Anyway, Dexter, Deb, etc.

This is rumored to be the final season, but seeing as how last season was the first one in a while that wasn’t terrible, I wouldn’t rule out a season 9 or later.

The news comes after Sunday’s most-watched-ever episode, which garnered 1.75 million viewers, which fell just short of Dexter‘s 1.9 million that night.

The news of this renewal, while not surprising, comes as great news for fans of great television, and also Claire Danes‘ agent, who probably has been long overdue for a payday.

At long last, the new season is here and you can watch as Dexter‘s world changes forever.

Well, rather than live with that internal conflict gnawing at the core of their being, executive producer Sara Colleton has gone on record as saying season 8 will “absolutely” be Dexter‘s last.

Given last season’s cliffhanger, in which (SPOILER, YO!) sister Deb finds Dexter slamming his knife into the Doomsday Killer, there’s probably only a finite amount of time left for Dexter to go around killing people all the time before she feels compelled to raise her hand.

Colleton has also said that the producers wanted to end the series after this coming season, but Showtime “convinced” (read: threw big fistfuls of cash at)the team to stick around for one more season. Always the hallmark of a creative swan song.

Are you really gone now? Okay. Actual SPOILERS. Season six of Dexter ended with Deb discovering her brother murdering the Doomsday Killer in his macabre ritual. This season, we’ll see how both Dexter and Deb deal with his secret being in the open. This teaser plays up that angle rather than focusing on Batista’s midlife crisis and his purchase of a vintage muscle car. I think they made the right move.

Dexter returns September 30th with Ray Stevenson and Yvonne Strahovski joining the cast.

It’s too easy to not watch a show that you weren’t watching before, so to add at least a modicum of difficulty, let’s cull some shows that were once favorites. It’s nothing personal. Sometimes shows fall in quality, sometimes they just get old, and sometimes we change. For whatever reason, here are a handful of shows that we have no problem saying goodbye to for Lent.

True Blood

I like(d) True Blood for what it is – a campy, soapy display of stylized violence with a fair amount of nudity. It continues to be very self-aware, but there seemed to be very little new space to explore. To recap, there have been werewolves, vampires, fairies, shapeshifters, panthers, and witches. That’s a lot of factions going head-to-head.

The shock value is gone, and while the sexiness and violence is still entertaining, it’s compromised by the total absence of a story to tell. I was able to make it through last season buoyed by the hotness of the characters, but no more. Unless they seriously overhaul their writing team, I’m going to bid the show adieu and get my nudity from the internet.

Law & Order: SVU

The show has been gradually declining in quality over the past five years. In fact, the decline was so gradual that indoctrinated viewers may not have even noticed. Now, with the absence of Christopher Meloni, it’s pretty clear that the show will keep trending downward. After 13 seasons and 286 episodes, there are only so many different ways a character can get raped and murdered. There are also only so many ways Ice-T can be informed of the nature of a crime, then respond with “That’s messed up.”

Yes it is, Ice-T. It’s very messed up. Just like your show.

Oh Dexter, you fickle bitch.

You spent almost the entirety of season six laboring over painfully obvious twists, trotting out magical negroes who leave as fast as they arrive, introducing the worst villain since, I dunno, last season, and keeping Dexter from interacting with the killer or doing any killing of his own. You made it so easy to give up and not care.

Then you return to your core competencies in the season finale. You by no means redeemed the previous 11 hours of television, but you reminded me why the show, even when it’s not good, can still be fun. The show was lying dead on the table, bloody cheek and all, about to be plunged in the heart with a knife, when it was given something of a reprieve.

Dexter has been, despite (or due to) growing ratings, losing favor with its early fan base as well as critics over the past couple seasons. While season five was considered a low-water mark for the show, season six proved that it could be taken to new depths. Addressing all of this season’s myriad shortcomings in detail would turn this article into an opus, but the few high points of this season were completely eclipsed by the following:

The Supporting Cast

LaGuerta and her wig, Angel BatEEEEEEsta, Quinn, Masuka, videogame guy/forensics intern, and nanny girl. This season relegated all of them to “featured player” status, in which they were essentially milling about in the background over the course of 12 episodes. They were never terribly compelling to begin with, but I was hoping at least Quinn would be killed. Actually, I hoped they would all be killed and we’d get a fresh team coming in for what are probably the final two seasons.

