Following the tragedy that occurred in last years finale season five's opening episodes see Dexter trying to comes to terms with his true feelings when, in the process of killing a known murderer, he is spotted by a young woman (Lumen) that has been imprisoned and beaten by the same man Dexter has just killed. It soon transpires that things are more complex than they at first seem and that Dexter's victim was not working alone.
Having failed to convince Lumen to leave the city he begins to realise that the he has a chance to help her and in some way make up for the tragedy he has experienced in his own life. As is usually the case in Dexter the way in which their relationship develops is brilliantly written and acted (Julia Stiles is superb as Lumen) and their attempt to track down everyone involved in the murders, and Lumens traumatic incident, makes for fascinating viewing.
As has been the case for the last few seasons however it continues to get harder and harder to believe that Dexter's secrets would remain undiscovered. In the past this has been easy to ignore thanks to the overall quality of the show but during season five there were perhaps a few too many occasions where he came close to being caught in the act only to escape at the last minute. The creators insistence on having 'self-contained' seasons is also becoming a little jarring with some events from previous seasons being totally ignored for the convenience of the plot. For example how can Deborah fall for Quinn so quickly after it was his girlfriend that killed Lundy?
Despite these minor quibbles Dexter remains one of the very best dramas on TV, I just hope that season six can deal with some of the lingering plot threads and ensure that Dexter's actions don't continue to play out in a way that should surely get him caught.