The sixth season of Showtime’s “Dexter” and IDW’s third and fourth issues of “Suicide Girls”, all depend on one thing: the work of Brea Grant, actress and comic book writer for IDW’s “Suicide Girls” series and previously “We Will Bury You” series.

Starring as Masuka’s lab intern on “Dexter”, Grant plays Ryan Chambers, a smart young lady with something dark about her personality.

Grant goes on to describe her partner C.S. Lee, “He’s really funny and quick-witted in real life. He’s not a pervert in real life either.” She continued on about Michael C. Hall’s popularity among fans and the strides they make when they show up on-location with t-shirts on and DVDs ready to be signed.

Grant gave us a sneak peak of the new season as she puts emphasis upon the new love interest that develops for Masuka.

“I feel like Masuka’s story line has been interesting, but it’s nice to give him an actual girl that can keep up with him,” Grant elaborated. She guarantees by episode three that all viewers’ jaws will drop.

Grant continues to say, “Each time I’ve read a script I’m continuously shocked about how crazy the show is getting.”

She notes that guest appearances will be made by rap artist Mos Def and actor Colin Hanks.

The actress also stars in the film productions “The Baytown Disco” and “Detour”. Shot earlier this year, “The Baytown Disco” is a Southern action movie in which Grant plays part of a prostitute assassin gang.

“There are a lot of guns, craziness, and southern accents,” Grant exclaimed. “There’s a great cast.”

“Detour” is an indie disaster film in which Grant plays the girlfriend of the main character, a man buried alive in his car after a natural disaster. The best way to describe “Detour”, as Grant tells, is ‘super intense’.

Grant went on to tell of her love for indie films and then her passion for acting. “I love doing blockbusters and letting things explode on the screen,” she said.

The actress; however, aspires to break out of the ‘emotionally draining’ horror film scene and take a lighthearted role for a change.

“At some point I get tired of super crime. I do a lot of horror so there’s screaming and crying and horror,” Grant said.

Just as Grant finished up her work with the film production “Homecoming”, also set to hit the big screens this 2011, the highly anticipated release of IDW’s “Suicide Girls” series’ issues three and fourth has come and the books are available for individual purchase within the Suicide Girls official website.

In the “Suicide Girls” series, as Grant explains, there is an elite fighting team taking down a giant religious corporate cult. The writer divulged that readers are in store for lots of ass-kicking and guns.

Alongside David Hahn, Cameron Stewart, Steve Niles, and Missy Suicide herself, Grant works to perfect this crazy girl power comic book that has a certain kick-ass vibe to it. Co-written with her brother Zane Grant, the penny series is a step beyond the duo’s previous work “We Will Bury You” as it has stricter direction.

Grant said, “It’s different because we created that idea from start to finish, but this one is definitely representative of the website. The Suicide Girls know what they want.”

Niles has devised an interesting way to incorporate the Suicide Girls into historical events throughout the comic book series. Grant described how this aspect of the comic books hints to solidify the elite fighting team’s presence in history as they canoodle with Cleopatra in Egypt and endure the horrific events that took place during the Salem Witch Trials.

Grant also praises Cameron’s direction that he’s taken with the artwork he has provided for the series.

She simply said, “Cameron does beautiful cover girl pin-up art.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the original Suicide Girls website concerning material with bondage, knives, swords, and blood, Grant esteems the popularity of the comic book among loyal fans of the website and those of the comics as well.

“The comic book is going insanely well,” she said. “I even had a crazy conversation with a guy who was trying to ask me in a nice way whether or not there were naked girls.”

Grant’s involvement with this comic book series landed her a spot at Comic-Con 2011.

In addition to Niles, brother Zane, and a few other writers such as Joshua Hale Fialkov and David Guinn, Grant attended “Horror on the Paneled Page”, a panel discussing horror within comic books.

Later during the weekend of Comic-Con 2011, Grant took part in a signing at the Geekscape Booth with her brother and another signing at the IDW Booth with Missy Suicide, Hahn, and Stewart.

Grant is hopeful that “Suicide Girls” and “We Will Bury You” will be converted into television series in the future.

For more information on Grant’s work, visit her personal blog at http://breagrant.com/blog. For updates on the “Suicide Girls” series and IDW’s various other publications, visit http://www.idwpublishing.com.

Photo credit: Teren Oddo

1. Breaking Bad

Like “Weeds” before it, albeit in a drama, the third season of “Breaking Bad” highlighted Walt’s change from a man selling drugs for his family to a man that’s a drug dealer. Along the way, Cranston and Aaron Paul, along with the show’s ensemble cast, delivered some of the finest performances on television. An unrelentingly dark and depressing show, the continued evolution of the characters and this show further pushes “Breaking Bad” into a realm with “Mad Men:” one of the best shows of all time.

2. Lost

The final season of “Lost” is just another add on to a show that will be endlessly debated and analyzed. But regardless of the multitudes of fan reactions to the show’s polarizing sixth season, the show delivered an emotionally charged finale that resonates still months after it aired. Toward the end of the season, it began to dawn on me that we wouldn’t be getting the answers many so desperately deserved. But as I re-watched episodes leading up to the show’s final bow, I began to understand, or at least interpret for myself what I believe the writers were attempting to push. We don’t get all the answers in life, and not everything is wrapped in a neat bow at the finish. Instead it’s about the journey, and the changes in ourselves. After six years with some of the most dynamic characters on television and one of the most consistently well-written shows, I’m thankful to have been part of the journey.