Miami Metro’s Incompetency in the Face of Dexter’s Recklessness

In earlier seasons, much of the show’s tension and efficacy stems from Dexter’s precarious double-life. When Deb unwittingly allowed Dexter to flee last season, that tension took a major hit. This season, it seemed that Miami Metro couldn’t detect their way out of a paper bag, allowing Dexter to break from his normally staid and secret rituals to drown a man on a public beach, send video messages to the Doomsday Killer, and enabling him to manipulate the PD at his every whim. Harry’s code, the central tenet of Dexter’s existence, became a non-factor, upending the premise of the show.

Bear in mind that the crux of the season hinged upon Dexter’s ability to take an unconscious body and a toddler down from the roof of a skyscraper in daylight, then to his car blocks away with no one noticing. Very odd. Also, the fact that Miami Metro doesn’t even enter a crime scene until the blood spatter analysis guy gets there was pretty convenient, considering the killer had painted Dexter’s face on the wall. Lots of lucky breaks for Dex this season. Thousands, it seems.

Dexter Didn’t Kill No One!

That’s not true, but he didn’t kill regularly. He also didn’t interact with the big bad this season, save for the last two or three episodes. One could argue that the writers were instead devoting that screen time and energy to exploring further who Dexter is, but one would be wrong. We examine who Dexter is through the dichotomy of his life. The writers of this show have never been capable enough to examine a dichotomy (or anything else) in a subtle fashion, so a glaring juxtaposition between his killing ritual and his daily rituals (much like we see in the opening credits) suffices. And while it might not demonstrate the deft, subtle hand of a Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, watching Dexter kill people has usually been fun enough to allow us to forgive the show’s sins.

The Twist Sucked

First, finding out that Hanks’ villain and Olmos’ were the same person was painfully predictable, so laboring over the reveal for nine episodes was cringeworthy. This season (the highest-rated season thus far) felt like it was playing to a broader, duller audience, with everything from the Saw-type contracptions, to the giant leaps forward that can only be made in police procedurals, to the squandering of Mos Def in the meaty role of Brother Sam. The twist was predictable, but even if it had been a grand revelation, the fact remains that nobody cared enough about “either” villain to give a damn. The struggle between Colin Hanks and Edward James Olmos was boring, and I’m comfortable splitting that blame equally between uninspired writing and a Hanks performance so uninspired that it they easily could have replaced him with a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal.

The season was a total debacle with sophomoric, incompetent writing (which relied on Dexter’s painfully obvious voiceover in lieu of any exposition or credit due the audience), bad acting, and a general sense that the producers could reverse engineer logic to fit their painfully tedious story arcs.

Deb

Julie Benz was the sole bright spot during the entirety of the season, having Deb rival Dexter as the reason for continuing to watch the show, in spite of everything listed above. Her acting sold her struggles with lost love, trauma, stress, office politics, and finally, unresolved feelings for her brother. Fortunately, the cliffhanger in the final scene means that she and Dexter will have to contend with his secret going forward, which allows the viewer to witness the show’s two best assets (as characters and actors) in concert.

Yay, Deb.

The Dangling Plotlines

Initially, these felt incidental and, as the season ambled on, destined to be wrapped up neatly by episode 12. However, the fact that these stories are left with seasons to play themselves out might mean that a little more effort and attention is paid to them, rather than just the struggle between Dexter and the big bads. One can hope for a writing shake-up (desperately needed). Deputy Chief Mathews and the hookers appeared to resolve itself with a whimper over a dinner meeting, when it’s pretty clear that Dexter isn’t written well enough to resolve ANYTHING over a meal.

Quinn’s downward spiral made him a very easy character to say goodbye to, with the expectation that he would perform a redeeming act that would cost him his life. I completely expected his rescue of Batista to be that moment. Then I expected him to jump off the roof of the building in at the end of the finale.

Finally, we have the most shoehorned storyline of the season; the millionaire video game programmer who spent most of the season just lingering around as a lab intern in a fashion so obvious that he might as well have had a cardboard sign around his neck that said “stay tuned.”

I can’t guarantee that these plotlines will get any more interesting in the next season, but at least they weren’t subject to sloppy resolutions in this season.

Dexter Gets Back To Killing

Dexter moved with purpose in the finale, a purpose and urgency that the show hadn’t demonstrated in more than two seasons. The final kill table and nonchalant killing of the Cuban gunman reminded me that even when this show drags ass and treats me like an idiot, much can be forgiven simply by watching a thinly-veiled serial killer doing his thing.

