It is a season of change for my favorite serial killer, Mr. Dexter Morgan. In next month's third series opener, a couple things go down that will affect his life forever. And while I can't tell you what those things are, I can say with complete certainty that you won't be disappointed. Is it possible for Dexter's team of writers to top their outstanding second year? Executive producer Clyde Phillips was kind enough to chat me up about what they've got on tap...

You have said that this season revolves around Dexter becoming his own man and the code evolving, is that right?
Yes, the code is very important. He’s moving on from [his father] Harry, but he realizes in the first episode that while he’s moving on from his father, he’ll take the code with him.

But I assume we will still see glimpses of Harry on the show, since James Remar remains a part of the cast.
Yes, he's still on the show. Harry represents the subtext and alter ego of Dexter's conscious. Dexter's not really having imaginary conversations with him, he's really having imaginary conversations with himself.

I have heard that Dex kills an innocent person this year. Is this an accident? Please tell me the code's evolution does not allow for him to kill innocent people.
No, no, no. First of all, he doesn’t kill an innocent person. He kills somebody that he hadn’t completely vetted. And he kills this person in self-defense.

What's his overall mental state this season? Does he feel remorse for this action?
Well, Dexter doesn’t feel remorse. He feels curiosity, he's curious about what just happened. There’s a sense of wonder. He doesn’t talk about his feelings, he wonders about them. He says, so this must be what it feels like to be in love or to be betrayed or to trust somebody. He’s always talking about emotions in the abstract, because he’s not really in touch yet. He’s getting closer, but he’s not fully human in that regard.

Will we see him take a few steps forward this season?
We will, this year.

I'm guessing that Jimmy Smits’ character has something to do with that.
Yes, Jimmy Smits plays Miguel Prado, an Assistant District Attorney in Miami, who plans to run for District Attorney. He's Cuban. Very popular. He's basically [like Los Angeles] Mayor [Antonio] Villaraigosa. He wants the streets clean and safe and pure for his family and for everyone else's family. And he and Dexter meet through the initial killing we just talked about. Prado is a little older, a little more established, a little more of a family man, and it’s all the stuff that Dexter longs for. So they end up forming a very deep bond of friendship. And Dexter’s never really had a friend before, so that becomes very important to him as he explores those “emotions.”

Is Prado a character that the audience is going to like right off the bat or will we be wary of him?
No, no, [Smits] is such an appealing guy anyway, the audience is going to fall for him, much like Dexter falls for him. He becomes a bit of the older brother that Dexter really wants. Dexter has that hole in his life from killing his brother in the first year.

Right. But I assume Prado is the one who initiates this friendship?
Yes, because Dexter isn’t capable of initiating it. But he is capable of responding to the overture and responding to the energy that Miguel puts out. And Michael [C. Hall] is so nuanced and talented that you can just watch his face change. We just sit back in awe of the work he does every day.

Let me ask you a bit about some of the supporting characters. I know Deb is going to have her first successful relationship this year.
Yep.

Is it someone we already know?
No, it’s somebody new.

And what's up with Laguerta now? She was so distraught over the Doakes debacle, last we saw her.
Laguerta is going to change the way she runs the police department. Because of her close relationship with Sgt. Doakes last year, and her disappointment and grief over what happened to him, she’s going to separate herself from the department a little bit. But she'll find that it’s not the best thing to do, that these people really are her family. She’s also going to become great friends with a defense attorney who's actually an adversary of Miguel Prado’s, named Ellen Wolf. Wolf is played by Anne Ramsay, you may remember her from Mad About You.

Oh yes, tell me about a couple more of your new characters.
Desmond Harrington plays the new cop, Joey Quinn. He transfers over from narcotics to homicide, because there’s obviously an opening in homicide after the end of last year. He’s got a little bit of a past that’s being investigated by Internal Affairs. And there’s another new character, played by David Ramsey, who is a confidential informant and a musician as well. He starts off as Joey Quinn’s informant at first, but eventually ends up working for Deb.

How about Masuka and Batista?
Batista is going to finally -- how do I say it? -- move on from the loneliness that he created in causing his own divorce. And he’ll also get into a relationship. And Masuka is going to become very well known for his scientific work. He’s still going to be politically incorrect, completely inappropriate and crude, but he’s going to find his own footing as a forensic scientist and become published and well respected.

Have we seen the last of Doakes?
I don’t think we’re going to see Doakes again, though I have to say, Erik King, who played Doakes, could not have been more of a gentleman. He called us up before our first table read to wish us well and wish the actors well. It’s just a fact of life in television. When I invited him up to my office, he knew what that was going to be about. And he got it, he accepted it.

Speaking of life in television, the writers strike really sort of worked in Dexter's favor. CBS had a hole to fill and Dexter aired on network television because of it.
Yes, it was actually a blessing in that regard. I mean, the strike was rough, but it was right during our hiatus anyway, so we weren’t shooting or writing at that time. Airing on CBS, on a typical evening, we would get six and a half million viewers -- on a typical evening on Showtime, we would get one million -- so it really put us on the map. And now, when I wear my Dexter t-shirt or cap, so many people come up and say, I saw the show on CBS and I got Showtime.

Yes, I do feel like the word is starting to spread.
Were you at Comic-Con? We had thousands of people in our audience. It was pretty amazing. 

Comments

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I hadn't even been thinking about this show lately. Thanks for reminding me how much I love this show, can't wait for the new season to start.

J.J. | Aug 19, 2008 9:22:38 AM | #

---

yo yo yo great interview. much respect to Clyde Phillips, Dexter is KILLLLLER!!

P | Aug 19, 2008 12:12:33 PM | #

---

Great interview, didn't give too much away, just enough to get me pumped up for the new season.

Michelle | Aug 19, 2008 1:16:04 PM | #

---

Poor Doakes!!!!!!!

dill | Aug 19, 2008 3:37:59 PM | #

---

i can't believe no one's commenting on this Dexter stuff. this is the best show on TV, people.

P | Aug 20, 2008 9:58:35 AM | #

---

Just read the recap!! I love this show!! Is it going to be on cbs again?? I don't have cable!!

Michele | Aug 24, 2008 5:52:17 PM | #

---

No, you have to get cable or wait for the DVDs I guess.

P | Aug 24, 2008 6:16:04 PM | #

---

Trying to find the website that had the newscast where you could fill in names and profiles of victims killed in Miami-probably by Dexter. I think it was to promote the new season. Deleted it and can't find it now......

Laura | Oct 11, 2008 1:23:21 PM | #

---

Post a comment

Name:
Email Address:	optional
URL:	optional
Comments: