Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
This tv show contains 120 potentially triggering events.
There are multiple references to the neighbor’s dog being killed by Dexter when he was a teenager, but nothing is ever shown. It is also mentioned that the dog was being detrimental to the health of Dexter’s mother.
Rita’s children struggle with their father being released from prison but not being able to see him. I would avoid this episode if you struggle with abandonment
Kind of? A dog is left with his original owner’s partner, the partner neglects the dog and leaves it barking and whining in the back garden all the time
Dexter's adopted father is emotionally abusive, he trains him to be a serial killer and act 'normal' to fit in with others, the main antagonist in season 4 is also physically abusive towards his wife and children
Rita’s husband is released from jail and continues to break parole and restraining order by appearing at their house and inserting himself into their lives. Rita should be calling police and his parole officer but just lets him continue to show up.
The Trinity Killer. He was abused (and otherwise traumatized) as a boy. As an adult he is a ritualistic serial killer whose crimes are based on his horrific childhood.
Rita mentions the neighbor’s young, adorable, Beagle mix is barking all the time because he is neglected by being left outside all day and all night. Dexter mentions bringing him inside and feeding him, implying the neighbor neglects that too. The arrogant neighbor says the dog was abandoned by her ex, and seems to really hate the dog, too. Spoiler: the good boy finds a new loving, caring home, thanks to some sneaky dognapping from Rita.
At the beginning of season 5 there is a character working on collecting bodies of dead animals. A few scenes include animal bodies because of said character. (there are also more things in the show but those are already mentioned by other comments)
Yes, I would proceed with caution with Season 5 in specific. Honestly, I wish I had skipped it altogether.
Spoilers ahead
Rita was sexually abused by her ex-husband Paul. The effects of this are mostly mentioned or shown in season 1. None of Rita's abuse is shown on screen.
The barrel girls/Lumen's case is a different story. Season 5 revolves around men who rape, torture, and kill women. Images, clips, and graphic descriptions are shown and talked about. This mostly revolves around Lumen's experiences in particular, as she was the survivor.
Then there are misc cases of sex offender murderers, who only have pretty brief mentions of their crimes.
Dexter kills a man at a gas station by bashing in his head with an anchor. S5E1
Also, The Trinity Killer's MO is smashing men in the heads with hammers. [SPOILER]...
He is killed in the same manner.
(comment contains spoilers) - S03EP12: Dexter breaks his own hand to get free. Especially the sound can be disturbing (for me it was).
S04EP09: A father deliberately breaks his son's finger to punish him. Cover your eyes/ears when they high five at about 31:20
A killer's M.O. includes forcing people to commit suicide by making them jump to their deaths from high places. There is a scene displaying this in detail.
S07E02 at around 53:40. Someone is stabbed in the eye with a screwdriver. Very quick shot. A few seconds later, the aftermath is shown. Skip to around 54:10 to miss it.
Ten year old’s corpse is found in a body bag buried in the ground. We don’t see his death on-screen, but we do see the rotting corpse when the body bag is opened.
A 15-year old girl has feelings for Dexter, seeing him as a savior, and tells him how she wants to do “nice things” to him in a very sexual manner. She also makes an attempt to kiss him.
The series is about the kidnapping and murder of killers who escaped justice. It happens about once an episode, when the murderer is brought to Dexter's kill room after being drugged.
Main character has an ongoing affair in a major plotline in season 2. One of the main supporting characters cheats on her partner in season 4, which results in a major plot point.
There is a fight in the main character's house in which a bunch of the kids' toys are thrown around. A mug one of the kids made for Dexter is smashed to pieces during the fight.
Season 2 Episode 4: the marine biologist throws up off screen after entering the morgue. Season 2 Episode 10: Harry walks in on younger Dexter killing someone and throws up. Only once, visual is shown. Season 3 Episode 4: Rita throws up when she’s sitting on the bathroom floor. Not graphic. Season 5 Episode 5: officer Manzon throws up after seeing dead bodies, visual and audio, but easy to see coming. Season 5 Episode 9: Astor throws up off camera, audio only. Season 7 Episode 2: Debra throws up after running from Dexter’s apartment, visual and audio. Season 8 Episode 12: A veterinarian throws up blood while walking into a hospital. Visual and audio.
Multiple times through the series in just about all seasons. There are a couple deaths and characters on life support. Characters also frequently lie about going to the hospital after serious injuries.
The protagonist and many of the antagonists in season 8, however it's unclear if they are victims of medical malpractice and purposely misdiagnosed. Another main character has PTSD and can lash out violently if triggered and panicked. (Spoilers for a plot twist in s6) The main antagonist of season 6 is mentally ill, and has frequent hallucinations and delusions. His diagnosis is unclear.
No explicit characters, but the actress who plays the protagonist's sister has some shirtless scenes which make her anorexia at the time of the show's shooting clear.
Yes, most notably an important character commits suicide on screen during season 4. (Shown on screen but not graphic.) In the same season a character is brought up to have committed suicide. (Not shown, but others are forced to emulate the death.) Another requests to be killed by Dex (I can't remember the season, sorry! Shown.) Season 2 its revealed a main character had committed suicide. (Not shown) Season 6 there is both an unsuccessful terrorist attack where the character kills herself. (Shown graphically, but its accidental.) It is also mentioned a previously known character committed suicide off screen. In season 7, someone writes a suicide note to cover up for his own murder. (Shown graphic.) In season 8, a murder-suicide attempt involving the main leads also occurs. (Shown, not graphic since they survived.) It's also brought up as a possibility in many cases, as well as some others I am certainly forgetting.
Dexter’s “colleague” the other serial killer is always watching him. He always watches others. The entire show is people watching eachother from afar in a sense
41:30 in, Deb mocks two people she sees on video while reviewing security camera footage. No one but herself hears this.
She calls them "Mr. and Mrs. Tub-o-Lardi."
There is casual transphobia throughout the series. Masuka uses “shemale” and “he-she” often, and in season three there’s a scene with trans sex workers that’s kinda gross about it.
Because it’s based in Miami the Latino cops are very exaggerated- Spanglish and fedoras and Hawaiian shirts. The African American male cop is silent and angry all the time and has anger issues. There’s stereotypes everywhere
Yes, in season 7. He is also one of the major supporting characters of that season, along with his boyfriend who we find out about in a twist.
These aren't related to hate crimes, but instead, because they are parts of major criminal organizations.
Yes.
As another comment says there is uses of the r-slur. There are also cases of using psychopath, sociopath, and other things. Mostly to refer to serial killers. A main supporting character of season 8 could also be interpreted as being very ableist and abusing others due to it, despite being a psychologist.
Debra and Lundy during season 2 and 4. Actors are 30 years apart in age. The characters are between 20 and 30 years apart, possibly mentioned during an episode in season 2.
Religion (specifically christianity) is a major plot point in season 6, with the antagonists of the season being religious extremists, Dexter questions the idea of religion a lot
The protagonist's adoptive sister thinks she is in love with him. She dreams of kissing him in a scene. Not sure if it is incestuous since he is adopted, but it is still kind of weird.
Yes. In season 4 the main character totals his car, but there are no major injuries. In season 8, a character takes control of a car to wreck it in a failed murder-suicide attempt.