKay, the gorgeous killer florist. Last season, Hannah became Dexter’s twisted love interest and a major thorn in his side. When we last saw her in the seventh season finale, Hannah had escaped from prison, and Dex was seemingly lucky to get away from her. “We both knew it would come to this, one of us dead or behind bars,” Dexter said. With Hannah returning, we suspect this time one of them (or both?) won’t escape so easily.

Have questions? We’re chatting with the former Chuck star on Twitter and you can follow along. The interview starts at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PST is below. Start hitting me up with questions now at @james_hibberd using the hashtag #YvonneDexter and follow Strahovski at @Y_Strahovski. Dexter returns June 30. READ FULL STORY »

Another Dexter season 8 teaser. Another video with no new footage — but this creepy tease does have new voiceover from Michael C. Hall as Dex, who declares he’s “losing control.” Check it out below (and see the first season 8 teaser here). Dexter returns June 30 to Showtime. READ FULL STORY »

The first official teaser for the eighth season of Showtime’s Dexter has arrived.

As is typically the case with Dexter teases, there’s no new footage. But it’s an intriguing way of reminding viewers of all the victims of Dex’s Dark Passenger (both directly and indirectly) that may be coming back to haunt him in the show’s home stretch.

Dexter returns June 30 with a slew of guest stars this season, including Charlotte Rampling, Darri Ingolfsson, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sean Patrick Flanery.

Showtime has not confirmed whether this is the final season of Dexter, but CBS Corp. chief Les Moonves let slip that it will be. Here’s the teaser: READ FULL STORY »