With eight seasons, Dexter went down as one of the best television series of all time, following Dexter Morgan who is a man with homicidal tendencies that happens to also work as a forensic technician for the police apartment. The double life of this cold killer happening to also work for the police was something that really felt unique and led to some truly gripping episodes that go down as some of the best ever.
Overall, the show was very consistent which is why IMDb’s rating for Dexter is an impressive 8.7 for its entire run, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few poor episodes here and there. That is what this list is set to highlight, as we look back at the 10 worst episodes of Dexter, according to IMDb.
First Blood (8.1)
Kicking off the list we have the episode ‘First Blood,’ which was the fifth episode of the fifth season and earned an IMDb rating of 8.1, proving that the show does have a very high standard for a rating that high to make the top 10 worst-rated episodes.
Overall, the fifth season of the show is very solid and while this episode was the worst-rated of it, ‘First Blood’ still isn’t a bad episode by any means. In the episode, Dexter ends up with an unwanted conspirator as he has to make some hard choices as he begins to worry about how the death of Rita will effect Harrison.
Nebraska (7.9)
Moving on from season five to season six, the next lowest-rated episode of Dexter is titled ‘Nebraska’ and that scored an IMDb rating of 7.9 and takes Dexter out of his usual area to Nebraska, hence the title, where he tries to tie up some loose ends.
Away from Dexter’s personal issues, a large chunk of this episode is spent focusing on Debra as she begins to adjust to life in her Lieutenant role, however, she finds things harder than she first thought. Whether it is the fact Dexter is out of town in a new area, or that not enough time is spent working on the Trinity Killer by him, this episode just didn’t connect.
Sin Of Omission (7.9)
Another of Dexter’s lowest-rated episodes also takes place in season six, with the episode ‘Sin of Omission’ which gained a 7.9 rating once again, with Dexter taking lessons from Brother Sam, using it to follow leads for the Doomsday Killer.
For one reason or another, this storyline didn’t really connect with fans and it was one of the weakest in the show’s history, which is why it isn’t a massive surprise to see this be one of the lowest-rated episodes in Dexter’s history.
This Little Piggy (7.9)
Once again, another episode of Dexter that was rated at 7.9 was ‘This Little Piggy,’ although this one took place in season eight, which was Dexter’s final season and is where the quality and consistency of the show began to struggle. In this episode, Dr. Vogel actually comes into contact with the Brain Surgeon, who is the main protagonist against Dexter throughout the final season, while Masuka also learns that he has a daughter.
Once again here, Debra witnesses Dexter commit a murder, and alongside Dr. Vogel actually helps him dump the body out into the ocean.
A Little Reflection (7.8)
Up next on the list is another episode from season eight, titled ‘A Little Reflection’ which had an IMDb rating of 7.8 focuses on Dexter as he finds a potential candidate for his work, with a young psychopath that he begins to follow.
He believes that Zach Hamilton is drawn to blood, and he eventually finds out that he is meeting with Dr.Vogel, although she won’t discuss their meetings with Dexter, despite him trying to find out information from her. This episode is a little bit like a cat and mouse chase as Dexter stalks Zach, almost like he is about to become the next victim when in reality he just wants to help him.
Dress Code (7.6)
During season eight’s ‘Dress Code’ episode, which was rated at 7.6 by IMDb, Dexter attempts to take on a protege to teach them Harry’s code for killing people, all the while finding out why Hannah is in Miami. Zach ends up proving to be a difficult student, and, when someone close to his is murdered, he is positive that Zach is the person responsible, which leads to their relationship becoming strained.
While the idea of Dexter having an apprentice was a fun one that could have been a great long-term storyline, things just felt a little rushed with it on the show, and that’s one of the reasons the episode didn’t make its mark.
Make Your Own Kind Of Music (7.4)
‘Make Your Own Kind Of Music’ takes place in season eight of Dexter, and was rated 7.4 by IMDb, which might not be the worst rating in the world, but it does make it one of the show’s lowest, simply due to the high quality of the series. In this episode, Dexter learns that Dr. Vogel had two sons, and one was murdered by the eldest, while he makes the decision to take Hannah and Harrison to live in Argentina, although that can’t happen and they hide at Debra’s.
While there’s nothing overtly wrong with this episode, it just lacks a real thrilling storyline and connectivity that other episodes can boast, and with the season eight main story being one of the weakest, the episodes were always going to suffer.
Monkey In A Box (7.2)
With a rating of 7.2, ‘Monkey In A Box’ is one of the lowest-rated episodes in the history of Dexter, even though it was the second to last episode of the series when most people would presume the show would be firing on all cylinders.
However, that wasn’t the case as the show was clearly struggling for ideas at this point, with this episode featuring Dexter not being sure on whether to kill the Brain Surgeon or to flee the country. It is in that struggle that fans didn’t enjoy the episode, mainly because Dexter had been such a cold, calculated killer that seeing him struggling to make decisions wasn’t really something fans were wanting to see.
Goodbye Miami (6.9)
Another one of Dexter’s lowest-rated episodes that once again comes from the final season of the show, which is rated as the worst of the eight. ‘Goodbye Miami’ gained an IMDb rating of 6.9, making it one of the lowest-rated episodes of the show’s history.
This was the 10th episode of the final season and saw Dexter and the brain surgeon continue their cat and mouse game, with Dexter attempting to lure him into a trap. This episode also sees the show attempt to take him back to the point where he lost his birth mother, trying to restart the flame for what really made him a killer, but things just didn’t click in the way they had previously here.
Remember The Monsters (4.6)
This is proof that even the best of television shows sometimes fail to stick the landing, with ‘Remember The Monsters’ being the final ever episode of Dexter, yet it is also the lowest-rated episode in the history of the show. With an IMDb rating of 4.6, it is clear to see that people were not a fan of how this beloved show came to a close, and that isn’t really a surprise, as this is universally hated and seen as one of the worst endings in the history of television.
The main reason people weren’t a fan is because of how things ended for Dexter himself, with him sailing into the eye of a storm and then ended up as a lumberjack not really being what people had in mind for him.
