Dexter Episode 1: Dexter

Dexter Morgan lives a double life: by day he works as a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police, and by night he stalks and kills people he has decided deserve it. The episode opens with him tracking down Mike Donovan, a pastor, and revealing evidence that Donovan murdered young boys; Dexter sedates him, takes a blood sample, kills him, and later stores a slide of Donovan’s blood among other trophies in his apartment.

Dexter’s sister, Debra, contacts him while investigating a serial killer targeting prostitutes, and Dexter helps her with the case at Miami Metro. The episode also establishes Dexter’s detached inner life through his narration, including his uncertainty about why he feels compelled to kill and his belief that he is emotionally disconnected from other people.

The case of the prostitute murders becomes the episode’s main police storyline, introducing a killer who leaves victims bloodless and severed. Dexter is drawn into the investigation through his job, while the episode also shows that he keeps his murderous activities hidden from his family and coworkers.

By the end of the episode, Dexter’s ordinary routine and his secret life are fully set up, along with the larger mystery surrounding the new serial killer case.