My Bad (Dexter)

"My Bad"
Dexter episode
Dexter is forced to make funeral arrangements for his wife, Rita.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 1
Directed by	Steve Shill
Written by	Chip Johannessen
Production code	501
Original air date	September 26, 2010 (2010-09-26)
Guest stars
Julie Benz as Rita Bennett Preston Bailey as Cody Bennett Christina Robinson as Astor Bennett Rick Peters as Elliot Steve Eastin as Bill Bennett Kathleen Noone as Maura Bennett Adam Harrington as Agent Walker
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Getaway" Next → "Hello Bandit"
Dexter season 5

"My Bad" is the première of the fifth season of the Showtime series Dexter and the show's forty-ninth episode overall. It was written by Chip Johannessen, the show's former executive producer and showrunner, and directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on September 26, 2010. It brings the final resolution to the Trinity Killer plot that was present in season four and also features the last performance by Julie Benz as Rita.

Plot

The episode begins immediately after the events of the fourth season finale "The Getaway", in which Dexter Morgan finds his wife Rita murdered in their bathtub, a victim of the Trinity Killer. The episode sees Dexter come to terms with raising Rita's children, Astor and Cody, alone. He also becomes a main suspect in Rita's murder.

During the episode, Dexter reminisces about his first date with Rita and realizes, much to his own surprise, that he genuinely loved her, albeit in his own emotionless way.

Reception

On its original broadcast, "My Bad" attracted 1.77 million American viewers, up 16% from the season four premiere. A second broadcast at 11:00 p.m. garnered an additional 575,000 viewers, bringing the night's total to 2.34 million, making the episode the highest rated Showtime series premiere in 15 years and the most watched premiere in the show's history.^[1] The fifth season premiere ranks as the top telecast for the network in 2010.^[1]

The A.V. Club gave the episode an A- grade, stating "There's no real sense of where Dexter goes from here - unlike in the other seasons, the show doesn't introduce a major new arc or villain (outside of the FBI's obvious interest in the statement, "It was me") - but as a season premiere, this works fantastically. Dealing with a character's death, particularly when that character had worn out his or her welcome, can be a tricky proposition for a long-running show, but Dexter finds a way to do it that suggests the darkness just over the horizon and that there will be no redemption for this man. For as goofy as the show can play him, it hasn't forgotten that he's a force of pure destruction, and that's a relief".^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Gorman, Bill (September 27, 2010). "‘Dexter’ Returns To Its Highest Rated Premiere Ever, Up Double Digits". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/27/dexter-returns-to-its-highest-rated-premiere-ever-up-double-digits/65350. Retrieved September 28, 2010. 
2. ^ VanDerWerff, Todd (2010-09-26). "My Bad". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/my-bad,45201/. Retrieved 2011-11-14. 

External links

• "My Bad" at the Internet Movie Database
• "My Bad" at TV.com