3. Mad Men

After three years as the best show on television (sorry “Breaking Bad”), “Mad Men” finally started to show some wear. Just as Don Draper’s life fell into one of despair and uncertainty, mirrored by the unrest of the mid-60’s, the show echoed. But an uneven season still delivered some of the highlights of the show. Just as America began to recognize in the time period featured in the show, these characters began realizing the consequences of their actions, the comeuppance for their decadence and depravity. As America searched for its soul and identity, so did Don. And in the meantime, it delivered one of its finest hours to date: “The Suitcase.” Despite its unevenness, and a somewhat lacking finale, it remains one of the top shows on television. And with “Breaking Bad’s” ineligibility next year (it won’t return in time for the Emmy awards), it will likely collect its fourth consecutive best Emmy, tying it with “The West Wing” and “L.A. Law” for the most ever for a drama series. But even if it doesn’t accomplish that, Hamm’s performance in the aforementioned episode all but guarantees he finally takes home the Emmy that his network coworker Bryan Cranston has (rightfully) won for three years.

4. Vampire Diaries

I struggle with how to categorize this guilty-pleasure show. It doesn’t have the writing, production values or acting caliber as some of the other shows on this list, notably the list’s leaders. But that’s not to say that any of those traits are lacking in this show. It remains one of the most engrossing and tightly plotted shows on television, a horror thrill-ride and teen drama rolled into a strangely complex and remarkably addictive show. Two seasons in, the show has yet to waiver or let up. It’s hard to imagine it can maintain it’s ridiculous pace, but already, “Vampire Diaries” is starting to stack up to some of the all-time great Sci-Fi/fantasy shows: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “X-Files,” and more. What’s more–it’s consistently just one of the best shows on TV.

5. Sons of Anarchy

In a nutshell, “The Sopranos” on motorcycles. But “Sons” is oh so much more than that, as it mixes a blend of familial loyalty with ruthlessness and insatiable violence. As the M.C. grows it’s kingdom and Jax continues in his rise to power, the third season of this show did little to expand it’s scope like it’s stellar second season, but “Sons” still remains one of the highest quality dramas on television.

6. Fringe

After experiencing moderate success during its first season, this sci-fi show from the mind of J.J Abrams (the creator of another show on this list), poor scheduling has led this show to fly under the radar for the past two seasons. That’s unfortunate, because a show that once started out hoping for comparisons to the “X-Files” has far exceeded all expectations. It’s well written, and its overarching mythology is treading new ground in terms of television science fiction. With strong leads that often go unnoticed by the awards shows and a concisely plotted story, all those BSG fans without a home should look no further than “Fringe.”

7. The Good Wife

Julianna Marguilles delivers the best performance of her career with her subtle and nuanced turn as Alicia Florick in this legal procedural. A show that could have treaded familiar territory and overplayed conventions consistently delivers strong, accessible stories filled with intrigue and first class drama. But more than just a case of the week, the show touches on redemption, faith and forgiveness, with a drawn out story arc as addictive as anything on television.

8. Dexter

Dexter changed head writers between its stellar fourth season and the last year’s fifth, creating even more drama—how could they move on from that finale??? (No spoilers). But the transition was mostly seamless; save some early missteps, the fifth season wove together in a very “Dexterous” fashion, continuing the dive into Dexter’s humanity and psyche, along the way delivering some excellent twists and taut drama.

9. Walking Dead

Look, we knew what we were getting into with this one right? It’s the zombie apocalypse. But unlike a fast-paced movie, the emotional resonance with these characters goes so much deeper in this six-hour first season, making it all the more gut wrenching as they started to die off before their eyes. From acclaimed director Frank Darabont, this show rolls great zombie violence into a fight for survival, tinged with insecurity, uncertainty, and the growing realization that no one is going to make it out alive.

10. Boardwalk Empire

It started off slow, and some of the characters and themes were a little flat. But just before we wrote it off as a 1920’s “Sopranos” wannabe, “Empire” developed a heart and soul. The characters came to life, and a highly compelling drama emerged from the most unlikely of stars, Steve Buscemi that is.

Honorable Mentions

Friday Night Lights

As television drama continues to innovate and change for the sake of upping shock value, this one stays relatively the same. And that’s not a bad thing—FNL remains the best character driven drama on television.

Luther

Despite an uneven first season, this BBC import, led by a brilliant Idris Elba, was one of the better new dramas this year.

Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I’ll let you chew on that morsel for a bit. You done? Okay. Although most stores ushered in the Christmas season the second after Halloween, let me assure you that the eat-until-you-burst holiday is still on this year. Let’s all take a collective sigh of relief; I kept thinking I’d missed it too.

The Mom and Pop Store

Here are your first 5 episodes, let’s call them the appetizers and salad. Each is scored out of 10 wishbones for laughs, Thanksgiving relevance, and cheesiness factor. Come back tomorrow for the turkey and pie (or if you aren’t imaginative, the next 5 on the list).

10. Full House: The Miracle of Thanksgiving

Are you feeling the miracle (ba-bu-bu-baaa) of Thanksgiving? If not, maybe you should take 20 minutes of your life and watch this heartwarming episode. Yes, it is cheesy, and yes, it has “soft rock sharing time” but it is also funny and heart wrenching. This is the first TG without the girls’ mom, and with their grandma snowed in, all they have are three goofy and kitchen illiterate guys to cook their feast. But even a frozen turkey and a dropped Pumpkin pie can be healed with the power of family love.