I have never found Dexter to be a particularly good show. It doesn’t handle subtlety well, and the actions of the characters generally don’t mesh well with what we know about them. Convention has ruled, especially this season. But while many fawned over Dexter’s wife’s death at the end of season four, the “outing” of Dexter to Deb has the potential to actually change the trajectory of this show, which is a blessing, because it was wallowing in some shit-infested waters up until that point.

Yeah, I guess I’ll watch next season.

While this season did serve up some awesome gore, it certainly has some tough competition in the murder department. Over the years, some of the gnarliest deaths on television have happened on Dexter. Here’s a rundown of the killer of killers‘ best kills. Hopefully, it will hold you over until next season.

Nathan Marten – “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” Season Three

The code that Dexter lives by only allows him to kill fellow killers, but if his kids are involved, it’s personal. When a convicted sex offender takes an interest in his girlfriend’s daughter, Dexter pays him a visit. That visit ends with Dexter strangling him. While disposing of the body, he remembers he was supposed to pick up milk, so he retrieves it from the sex offender’s fridge. Ever the provider.

Cole Harmon – “Take It” Season Five

Cole Harmon was serving as the muscle in a ring of rapists and murderers, so Dexter needed to take him out before he could get to the crew’s ringleader, Jordan Chase. This was no small task, as Cole was as high-profile as he was twisted and evil. He was even able to smash through doors like Michael Myers. Dexter needed a little help with this one and recruited Lumen, Harmon’s only victim to have ever escaped. Putting a knife into the heart of her torturer proved to be a turn-on as it lead her directly into Dexter’s arms. That’s definitely a chapter that Neil Strauss didn’t cover in The Game.

Mike Donovan – “Dexter” Season One

Dexter’s first on-screen kill introduced us to his hobby with one small exception. His normal M.O. is to subdue and drug his victims. Then they wake to find they have been strapped to a table in a kill room tailored to their particular crimes. Dexter then makes them face photos of their victims, before he shames them and takes a drop of blood from their cheek. He then plunges a knife into their chest.

I guess his printer was broken this time around because in the case of the child-murderer choir master, he actually dug up the remains of the victims to hold before him, stating, “It took me a long time to get these little boys clean.”

Ummm… welcome to television. Let me just set a TiVo alert.

This news comes after season six has garnered the show’s highest ratings yet, so it’s hardly a surprise. However, the critical acclaim that Dexter enjoyed early on has waned, with detractors claiming that the later seasons lack purpose.

While staying relevant and compelling in later seasons is a struggle most shows must content with, Showtime series seem to have a particularly difficult time with it. Weeds, Dexter, and Californication have all dropped in quality as they went on, causing audiences to wonder if the shows were ever more than an interesting premise.

Well Dexter will have two more seasons to give us an answer on that. Let’s just hope they dispatch this season’s villains in short order, cause they kinda suck.

The Magical Negro is a black character introduced in a work of fiction that finds a white protagonist in his moment of doubt, and teaches him a lesson or offers up some grand revelation, only to disappear the second their purpose has been served. The term was popularized during a Spike Lee speech in 2001, in which he dismissed this archetype while speaking to a group of film students. The characters aren’t always “magical” in the literal sense, but are often insightful or enlightened in a way that the protagonist isn’t. They also exhibit other exaggerated traits, such as empathy, patience, and a desire to talk to strange white people. The introduction of such characters has been criticized for being trite, lazy, and of course, they have been interpreted as racist.

I’m not really inclined to discuss the racist implications of such characters, though I feel the implication does exist, as the characters often work menial jobs or are criminal, and are treated as a curiosity that facilitates storytelling rather than enriching it.

So, without (much) commentary, here is an inexhaustive inventory of Magical Negroes in films, and what purpose they serve in their contexts.

Dick Hallorann – The Shining

The groundskeeper, played by Scatman Crothers, has a telepathic ability to communicate with youngster Danny. This gift is of course the titular “shining,” and it serves as a harbinger that not all is right at this hotel. Of course, once Jack Nicholson descends into madness and we’re already capable of figuring that out on our own, Dick is killed off with an axe.

Cash – The Family Man

You best believe that a Brett Ratner-directed film is going to a hackneyed and mildly offensive character in it! In the film, Nicholas Cage plays an executive asshole who is shown how his life could have been different by a criminal named Cash (played by Don Cheadle). Cash serves as a sort of spirit guide, and embodies the idea of “playing-against-type” that is inherent in the Magical Negro construct, in which a down and out or “second-class citizen” offers the better-off white protagonist the secrets to life.

