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| 4 | %% MOD NOTE: Zero Context Example entries are NOT allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them. |
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| 6 | %% Explaining a trope is more than just saying "In season two" or "Alice is this for Bob." It means actually going into detail about how the trope is used in the series. |
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| 8 | %% Removing comments without adding context or adding new Zero Context Examples will result in banning. |
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| 13 | [[center: [- [[Characters/{{Dexter}} Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/DexterDexterMorgan Dexter Morgan]] | '''Main Characters''' | [[Characters/DexterLawEnforcement Law Enforcement]] | [[Characters/DexterDextersFamily Dexter’s Family]] | [[Characters/DexterRecurringCharacters Recurring Characters]] | [[Characters/DexterAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/DexterSupportingAntagonists Supporting Antagonists]] | [[Characters/DexterDextersVictims Dexter’s Victims]] | [[Characters/DexterBarrelGirlGang Barrel Girl Gang]] | [[Characters/DexterTheDoomsdayKillers The Doomsday Killers]] | [[Characters/DexterTheKoshkaBrotherhood The Koshka Brotherhood]] | [[Characters/DexterIronLakeResidents Iron Lake Residents]]-]]] |
| 14 | |
| 15 | '''Beware of spoilers''', only spoilers from the '''seventh and eighth seasons''' are meant to be blacked out. All character sheets contain major spoilers. Proceed reading at your own risk.[[note]]As per wiki's policy, all trope names should be visible which may indicate if the character died or if they are deceiving.[[/note]] |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 18 | |
| 19 | [[folder:Debra Morgan]] |
| 20 | [[quoteright:338:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dm2014_5744.jpg]] |
| 21 | [[caption-width-right:338: ''"You say anything more about my brother and I will kick your fucking nuts down your throat."'']] |
| 22 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/JenniferCarpenter |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Dexter's foul-mouthed, tomboyish foster-sister. Deb is a detective in Miami Metro's Homicide division. Debra believes she truly knew her father, but is in reality completely unaware of the secrets he kept, especially concerning Dexter (who she sees as a true brother). Inspired by their fathers' legendary police career, Debra joined the police and desperately yearned to become a Homicide Detective, which she achieves during the series. |
| 25 | ---- |
| 26 | * TenMinuteRetirement: [[spoiler:Season 8. She's not really cut out for the private sector.]] |
| 27 | * ActionGirl: Perfectly capable of kicking major amounts of ass, such as the most psychotic of the Fuentes brothers. |
| 28 | * AdaptationalIntelligence: In the source novels her detective skills are very much an InformedAttribute, with her only real method being to ask Dexter for his insights on the crime of the week and being basically clueless on her own. The show tones this down dramatically and allows her to be a competent detective in her own right. |
| 29 | * AdaptationNameChange: In the books, her name is spelled "Deborah". |
| 30 | * BadassInDistress: She was kidnapped by the Ice Truck Killer in the season 1 finale and is severely traumatized by it. |
| 31 | * BigBrotherWorship: She loves Dexter a lot. They are really close and she gets pissed whenever she feels he shuts her out, which is fairly often. |
| 32 | * BigSisterInstinct: Although she's the younger sister, she tends to be more assertive and vocal. If anyone insults Dexter, she will defend him. |
| 33 | * BecomingTheMask: Debra becomes very attached to her criminal boyfriend Andrew when she goes undercover due to the kind way he treats her. |
| 34 | * BornDetective: The only one in the department apart from Doakes. [[LampshadeHanging Dexter makes it very clear]] that he’s mainly free because his sister has a "blind spot" on him. |
| 35 | * BrainyBrunette: She has light brown hair and, while somewhat immature and unstable, is one of the most intelligent and competent members of the cast. |
| 36 | * BrokenBird: She's broken in-series at the hands of the Ice Truck Killer, and by getting shot and seeing her lover killed in season 4. This is lampshaded heavily in her therapy sessions in series 6. Being ignored by her father in favor of her adopted brother probably didn't help things. In season 7, she finds out Dexter's secret. She doesn't take it well. |
| 37 | * BrokenPedestal: In season 7, Dexter's anchorage and high-concept gets broken for her after the reveal. |
| 38 | * ButtMonkey: [=LaGuerta=] tends to treat Debra this way. |
| 39 | * CartwrightCurse: Her love interests tend to either leave, die, or turn out to be dicks. |
| 40 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: Soon learns that with greater power comes greater and unpleasant responsibility. |
| 41 | * ClusterFBomb: Hoo boy. Deb really likes swearing, legendarily so. Most characters have at one point or another referred to her as a "potty-mouth" or in some way referred to her impressive swearing skills. |
| 42 | ** A fan made a [[https://vimeo.com/75194445 video]] tallying all the times Deb says "fuck" throughout the series. The final count came to [[spoiler:996]]. |
| 43 | * CoolAunt: To Rita's kids after Dexter and Rita got married, and she absolutely adores little Harrison. |
| 44 | * DeadpanSnarker: Especially with Masuka. She one-ups him when he makes perverted comments about her. |
| 45 | * DefectiveDetective: A competent detective whose personal life is a wreck, when it exists. |
| 46 | * {{Deuteragonist}}: She tends to have the second important plot after Dexter, usually solving the crime that connects to one of Dexter's victims. |
| 47 | * DirtyCop: Though a more sympathetic example. In season 7, after finding out Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher, she does dirty things like [[spoiler:hiding/manipulating evidence and then killing [=LaGuerta=] to protect Dexter]]. |
| 48 | * DirtyHarriet: Made pretty fun in the book, noted at least twice that victims' relatives expect a Film/DirtyHarry, not Film/LegallyBlonde. |
| 49 | * DroppedABridgeOnHer: [[spoiler:A particularly infuriating example; after she's shot by the Brain Surgeon, it's almost a given she'll bounce back, especially since this isn't the first time she's been shot. And then, ''random blood clot, and she's brain dead''.]] |
| 50 | * DudeMagnet: Just ask [[ChivalrousPervert Masuka]], [[LoveMakesYouDumb Quinn]], [[FBIAgent Frank]], [[TheInformant Anton]], [[MrFanservice Gabriel]], [[IntrepidReporter Sal Price]], Jacob Elway, [[ReallyGetsAround some of the previous men she's slept with]], and a few of her colleagues who think she's quite the FairCop. |
| 51 | * FairCop: She's absolutely hot and lots of her colleagues fancy her. Especially Masuka keeps mentioning she's hot and keeps hitting on her. |
| 52 | * FatalFlaw: |
| 53 | ** Her very blatant daddy issues. She bases her life 100% on "what would dad think?" and can't handle challenges to her perfect image of him, such as when Dexter investigates the possibility that Harry lied about his biological father (he did) she nearly has a breakdown, or her relationship with a man twice her age that could have potentially jeopardized her career (he was a federal agent heading up a joint task force she was on, which in RealLife would not have been approved of by her superiors) and was very obviously doomed to fail. Basically, her life is a complete mess because she's still seeking her father's approval even though he's no longer around to give it. |
| 54 | ** This also extends to Dexter somewhat, as she can't stand anyone showing him attention over her. She acted like a jealous teenager when Rudy wanted a friendship with him, and even moreso when she believed Lundy sought out his opinion over hers (Lundy actually just couldn't stand Masuka), even though it would be perfectly reasonable since Dexter is a highly regarded forensics expert while she's a rookie cop with less than a year in homicide under her belt. This all relates back to her dad's perceived favouritism toward Dexter when he was secretly teaching him the Code. |
| 55 | * {{Foil}}: |
| 56 | ** To Dexter. Dexter is cool, calm, collected, and very much in control of his life. He's also secretly a serial killer. Deb is insecure and constantly losing control of her personal life. She's also a brilliant detective and has a strong faith in the legal system. Takes a whole new slant in season 7 when she finds out Dexter's secret. An entire episode is spent discussing the pros and cons of Dexter's vigilantism to Debra's following the law to the letter. |
| 57 | ** She and [=LaGuerta=], as the only women in a [[TheSmurfettePrinciple predominantly-male]] workplace, act as foils to each other as well as to the men in the group. [=LaGuerta=] was a [[InformedAbility good cop]] but is better at playing the politics she needs to climb the ranks. Deb is too honest and emotionally driven to politic very well, and ends up being [=LaGuerta's=] ButtMonkey after the Fuentes case. |