+ 8 Wishbones for Jessie & Joey’s awesome mullets
- 2 for Joey getting his tongue stuck in a bottle for a little too long
6 Wishbones

9. The Cosby Show: Cliff’s Wet Adventure

The Huxtables are having everyone over for Thanksgiving including the random neighbor kid and Denise’s husband’s ex-wife. Of course awkward moments abound as the family plots how best to meet such the strange addition to the party. But the biggest laughs come from Cliff. He spends his holiday repeatedly braving the raging storm to gather the few items he keeps forgetting. Whenever he came on the screen, I couldn’t help but giggle.

+8 for Olivia’s darling Thanksgiving song for her mom (AND Cliff’s face every time he came in the door)
-2 Wishbones for a who cares convo between Denise and her husband’s ex-wife
6 Wishbones

8. The Brady Bunch “The Un-Underground Movie”

Greg has a really groovy history teacher, and for his creative class project he ropes his whole family into making a movie detailing the Pilgrims’ first year in the new world. Although the Brady’s put the corn in corny, I’ll admit there are a few genuine laughs cooked in. Alice wears a mustache, Bobby plays a dramatic death, and Mike’s slow motion shivers with the best of them. You may give Greg an A for his movie too.

+ 7 wishbones for the legitimately funny movie screening scene
- 1 for general overacting and cheesiness
6 Wishbones

7. Dexter: Hungry Man

And you thought your family gatherings were intense. Dexter gobbles up family awkwardness with his host and fellow serial killer, Trinity. Trinity heats up the psycho factor as his family’s perfect façade crumbles. No Trinity, breaking your son’s finger as punishment, locking your daughter in her room, or calling your wife a horrible name, is not normal TG behavior. Good thing Dexter has Rita and the kids to go home to.

+8 for awesome Trinity tension
-1 for Angel and LaGuerta’s random romantic side plot
7 Wishbones

6. Seinfeld: The Mom & Pop Store

Seinfeld heaps a big serving of quirky fun in this holiday ‘sode (that’s short for “episode”, Nana). And no, I’m not going to stop using food imagery, so get over it. Each character deals with their own tangled situation ranging from George buying Jon(h) Voight’s car, Kramer accidently running a small business out of town, to Elaine winning a spot for her boss on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But Jerry’s struggle to figure out whether he’s invited to a friend’s Thanksgiving party taught me a great interpersonal lesson: interpreting inflection. It can be quite crucial.

+ 8 Wishbones for George’s personal rendition of “Everybody’s Talking”
- 1 For lack of holiday relevance. This is really a pre-Thanksgiving episode, not a pure day of let’s make a Thanksgiving feast kind of sode.
Total: 7 Wishbones

Come back ready for more tomorrow as I count down to the top Thanksgiving episodes!

Spoiler Alert: If that didn’t give you enough of a pause, let me reiterate; if you are absolutely not caught up through the end of Season 4 of Dexter, do not read this. It will change the nature of the show for you. Be warned.

Season 5 of Dexter opens with a strange interlude of scenes as it’s clear that Dexter and the supporting cast are (SPOILER ALERT) in shock from Rita’s death. Dexter, Deb, LaGuerta, they are all shaken and deliver subtle yet effective moments showing their agony over his loss, the last murder performed by Arthur Mitchell, AKA the Trinity Killer before his own demise at Dexter’s hands. Just as Dexter thought he had vanquished his biggest foe yet, he arrives home to find Mitchell had taken his only human connection, his constant, Rita, from him.

One scene in a funeral home as Dexter prepares Rita’s arrangements is interesting and poignant, if only because Michael C. Hall (Dexter) previously earned his acting cred working on a show all about a funeral home (Six Feet Under). But the funeral home and Dexter’s inner monologue throughout the scene, including his flashback to his and Rita’s first date, reveal an important facet of Dexter’s inner psyche. Despite his constant belief that he was unable to forge a connection with others, his thoughts that he was separate and his feeling’s of guilt towards Rita, they show quite the opposite. Dexter is dealing with his grief and trying to mourn Rita in his own way.

The premiere sets up a nice group of plots for the season, while maintaining reverence of the monumental event that ended last season. Many viewers have spent the past 9 months in disbelief; how could they follow up that cliffhanger? Even after the first episode back, it’s a hard question to answer, and it’s clear, even in its obvious nature, that the series has crossed a threshold. The premiere picked up the threads well, but it’s still unclear if they can deliver on the necessary change in direction for the show. Many have been wondering; the anger that Rita’s death must clearly instill, how would Dexter take out the rage? The show continues to blaze trails; Dexter for the first time on screen commits an act that violates his code, even if it seems like the only outlet for Dexter’s grief.

Ultimately, a theme prevalent in Season 4 of “Dexter” was reinforced by the Season 5 premiere: Dexter may kill people, and he may feel alienated, detached and unlike other human beings, but he is utterly human and relatable. The episode is a strange mash of events, and it feels surreal. But that’s the feeling of Dexter’s loss; he is feeling the shock and pain of losing a loved one; he is going through typical emotions as he deals with his own loss and guilt over his perceived involvement. After all, that’s the core of “Dexter;” his actions may not be relatable, but his emotions are the core of humanity.

It’s about time for an upbeat celebrity story, isn’t it?

It has been three months since “Dexter” front man Michael C. Hall announced his battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and that he was undergoing treatments for the illness.

Subsequent reports had him pegged as optimistic, describing his illness as "eminently treatable and curable". And today, we are happy to report that his wife, and “Dexter” co-star Jennifer Carpenter (pictured with Hall at right after his Golden Globe win) announced to the Associated Press that his treatments are finished, he has fully recovered and is safe to return to work.