John Coffey – The Green Mile

Michael Clarke Duncan plays John Coffey, a gentle giant on death row for supposedly raping and killing two white girls. Here, the character plays against type as he’s depicted as being about 17 feet tall, but having a childlike innocence about him, fearing the dark and constantly crying.

Coffey is soon revealed to have magical powers, healing Tom Hank’s character’s urinary tract infection (Wait. What?) and the warden’s ailing wife. He also manages to resurrect a mouse. It is later demonstrated that Coffey is innocent, though he chooses to die anyway because of all the suffering in the world, or something like that.

Though I’d like to think these ‘Zeta Killers’ can get the job done, the existence (and placement) of their water bottles is throwing me off. So, in the event they can’t do it, let’s see who easily could.

Batman – The Dark Knight

This is a no brainer.  Batman has vigilante violence down to a science; he also knows how to coax members of the law on to his side.  If he’s able to sneak into communist China undetected, there’s no reason why he couldn’t sneak into Veracruz in the same fashion.  This would also give him an excuse to snag a Zeta and scream “Where were the other drugs going?!?”

Creasy – Man on Fire

Not only is Creasy a demented lunatic, he knows his way around Mexico.  If he’s able to find kidnappers in big, bustling Mexico City, he can easily find drug traffickers in Cuernavaca. And it doesn’t hurt to have Tony Scott‘s neurotic 360 camera spins and Trent Reznor‘s beats blasting in the background.

And then there’s Aimee Garcia, who plays Batista’s hot sister and new nanny to Harrison. More importantly, she can be seen in a scene with Deb saying, “I came in here to give you a kiss goodnight. Not to look at pictures of dead bodies.” A) Fire that nanny. B) Is Deb in a same-sex relationship this season? Or perhaps a polyamorous couple?? I can so see Quinn being into that.

The new season of Dexter premieres October 2nd on Showtime.

Today we have a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming season in advance of the October 2nd premiere. Looks like business as usual at Miami Metro – a dead body ends up on the beach and that somehow lead Dexter to a coalition of killers. But this time they’re murdering in the name of God, not in the name of “Hey, this will feel cool.”

The cast and crew are promising this will be the biggest and weirdest season yet, with the previously established rules poked right in the eye. Does that mean that the Batista and LaGuerta storyline will suddenly make sense and be interesting? I’m not ready for that.

'Dexter's' Dark Passenger Has An Announcement

Season 6 of Dexter premieres this fall.

Here are our picks from Thursday’s schedule. You can check out the entire schedule HERE.

11:15-12:15 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated next chapter of The Twilight Saga. This is a must see for fans interested in the story’s final chapters. You’ll see exclusive footage from The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1 and be treated to a filmmaker and cast Q&A session providing details on the first half of the epic two-part finale. Hall H

2:00-3:00 Napoleon Dynamite— Original cast members from the hit indie film including Jon Heder, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Diedrich Bader and executive producer Mike Scully (The Simpsons) present a new series following your favorite awkward teenager like you’ve never seen him before — animated! Join us for a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage of the newest member of FOX’s Animation Domination lineup and a “sweet” Q&A session. Room 7AB

3:00-4:00 Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A session— Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO’s Game of Thrones concluded its 10-episode debut season on June 19. The series, executive produced and written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, follows kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noblemen as they vie for power in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. Some of the cast featured in the first season and appearing on this panel are (in alphabetical order) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, and Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo. Moderated by George R. R. Martin, who also serves as a co-executive producer and writer on the series. Ballroom 20

3:15-4:30 20th Century Fox— At past Comic-Cons, 20th Century Fox has previewedIndependence Day, X2 Avatar, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. You won’t want to miss the excitement this year, as Fox presents first-looks at some of its most-anticipated pictures of 2011 and 2012. Hall H

4:00-5:00 Archer Screening and Q&A— This animated half-hour comedy revolves around the spy agency known as the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) and the lives of its self-involved employees. Series creator Adam Reed (Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo) and the show’s voice-over actors discuss their daunting and enigmatic work of espionage, reconnaissance missions, and undercover surveillances — which are all actually unmitigated occasions for the ISIS staff to undermine, sabotage, and betray each other for personal gains and prosperity. Panelists include H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers, Jon Benjamin Has a Van) as the highly skilled yet incredibly vain master spy Sterling Archer; Aisha Tyler (Talk Soup,CSI) as fellow agent provocateur Lana Kane; Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock) as the easily intimidated comptroller of ISIS, Cyril Figgis; Judy Greer (Mad Love, Arrested Development) as the loquacious secretary, Cheryl/Carol; Amber Nash (Frisky Dingo, Aqua Teen Hunger Force) as the discordant director of human resources for ISIS, Pam Poovey; andGeorge Coe (Funny People, Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Sterling’s elderly and always-exploited butler, Woodhouse. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