| 58 | ** Doakes is also one to her, though it's less prominent than his animosity to Dexter. Both are the foul-mouthed but brilliant detectives at the police department who tend to be passionate about their work. However, Doakes has had a number of years to become jaded and hostile, meaning few others mess with him. Debra on the other hand often has to deal with her superiors antagonizing her. |
| 59 | ** Deb is also a comedic version of a foil to Masuka's pervy jokes. Every time he hits on her, she [[DeadpanSnarker one-ups him]] but neither takes the razzing seriously. |
| 60 | * FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: She sees herself as the Foolish to Dexter's Resposible ("I got into more trouble than he ever did. He was the perfect one"). It's subverted, however, because Dexter is ''way'' more messed-up than she thought. |
| 61 | * GenreBlind: In the novels, but even more so in the television series. To the point where some viewers would block their ear-holes. Lampshaded in series 7 when she finds out Dexter is a serial killer. |
| 62 | -->'''Debra:''' I am the worst fucking detective in the world. |
| 63 | * GoodIsNotNice: She's an honest cop and is really good at it, but she's foul mouthed and can be abrasive at times. |
| 64 | * HeroicBSOD: Twice. When Lundy is murdered and she can do nothing but stand in the parking lot where he died, sobbing and repeating, "I'm broken." Bad as that is, it's nothing compared to when she [[spoiler:kills [=LaGuerta=]. She completely loses the power of coherent speech and can do nothing but sob and hug her victim. Although she manages to regain basic mental functionality, she never wholly recovers]]. |
| 65 | * HopeSpot: Gets one from Brian, her fiancee and future killer if it were up to him and hangs on to it in desperation, while he's not even trying that hard to pretend anymore. It bombs, of course. |
| 66 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Only when it comes to Dexter. Even lampshaded by Dexter himself that she has great detective skills except for anything involving her brother. Like Rita, she thinks Dexter is a [[BigBrotherWorship paragon of perfection]] and in season 7 she's ''shocked'' after learning the truth. |
| 67 | * ImaginaryFriend: [[spoiler:In ''New Blood'', she takes over this role from Harry in the original. Though unlike him, she’s more bolder and more correct than him and is even active in helping Dexter in his missions, whether it's suggesting methods he could try to dispose his victim or use her detective skills in researching on the killer that's been terrorising Iron Lake.]] |
| 68 | * IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: |
| 69 | ** She tries this with Rudy (Aka Brian) and he plays along at first for shits and giggles before giving it up. |
| 70 | ** In Season 7, this is her reason for not turning Dexter in after finding out his secret. |
| 71 | --->'''Debra:''' I still believe that there is good in you. |
| 72 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Foul mouthed, abrasive and often puts her foot in her mouth, but she's a good person and cop who has a big heart and cares deeply for her family and friends and is quite sympathetic towards people she has to speak to. |
| 73 | * JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: During Season 7, [[spoiler:goes from grudgingly [[SiblingsInCrime aiding and abetting Dexter]] to killing [=LaGuerta=] when Dexter is cornered]] in the finale. |
| 74 | %%% |
| 75 | %%%* KilledOffForReal is a trope for paranormal/supernatural shows in which resurrection is possible. Don't add it here please. Dexter doesn't qualify because nobody comes back among the living. |
| 76 | %%% |
| 77 | * KnightInSourArmor: She's incredibly foul mouthed and abrasive, but she will never give up trying to catch killers and saving the innocent. |
| 78 | * TheLadette: She's as foul mouthed as any male cop and isn't very feminine and even says that being in a dress makes her feel like a transvestite. |
| 79 | * LadySwearsALot: She hardly ever avoids swearing and filthy language. She justifies it by saying it's a cop mouth. Sometimes it's even adorable. |
| 80 | * LastNameBasis: This sometimes leads to confusion when a character calls out for "Morgan" when Dex and Debra are both present. |
| 81 | * LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Had this reaction after a lesbian tattoo artist hit on her in front of Masuka. |
| 82 | * LikeFatherLikeSon: Became a police homicide detective, just like her father. She even replicated his penchant for sleeping with [=CIs=]. |
| 83 | * LivingEmotionalCrutch: To Dexter. This is best proven after [[spoiler:her death saddened him to the point of faking his own death.]] |
| 84 | * LoveMakesYouEvil: At the end of Season 7, she kills [=LaGuerta=] in order to protect Dexter. In Season 8, [[spoiler:Vogel even comments that it was an act of selfless love]]. |
| 85 | * MarriedToTheJob: Increasingly so, as times goes by she finds herself with a bigger commitment to the job and without a stable relationship outside the one with Dexter. |
| 86 | * MercyKill: [[spoiler:In the series finale, Dexter unplugs her from her life support, as the doctor says she will never be able to reason or eat on her own, and probably not even breathe without life support, due to the blood clot she suffered.]] |
| 87 | * MoralityPet: She's one of the few people that Dexter can say he wholeheartedly loves. |
| 88 | * NotBloodSiblings: In season 6, she realizes she's in love with Dexter. [[spoiler:In season 7, she tells him during a fight. Later on, Dexter gets her to check how she feels again and realise her close connection him was only natural and not that kind of love.]] |
| 89 | * TheNotLoveInterest: Dexter has a number of love interests in the series, but it's clear that his most important relationship is with his sister. He states in the pilot that if he could love anyone, it'd be Debra. |
| 90 | * OfficeRomance: She starts sleeping with and falls in love with Agent Lundy, their task force leader in season 2. In season 5, she starts a casual relationship with her colleague Quinn. There is also the implication that she has dated coworkers in the past, and even as far back as season 1 there's subtext indicating she and Sgt Doakes might have romantic interest in each other. |
| 91 | * OneOfTheBoys: Her ability to be "one of the guys" is what allows her to be so effective at her job. |
| 92 | * RankUp: Gradually promoted from Officer to Detective and Lieutenant. |
| 93 | * ReallyGetsAround: She's quite the serial monogamist. |
| 94 | * RealWomenDontWearDresses: As illustrated by her presiding quote up there. She's the [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl tomboy girl to Rita's girly]]. |
| 95 | * SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The impulsive Energetic Girl to Dexter's stoic, introverted Savvy Guy. |
| 96 | * SecretKeeper: In Season 7 she finally learns the truth about her brother and helps him keep it a secret. |
| 97 | * SexForSolace: How her "relationship" with Quinn starts after Rita's death. |
| 98 | * ShipperOnDeck: For Dexter/Rita. She's the one that introduces them in the first place! In season 2, when Dexter was having an affair with Lila and Deb finds out, she calls him out on it and states that Rita was perfect for him, not that — as defined by Deb — "English titty vampire". |
| 99 | * StrongGirlSmartGuy: Played with. At first sight, she's the Strong Girl (as an ActionGirl police officer) to Dexter's forensics expert Smart Guy. However, even if the other characters aren't aware of it, Dexter is actually quite strong and can handle himself in a fight (he's also skilled in jiu jitsu). |
| 100 | * ThatManIsDead: Says so after the events of season 7; [[spoiler:she goes to the private sector and doesn't want anything to do with Dexter]]. |
| 101 | * ThickerThanWater: Sticks her neck out for her brother time and again, despite not being blood related in the traditional sense. |
| 102 | %% * {{Tomboy}} |
| 103 | * TomboyAndGirlyGirl: |
| 104 | ** The masculine Tomboy cop to Rita's naive and feminine housewife. |
| 105 | ** The Tomboy to [=LaGuerta=]'s Girly Girl. Debra wears masculine outfits, while [=LaGuerta=] is always impeccably elegant. |
| 106 | * TomboyishPonytail: Her usual hair style when she's not working in Vice Squad. |
| 107 | * TookALevelInBadass: She goes onto recover and gets her detective shield and manages to become Lieutenant and skips Sargeant. |
| 108 | * TookALevelInJerkass: In Season 8, she outright hates Dexter and has become addicted to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with [[spoiler:killing [=LaGuerta=]]], which she considers her MoralEventHorizon. Then, there’s her [[spoiler:killing El Sapo in a fit of rage]]. |
| 109 | * TwoFirstNames: Either "Debra" or "Morgan" can be used as a first name. |
| 110 | * TheUnfavorite: Craved Harry's attention and envied Dexter for all the time that her father spent with him. She assumed the special relationship was due to favoritism, as the real reason was well hidden. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Harry Morgan]] |
| 114 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/morgan_harry_1256.jpg]] |