Even if you aren’t a “Dexter” fan (Season 5 is rumored to be premiering on Showtime in September 2010), we’re sure you can appreciate his health success story. Congratulations to Hall on his recovery and much luck in the upcoming season.

A few interesting shows tonight. FOX has a special cooking show one-hit called “Gordon Ramsay: Cooking Live” at 9 p.m. following part 1 of the finale of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which is at 8.

A&E has a few odd premieres tonight in “Psychic Kids” at 9 p.m. and “Paranormal State” at 10.

NBC set dates for the return of its sitcoms before and after the Winter Olympics. “The Biggest Loser” returns January 5 at 8 p.m. “Chuck” returns January 11 at 8. “Paranthood” at 9 p.m. March 1. “The Marriage Ref” premieres March 14 at 8, and “The Celebrity Apprentice” at 9.

At the same time as the return of “Chuck” to the tube, NBC is launching a social media game around the show called “Mission” Chuck Me Out,” for fans to earn points by tracking mentions of the show on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

Showtime reported strong numbers for the “Dexter” season four finale on Sunday. The show put together the largest audience in 10 years for the premium channel with 2.57 million total viewers. Showtime’s “Californication” also reported a 71 percent increase in viewership over last season’s finale. The season four finale of that show on Sunday garnered 1.055 million viewers and was the most-viewed episode of “Californication.”

E! reports “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” season four premiere on Sunday brought in more than double the viewers as its season three premiere.

History Channel is putting together an eight-hour miniseries about the storied Kennedy family. “The Kennedys” will debut in 2011 as History’s first scripted show.

One thing you might have missed Friday: “Dollhouse” was on FOX with two new episodes. The network is squeezing it out, to get rid of the canceled show with a cult following. FOX had a 1.5/3 rating on Friday, putting it in fifth place behind shows like “Law and Order” on NBC and “En Nombre Del Amor” on Univision.”

Warning: Spoilers!

“Dexter” viewers everywhere tuned in last night, surely as breathless with anticipation as I was, waiting to see if the last episode in the best season yet would live up the enormous expectations placed before it. And it delivered. By the end of the episode, all anticipation was gone and instead I was knocked breathless by shock and heartache.

In this season, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) has experienced a lot of personal growth. He has discovered that, despite his apparitional father Harry’s (James Remar) accusations, he can balance his dark passenger with having a family. And not only can he have that family — he is capable of developing personal, loving bonds with them as well.

This episode reveals that the opposite is also true. Rita (Julie Benz), Dexter’s wife, tells him that he is the glue that holds their family together. His sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) also shares with him that he’s been the only person she could depend on for most of her life. Dexter thinks that the answer to the question he asked in the first episode (“Can I really have it all?”) is a resounding yes.

The beginning of the episode finds Dexter in a stare-off with Trinity (the ingenious John Lithgow) who has just uncovered his true identity. In a scramble to end Trinity’s life, Dexter makes hasty decisions and ends up in jail with no Trinity and no way to protect his family. Harry gets into Dexter’s face in his jail cell, repeating his mantra: you can’t have a family and be a serial killer. Little does Harry know how true his words are.

While Dex is on his manhunt, Deb uncovers the fact that he is related to her ex-fiance and Ice Truck Killer, Brian Moser (Christian Carmago). Never mind the fact that she shouldn’t be doing any work since earlier that day she was witness to Christine’s suicide. The audience can feel Dex getting more uncomfortable as his nosy sister discovers more and more about his dark past — and his dark passenger.

The only somewhat rushed sequence of events happens in the police precinct. In a matter of moments, Batista discovers that their suspected Trinity Killer, Stan Beaudry, doesn’t match the Trinity profile, that Four Hands, Arthur’s charity, is linked to the murders and before you know it, they’re after the right guy for once. You could practically hear LaGuerta yelling out over the megaphone, “Let’s hurry it up, people! This is the last episode!”

During the last half of this tense episode, the writers could have taken the plot any direction. The audience begins to believe that the ending they hate might be the one the writers choose — to watch Trinity pack his bags and drive off into the sunset. There’s no blaming the writers for wanting to prolong the life of one of the shows most interesting characters.

But I screamed with delight as my favorite Dexter Morgan (the badass with a hypodermic needle) hopped out of Arthur Mitchell’s trunk and put him down for the last time. Further fist-pumping ensued as Trinity got strapped to Dexter’s table, surrounded by more photos than any other killer before him. I sighed a season’s worth of relief as Dexter took to Trinity with his own weapon of choice — a framing hammer.

I nervously checked my DVR timeline as Dexter returned home. Yes, only three minutes left. Surely this was the end. Not enough time for anything significant to happen. Dexter would fly out the next morning and end the season in the Keys, sunbathing next to Rita.

But as it turns out, there was just enough time left for something else. Something big.

Dexter is at home, perusing his family photos in the dark when a voicemail notification from his phone interrupts his inner monologue. Rita tells him, via voicemail, that she left something at home and would catch a later flight to the Keys. Cue Dexter’s infant son Harrison’s cries echoing from the bathroom.

Trinity murdered Rita. Dexter finds Harrison crying in a pool of his mother’s blood, just as Harry found Dexter as a child. Rita is lying dead in the bathtub, her femoral artery severed. Dexter had several opportunities to kill Trinity, but he waited too long, and this is his punishment. For once, Harry doesn’t pop in to say I told you so. Dexter scoops up his son and races out of the bathroom.

So now that we’ve talked about what just happened, it’s time to talk about what might happen next.

