The fifth season of the Showtime series Dexter began on September 26, 2010.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 With new episodes on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST, the series follows the double life of Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/about.do When he is not working on a case for the department, he hunts and kills bad guys who are undetected by the justice system.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/about.do According to Showtime, the fourth series of the show ended with a "huge dramatic twist," leaving Dexter to begin season five as a guilt-ridden single dad.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/about.do This series, the serial killer character has to maintain his facade and double-life, and possibly even experience human emotions.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/about.do

Dexter originally premiered on October 1, 2006.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 The television series was based on a series of books written by author Jeff Lindsay. The books feature a character of the same name, with the first title being Darkly Dreaming Dexter.http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/dexter/author.html Regular and guest cast and crew members of the show have been nominated numerous times for a variety of awards since the show began. The honors include awards and nominations from the Emmys, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, Satellite Awards and the Young Artist Awards.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/awards Guest stars in season five include Julia Stiles, Jonny Lee Miller, Peter Weller and Chris Vance.http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/08/16/dexter-chris-vance/#more-10562

Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall, has a knack for charming fellow officers with desserts and caring for his baby boy. As well as being a blood spatter expert for the Miami Police, he also has a passion for getting the killers who slip under the radar and packaging their body parts in plastic.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=dexter_morgan

Debra Morgan, played by Jennifer Carpenter, looks up to the Dexter she and most others know. This season sees her torn between her brother and the man who could be his downfall.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=debra_morgan

Joey Quinn, played by Desmond Harrington, has always been fond of fellow officer Debra. However, his patience for the Morgans is tested this season as he follows a trail of concerning evidence.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=joey_quinn

Lt. Maria Laguerta, played by Lauren Velez, is the Miami homicide division boss. Her personal relationship with a colleague this season has become increasingly complicated.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=lt_maria_laguerta

Angel Batista, played by David Zayas, works with Dexter on forensics cases and is a homicide detective.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=angel_batista

Vincent Masuka, played by C.S. Lee, is always ready with a joke and/or an inappripriate remark. He is a forensic expert who assists Dexter on the job.http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/cast.do?name=vincent_masuka

Originally aired on September 26, 2010, "My Bad" begins by tracing the moments following Dexter's discovery of his murdered wife. He reports Rita's death and the FBI investigates, while Masuka suspects it to be the doing of the Trinity serial killer. Dexter's work colleagues support him and his family following the tragedy. They are also upset with Lt. Laguerta for giving away a case concerning one of their own. However, Det. Quinn has his suspicions about Dexter when he believes he does not really appear to be grieving. When Masuka points out Dexter knew his wife had kissed his neighbor, Quinn is given further reason to suspect him. Meanwhile, Dexter struggles to play the part of grieving widower and even puts-off telling the children and Rita's parents about her death. The FBI want to question him, but Dexter is finding it difficult to come to terms with the situation. After considering disappearing, Dexter goes to his wife's funeral to give her eulogy. He also discovers that he really did love her.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/my-bad/episode/1353627/recap.html?tag=episode_header;recap

Originally aired on October 3, 2010, "Hello Bandit" begins with Dexter's promising interview with the FBI. They tell him they do not suspect him of his wife's murder because they knew he was at the Trinity killer's house when she was killed. Dexter is cleared, but becomes fixated on a blood drop he notices in a rented moving van. He tests it, and after discovering it is human he decides the previous renter is worth looking into. Meanwhile, he struggles to be a single parent, as Astor and Cody want to move back into their house. Dexter and the three children temporarily live with Debra in an apartment that is too small for them all, and she goes over to Quinn's for a proper night's sleep after having enough of the arrangement. The kids skip school to return to the house one day, and as step-daughter Astor remains angry at Dexter she and her brother Cody go to live with their grandparents. Meanwhile, he discovers the van rental man has been dumping oil drums with dead women inside them.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/hello-bandit/episode/1356085/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on October 10, 2010, "Practically Perfect" begins with Dexter getting Debra's help to find an ideal nanny for his son, 10-month old Harrison. They find the right candidate. Dexter remains off-duty to recover from his recent ordeal, so having someone to care for his son frees him up to focus on getting rid of dead animal sanitation worker and serial killer Boyd Fowler. Although his first plan does not work, Dexter eventually follows him home and succeeds in killing him there. However, Boyd's latest prisoner witnesses him do it. Meanwhile, the result of Batista's bar fight with a fellow officer who made rude remarks about Lt. Laguerta turns life-threateningly serious. A Spanish-speaking uniformed officer helps out with a second beheading case, while most of the police believe the now-dead husband killed his wife. However, Debra has a new theory which looks to be correct due to subsequent events. As Quinn hits on Deb, he also notifies the FBI of information about the Trinity killer`s friend, Kyle Butler.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/practically-perfect/episode/1356087/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on October 17, 2010, "Beauty and the Beast" picks up from Dexter's murder of Boyd Fowler. Now he must come up with a plan about what to do with the once-captive young woman he found alive in Fowler's house. She saw Dexter kill her captor and he must gain her trust. He also identifies her as Lumen Pierce from Minnesota. Dexter examines the crime scene of the most recent beheading victim and provides evidence that gives them their first lead in the case, despite still being on leave. After discovering similarities between Dexter and Kyle Butler (who was friends with the Trinity murderer), Quinn attempts to find Trinity's family to show them Dexter's photo. Batista apologizes to the cop he beat up to avoid an investigation by internal affairs, and Deb has a run-in with the beheading murders suspect.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/beauty-and-the-beast/episode/1356092/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;summary