| 115 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"Killing must serve a purpose. Otherwise, it's just plain murder."'']] |
| 116 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/JamesRemar |
| 117 | |
| 118 | ->''"Never underestimate the capacity of other people to let you down."'' |
| 119 | |
| 120 | Adoptive father of Dexter and father of Deb, Harry Morgan is ten years deceased when the series begins. A renowned detective in his day, Morgan became frustrated at the perceived lack of justice in the system. Attempting to channel Dexter's sociopathy into a useful outlet — and to avoid him getting caught — he trains Dexter to become the perfect killer. Initially portrayed in flashbacks, he later manifests in Dexter's imagination, reminding Dexter what Harry taught him. |
| 121 | ---- |
| 122 | * AbusiveParents: |
| 123 | ** Very neglectful and emotionally distant towards his daughter Debra. Almost every single flashback of the two of them involves a KickTheDog moment (although usually unintentional). |
| 124 | ** His treatment of Dexter also counts DependingOnTheWriter. Sometimes he seems to genuinely be training him because it's the only option, other times he comes off as trying to turn his son into a weapon against criminals who escape justice. |
| 125 | ** In New Blood, Dexter’s vision of Deb outright says that what Harry did to him was child abuse, implying that Dexter knows this on some level. She rightly points out that there were other, better solutions to Dexter’s Dark Passenger. |
| 126 | * TheAce: He was a legend on the force from the seventies to the nineties. People still talk about him. |
| 127 | * BrokenAce: He had issues with the injustice of the legal system, especially how some criminals manage to get away. It troubled him deeply and made him traumatize his kids. It ultimately drove him to decide that the best way to deal with his adoptive son's dark urges is to train him and turn him in serial killer who would hunt criminals. |
| 128 | * BrokenPedestal: He's got a lot of darkness in him. Debra and Dexter saw him as a great father and the best cop there ever was, but both came to realize he was far from it. |
| 129 | * CommanderContrarian: The SpiritAdvisor version of Harry always seems to be against whatever Dexter's currently up to. |
| 130 | * DeadPersonConversation: He frequently shows up to Dexter. |
| 131 | * DirtyCop: Like Deb does in season 7, he keeps Dexter's secret from the police. Also, there's the fact that he slept with his informant. |
| 132 | * DoWrongRight: He teached Dexter how to be "a very neat monster" living by the code. |
| 133 | * DrivenToSuicide: Upon walking in on Dexter sawing up the body of a pimp he had been hunting and seeing that his training had GoneHorriblyRight. |
| 134 | * GoodIsNotNice: He was a legendary cop on the force, but he did train Dexter to kill serial killers who escape justice and what we see of him with Debra has him not be a great father. |
| 135 | * ImaginaryFriend: Most of his appearances (when they aren't flashbacks) are as this, to his son Dexter. |
| 136 | * TheMentor: To Dexter when he was alive. He's the Harry in "Code of Harry". |
| 137 | * MistakenForMisogynist: Flashbacks show that [[TheResenter Deb]] always felt left out of the close relationship Dexter and Harry had. This was particularly exacerbated once their [[DeathByOriginStory mother died]]. Deb tries to get closer to Dexter and Harry by working to get good at the things they're always doing, but Harry severely scolds her when he sees her handling knives and guns, the very things he spends all his time teaching Dexter to do. Deb is left feeling like Dexter was the son Harry always really wanted instead of his [[TheUnfavorite biological daughter]]. This misconception doesn't change until Deb finds out Dexter's [[SerialKillerKiller secret]] decades later and realizes that Harry was simply working hard to [[GiveHimANormalLife teach Dexter to blend in]] and knew that Deb would be fine. |
| 138 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Seeing his son to bring home his kill… yeah, that can't be pretty. It made him violently sick and drove him to suicide. |
| 139 | * ParentalFavoritism: Toward Dexter, at least Debra feels this way. The truth is that Harry just wanted to protect his children and loved them both. Dexter was just a little more high-maintenance due to being, well, a budding SerialKiller. |
| 140 | * ParentsAsPeople: He loved his kids but his methods clearly damaged both of them in more than a few ways. While it wasn't his intention, Deb was hurt by his seeming favoritism to Dexter, and while his Code kept Dexter from going down an even darker path, it did nothing to actually fix his murderous habits. |
| 141 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: Part of his motive for training Dexter, especially after his ArchEnemy, a drug-pushing cop-killer, gets OffOnATechnicality. |
| 142 | * PosthumousCharacter: He's dead by the time the series starts, mostly appearing in flashbacks and then as a sort of spirit advisor of Dexter's. |
| 143 | * ReallyGetsAround: He liked to sleep with his female informants. |
| 144 | * ScareEmStraight: He brings Dexter to a live execution to instill in him the danger of getting caught. |
| 145 | * SpiritAdvisor: Initially he was a flashback character, but as the series progressed, he began appearing to Dexter as a kind of hallucination. |
| 146 | * TwoFirstNames: Either "Harry" or "Morgan" can be used as a first name. |
| 147 | [[/folder]] |
| 148 | |
| 149 | [[folder:Ángel Batista]] |
| 150 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batista_angel_5007.jpg]] |
| 151 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Don't go down that emotion road, just go down on her. She'll be distracted."'']] |
| 152 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/DavidZayas |
| 153 | |
| 154 | Angelo "Ángel" Batista is a Detective in Miami Metro Police Department's Homicide Division. Batista works closely with Dexter during cases, often teaming up with him for his expert advice on serial killers, and considers himself Dexter's best friend. Batista is basically good-natured, with a dry sense of humor. He is also totally honest, at the request of his beloved father on his deathbed. Angel is also shown wearing a Trilby Hat almost all the time. [[spoiler: Returns in Dexter New Blood as the Captain of Miami Metro.]] |
| 155 | ---- |
| 156 | * TenMinuteRetirement: Well on his way out in Season 7, [[spoiler:the demise of [=LaGuerta=] makes him come back to the force]]. |
| 157 | * AmicableExes: With his first wife who he was with for ten years before he cheated on her. And then with Maria, following their OffScreenBreakup between seasons 5 and 6. |
| 158 | * AscendedExtra: He's a very minor character in the books, being a medical examiner instead of a cop and received no storylines of his own, no friendship with Dexter, no mentor relationship with Deb, and no romances mentioned. In fact the only characterization he's given in the novels is that he always introduces himself as "Angel Batista, no relation." |
| 159 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: He's a nice guy, but he's got a mean punch. |
| 160 | * BigBrotherInstinct: For his little sister, Jamie. And Debra. |
| 161 | * BigFun: He's overweight and rather friendly and outgoing. |
| 162 | %% * TheBigGuy |
| 163 | * [[FinalGirl Final Guy]]: Shares this role with Quinn. |
| 164 | * GratuitousSpanish: He peppers his English with alot of Spanish. |
| 165 | * AFatherToHisMen: A protective and fair lieutenant. |
| 166 | * HeterosexualLifePartners: Seems to view Dexter as his and has a much greater claim to it than probably anyone else on the series. He's one of the few people Dexter really likes and Dexter once told Angel he wishes he could be like him. |
| 167 | * HonorBeforeReason: His first marriage broke up because he immediately confessed his affair to his wife when he didn't have to. Also tells the truth to investigators about a controversial shooting, despite overwhelming pressure to lie and knowing that his fellow cops will treat him as a "rat" for it. Doakes tells him his problem is he's "too damn honest," but nonetheless respects him for it. |
| 168 | ** He promotes a more qualified candiate over Quinn because it's the right thing to do even though it could hurt his relationship with Jamie and Quinn. |
| 169 | * ItsPersonal: When he learns Dexter is alive and living in Iron Lake, Angel is hell bent on seeing him burn for what he's done. |
| 170 | * KnightInSourArmor: Gradually becomes this, especially in season 7 when he [[spoiler:considers retiring]]. |
| 171 | * LastNameBasis: By most people, although his first name is also used (particularly by [=LaGuerta=] during their marriage). |
| 172 | * LifeOfTheParty: According to [=LaGuerta=], at least. He never saves his money and likes to have a drink with friends all the time. |
| 173 | * MadeOfIron: He recovers very well from getting knifed by Brian Moser. |
| 174 | * MarriedToTheJob: In his own words, he's so focused on the work that he forgot to have a life. |
| 175 | * MeaningfulName: Batista's first name is "Angel". He's not a saint, but is probably one of the few consistently nice characters throughout the show. |