Rita’s death has prolonged the life of the series by at least one or two more seasons. Though we hate to see her go, Rita’s death will send Dexter on another emotional journey that won’t be resolved soon. Just as Harry predicted, his family’s proximity to his dangerous lifestyle has had its consequences.

So will he keep the kids? If Rita’s death has served to teach him anything it’s that Aster, Cody and Harrison are anything but safe with him around. But is he strong enough to remove the few things in his left in his life that he truly loves?

And there is no doubt that Dexter’s dark passenger will still have its demands. What will Dexter do with his desire to kill when he has three kids to raise? Maybe he’ll take a leave of absence from work (understandably) to recuperate…and also so he’ll have some “time to kill.”

Perhaps Deb will move in to help with the kids. After all, Dexter was right there for her when the whole Ice Truck Killer thing went down. But Dexter will have a harder time hiding his dark passenger from his astutely observant sister in such close quarters.

Whatever happens, it’s undeniable that Dexter will be irreversibly altered from now on. Will he lose faith in himself and his ability to be good in spite of his bad deeds? Will he become disenfranchised with Harry’s code, now that it’s proven to allow such heartbreak into his life?

And other questions — will Dexter find someone new? How will he raise three kids without their mother? I guess we’ll just have to wait until next season, and watch lots of “LOST” and “American Idol” in the meantime.

With only one episode left in this season of “Dexter,” things are starting to get out of our hero’s control. All of the sudden he’s gone from confident hunter to staring into the eyes of his enemy with panic and disbelief.

Sunday night’s "Hello, Dexter Morgan" began with the interrogation of Christine Hill. After it was revealed that she was related to the Trinity Killer, all that was left for Deb and the gang to do was to get her to confess to Lundy’s murder and reveal the identity of her father. Stubborn, she broke Quinn’s heart, but didn’t cave under interrogation.

Arthur, on the other hand, was getting a little suspicious of Dexter… finally. (Dexter’s only been stalking him for half a season.) He asked the question, "What kind of man witnesses a kidnapping and doesn’t call the police?" A fellow serial killer, that’s who. Then Arthur tried to piece together just who "Kyle Butler" (Dexter’s alias) is.

After killing one Kyle Butler, discovering Dexter’s fake address at a jet ski shop, and agreeing to pay Dexter the $50,000 to keep quiet about the boy’s abduction, Arthur got dangerously close.

Rita finally told Dexter about kissing Eliot. Dexter, true to form, was too busy to talk about it (not enough hours in a serial killer/blood analyst/husband/father’s day), much to Rita’s disappointment. She tried bringing it up with him twice, but Dexter shrugged it off easily. Rita’s confused, but this is Dex we’re talking about — when does he ever react normally to stressful emotional situations? Then one night after coming home, Dexter walked over to Eliot’s house and socks him in the face, telling him never to touch his wife again. Rita saw the whole thing from the window, and once again everything is right in the Morgan household.

Then Batista and La Guerta got hitched. They did it to avoid losing their jobs after their affair was discovered. However, their cocky announcement to the captain garnered little sympathy for their situation — neither from the captain, nor from this reporter. Where is this plot line going?

To buy time to kill Arthur, Dexter framed trucker Stan Beaudry for the Trinity murders. Then he conveniently disposed of Beaudry (a murderer in his own right) before planting evidence. The homicide team thinks they’ve solved the case, and all that’s left is for Christine to confess.

Once Arthur forcefully told Christine he wished she was never born, she realized the error of her ways. She called Deb over and confessed to shooting her and killing Lundy. But when Deb announced they had the name of her father as Stan Beaudry, Christine just laughed in surprise, rather than revealing the truth. After Deb refused to forgive Christine, Christine grabbed a gun and shot herself in the head. Quinn rushed into the room, only to see Christine’s dead body. Add that to Deb’s quota of people she’s seen killed before her eyes and just imagine how much therapy she’s going to be needing.

In the final twist of the episode, Arthur started tracking Dexter, instead of the other way around. After tricking him into coming to an arcade, Arthur followed him back to the police station. Through poking around, Arthur ended up in the homicide department with a visitor’s pass. The two ended up face to face as Arthur read Dexter’s badge: "Hello, Dexter Morgan." We’re left there, with Dex in a panic and Arthur having the upper hand.

In "Lost Boys," the ghost of Harry told Dexter his priorities have changed. Now those priorities include Rita and the kids. Now that Arthur knows who he is, Dexter’s family is in danger. This is the family that he’s worked so hard to build, to protect from his Dark Passenger, and who he’s developed very real feelings for.

On the whole, this season has been a vast improvement over season three. The plot had a more definite arc, things aren’t getting convoluted and rushed at the end, and they’ve managed to carry the important themes throughout. The writers of “Dexter” deserve a pat on the back.

All of the loose ends are neatly prepared for the final episode. All that’s left is for Dexter to kill Arthur. And he has to now that Arthur knows his identity, where he works, and what he’s up to. Dexter has no time to lose. But how can our favorite murderer kill someone who’s expecting it?

Dexter has to kill Trinity. He’s got too much at stake. But how, when he’s tried so many times already?

Check out this teaser clip from next week’s finale episode of “Dexter.”

Watch the final episode of “Dexter,” season four, Sunday night on Showtime.

