It is now 38 days since Dexter saved his sister and executed the Ice Truck Killer. Since that time however, Sgt. Doakes has spent all of his free time following Dexter sure in his belief that something about him is wrong. Dexter very much wants to kill someone and when the opportunity finally arrives, finds that he is unable to follow through. His sister Debra, apparently recovered from her ordeal, returns to work but Lt. Laguerta isn't so sure. Rita is happy with her relationship with Dexter, but her husband keeps pressuring her to help him with his defense. The police discover Dexter's burial ground. Written by garykmcd

Dexter's failure to dispose of Little Chino results in the tragic death of a witness against him. He's determined to get it right the next time, but Sgt. Doakes is still following him in his off hours. With the discovery of Dexter's burial ground, a special joint task force with the FBI is established. Doakes hopes to join but is rebuffed. Debra Morgan clearly has not recovered fully from her ordeal with the Ice Truck Killer but her use of excessive force results in a major drug bust. Rita is having trouble coming to grips with the death of her husband and she now realizes that Dexter set him up. In order to explain however, Dexter embellishes his story somewhat. Written by garykmcd

Having lied to Rita to cover up what he really did to her late husband, Dexter now finds himself attending Narcotics Anonymous classes. He finds the exercise quite difficult and is afraid everyone will see through him. Rita however makes it quite clear that their relationship is entirely dependent on his continued participation in NA. She doesn't react too well though when she sees Dexter's sponsor, the very attractive Lila. Sgt. Doakes follows Dexter to an NA meeting, but surprises him with his reaction. Meanwhile, Debra is assigned to the joint task force with the FBI but is having difficulty dealing with the people and the desperation to find their loved ones. She does however uncover a pattern to the murders. Dexter identifies a serial killer and decides he has to take action, despite the scrutiny of the police and the FBI. Written by garykmcd

Dexter begins to have second thoughts about Lila's suitability as an NA sponsor and Rita encourages him to find someone else, preferably male. While the investigation into the Bay Harbor Butcher continues, Dexter hears that his forensic colleague Vince may have come up with a way to identify where the killer moored his boat. Dexter's attempt to destroy the evidence doesn't quite go as planned. Debra finally hooks up with the man she has been ogling at her gym. Dexter meets Rita's mom who is in town visiting. She tells Rita that there is no doubt in her mind that Dexter is hiding something. Written by garykmcd

At Lila's urging and as part of his 'recovery', Dexter agrees to face his past. He learns that one of the three men who killed his mother in the shipping container is still alive and owns a tavern in Naples. With Lila in tow, Dexter sets out to confront the man who has, as he says, taken his life away. Deborah is still seeing Gabriel, but blows up at him when she sneaks a peek at his e-mail. Rita's mother Gail tells Dexter he should leave, but when Rita hears of it, she tells her mother that it is she who will be leaving. Gail has other ideas. The police investigation continues, and the Bay Harbor Butcher's marina is narrowed down to three possible sites. Dexter decides to give his boat a thorough cleaning, but doesn't realize he's being watched. Written by garykmcd

Dexter sees an advantage when the police determine that there is a copycat killer on the loose. The bad news is that unless they can locate and stop him, the FBI will take over the Bay Harbor Butcher case completely. He also learns that he was videotaped cleaning his boat at the marina. Since learning that his mother was actually a police informant working for his stepfather, Dexter has been questioning his step-dad's motivation in taking him in. Rita's scheming mother suggests that Dexter's NA sponsor, Lila come to dinner. It all goes well but when Rita later learns that Lila accompanied Dexter on his recent road trip, she announces she never wants to see him again. Dexter and Lila find a new way to relieve Dexter's compulsive urges. Written by garykmcd

The police think they have a break in the case when the Bay Harbor Butcher sends a 32 page manifesto to a local newspaper. Only thing is Dexter had a very specific purpose in doing what he did, as the police now go off into every direction imaginable. With Sgt. Doakes having set his sights on him yet again, Dexter realizes that he's going to have to play hardball to protect himself and so takes him head on. Rita comes to the end of her tether with her domineering mother. Lila sells a sculpture for a tidy sum and she and Dexter have a romantic dinner out. When Dexter tells her that he is going to a school event for Rita's son, she takes drastic action to get his attention. Written by garykmcd

With both Lila and Debra staying at his apartment Morgan finds himself living with, in his own words, a cobra and a mongoose. Rita tells Dexter that he's no longer welcome to just drop in, even if it's just to see the kids. Having decided that the Bay Harbor Butcher has experience in law enforcement, Special Agent Lundy informs the local officers that all of their old cases will be re-examined. Dexter is on the defensive and Lundy almost catches him out over one of his cases. As Dexter helps Lila clean up her loft after the fire, he realizes that something is wrong with her story as to how the fire started. He also comes to realize how dangerous her obsessive behavior can be. Dexter has a close call when his mother's killer decides to pay him a visit so Dexter decides to do what he should have done the first time they met. Sgt. Doakes, suspended for assaulting Dexter, breaks into his apartment looking for evidence. Written by garykmcd

Dexter apologizes to Rita and admits to her that Lila was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Lila on the other hand isn't quite as ready to give him up and shows up at the station hinting that she may have a few things to share with Dexter's colleagues. Under constant FBI surveillance, Dexter can't get rid of his last victim's remains. With the evidence he's acquired at Dexter's apartment, Sgt. Doakes seeks the help of an old friend in confirming its value. When Dexter realizes his slides are missing, he thinks the jig is up but Lundy and his FBI colleagues don't quite have it right. Special Agent Lundy and Debra spend the night together. Written by garykmcd

With Doakes safely locked away, Dexter has to determine his next move. Dexter learns a bitter truth after Doakes' comment leads him to look more deeply into his father's death. The FBI continues its search for Doakes but Lt. Laguerta doesn't believe a word of it and tries to find evidence proving his innocence. Rita decides that she wants Dexter to be part of her life. Det. Batista continues his fling with Lila but she obviously has something up her sleeve. Debra comes to the realization that with the investigation apparently coming to an end, Special Agent Lundy will leave Miami. Written by garykmcd

Dexter continues to brood over the realization that even his father couldn't accept the code of ethics he had developed and seriously considers putting it all to an end. Doakes manages to escape from his cell but the people he ends up with are no improvement on Dexter. In an attempt to get the upper hand on Dexter, Lila accuses Angel Batista of rape and he is relieved of his duties. Debra does a little digging and learns that Lila is in the US illegally. With little progress in the Butcher case, the FBI assigns a Deputy Director to take over the case thereby pushing Agent Lundy off to the side. Written by garykmcd

Using the GPS she stole from Dexter's car, Lila makes her way to the cabin where Dexter has Doakes locked up. Doakes tells Lila that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher, but if he was hoping for a sympathetic ear, he won't get it from Lila; she still views Dexter as her soul mate. Frank and Debra decide to go on an ice fishing holiday, but work gets in the way. Dexter and Rita reconcile, but when Lila threatens the children, Dexter decides he needs a permanent solution to that problem. Lila isn't quite ready to move on quietly. Written by garykmcd