| 176 | * MySisterIsOffLimits: Regarding his younger sister Jamie. |
| 177 | * NiceGuy: Probably the nicest person in the show. He even supports Deb after she gets promoted above him. |
| 178 | * NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: He is honest with his wife about cheating which leads to his divorce. |
| 179 | * OverlyLongName: Ángel Juan Marcos Batista. |
| 180 | * PassedOverPromotion: Several cops openly think he should have been the next lieutenant on account of his seniority, not to mention he's the highest ranking officer in the department, but Batista is content with the choice of [[spoiler:Debra]]. |
| 181 | * StepfordSmiler: In the first season. He and his wife were separated while he pretended that they are as happy and passionate as ever. |
| 182 | * TeamDad: He's always caring, supportive and does his best to look out for everyone on the force. |
| 183 | * TheBusCameBack[=/=]SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:Returns in ''Dexter New Blood'' at a police conference as the captain of Miami Metro Department for only a couple of scenes, but in those scenes, he meets Angela and provides her information that eventually leads to her finding out Dexter's true identity.]] |
| 184 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Out of the main characters who work for Miami Police Department, he's the only one who has no {{Jerkass}} tendencies. |
| 185 | * VitriolicBestBuds: With Masuka like everyone else. In the last few seasons he also has this dynamic with Quinn, as he tends to snark at Quinn and be annoyed by his behavior, but in the end he cares for him and considers him a friend. |
| 186 | * WorkingWithTheEx: Until season 7, he works for his ex-wife Maria [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 187 | [[/folder]] |
| 188 | |
| 189 | [[folder:Vince Masuka]] |
| 190 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/masuka_vince_3656.jpg]] |
| 191 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"Now you're dealing with science and science is one cold-hearted bitch with a fourteen inch strap-on."'']] |
| 192 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/CSLee |
| 193 | |
| 194 | ->''"I got a reputation to live up to. I mean, if my show does not make people vomit and have an erection at the same time, then I've let my audience down."'' |
| 195 | |
| 196 | Vince is the Miami Metro Police lead forensic investigator and works alongside Dexter in the lab and in crime scenes. He often cracks innuendo to the rest of the team, and harbors decidedly unrequited feelings for Debra. He is portrayed as obsessed with sex, the kinkier the better, and is not shy about propositioning every woman he meets. |
| 197 | ---- |
| 198 | * AnnoyingLaugh: His signature sound "Heheheheheh". |
| 199 | * AsianAndNerdy: Frequently referred to as lab-geek. |
| 200 | * BromanticFoil: He's the opposite of Dexter, romantically and otherwise; an extroverted, sleazy guy contrasted with the quieter, more polite lab geek with the stable relationship. |
| 201 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: He might be an unbelievable sleaze, but Vince is also an extremely talented investigator, which might help explain why he hasn't been fired for conduct. |
| 202 | * ButtMonkey: He is the butt of many jokes and Doakes gets on his case the most. |
| 203 | * CasanovaWannabe: While he does have some success with ladies, he's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. |
| 204 | * ChivalrousPervert: Despite his dirty jokes and weird fetishes, Vince is a loyal friend who does adore women (he seems to actually go for tough women) and has even consoled Debra successfully. |
| 205 | * DeadpanSnarker: He never misses a chance to snark, even in crime scenes. |
| 206 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: He realizes this in season 3 (Quinn straight up tells him that no one can stand his behavior) and admits that his friends hurt his feelings. |
| 207 | * HiddenDepths: He may act as the ClassClown but actually wants the respect of his friends. He's also very talented at his job and won't let anyone screw with it. |
| 208 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's a genuinely caring and loyal friend despite his attitude and wants their respect. |
| 209 | * KavorkaMan: He actually ''does'' get women, and often they're quite gorgeous, despite how pathetic his game seems in the workplace. |
| 210 | * LastNameBasis: By most people, although Dexter often calls him by his first name. |
| 211 | * LifeOfTheParty: Proclaims to be this. Whether it's true or not is relatively unknown. |
| 212 | * LovableSexManiac: Probably why he hasn't been hit with sexual harassment complaints. |
| 213 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Any time he drops his usual cheerful, LovableSexManiac attitude, something serious has happen. Some of the time he has become extremely serious were as listed: Learning that his friends don't respect him, investigating the Barrel Gang, and discovering that his lab assistants have done something unethical. |
| 214 | * PluckyComicRelief: He plays the role of the comic relief at Miami Metro and often lightens very dark and serious moments. |
| 215 | * VitriolicBestBuds: With just about everyone (except Dexter who is rarely vitriolic and probably the most tolerant of Masuka's antics), but mostly Debra. They enjoy trading insults as she pretends to be overly offended by his flirting. |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:María [=LaGuerta=]]] |
| 219 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laguerta_maria_1588.jpg]] |
| 220 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"The operative word is "boss". Show some respect."'']] |
| 221 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/LaurenVelez |
| 222 | |
| 223 | Captain María [=LaGuerta=] is a tough, ambitious woman in command of the Homicide division who is not above bullying her subordinates and manipulating those around her in order to climb the law enforcement hierarchy. She and Isaak Sirko serve as the [[BigBadEnsemble main antagonists]] in Season 7. |
| 224 | ---- |
| 225 | * AdaptationalHeroism: She's more sympathetic in the TV series than in the novels. |
| 226 | * AdaptationExpansion: In comparison to her book counterpart, Maria's character gets a lot more expanded, specially since her book counterpart was killed by Brian and Dexter quite early. |
| 227 | * AdaptationNameChange: In the books, her first name is "Migdia". |
| 228 | * AmbitionIsEvil: She is power hungry and her ambitions ruin more then a few lives, including Esme Pascal's, her fiance's and Captain Matthews' just to get what she wants. |
| 229 | * AmicableExes: |
| 230 | ** With Doakes, Miguel Prado (for a while), and Batista after their marriage fails. |
| 231 | ** To Angel after their marriage fails. |
| 232 | * BadBoss: At first, she's tough but fair. As she sees her ambitions begin to fall apart, however, she resorts to increasingly desperate measures to keep her power. This includes throwing her employees under the bus and taking credit for cases. |
| 233 | * {{Blackmail}}: She reaches the top by blackmailing Matthews with a prostitute's client book. |
| 234 | * BigBadEnsemble: With Isaak Sirko for Season 7. While initially beginning the story arc as a HeroAntagonist trying to clear Doakes's name, she ultimately becomes a KnightTemplar willing to [[RabidCop endanger others and bend the rule of law to the breaking point]] for the sake of incriminating Dexter. [[spoiler:After [[DiscOneFinalBoss Sirko's death]], she eclipses him entirely as the story arc's preeminent BigBad.]] |
| 235 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: With Esme Pascal. After the latter is put in charge of the Homicide division, Maria lends emotional support regarding Esme's unfaithful fiancé and even defends her to the captain when he questions Esme's fitness for duty. But behind the scenes, she was the one sleeping with Esme's fiancé in order to manipulate her into an emotional wreck and get her removed from command. |
| 236 | %% * TheCaptain: Switches between this and DaChief. |
| 237 | * CharacterizationMarchesOn: In Season 1, [=LaGuerta=] makes no attempt to hide that she is interested in Dexter and shamelessly flirts with him, both publicly and privately, much to his discomfort. This is a characteristic of the character in the book on which Season 1 is based. However, unlike the book, Season 1 ends with [=LaGuerta=] staying alive for a long, long time, and after that, the writers never again mention [=LaGuerta=]'s feelings for Dexter again. |
| 238 | * TheChessmaster: Manipulates Esme Pascal into a state of complete paranoia until she gets fired by sleeping with her fiance to get the position of Lieutenant back and then dumps him. She later on uses Captain Matthews' history of sleeping with prostitutes to blackmail him for his job and then exposes him anyway. |
| 239 | * DirtyCop: She is not above blackmail or any other dirty strategy to get what she wants. |
| 240 | * ExiledToTheCouch: Inverted. Angel, disgusted with her using Debra as a {{scapegoat}} for an operation she botched, refuses to sleep in the same room as her - choosing instead to sleep on the couch. |