Video: Courtesy MovieWeb

Things we learned on Dexter this week:

1. Arthur, The Trinity Killer is really the Quadruple Killer, but that’s harder to say and doesn’t have much of a ring to it. When Dexter watches Arthur kidnap a ten-year-old boy, he realizes that Arthur’s kill cycle isn’t complete until he kills the symbol of his childhood innocence. This means that another boy was killed before the bathtub murder which started season four. The kidnapped boy is the beginning of another kill cycle for Arthur, and if Dexter doesn’t find him, the boy will die. So let’s review: Girl in bathtub is Arthur’s sister, mother falling to her death is his mother, man bludgeoned with a hammer is his father, and the ten-year-old boy is Arthur’s childhood self. It’s all very Freudian.

2. Christine the reporter shot Deb and killed Lundy. She’s the right height, she got to the crime scene wicked fast, and she knew that Deb looked into Lundy’s eyes as he died. Top it off with some crafty interrogation by Deb and Lundy’s murderer has all but confessed. Also, the biggest shock of the night is that she’s definitely Arthur’s daughter. But he didn’t ask her to kill the FBI agent. Instead, she did it on his behalf. But curb your father-daughter sentimentality. She’s clearly becoming a liability to her serial-killer dad.

3. Dexter’s epidermis is showing. Why is our murdering hero getting so sloppy with his cover? Arthur caught Dexter following him. Dexter has been rushing out of the office, blowing off Deb, Quinn, Masuka, Batista—highly trained and suspicious detectives. His excuses to Rita are getting flimsier by the minute. And now, one of Cody’s friends said he saw Dexter sneaking away from their campsite the night he went to kill Farrow (Innocent man. Oops).

4. Much to Dexter’s disappointment, Arthur’s seemingly idyllic family is seriously messed up. Arthur beats his son, terrorizes his wife and locks his daughter up at night (literally). “I’m not like that!” Dexter protests when Harry predicts this as his future. But there are doubts, for as Dexter tells Arthur’s son, “Your dad and I have a lot in common.”

There are only three episodes left in this season and things are starting to get a bit Harry (Pun inexcusably intended). Arthur’s son Jonah is helping Dexter by snooping through Arthur’s things. We know how well it’s worked before when Dexter had an accomplice. Miguel and the rushed, anticlimactic end to season three are enough to make me wish Dexter would always work alone, but this time is different. As Harry’s ghost says to Dexter, "You always did have a soft spot for children."

Still, questions abound. Why does Arthur only agree to see his daughter Christine a few times a year? Is Masuka really going to tell Dexter he saw Rita and Eliot kiss on Thanksgiving? Will Christine lead Deb to Arthur, who could lead Deb to Dexter’s true self?

I would trade the finest key lime pie in the world to know when Dexter is finally going to kill Arthur Miller…the Trinity (actually Quadruple) Killer. Watch Dexter next Sunday on Showtime. It just might happen.

Last night’s episode of Dexter, was the turning point we’ve been waiting for all season. In the delicately balanced world of our favorite do-gooder serial killer, things are finally coming to a head.

The Thanksgiving episode—appropriately titled "Hungry Man"—started out business as usual for Dexter. We see him carefully choosing a knife from his kill tools, only to realize that he’s going to use it to carve the turkey.

But instead of mundane family fun, Dexter takes the holiday to get closer to his rival, the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow). After realizing that Arthur, aka Trinity, is abusing his family (beating his son Jonah, locking his daughter Rebecca in her room), Dexter determines to spend part of Thanksgiving protecting them from Arthur.

Rita (Julie Benz) is not pleased with Dexter’s vague excuse about a blood spatter job out of town. Fortunately, neighbor Eliot (the very same Eliot who got a little too flirtatious with Rita last week) will be there to help cook dinner. Add Deb and Masuka to the mix and you have a full house for turkey day.

Meanwhile, Quinn reluctantly spends the holiday with his new girlfriend, reporter Christine Hall, but not before Christine has a chance to tell Deb how sorry she is that she had to watch Lundy die. La Guerta and Batista catch a killer in a 10-year-old case, and visit the victim’s husband to give him the news.

Audiences have been asking the same question for weeks: When is Dexter going to kill Trinity? How long can he put off the inevitable, all in the name of "learning from" the most successful serial killer of all time? Last week Dexter had the chance to let Arthur commit suicide, and he didn’t. A mistake? Perhaps. But not as serious as the mistake he made at dinner with the Millers. When Arthur erupts in physical violence against his family, Dexter chokes him with his belt and hauls him into the kitchen. While holding a kitchen knife, Dexter tells him, "I should’ve killed you when I had the chance." Arthur is saved when his wife and daughter throw themselves in the way.

As the ghost of Harry reminds him, now Trinity has seen the monster in Dexter, and he’ll be expecting an attack. How could Dexter be so sloppy? His unsuccessful attempt to protect Arthur’s family might have cost him his own. While Dexter is at the Millers’, Rita and Eliot are alone in Eliot’s house, to use the extra oven. Eliot takes the chance to steal a kiss from Rita. Flustered, she claims that she’s not lonely like him because she has Dexter. Masuka watches the whole incident from the window.

Deb, ever the smart detective, realizes two things: 1) The Trinity Killer is in the school system, since he only kills during school vacations, and 2) Christine couldn’t have known that Deb watched Lundy take his last breath because Deb didn’t tell that to anyone. This fact, paired with last week’s revelation that Deb was shot by a short person, is a major clue in bringing Deb closer to Lundy’s killer.

In what is possibly the most sentimental and pointless plotline of the season, Batista and La Guerta continue their secret affair. Only now they’ve exchanged the L-word. That word could cost them both their careers, and they know it.