Originally aired on October 24, 2010, "First Blood" shows Dexter trying to get Lumen to return to Minnesota. She refuses, since she is determined to find and kill the other men who abused her. Since he also has the urge to murder again, Dexter realises he could kill the guilty men himself. The opportunity to do so becomes available when Lumen gets a lead on a convicted rapist and Boyd Fowler's former prison cell mate. However, just before attempting to kill the man, Dexter notices he has an ankle monitor on and could not have been one of Lumen's attackers. Meanwhile, Debra continues to investigate the spate of beheadings and finds two rotting bodies. While she also continues to sleep with Quinn, she realises a "tattoo" which will help them find murder suspects the Fuentes brothers is actually a stamp for a night club. Lt. Laguerta acts suspiciously, leaving Batista to think she may be seeing someone. Little does he know, she has been working undercover in an attempt to have his charges dropped. Quinn continues to try and contact Trinity's family, and Lt. Laguerta suspends him without pay. Although he has other plans which involve following Dexter, Dexter is preoccupied with concern that his baby son has his own dark side.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/first-blood/episode/1356313/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on October 31, 2010, "Everything Is Illumenated" begins with Dexter being interrupted during the pursuit of his next victim, Lance Robinson. Despite thinking Lumen had returned to Minnesota, he discovers she has not left Miami and has instead tracked down and shot one of her attackers... and now does not know what to do. With Robinson unconscious in his car, Dexter rushes to meet Lumen and clean up the mess. They realize the man she shot was indeed one of her attackers (he calls someone and informs them that she is still alive), but he survives and has somehow disappeared. Although they find him, Deb and other officers arrive on the scene in response to his call. Dexter must be quick to clean up and come up with an explanation, and the situation becomes further complicated when Robinson breaks out of his car and makes a run for freedom. In record time Dexter catches and strangles him, makes his death out to be from some sort of sex game, and sets him up to be the other man's shooter. Meanwhile, Deb continues work on a spate of recent murders and sets up a sting at the favorite nightclub of the suspects. Batista discovers some vital evidence, as it emerges that Dexter and Lumen may begin killing together.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/everything-is-illumenated/episode/1356315/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on November 7, 2010, "Circle Us" begins with Dexter's confusion when he is called to a road accident. A pick-up truck has spilled its load of barrels, revealing the bodies of dead women that had been kept in formaldehyde inside them. The women are the victims of Boyd Fowler that Dexter had discovered before killing him. Although the truck is registered to celebrity motivational speaker Jordan Chase, Dexter is more interested in Chase's head of security, Cole Harmon. Lumen positively identitifes Harmon after Dexter takes photos of the men at the station. Although his hair and fingerprints are left at the accident scene because he orchestrated the removal of the bodies, Harmon tries to divert attention by claiming Boyd is one of Jordan's stalkers. Despite Dexter wanting to leave his fate to the police, Lumen convinces him to go after Harmon themselves. Quinn and a private investigator he hired notice Lumen and Dexter. Debra continues to pursue the suspects of the beheading murders, and is given permission for a sting operation. They use new informant Yasmine Aragon to pull it off, but something goes wrong and several people are murdered as a result.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/circle-us/episode/1358531/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on November 14, 2010, "Take It!" begins with Dexter setting out after Cole Harmon, after confirming him as one of Lumen's attackers. He attends a Jordan Chase seminar and plans to murder Harmon at the hotel they stay in. After renting a room next to Harmon's and showing Lumen how to prepare a killing room, Dexter and Lumen succeed in killing Cole after the plan almost backfires. Also, Dexter finds a vital clue that leads to another of Lumen's attackers, as her former fiance suddenly appears in Miami to get her to leave the country with him. Meanwhile, Lt. Laguerta is not prepared to take the blame for the disasterous night club operation, and lies about it being Deb's fault. Debra is concerned about her future at the station when Laguerta suspends her, but Batista tells her he will support her side of the story. Quinn's private investigator Liddy discovers information about Lumen and takes suspicious photos of the two together. He also threatens to blackmail Quinn when Quinn requests he stop investigating due to his relationship with Deb.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/take-it%21/episode/1358532/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on November 21, 2010, "Teenage Wasteland" sees Dexter getting closer to motivational speaker Jordan Chase. However, when his step-daughter Astor appears back at home with her friend Olivia, plans change. Astor continues to be difficult and rebellious, and she and Olivia are drunk and have lied about where they are. She is also sure Lumen is Dexter's new girlfriend. After Lumen has a revealing conversation with Olivia about why the girls have run away, they disappear from the house. Dexter is concerned Chase is onto them and has kidnapped the girls, since he earlier took a sample of what looks to be blood in a necklace Chase had in his locker. The situation forces Dexter to tell his colleagues about Lumen (whom he describes as his new tenant) and that he has been seeing Chase. Meanwhile, Debra discovers a number of DNA samples, including Harmon's, were returned from the investigation of the barrel girl murders. Although she was assigned to work in the filing room, Deb wants the case re-opened since it was only pinned on Fowler. She has trouble doing so because Lt. Laguerta does not want to admit to a mistake. While Deb is also angered to find out about Quinn's suspicions of her brother, Quinn has his own problems when Liddy refuses to drop his investigation into Dexter. Chase reveals he also knows Lumen is alive and with Dexter.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/teenage-wasteland/episode/1359078/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on November 28, 2010, "In the Beginning" begins with Lt. Laguerta re-opening the barrel girls murder case. Debra and Quinn are reinstated and when they begin following the case again they discover the suspects had made DVDs of the torture and murder of each victim. Although they find the evidence at Cole Harmon's, they cannot find him to make an arrest. Little do they know, Dexter has already taken him out of the equation. However, Debra does conclude there is a vigilante killer taking out the men who attacked and killed the women. Meanwhile, Dexter traces the blood he took from Jordan Chase's necklace to an alive and uncooperative Emily Birch. When Lumen visits her alone, she seems to open up by offering information about the ring and identifying the fifth man involved as Alex Tilden. However, it is later revealed that Birch is working with Chase. Debra and Quinn also complicate matters, by interviewing Tilden and closing in on the ring. Also, as Dexter and Lumen prepare to get rid of Tilden, Liddy watches them. Chase tries to entrap Dexter and Lumen by using Tilden as bait, but he is mistaken about where they plan to execute the murder. Lumen kills Tilden as Dexter watches on, as Deb and Quinn remain hot on their heels. Dexter and Lumin also spend that night in bed together.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/in-the-beginning/episode/1359079/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on December 5, 2010, "Hop a Freighter" begins with Chase being questioned about the three missing men and Dexter and Lumen planning their revenge on him. However, Dexter soon realises he and Lumen have been under video surveillance. He comes to the conclusion that Quinn has been behind it, and the pair burglarize Quinn's apartment. Almost too late, he realises who is really behind it. Liddy kidnaps Dexter, intending to force him to confess by confronting him with the evidence he has gathered. Although Dexter ends up killing Liddy and disposing of the evidence, Quinn almost discovers them and Dexter cannot answer Lumen's calls. Meanwhile, Chase manipulates Emily Birch to lure them to her home, but since she cannot get in touch with Dexter, Lumen goes alone. When Dexter is free he gets Lumen's message and goes to the Birch residence, where he finds barely anything but Birch's body.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/episodes#season-5 http://www.tv.com/dexter/hop-a-freighter/episode/1359080/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap

Originally aired on December 12, 2010, "The Big One" begins with Dexter trying to find Lumen. He avoids family obligations to track down Jordan Chase, whom he calls to try and make a trade with - himself for Lumen. Although his attempt is unsuccessful, Lumen soon wakes in the car trunk and begins making lots of noise as Chase is recognized by a street vendor. Dexter realises Chase has taken Lumen to an abandoned camp where his gang committed rape and torture on the women. However, before he can get there he must process the crime scene of Liddy, whose body has been discovered. Quinn's association with Liddy puts him under suspicion for the crime and he asks for a lawyer. Dexter takes the opportunity to escape from the scene to get to the camp, where he crashes the car. Jordan is waiting when he escapes the wreckage, and takes him into the torture chamber with Lumen. Dexter gets free and stabs Jordan in the foot to overpower him and release Lumen. In the heat of an argument, Lumen stabs and kills Chase as he is tied to a table. Meanwhile, Debra follows up the street vendor's tip about Chase and heads in the same direction he was headed - to the camp. As Dexter and Lumen prepare to clean up the scene, Deb arrives. She sees Chase's body and the silhouettes of the two people who murdered them. Instead of turning them in, she warns them she will call it in and they have an hour to finish what they are doing, then leaves. Dexter and Lumen clean up and dump Chase's body. Dexter helps clear Quinn's name by faking blood test results. Lumen loses her desire to kill now that Chase is dead, and breaks it to Dexter. He is upset by the news, but she insists on leaving. The episode ends with Dexter's son's first birthday party.http://www.tv.com/dexter/the-big-one/episode/1359702/recap.html?tag=episode_recap;recap http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1733344/synopsis