| 241 | * FairCop: She is a voluptuous middle-aged woman. |
| 242 | * FriendToAllChildren: One of her redeeming qualities is that she's incredibly kind to kids. |
| 243 | * GratuitousSpanish: She often peppers her dialogue with Spanish when talking to Angel. |
| 244 | * HeroAntagonist: In Season 7 once she believes she has tangible evidence that Doakes wasn't the Bay Harbor Butcher. |
| 245 | * ItsAllAboutMe: She's willing to send anyone, even her friends (except maybe [[MoralityPet Doakes]]), up the river for her own benefit. |
| 246 | * {{Jerkass}}: Ruthless, self-serving, and probably the most unlikable character in the main cast. She gets even worse in later seasons. |
| 247 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She has her decent moments that make you realize that she's not ''completely'' bad… at least until season 5, when she TookALevelInJerkass. |
| 248 | * KnightTemplar: In Season 7, she becomes [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute James Doakes reincarnated]]. |
| 249 | * LastNameBasis: By most people, except the ones who are particularly close to her. |
| 250 | * ManipulativeBitch: What she did to Pascal. She often shows more interest in politics than in case solving. |
| 251 | %% * MarriedToTheJob |
| 252 | * MeanBoss: To Deb. She constantly treats her poorly; during the Tony Tucci case, this leads to her ignoring Deb's very valid reasons for believing Tucci's innocence which is not only morally wrong, but politically stupid. |
| 253 | * MoralityPet: For all her flaws, she genuinely cares about Batista even after their divorce and their interactions humanize her to a degree. |
| 254 | * NeverMyFault: One of her defining characteristics. She genuinely believes her misdeeds, failed plans, or cruel actions are not her fault. |
| 255 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: Although she is technically right that Doakes isn't the Bay Harbor Butcher, her defensiveness towards Doakes ends up jeopardizing her credibility on the case. This causes Agent Lundy to reject her input. |
| 256 | * OfficeRomance: It's revealed that Doakes and she were lovers when they were partners. She also dated Batista while being his direct superior. |
| 257 | * OverlyLongName: María Esperanza del Alma [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 258 | * PetTheDog: Despite her near constant antagonism towards Debra, she does genuinely care about others like Doakes. |
| 259 | * RabidCop: After she TookALevelInJerkass. |
| 260 | * RankUp: Starts the series as lieutenant, gets promoted to Captain in season 6 after blackmailing Matthews. |
| 261 | * SmugSnake: In Season 6 after it's revealed what she did, she has no shame in saying so proudly. |
| 262 | * SparedByTheAdaptation: In the original books, she is killed by Dexter and Brian, but in the series, she doesn't even get into the situation her book counterpart did. [[spoiler:However, this is subverted in Season 7, when Debra kills her in the finale.]] |
| 263 | * TomboyAndGirlyGirl: The Girly Girl to Debra's Tomboy. Debra wears masculine outfits, while [=LaGuerta=] is always impeccably elegant. |
| 264 | * TookALevelInJerkass: At first she was fairly horrible, but she had her good qualities. Then comes Season 6 and she loses every good quality she ever had. |
| 265 | * VetinariJobSecurity: Invoked when she gets briefly demoted by Matthews, as she makes Esmee Pascal fail to recover the job. |
| 266 | * WorkingWithTheEx: With Doakes and Batista. She's their boss, too. |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Joseph "Joey" Quinn]] |
| 270 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quinn_joseph_8708.jpg]] |
| 271 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"This Dexter guy. First of all who the fuck is named Dexter? Did his parents know he was going to be a fucking egghead?"'']] |
| 272 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/DesmondHarrington |
| 273 | |
| 274 | Joseph "Joey" Quinn is a detective who transferred to the Homicide division after being in narcotics before Season 3. He has a bad habit of leaping to conclusions from first impressions of the crime scene, as well as becoming hostile towards anyone who tries to correct him. Quinn takes a liking to Debra Morgan but, like Doakes before him, mistrusts Dexter. |
| 275 | ---- |
| 276 | * AntiHero: He's a pretty big {{jerkass}} and is a dirty cop, but he is on the side of good. |
| 277 | * TheCasanova: After his break up with Debra in early season 6, he starts having random one-night stands. |
| 278 | * CharacterizationMarchesOn: |
| 279 | ** Quinn was a very different character is season 3. He's introduced as the new homicide detective who's under investigation by IA and can be a bit manipulative, but overall he's a good cop if one that tends to bend rules. Even his IA investigation is a result of him covering for another cop which, while it ended badly, was at least well intentioned. Fast forward to the next season and he's a flat out DirtyCop, stealing money from a crime scene in the season premier and justifying it by saying the city doesn't pay him enough. He only goes downhill especially in season 6 and 7. |
| 280 | ** His relationship with Dexter abruptly changes as well, being friendly enough with him in season 3 to help with his bachelor party and attend his wedding before developing his vendetta against the "lab geek" in season 4 and 5, likely to make him a replacement for Doakes. |
| 281 | * ChickMagnet: |
| 282 | ** Two hours undercover in a latino night club, six girls. [[PrettyBoy One can understand why]]. |
| 283 | ** He had a sexual relationship with [[BornDetective Debra]]. |
| 284 | ** In season 7, Quinn met and came to be intimate with [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Nadia]]. |
| 285 | ** By the season finale, he and [[TheCutie Jamie]] are boyfriend and girlfriend. |
| 286 | * CowboyCop: And a DirtyCop. He isn't massively corrupt, but does bend the rules when he thinks he can get away with it. |
| 287 | * DefectiveDetective |
| 288 | * DespairEventHorizon: When Debra dumps him he falls into an escapable pit of despair. |
| 289 | * DirtyCop: |
| 290 | ** In season 4, he steals some money from a crime scene. |
| 291 | ** When he was in narcotics, he took money from the Koshkas to look the other way. In season 7, he steals the proof against Isaak from the precint in exchange for Nadia's passport, but George double-crosses him and uses a recording of the deal to get him to keep helping the brotherhood. Then he kills George after he pushes him too far. |
| 292 | * FairCop: Quinn is handsome, with his chiselled jaw, and well-built. |
| 293 | * [[FinalGirl Final Guy]]: He shares this role with Batista and is also the only one who was at first suspicious of Dexter to survive the entire series. |
| 294 | * GoodIsNotNice: He's insensitive and takes offense easily, but at the end of the day he'll at least try to do the right thing. |
| 295 | * HeroAntagonist: In Season 5, when he works to uncover who Dexter really is and unleashes Stan Liddy. |
| 296 | * HotBlooded: He tends to act without thinking and it backfires on him big time. |
| 297 | * {{Hypocrite}}: He is extremely offended that Dexter refers to him as a DirtyCop despite the fact that he takes money from a crime scene and was actually attempting to bribe Dexter into keeping silent about it with expensive football tickets prior to this conversation. |
| 298 | * IconicSequelCharacter: Introduced in season 3 and remains a prominent character until the end of the show. |
| 299 | * IdiotHero: Prone to LoveMakesYouDumb related mistakes. |
| 300 | * {{Jerkass}}: Mildly at first, but after Debra broke up with him in season 6 he becomes aggressive, crude, unreliable and very petty. |
| 301 | * JerkassHasAPoint: Unlike Doakes who was always aggressive towards Dexter without being provoked, Quinn has a more concrete reason to dislike Dexter. In season 4,5, and early season 6, we see Dexter being a jerk to Quinn more often than the other way around (which is odd because Dexter is usually nice and affable to most people except villains...and Quinn, apparently). |
| 302 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Before he TookALevelInJerkass and he returns to this in season 7 thanks to [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Nadia]]. |
| 303 | %% * JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: See DirtyCop. |
| 304 | * LadyKillerInLove: His relationships with Nadia and Debra (and to a lesser extent Jamie) are the most genuine examples. |
| 305 | * LastNameBasis: Usually referred to by his last name. |
| 306 | * LoveMakesYouDumb: Could be 'lust makes you dumb', since he has a habit of sleeping with people he shouldn't. For example, a reporter pumping him for information, a key witness in the Doomsday Murders, his boss, and a stripper working for the Russian mafia. |
| 307 | * MrFanservice: He's quite a FairCop and probably the male character who gets more {{Shirtless Scene}}s and even explicit sex scenes with his various girlfriends, particularly Christine. |
| 308 | * {{Narcissist}}: |