Dexter makes it home just in time to sit down to dinner with his own family, all of them desperately trying to appear relaxed and happy. Deb is busy wondering about who shot her. Rita is trying to ignore Eliot and shower Dexter with affection. Masuka is trying to forget Eliot and Rita’s stolen kiss. And Dexter, as usual, is preoccupied with thoughts of the Trinity Killer. It’s Thanksgiving as usual.

The tables are turning on Dexter. Now Arthur will be expecting Dexter to strike, and Dexter’s carefully constructed family life is starting to crumble. But the most surprising twist comes in the last minute of the episode (as usual), when Arthur shows up at Christine Hall’s door. It seems at first like he’s going to eliminate the reporter who’s been writing about the hunt for the Trinity Killer. But then she greets him with, "Hi Dad."

Christine is Arthur’s daughter? What happened to her mother? Could she be the one who shot Deb and Lundy? Watch Dexter next Sunday on Showtime, and all might be revealed.

Warning: spoiler alert!

For the last three years, much of America has been involved in a love affair with a serial killer named Dexter Morgan. It’s a mystery as to just how they do it, but the writers of the television show “Dexter” have showed us a character, played by Michael C. Hall, who captures people, stabs them to death and then cuts their bodies up into little pieces, and they’ve made us love him for it.

But we’re meeting a new Dexter in season four. The character we thought we knew so well is changing, and viewers will have to decide if his good heart is still enough to buy forgiveness for his very dark deeds.

We spent the first three seasons getting to know about “Dexter Past.” He finds out about his early rescue from the scene of his mother’s gruesome murder. We learn about “Harry’s Code” (and see it in action). And Dexter discovers his long-lost (also serial killer) brother.

But this new season introduces “Dexter Present,” and incites viewer speculation about “Dexter Future.” With a new family, a newborn baby and a new serial killer on the loose, the usually so careful Dexter finds himself stepping into more traps than normal. Viewers winced as Dex seriously smudged on his first murder of the season. We gasped as Rita (Julie Benz) caught him right in the middle of a big lie about keeping his old apartment. And now we’re questioning his purpose as his own sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and FBI Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) get gunned down by the murderers he’s supposed to be protecting them from.

Dexter is unraveling and questioning whether or not he can continue to keep up his double life. Harry (James Remar), Dexter’s omnipresent deceased father, advises against it. It’s also worth noting that the last two killers (Zoey and Trinity) Dexter has pursued lead double lives with family as well. Zoey (Christina Cox) ended up murdering her family in cold blood and tells Dexter it’s only a matter of time before he does the same.

Trinity (played by a very creepy John Lithgow), on the other hand, is the most successful serial killer to ever get away with it. And he has a wife and two kids. So, who will Dexter end up like?

We forgive Dexter for what he does because he can’t help it. So what do we do when he starts making poor decisions that have little to do with his “Dark Passenger?” As Dexter’s carefully-structured life slips through his fingers, we learn more about his moral character and have to decide if he’s as good as we hope.

So far we have discovered that he’s a liar. And Dexter breaks the viewers’ hearts even more every time Deb reaches out to him and he looks the other way. But we have learned (and so, apparently, has Dexter) that he would rather risk his family knowing the truth than lose them. And that is the hope that we hold onto.

The writers have changed up the basic plot for “Dexter” from the first three seasons: thus far, Dexter has not found someone “just like me” to relate to. We haven’t had to listen to his tired internal monologue – “I’ve finally found someone who can accept me for who I am, blah blah blah.”

In season one it was his brother Rudy (Christian Carmago), the Ice Truck Killer. In season two it was Lila (Jaime Murray). In season three, it was Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits). In the end, they all proved untrustworthy, and in the end, he had to kill them all. Viewers are tired of seeing Dexter betrayed. However, this might not last long. In the most recent episode of season four, there was some foreshadowing that might lead us to the same place. The camera shows the Trinity Killer greeting his wife and children at home, and the scene fades to black as Dexter contemplates, “He’s a family man. Just like me.” Should this inspire hope in the viewer? Or just an exasperated sigh?

In other news, the geriatric Agent Lundy has sailed back onto the scene, luring the foul-mouthed Deb away from the dreamy Anton (David Ramsey) with his wrinkly-eyed Jimmy Stewart smiles and his cucumber sandwiches. At the end of episode five, however, he and Deb are gunned down after a midnight soiree at his place. Deb makes it; he doesn’t.

Deb is left reeling after Lundy’s murder. She blames herself, of course, and refuses to take pain medication for her wound. She looks to her brother, the only person she has left, for solace, and he, predictably, comforts her at arm’s length.

Deb’s partner, Detective Quinn (Desmond Harrington), starts up an ill-advised relationship with an ambitious reporter who equates pillow talk with criminal case updates. However, now that Deb is single, maybe he’ll get his act together and ask her out instead.

Lieutenant LaGuerta (Lauren Velez) is sleeping with someone again. Nothing new there.

Stay tuned next Sunday night to see if Dexter works things out with Rita, Deb and the Trinity Killer.

Dexter comes on Sunday nights at 9 on Showtime.

Let me know what you think in the comments section, and check back here next Monday where I’ll be talking more Dexter.

Tonight is another big cable night. “DeGrassi: The Next Generation” wil fulfill all your melodrama fantasies on TeenNick at 8 p.m.

SyFy jumps in at 10 with the season premiere of “Sanctuary,” the Amanda Tapping post-Stargate project. DIY Network premieres “Kitchen Impossible” at 10, and we can’t forget “Dog Whisperer” at 9 p.m. on NatGeo.