5:00-6:00 Beavis & Butthead— In 1993, Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butthead) and MTV knocked their heads together and launched a cartoon series starring a couple of lunkheads and unwittingly started an animated pop culture revolution. Now, Beavis and Butthead are coming back to MTV in 2011 to unleash on music videos, Jersey Shore, viral videos, and more. See the first footage from the new episodes, and join Mike as he discusses the duo’s return to MTV! Room 6A

5:30-7:30 Showtime : Tired of Ordinary Television?— This year at Comic-Con, Showtime saves! The casts and creative forces behind Dexter and Shameless give sneak peeks into the new seasons. And be the first to see an exclusive look at the new Showtime original series Homeland. Ballroom 20

6:00-7:00 Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries: A discussion with Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro on the Future of Pop Culture— EW moderates an in-depth conversation with Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens) and Guillermo del Toro (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark), two filmmakers at the forefront of bringing geek culture to the masses and making blockbuster art out of pulp fiction. They will discuss their inspirations, their current work, and how they strive to put a personal stamp on blockbuster entertainment. Plus: How is new technology changing the way stories are produced and viewed? And what do they think the pop culture universe will look like a decade from now? Moderated by Jeff “Doc” Jensen.Hall H

6:15-7:30 Wilfred Screening and Q &A— Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Happy Feet) stars as Ryan, a young man struggling unsuccessfully to make his way in the world until he forms a unique friendship with Wilfred, his neighbor’s canine pet, played by Jason Gann (The Wedge, Mark Loves Sharon), who co-created and starred in the Australian version of Wilfred in 2007. While everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog, Ryan sees a crude and surly man in a cheap dog suit. Elijah and Jason, along with Wilfred co-stars Fiona Gubelmann(Californication, Cold Case) and Dorian Brown (Roommates, Psych), executive producer David Zuckerman (Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill), and co-executive producer/director Randall Einhorn (The Office, Modern Family) discuss bringing this unique, live-action comedy to life. Room 6A

Laurie Masters loves her som Dexter.

Showtime is bringing “http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=217497 We won’t have to wait much longer to see Dexter Morgan thin down Miami’s overwhelmingly large serial killer population. The new season of”Dexter“ is set to premiere this Fall on Showtime and today Entertainment Weekly have details about where the anti-hero’s head is at and which guest stars he will be taking for a night cruise.

Newly-appointed guy in charge of making this season not suck, Scott Buck had this to say,

“[It's] a very strong, sure-of-himself Dexter, which would be the difference from the Dexter of last year, where Dexter was questioning himself about everything. A year has passed since the end of last season, so Dexter has put his life in order. Things are good for him. He’s very centered, strong and focused, much the same way he was in season 1, but now he knows so much more. He’s a much more self-assured person. A more evolved serial killer.”

He also shares some info about the killer Edward James Olmos will play. As well as his disciples played by Colin Hanks and Mos (formerly Def).

“Professor Gellar is someone that all of Miami is seeking out. He becomes a big person of interest in some crimes that are being committed in Miami. They are probably the biggest crimes we’ve ever seen on this show. We’re going toward a different kind of serial killer than what we usually see. This is someone more in line with the Zodiac Killer…. He kills people with great conviction. This is probably the first serial killer we’ve had who thinks he’s in the right.”

“Professor Gellar definitely feels like he’s killing for a reason, and Dexter is very, very curious to know what exactly that reason is, and to try to understand it in some way. It’s very intriguing and baffling, and it doesn’t make sense to Dexter.”

“[Colin Hanks's] Travis Marshall is a close acquaintance of Professor Gellar. The two of them work together. Professor Gellar is a character with tremendous charisma, and Travis has very much fallen under his power…. Travis has absolutely no interest or inclination to hurt anyone, yet he’s also someone who’s strongly driven by a belief system that compels him to do things he doesn’t necessarily want to do. ”

“[Mos's] He’s a former street thug who found God while in prison, and now we call him Brother Sam rather than Father Sam, because he’s not so much a preacher or a minister — he’s someone who is trying to live what he believes is a righteous life by helping others. He runs an auto-body shop and he hires ex-cons, trying to help them get their lives straight. One of them becomes a suspect in a crime and that leads [Brother Sam] to cross paths with Dexter.”