| 309 | ** Possibly a high functioning one. He breaks rules, steals from crime scenes, takes bribes, drinks all night and sleeps at work, jeopardizes cases by sleeping with witnesses, etc but genuinely doesn't understand why everyone is bothered by his behaviour, feeling he should basically be allowed to do whatever he wants and acting like he's the victim whenever he's called out for his behaviour. |
| 310 | ** Probably best exemplified in season 4 when he's extremely angry that Dexter calls him a dirty cop. He justifies his stealing from a crime scene in that money from crime proceeds would only be destroyed and the city doesn't pay him enough in his opinion. As Dexter points out, Quinn has (or had at least) family money that allowed him to drive a fancy car, wear an expensive watch and own a place large enough that Deb is shocked he could afford it meaning he has no mortgage, rent or car payments. Add to this his detective salary which is modest but certainly not low and there's no way he needs the money to get by, he's simply greedy and entitled. |
| 311 | * RabidCop: He really starts to lose his sense of morality after Debra breaks up with him. |
| 312 | * ReallyGetsAround: He seems to have a new sexual relationship with a different woman in every season, and is known for sleeping around with people he shouldn't. |
| 313 | * SexEqualsLove: Quinn falls in love and proposes to Deb, while their relationship pretty much consisted of nothing more than sex. Deb even chews him out about the sudden proposal. In season 7, he falls quite quickly into a relationship with Nadia, too. |
| 314 | * SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: He's brought in to replace Doakes, and as of mid-season 5, is following the exact same path. |
| 315 | * TookALevelInJerkass: He went from JerkWithAHeartOfGold to just simply jerk in Season 6. List including bringing a stripper to his Ex's party, sleeping during work, sleeping with a potential witness, blaming others for his screw ups, drunkenly proposing to strippers, and telling Batista that he wants to have sex with his younger sister. How he isn't fired yet is a complete mystery. |
| 316 | * TookALevelInKindness: He becomes a JerkWithAHeartOfGold again in season 7 where's he's shown to be a loving boyfriend to Nadia and also in season 8 where he's caring towards Debra and acts more friendly to Dexter (he and Dexter never get along in season 4 and 5). |
| 317 | * TwoFirstNames: Either "Joseph" or "Quinn" can be used as a first name. |
| 318 | [[/folder]] |
| 319 | |
| 320 | [[folder:Rita Bennett]] |
| 321 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bennett_rita_4200.jpg]] |
| 322 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"I can't believe I found the one good, truly decent man left on the planet."'']] |
| 323 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/JulieBenz |
| 324 | |
| 325 | ->''"Deb must be a mess. I mean, [[DramaticIrony falling for a serial killer?]]"'' |
| 326 | |
| 327 | Dexter's girlfriend and later wife, who meets him through Deb. Rita is introduced as a damaged woman who received abuse from her ex-husband Paul, and is grateful for Dexter to give her support. Dexter also helps to look after her children, Astor and Cody. She is kind-hearted and nice to just about anyone, and Dexter ends up truly falling for her. [[spoiler:She is horribly murdered by Arthur Mitchell in the season four finale.]] |
| 328 | ---- |
| 329 | * AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:As we learn at the end of Season 4.]] |
| 330 | * BatterUp: Uses a bat to defend herself from Paul. |
| 331 | * TheBeard: Unknowingly started off as this for Dexter so that he could blend into society, although he was asexual rather than gay. It no longer applies after he grows to genuinely care for her and the kids. |
| 332 | * BettyAndVeronica: For Dexter, she's a Betty to Lila's Veronica. She's the good and wholesome one. |
| 333 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: Rita is very kind and conciliatory, and she would rather avoid conflict if at all possible, but everyone has their breaking point. When her neighbor's beagle won't stop baying and keeps her kids up all night, and the neighbor flippantly dares her to do anything about it while laughing in her face, she kidnaps the dog and donates it to another family across town. |
| 334 | * BreakTheCutie: Breaking of this particular Cutie happened mainly off-screen before the beginning. When her ex Paul appears, she starts breaking again. In season 2, she suffers mostly when her mother tries to control her life and causes her break-up with Dexter. |
| 335 | * BrokenBird: She's a woman who was badly abused -- severely beaten and repeatedly raped by her asshole of a husband. She was very fragile especially in season 1, and then kept getting better and stronger. |
| 336 | * CallingTheOldManOut: She calls out her emotionally abusive mother. |
| 337 | * {{Cosplay}}: Does one of Lara Croft in season 1. |
| 338 | * DamselOutOfDistress: After Paul leaves prison, he arrives to his house and tries to rape her, but she is able to fight back. |
| 339 | * DeathByAdaptation: She's still alive in the book series. |
| 340 | * DramaticIrony: Just look at both her quotes! There's quite a bit like those in the first season. |
| 341 | * EroticEating : With chocolate pudding, but apparently only [[spoiler:when she's pregnant]]. |
| 342 | * HardDrinkingPartyGirl : In her youth, Rita was a self-described "dress over the head party girl." |
| 343 | * HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She's a sweet, wholesome and very feminine blond woman. She takes a very good care of her children and she's also a sweet and caring girlfriend. |
| 344 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She first marries Paul, an abusive drug addict, and later Dexter, the SerialKiller. However, very few people see Dexter for who he really is, so she can't be faulted for that. |
| 345 | * ICanChangeMyBeloved: Naively expresses this to Dexter during marriage counseling, indicating that she's failed to learn that this doesn't work even after multiple husbands. |
| 346 | * IgnoranceIsBliss: She's at her happiest when she believes Dexter is the perfect man. She never finds out he's a killer, thankfully. (That is, unless [[FridgeHorror Trinity said something to her.)]] |
| 347 | * TheIngenue: She's a fairly naive woman, for a mother of three. |
| 348 | * KillTheCutie: In the TV-series only. She wasn't killed in the novels. [[spoiler:Until the end of the penultimate one.]] |
| 349 | * MoralityPet: To Dexter. He behaved wonderful to her for most of the time. |
| 350 | * NiceGirl: She is very nice and very sweet to everybody to the point of being a pushover. |
| 351 | * ThePollyanna: With all the crap that has happened in her life, she stays relatively upbeat. |
| 352 | * RapeAsBackstory: Her ex-husband was a crack addict who repeatedly beat and raped her. |
| 353 | * SerialSpouse: Although she never talks about her first husband (before drug addict Paul), it's revealed she has been married twice before eventually marrying Dexter. |
| 354 | * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Rita fell for Dexter because he was a kind man who loved kids, and was nothing like her ex. |
| 355 | * TomboyAndGirlyGirl: The girly girl to Debra's tomboy. |
| 356 | * TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: She was sweet, kind, a little broken and a little naive but with nothing but good intentions...and she died needlessly. |
| 357 | * TookALevelInBadass: |
| 358 | ** Beating up Paul with a baseball bat after he tries to rape her following his release from prison. |
| 359 | ** Finally standing up to her overly judgmental, bordering on abusive, mother and kicking her out of Rita's house. |
| 360 | * TwoFirstNames: Either "Rita" or "Bennett" can be used as a first name. It also applies after she married Dexter, and took the name "Morgan". |
| 361 | [[/folder]] |
| 362 | |
| 363 | [[folder:Tom Matthews]] |
| 364 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matthews_thomas_3017.jpg]] |
| 365 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"...you haven't seen my true colors, Maria. But you're about to."'']] |
| 366 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/GeoffPierson |
| 367 | |
| 368 | ->''"The great creature arose from the depths. Tokyo's that way, Maria."'' |
| 369 | |
| 370 | A high-ranking Miami Metro PD police official and [=LaGuerta=]'s immediate superior. He was an old friend of Harry Morgan, and therefore has a soft spot for Debra. He's also a political animal not unlike [=LaGuerta=]; however, he frequently clashes with her. |
| 371 | ---- |
| 372 | * AmbitionIsEvil: He will throw anyone under the bus to keep his political power. |
| 373 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: To [=LaGuerta=] at least. He is protective of Debra and Dexter. |
| 374 | * {{Blackmail}}: How Maria gets him to step down. |
| 375 | * TheBusCameBack: In season 7, he came back to the series to help Maria...in a way. |
| 376 | * CoolOldGuy: At first he seems that way, but then it's revealed to be a real piece of work. |
| 377 | * DaChief: Mostly in season 1, but still remains this until [=LaGuerta=] topples him with a choice piece of blackmail. He returns in season 8. |
| 378 | * DeadpanSnarker: He can come up with some funny quips, mostly aimed towards [=LaGuerta=] or other people he does not like. |