The only big finale this weekend is MTV’s “Making His Band” at 9 p.m.

On Monday, you can expect premieres of “Little People, Big World,” on TLC at 8 p.m., “100 Mile Challenge” on Planet Green at 9 p.m., and “Gone Too Far” on MTV at 10.

Southland is D E D dead, even though it never was officially alive. NBC pulled the plug on the drama before its anticipated season debut on October 23. No reason has been given, and six episodes were already finished and ready to air.

Southland was going to be aired on Fridays at 9 p.m., which has been a dead zone for television lately, with Dollhouse dying there.

ABC has ordered the full seasons of “Modern Family,” “Cougar Town” and “The Middle.”

The three shows have done well in the ratings, but no news has been announced on the Kelsey Grammer comeback “Hank” or the new show “Eastwick.”

Showtime announced a new webisode about Dexter called “Dexter: Early Cuts.” The series will premiere on October 25 on sho.com.

CBS may be bringing back “Hawaii Five-O” with a plot commitment for a revival of the series, written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and CSI: New York executive producer Peter Lenkov. The original ran from 1968-1990.

Finally, Ellen Page is working with HBO to both write and produce a new comedy series called “Stich N’ Bitch” about two cool girls who move from New York to Los Angeles to try and become artists — and kind of artists. Page is working with actresses Alia Shawkat and Sean Tillmann, both of whom stared with her in “Whip It.”

Sunday night’s premiere of Dexter proved that this season will be one of the show’s funniest to date.

We’re all used to the clichƒ© of the superhero who tries to balance a normal life and saving the world (Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Buffy Summers, etc), only to have wackiness ensue. But when you catch a serial killer yawning on the job because his newborn has an ear infection and keeps him up all night, it’s beyond absurd.

Season four of the Showtime hit kicked off in true Dexter form. Dexter is “killing for two, now” as he tries to be a good father and satisfy his “Dark Passenger.”

In the opening sequence, Dexter is driving along, monologuing as usual. Meanwhile, we see a strange older chap filling a bathtub. You might thing that this is Dexter’s next hapless victim, but you’d be wrong. Just as we see that Dexter has been driving baby Harrison (yes, named after Dexter’s adoptive father) to put him to sleep, we realize that the grey-haired man (the Trinity Killer, played by John Lithgow) is really preparing to murder his own victim.

A classic switcheroo.

Unfortunately for the Trinity Killer, and for possibly for Dexter, Special Agent Lundy is back in town to catch the serial killer with a 30-year-long record. Lundy’s presence is also pretty unfortunate for Deb, who has moved on from her season two flame to current boyfriend Anton, a musician. Actually, the only fortunate thing about Lundy being back this season is that we, the viewers, get to enjoy the love triangle that will inevitably ensue.

Speaking of crazy romantic hijinks, Batista is having an affair with La Guerta. This fact is so disturbing that this reporter will go no further on the subject, except to say: Angel, I thought you knew better.

Along with the reappearance of Lundy and the thrilling addition of a new serial killer on Dexter’s turf, viewers have plenty of blood, dismemberment, and saran wrap to look forward to. Now if only our beloved murderous protagonist could stay out of regular trouble.

Dexter ends the episode by hurriedly killing off a bad guy, tossing him in the trunk of his car, and heading to the pharmacy for the baby’s medicine. But on the way home, he starts to nod off (as new dads do), despite the frantic warnings from Harry’s ghost. Viewers are left in suspense as Dexter swerves off the road and flips the car. Is Dexter alive? Yes, it’s his show.

The better question is: How is he going to cover up the dead body in his trunk when the ambulance arrives?
Watch “Dexter” to find out next Sunday at 9PM on Showtime.

Season four of Dexter kicks off this Sunday on Showtime. And this season, our serial killer with a heart of gold seems to have it all: his beautiful new wife Rita, her two kids Aster and Cody, his job at the police department, and a brand new bouncing baby boy. That’s right. Dexter faces his most challenging nemesis so far: the burdens of fatherhood.

But enough about the baby.

At the end of season three, Dexter learned a hard lesson about friendship when he was forced to off his new best friend, Miguel, for his out-of-control murder habit. As it turns out, the law of Harry does not allow for Dexter to have a best friend. But with Rita and the kids (including the sociopathic bun in the oven), it’s not so lonely in Dexterville. In fact, things might be getting just a little bit too crowded.

Besides Dexter junior, what’s in store for the upcoming season? Viewers can probably count on there being lots of blood. Did anyone really think Dexter would retire from wiping the underworld clean of murderers who got away the first time? Not bloody likely. And who will be this season’s villain? We’ve gone through brother, girlfriend, best friend”¦ who’s left?

A rival serial killer, that’s who. Just when it seems Dexter has settled comfortably into the American Dream, a new murderer known as the Trinity Killer arrives on the scene, killing in threes, and he’s been thwarting law enforcement for decades. And along with Dexter’s new playmate comes the one man (still living) who almost put Dexter behind bars: Agent Lundy, back to track the Trinity Killer, and he brings with him an interesting proposition for Dexter.

Billboards advertising the new season feature a blood-spattered Dexter, a smiling new baby in his arms. It seems the show’s creators are making the birth of baby Dexter a pretty ominous arrival. And judging by the trailer for season four, it looks like killer Daddy Dexter has his hands full. This season, Dexter is asking, can America’s favorite serial killer really have it all? It seems like all he needs is a little time to kill.

Don’t miss the season premiere of “Dexter”, September 27 at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Seriously, don’t miss it. You’ll be sorry.