Another great question that EW posed, Why did last season suck so bad and what are you going to do about it, fucko? I’m paraphrasing.

“Just the fact that it was Dexter on a very dark path. It became so heavy and brooding at times that we really wanted to brighten up Dexter’s world a bit…. You couldn’t kill Rita and not have Dexter go to that place, but we spent a season there and now we’ve turned him around. Life is good now.”

I wasn’t the biggest fan of season five but the show has been pretty good in past seasons and that’s enough to get me to watch again. As long as it keeps throwing crazy twists our way, it should be able to get its groove back.

I love the show and am ready for a return to form, but it bodes poorly that the new promo is essentially a direct rip-off of the “Teen Wolf” promo that has been airing everywhere these past few months.

“no spoilers but i’m pretty sure you’ll be seeing me in a white lab coat.”

Ooooh, a white lab coat! I wonder if this means she’ll be playing a sexy owner of a white lab coat store. I guess I’ll have to wait until the new season of “Dexter” premieres on Showtime in the fall. (BreaGrant.com)

‘Dexter’ Season 6 Promo Reminds Us Of Fonder Times

Yeah, I bet he bangs Deb. (THR)

On the drama he will play a charming professor of religious studies who doesn’t realize he’s actually an android tasked with the unenviable job of keeping a tight leash on Crockett and Tubbs. I’m sorry. I’ve mixed up my Olmos history again. He’ll only play a charming professor of religious studies it turns out. This fits nicely with the recent news that Mos Def has joined the cast to play an ex-con who has found religion. Seems like he’s found it with the help of Edward James Olmos. Also, it sounds like they’re killing people. Keep it up, guys and Jesus will definitely revoke your homeboyship. (Deadline)

Fans of gritty badassitude, which I hope you are, will also likely be fans of this team-up: Danny Trejo and “Sons of Anarchy.” The Machete star joins FX’s motorcycle drama as Romero “Romeo” Parada, a charmingly kickass Mexican military man who will pal around with the SAMCRO crew. He also recently guested on ABC’s”Modern Family,” but I didn’t see the episode. I assume him and Grandpa Al Bundy came to blows. (TVLine)

Meanwhile, Mos Def will do Showtime‘s “Dexter,” and by that I mean he’ll star on the actual show, not do his own sweded version. The actor / rapper will play a newly religious ex-con in multiple episodes. However, violence still seems to follow him wherever he goes, despite claims of being reformed. He joins previously announced Colin Hanks as one of the new season’s villains. (Hollywood Reporter)

Colin Hanks has kissed a lot of frogs and still not yet found that prince. Off the heels of the cancelled “The Good Guys,” it is being reported by TV Line that the Hanks son without a hilarious rap career will be Michael C. Scott’s foil in the upcoming season of”Dexter.”

As with past seasons, Showtime will divulge little information about Dexter‘s nemesis. I can’t say that Colin Hanks is a PARTICULARLY intimidating fella, so perhaps the threat he poses to Dexter will be in a more administrative or bureaucratic capacity? Maybe he threatens to tell on Dexter for some shoddy accounting work come tax time? I just see Colin as playing something of a dorky pest, rather than a rival serial killer.

According to Showtime president David Nevins, next season Dexter’s nemesis won’t be one particular character, but something of a group of characters, possibly reminiscent of “The Wire.” If that’s the case, I like Hanks as the lawyer or the accountant. Or possibly the male nanny.

What do we think of the promo? Excited?

So it is with “Dexter” starring Michael C. Hall, but Showtime president David Nevins has some good news for the fans, which I’m sure is totally true and not at all a piece of marketing hype:

“Dexter this season will be in some ways a return to the Dexter that you’ve seen in the early seasons. There’s a really interesting story and journey that he’s going to be on this year. There’s going to be some degree of getting back to his roots.”

I remember when they said the same thing about”24.” Here are more Nevinsisms about the future of”Dexter,” including the increased emphasis on Dexter‘s sibling relationship, and season 6′s lack of a singular villain:

“There will be a microscope on the Deb/Dexter relationship this season. Over time you’re going to see that relationship evolve and change, no questions about it.”

“It is not one big bad. There’s one interesting story that will move through the season, and it will be cast very interestingly, but it’s not exactly that one person.”

Well, there you have it. Are you excited for the sixth season of “Dexter” yet? You better be – I hear David Nevins had something of a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes when he made these remarks. (TVLine)