| 379 | * DirtyOldMan: In secret, he uses prostitutes. |
| 380 | * AFatherToHisMen: In contrast to Maria, he often appears friendly, professional and fatherly to the Miami Metro cops...except it's merely an act and he's more than willing to throw them under the bus to advance his own interests. |
| 381 | * IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: Batista pays the price when he needs to put pressure on [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 382 | * LyingToProtectYourFeelings: Covered up Harry's suicide to spare Dexter and Deb the pain of having to deal with knowing their father took his own life. |
| 383 | * PetTheDog: He cares about Dexter and Debra due to his friendship with Harry and takes a shot on Debra in Season 1 and has her transferred to Homicide. |
| 384 | * PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Refers to Maria as a 'spic detective'. |
| 385 | * PutOnABus: Vanishes after his history of sleeping with prostitutes is revealed and his job is taken by [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 386 | * ObstructiveBureaucrat: To people he dislikes like [=LaGuerta=], he will do all he can to mess with them if it suits his political agenda. |
| 387 | * PromotedToOpeningTitles: Like Jamie, he's an Ascended Extra on the eighth season. |
| 388 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: To people he likes like Dexter or Debra. |
| 389 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivers them regularly to Maria [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 390 | * ResignedInDisgrace: Forced to resign after he is found with a dead prostitute overdosed on drugs. He initially called Lt. [=LaGuerta=] to help him cover it up, but she later uses it to take her boss's job. |
| 391 | * SmugSnake: Whenever he has the upper hand over [=LaGuerta=] he is very smug about it. |
| 392 | %% * TookALevelInJerkass |
| 393 | * WhatTheHellHero: Hands them out frequently to [=LaGuerta=], and sometimes to Debra, Batista or whoever else messes up. |
| 394 | [[/folder]] |
| 395 | |
| 396 | [[folder:Jamie Batista]] |
| 397 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batista_jaime_4143.png]] |
| 398 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"How about, we wind up the Kentucky Derby, and we focus on breakfast. Yummy, okay?"'']] |
| 399 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/AimeeGarcia |
| 400 | |
| 401 | Angel's younger sister, who becomes Harrison's new nanny in the sixth season. |
| 402 | ---- |
| 403 | * AscendedExtra: She was promoted to main character status on the eighth season. |
| 404 | * TheCutie: She's downright adorable with a positive, bright smile. |
| 405 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She states that Dexter "wouldn't kill a fly" and begins a relationship with Louis. |
| 406 | * IgnoranceIsBliss: She's one of the happiest characters on the show, mostly because she isn't on the Police Force. |
| 407 | * MagicalNanny: To Harrison, taking the role left by Sonya on the fifth season after she was PutOnABus. |
| 408 | * MsFanservice: One episode has her take Harrison to the beach. While Hannah and Dexter are talking, the camara focuses on Jamie for a moment as she takes off her shirt, revealing a bikini top. Then Dexter quickly explains to Hannah that Jamie was Harrison's nanny. By season 8, she is seen fully nude in explicit sex scenes. |
| 409 | * NiceGirl: She is a genuinely nice, cute girl who cares deeply about Harrison and even works late at night watching over him when Dexter has to leave, without hesitation. |
| 410 | * PracticallyDifferentGenerations: It's mentioned on one of their dinners together that Angel and Jamie did not grow up together. Given the 15-20 year age difference between them it's likely Angel had left home before she was born or when she was very young. |
| 411 | * PromotedToOpeningTitles: For season 8. |
| 412 | * PuppyDogEyes: She has huge, expressive eyes that contribute to her role as TheCutie. |
| 413 | * ShipTease: With Quinn in the season 7 finale. They share a drink at the restaurant opening and Quinn apologizes for his actions last season (he hits on her drunk and starts a g=fight with Angel and Louis at Deb's house inauguration). It's implied by this conversation Quinn might be interested in her. [[spoiler:Six months later, they're dating in secret.]] |
| 414 | * ShipperOnDeck: Plays matchmaker for Dexter and Cassie. |
| 415 | [[/folder]] |
| 416 | |
| 417 | [[folder:James Doakes]] |
| 418 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doakes_james_8697.jpg]] |
| 419 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Surprise, motherfucker!"'']] |
| 420 | ->'''Played by''': Creator/ErikKing |
| 421 | |
| 422 | ->''"Stop grinning like a fucking psycho and get back to work!"'' |
| 423 | |
| 424 | James Doakes is a police detective with the rank of Sergeant serving as lead case investigator to Miami Metro PD's Homicide. Doakes had a killer's impulses which drove him to divorce his wife, confessing that if he had stayed with her he would have killed her. Holds a permanent grudge against Dexter, believing him to be suspicious and "creepy", which eventually leads to his downfall. He, Frank Lundy, and Lila West serve as the main antagonists of Season 2. |
| 425 | ---- |
| 426 | * AbusiveParents: His father was said to have been abusive, and a butcher, but it only strengthened his status as the prime suspect of being the Bay Harbor Butcher. |
| 427 | * AcquittedTooLate: Many years late. [[spoiler:In ''New Blood,'' Doakes is finally exonerated long after his death.]] |
| 428 | * AdaptationalHeroism: He doesn't have the same backstory where in the books he was involved in an operation where his team handed Doctor Danco, a professional torturer over to El Salvador. Doakes is a fairly ethical cop if unscrupulous on some fronts. |
| 429 | * AdaptationNameChange: In the novels, Doakes's first name is "Albert". |
| 430 | * AmicableExes: He and his ex-lover [=LaGuerta=] are close friends. |
| 431 | * AntiHero: A mix between PragmaticHero and UnscrupulousHero, he's even more foul mouthed and abrasive than Debra and is a huge jerk to Dexter, but he's firmly on the side of good and is an honest cop. |
| 432 | * ArchEnemy: In both the books and the show, Dexter has referred to Doakes as an arch enemy. Until his death at the end of Season 2, he was one of Dexter's recurring antagonists with both characters gradually having more personal enmity towards each other. |
| 433 | * BadgesAndDogTags: A former U.S. Army soldier with experience in special operations; specifically, he was an Army Ranger. He opted to leave the military behind for a career as a police officer. |
| 434 | * BaldOfAuthority: He's often in charge of cases or has a major role in them. |
| 435 | * TheBigGuy: Doakes tends to be among the most physically capable of the main characters. He is also more prone to using physical force. |
| 436 | * BullyingADragon: His treatment of Dexter qualifies as this, especially since he's the only one who suspects that Dexter is hiding something and may be potentially dangerous. |
| 437 | * ButtMonkey: Poor guy has all kinds of crap happen to him. And he's still much luckier than his [[NightmareFuel book counterpart]]. |
| 438 | * BornDetective: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Dexter, who doesn't know why Doakes is the ''only'' cop not to like him. |
| 439 | * ClearMyName: He ends up framed for Dexter's crimes as the Bay Harbor Butcher due to his own actions. He then tries to clear his name and prove Dexter is the real killer. It doesn't end well. |
| 440 | * ClusterFBomb: Got to be about once a sentence. |
| 441 | * CowboyCop: He doesn't start out as this despite his overall demeanor. But as he becomes more intent on catching Dexter, he starts breaking more rules. It's deconstructed in that his actions simply make him seem more suspicious as a Bay Harbor Butcher suspect. |
| 442 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: He worked for special ops before coming to Miami Metro, and he claims that he's pretty messed up because of this. Evident in his obsession with exposing Dexter for what he really is. |
| 443 | * DeathByAdaptation: Killed by Lila in order to protect Dexter. In the books he survives, albeit badly maimed by Doctor Danco. |
| 444 | * DiscOneFinalBoss: In Season 2. While quickly establishing himself as a major threat at the beginning of the story arc, Doakes' efforts to single-handedly incriminate Dexter end prematurely after the latter imprisons him within Jiminez's Cabin in "Resistance is Futile", with Lila taking over as the main antagonist for the rest of the season. |
| 445 | * DrivenToSuicide: Subverted; Masuka assumes he blew himself up to avoid being captured, after recovering enough of the propane tank to determine that the valve had been deliberately opened. This causes Dexter to realize that Doakes was actually killed by Lila. |
| 446 | * ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: He was a member of the U.S. Army's special ops. Specifically, he was a Ranger, meaning he more than likely saw a good deal of combat in his time. |
