Dexter: Season 5

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 620 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	Your Score
7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 620 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

SHOWTIME | Season Premiere Date: September 26, 2010

Starring: Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, James Remar

Summary: Dexter tries to move on without Rita. Julia Stiles, Jonny Lee Miller, Chris Vance, and Peter Weller guest star.

Genre(s): Drama, Suspense

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Season 5 Episodes

tbd
S5:E12. The Big One
Air Date: December 12, 2010
tbd
S5:E11. Hop A Freighter
Air Date: December 5, 2010
tbd
S5:E10. In The Beginning
Air Date: November 28, 2010

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Brian Lowry

Dexter will be hard-pressed to match the big twists that punctuated last season, but the latest campaign is off to an impressive--and impressively unpredictable--start. Read full review

Matthew Gilbert

Dexter is a masterfully creepy-funny serial-killer series, and it continues to both frighten and amuse as it enters its fifth season. Read full review

Verne Gay

Sunday's episode is a necessary decompression episode after last season's intense finale. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Dexter returns as a slightly fresher show, without doing any damage to the character fans love. I enjoyed the first three episodes back and I imagine most fans will feel the same. Read full review

Tom Gliatto

Dec 14, 2010

The acting is what keeps the show addictive--particularly good is Julia Stiles. [29 Nov 2010, p.44]

Ken Tucker

The sooner our Dex puts away the Kleenex, the better the season will be. Because who wants to watch a remorseless avenger who's inert with remorse? Read full review

Daynah Burnett

Unfortunately, the rest of the episode follows Dexter's descent into a routine guilt spiral, blaming himself for Rita's death (he should have "been there" to "protect her"), rather than ruminating on how it feels to be on this receiving end of a serial killing. How a series this smart could overlook the far more interesting angle is as much of a wasted opportunity as it is a disappointment. Read full review

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User Score

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7.2

User Reviews

Tejas25

Nov 12, 2010

Season 5 starts slow since it takes time for the main character (Dexter-Michael C.Hall) to digest the death of his wife.
Dexter cannot take revenge for his wife that's what is eating him from the inside. After the introduction of new character Played by Julie Stiles the season takes theSeason 5 starts slow since it takes time for the main character (Dexter-Michael C.Hall) to digest the death of his wife.
Dexter cannot take revenge for his wife that's what is eating him from the inside. After the introduction of new character Played by Julie Stiles the season takes the grip. You might still feel that we don't know Dexter well enough and he's willing to bend his Rules.
Season 5 might end as explosive as the 4th season. So Stay Tuned Every Sunday :D… Expand

5 of 12 users found this helpful57

Partypooper3

Mar 19, 2014

The most underrated season. The character of Lumen is excellent, the side plots between Deb/Quinn and Angel/LaGuerda are great, and the cult nature of the bad guy(s) is good. This is better written and more believable than ANY of the prior four seasons. People were so in love with theThe most underrated season. The character of Lumen is excellent, the side plots between Deb/Quinn and Angel/LaGuerda are great, and the cult nature of the bad guy(s) is good. This is better written and more believable than ANY of the prior four seasons. People were so in love with the Trinity plot that they forgot to appreciate the great pacing and character development of Season 5.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JonL

Jul 31, 2012

Episode 1 is one my favorite television episodes of all time, from any series, and that's the basis of my 10/10 rating. The rest of the season continues most of the same themes, but I was only intermittently enamored with the Julia Stiles sequence.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

BroncosOwnYou

Oct 10, 2010

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dexter is still an awesome show but he really needs to get back to hunting down the bad guys and quit dwelling on his own mistakes so much. He used to be confident in what he did but now he questions everything he does. I don't really want to see Dexter on a "Road to Recovery" I want to see him do what drew me to the series in the first place. Dealing with his Dark Passenger in the only way he knows how to.

Rita is gone and the kids have gone to live with the Grandparents. Fine. Now lets deal with what needs to be dealt with. Bad guys. If there is one thing about Serial Killers it's that it can't be cured so Dexter is going to be this way the rest of his life. Let's see some episodes dealing with that. I understand that it's his fault that Rita is dead for not killing trinity earlier, but that's over and done with. She was his weak link anyway. It was her whining that Dexter go to rehab and got the whole "Lila" fiasco started. So Doakes got dead from all that. I want to see how he gets out of the mess he created when they discover that he was a visitor at Trinity's house several times including Thanksgiving.

And for goodness sakes get rid of Quinn. He is a poor replacement for Doakes as a Detective who is "Suspicious" of Dexter. At least Doakes wasn't crooked.

Still, Dexter delivers every week and I wouldn't miss an episode for anything.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

moonman1994

Jul 27, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This season was very interesting in the way that Dexter was able to have a true and fairly sane partner in Lumen. Dexter and Lumen's dynamic with each other works really well on screen and she is a character that you really want to root for. The main problem with this season that makes it slightly weaker in comparison to previous seasons is that the subplots of this season just aren't quite as intriguing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

babaracas38

Jun 28, 2011

After Lithgow's incredible performance in Season 4, this season could only go downhill. Luckily it doesn't go too far downhill. But it does require similar levels of suspension of disbelief as Season 3, which is to say, way too ... much disbelief. At least at the end of the season, DexterAfter Lithgow's incredible performance in Season 4, this season could only go downhill. Luckily it doesn't go too far downhill. But it does require similar levels of suspension of disbelief as Season 3, which is to say, way too ... much disbelief. At least at the end of the season, Dexter is ready to rumble on the path that Seasons 1 and 2 set forth. Best thing about this season is that it leaves you looking forward to Season 6.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

KaiGee

Nov 7, 2011

This season is too predictable and it's awful. Me being an huge fan had to force feed my eyeballs on this terrible season. Save yourself the time and don't bother watching it!

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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Seasons & Episodes

76

Series Overview
Season 8

71
- Season 8 Overview
  Air Date: June 30, 2013
Season 7

81
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: September 30, 2012
Season 6

62
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: October 2, 2011
Season 5

76
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: September 26, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E12. The Big One
  Air Date: December 12, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E11. Hop A Freighter
  Air Date: December 5, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E10. In The Beginning
  Air Date: November 28, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E9. Teenage Wasteland
  Air Date: November 21, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E8. Take It!
  Air Date: November 14, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E7. Circle Us
  Air Date: November 7, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E6. Everything Is Illumenated
  Air Date: October 31, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E5. First Blood
  Air Date: October 24, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E4. Beauty And The Beast
  Air Date: October 17, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E3. Practically Perfect
  Air Date: October 10, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E2. Hello, Bandit
  Air Date: October 3, 2010
- tbd
  S5:E1. My Bad
  Air Date: September 26, 2010
Season 4

77
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: September 27, 2009
Season 3

78
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: September 28, 2008
Season 2

85
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: September 30, 2007
Season 1

77
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: October 1, 2006