| 447 | * EveryoneHasStandards: Even for someone like Doakes who has a lot of integrity and "does everything out in the open", Angel is "too damn honest" for him. |
| 448 | * FairCop: Doakes is a fit and attractive man. Quite scary though. |
| 449 | * {{Foil}}: |
| 450 | ** Ostensibly, he's the complete opposite of Dexter. Doakes is the abrasive Jerkass who is driven to anything to do good, while Dexter is the unassuming, kind lab geek who does everything to keep himself from doing greater evil. |
| 451 | ** Doakes pushes other people away in order protect them from his violent tendencies. Dexter is unwilling to sacrifice either his life as a killer or his life as a family man. |
| 452 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: While he is a good cop, he has a dark past, and pushes people away, but this is only to prevent his own violent tendencies from affecting anyone. But this in turn has negated him from having a personal life, and as such very little friends. |
| 453 | ** Once all the evidence [incorrectly] points to him being the Bay Harbor Butcher, his reputation as a cop was destroyed posthumously, with no one (except his family, Laguerta and Dexter) attending his funeral. |
| 454 | ** Averted with Laguerta, who is the only one at Miami Metro who was loyal enough to believe and try to prove his innocence. |
| 455 | * GeniusBruiser: A muscular tough guy who served with the US Special Forces, but also a good detective and one of the smartest characters. |
| 456 | * GoodIsNotNice: An antisocial jerk who's prone to violence, but also a damn fine cop and a good person at the end of the day. |
| 457 | * HairTriggerTemper: Literally at times. It ends up harming him as his high level of on-the-job kills make it easier to see him as a killer. |
| 458 | * HeroAntagonist: Until his death near the end of Season 2, he serves as one of Dexter's main foes on the side of good. |
| 459 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: Although he's not quite a {{Deuteragonist}}, he gets a fair amount of focus as a character during the first two seasons: he has a brief subplot with Drug Kingpin Carlos Guerrero, serves as Debra's mentor for much of the Ice-Truck Killer case, and a few episodes deal with his overall psyche as a more aggressive cop. |
| 460 | * HeroWithBadPublicity: Within the Department, he already has a reputation of being unreasonably hostile towards Dexter and it only gets worse, to the point where he becomes a prime suspect in the Bay Harbor Butcher case. |
| 461 | * HonorBeforeReason: In his own words, he does "everything out in the open". Ironically, this motivates his open antagonism towards Dexter: He generally makes his animosity and suspicion of Dexter quite clear even though it would be more pragmatic to investigate covertly. |
| 462 | * HotBlooded: He has a hot temper, especially when Dexter is around. |
| 463 | * JerkassHasAPoint: |
| 464 | ** He doesn't hesitate to call out his coworkers when they screw up, but he's also flexible enough to learn from them (evidenced when he teams up with Debra). |
| 465 | ** He occasionally calls out [=LaGuerta=] for her over ambitiousness. |
| 466 | ** And of course, he was right about being suspicious of Dexter. Dexter makes sure the point is buried under the obnoxiousness of a public antagonism. |
| 467 | ** [[spoiler:Doakes tells Dexter that while he understands Dexter mainly goes after killers, the lengths he goes for his ritual are far beyond what is necessary. From what we can tell from Harry's own reaction to Dexter's work, Doakes isn't far off.]] |
| 468 | ** [[spoiler:As Dexter himself briefly acknowledges, he's right that Dex' carefully controlled double lives are inevitably going to spin out of his control, and that the people he cares for will be hurt or killed in the fallout when it happens. If Dexter had gone through with turning himself in when Doakes promised to support him in doing so, Rita and Debra would both still be alive by the season finale and he could still have lived some kind of existence in prison.]] |
| 469 | * JerkassToOne: Doakes is hostile and antagonistic towards Dexter, almost always unprovoked. |
| 470 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite the above, he's an honest cop who tries to do the right thing and watches out for the people he cares about. |
| 471 | * KillItWithFire: How he meets his demise. |
| 472 | * LastNameBasis: By most people, except [=LaGuerta=]. |
| 473 | * TheLostLenore: His relation with [=LaGuerta=] was brief, but she hasn't forgotten him and in season 7 [[spoiler:she resumes his aborted ClearMyName quest]]. |
| 474 | * TheMentor: He serves as Debra's partner once she gets transferred to Homicide and he is very tough but fair on her and can be quite friendly to her. |
| 475 | * MirrorCharacter: Dexter notes that the only way Doakes could be so astute regarding him was if he had some of his own killing urges. In the book series, he even has his own Dark Passenger. On top of that, Doakes actually performs a VigilanteExecution ''on-screen'' - a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonton_Macoute Tonton Macoute]] he met but failed to kill during his military operations in Haiti. One could say that he's ''identical'' to Dexter; where Dexter controls his killing urges via the Code of Harry, Doakes controls it via military discipline and police procedures. And he still slips up. |
| 476 | * MoralityPet: He's interestingly one to [=LaGuerta=], who shows more her caring side towards him and even puts aside her political ambitions when he's wanted as the Bay Harbor Butcher. She even stops Dexter from filing a complaint against him despite Doakes' very visible antagonism towards him. It unfortunately has some negative consequences as well; [=LaGuerta=] often acts too lenient towards Doakes and it costs her credibility during the Bay Harbor Butcher Case. |
| 477 | * NotSoAboveItAll: Although he is abrasive and antagonistic towards Dexter, he's for the most part portrayed as one of the most moral characters on the show. However he still has his flaws and failings even aside from those. |
| 478 | ** It's revealed that he slept with the wife of one of his colleagues. |
| 479 | ** Doakes admits that he divorced his wife because he was afraid he'd kill her. |
| 480 | * NotHelpingYourCase: Doakes' suspicion of Dexter comes off as this to other characters. In his pursuit, he resorts to violating Dexter's privacy and baselessly accusing Dexter of hiding something. Thus, the one time where Dexter actually decides to retaliate and set him up, Doakes' claims simply makes him look more obsessed. |
| 481 | * OnlySaneMan: A rare version of this trope. He's the only one to notice something strange about Dexter, yet this only makes him appear to be the ''opposite'' of this trope in the eyes of everyone else. |
| 482 | * ThePlotReaper: He's the most well-known HeroAntagonist of the series, so his suspicious nature would've inevitably ended up clashing with Dexter. His actor Erik King even notes that they couldn't have spent several seasons with Doakes saying "I'm watching you" without losing the integrity of the character. The issue is that Doakes doesn't fit Dexter's code and the trial would likely take years (by Dexter's own admission). Luckily for Dexter, Lila ends up resolving the issue for him. While there have been cops that have taken up Doakes' role as a suspicious antagonist, they haven't been nearly as effective. |
| 483 | * PosthumousCharacter: A remarkable one time flashback reapparition in the season 7 finale, incidentally named after his SignatureLine "Surprise, motherfucker" |
| 484 | * ProperlyParanoid: He's the only person who thinks Dexter is suspicious. He's oh-so right |
| 485 | * SirSwearsALot: Constantly throwing profanity at characters, especially Dexter. He even outdoes Debra with his swearing. |
| 486 | * StalkerWithoutACrush: In Season 2, Doakes begins stalking Dexter because he correctly suspects that Dexter is hiding a dark secret. |
| 487 | * SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: The sympathetic angle is usually cancelled by his abrasiveness, he would be an InspectorJavert if only Dexter were not actually guilty. |
| 488 | * TheWorfEffect: Doakes is for the most part portrayed as a physically capable police officer with both experience and skills. However, he's shown getting caught off-guard and subdued a few times within the series to show the threat level he's facing. Notably, Dexter is shown having the upper hand whenever they physically clash. |
| 489 | * WorthyOpponent: Dexter thinks that Doakes was one of the few people who understood him. He was right. |
| 490 | * WrongGenreSavvy: In other cop shows, Doakes would likely be the main character; he's a rebellious cop who bends the rules, is a brilliant detective who is the only one who is suspicious of the villain (Dexter), and keeps investigating even after others have given up. In the actual show, he's the HeroAntagonist and {{Foil}} to the morally ambiguous SerialKillerKiller. Because of this, he is utilized more as a moral dilemma for Dexter's development and [[spoiler:is ultimate sacrificed for the story purposes of maintaining Dexter's freedom.]] |
| 491 | [[/folder]] |
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