"Dexter" Living the Dream (TV Episode 2009) Poster

(TV Series)

(2009)

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9/10
Horrifying bathtub scene
mlowry-2916429 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Dexter is one of my all time favorite tv shows. I really like that they have a different villain each season. Veteran actor John Lithgow is the villain in season 4 and he is quite creepy. We get introduced to him in a bathtub scene where he terrifies his victim, slashes her and watches her bleed out while he is looking at her face in a mirror. That may be the most disturbing thing I've ever seen on a tv show. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. If you have the stomach it's a great episode, great villain and a great show.
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9/10
Sleepless in Miami
claudio_carvalho4 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Dexter has spent his nights awake since the baby Harrison cries all night. These sleepless nights have affected Dexter in such a way that he commits a serious mistake in court and the violent killer Benny Gomez is released. The family man Dexter promises to hunt Benny down, but he has difficulties due to the deprivation of sleep. Meanwhile, a killer attacks a woman in her bathroom, cutting her femoral vein in the bathtub and cleaning the crime scene while the Miami Metro is chasing a tourist murderer. Out of the blue, the retired FBI Agent Frank Lundy returns to Miami, and tells Dexter that he is fixing his past fails and chasing the serial-killer The Trinity Killer. When they analyze the murder case in the bathtub, Lundy concludes that the woman is another victim of the serial-killer that cyclically commits three murders. In the meantime, Angel and Maria are having a secret love affair while the annoying and the inconvenient Vince Masuka insists in inviting Angel to go to strip-clubs with him.

"Living the Dream" is an excellent beginning of the Fourth Season of Dexter. The story alternates funny moments of dark humor, like the family life of Dexter and the baby Harrison – I loved when he sings to the baby while looking the pictures of people slaughtered – or the dull Masuka in the lift with Angel and Maria, and very dark scenes, like The Trinity Killer attack or Dexter bringing justice to Benny Gomez. The return of Agent Lundy is promising both in the investigations and also in the sentimental life of Debra. But the conclusion of the episode is probably the best moment of this great show to be continued. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Vivendo o Sonho" ("Living the Dream")
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8/10
Daddy kills people
dannylee-780823 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
1. Dexter is sleep deprived 2. Laguerta and Angel are hooking up 3. Lundy is back!?

New killer is interesting. Hopefully he lives up to previous villains. Lundy was a very good character so I welcome his return. I'm really concerned about the ending scene. Dexter is taking on way too much and it might be an accident to reveal his identity.

Overall, a very strong start. Enjoyed this episode thoroughly and it feels like the sins of previous seasons are amended.
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Season four starts off with a bang: a great new guest star, the return of an old one and a smashing cliffhanger
J. Spurlin27 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
With a new wife and a newer baby, Dexter is not getting much sleep these days. Baby Harrison cries all night; and Rita robs him of a rare chance to knit up the raveled sleeve of care by preparing a night of sex play. Dexter's sleep deprivation puts his work in jeopardy. He goes to court with the wrong notes, and his screw-up sends a killer free. But maybe that's for the best. His Dark Passenger is calling, and this killer is now available for Dexter to hunt. The trouble is, will the hunter be able to stay awake?

Season four starts off with a bang, and we get at least two terrific surprises. One: John Lithgow will be this season's guest star. Two: Keith Carradine, as Lundy, returns. I missed him, and his relationship with Debra, during season three. But now he's back - retired, but still eager to track down a deadly criminal who always eluded him: the Trinity Killer, someone he can't even prove exists. Ah, but he does exist. And John Lithgow is playing him.

Meanwhile: Debra is still trying to track down Harry's mistress. An interesting new development occurs between Maria and Angel. And the episode ends with a splendid cliffhanger.
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9/10
A Man That Keeps Killing!
ZegMaarJus4 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode begins with Dexter, he is on the way to kill somebody. Arthur strangles Lisa to death. Dexter is father, Harrison has been born. Debra is still in love with Anton. A girl has been killed in bath. Lundy returns, what are his plans with Dexter? Dexter makes the boxing ring ready to kill Benny their. Dexter tells Harrison that he kills people, bad people. Frank Lundy has retired, but he wants to catch The Trinity Killer. Is Arthur Mitchell The Trinity Killer? Dexter goes to Benny Gomez his house. Dexter poisoned Benny and brought him to the boxing ring where he prepared everything. Dexter sticks his knife right trough Benny's heart. Dexter drove his car right into some trees. Nice episode of Dexter Season 4, a great beginning of this Season. Many action and a Dexter who keeps killing!
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8/10
S4.E1 - Sleepy Dexter [8.5/10] - SPOILERS
panagiotis199315 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My Reaction / Review for Dexter Season 4 Episode 1 ''Living the Dream'' (S4. E1): Season 3 was awesome and I give it a rating of 9.5/10. Let's see if this one is better or worse. Welcome to the world Harrison! Really cute baby. So we have a new killer! He is old and it seems like he prefers young pretty women. Am I the only one who enjoys Masuka's sick sense of humor? Dex desperately needs more sleep, being a dad is not easy. Looks like Dex found his new victim. Angel and Maria are together? What about Barbara? Lundy is back? Dexter is a good dad. Seems like Quinn found a new girlfriend, that's nice. So our new serial killer has a name, Lundy calls him ''The Trinity Killer'' that's a catchy name. Wow Dexter has a car accident, are the body parts still in the car? That's insane. My rating for this episode is 8.5/10.
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10/10
Good start but an unbelievable plot twist
trydent-602459 April 2024
This season of dexter is a good one with John Lithgow as the naughty serial killer. The plot is great as far as the common theme goes. The build up to and with the shenanigans of what you are to expect from any Dexter series.

However.... This BS relationship between Sgt Angel Batista and Lt Maria LaGuerta is beyond me... and how loved up are they! In the last season Batista was loved up with the Vice Detective, no lead up to him having feelings for his Boss.

I know she puts it around a bit, but its a tad gar fetched to me.

I can only conclude there was no money in the budget to include Det Barbara Gianna in season 4.
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6/10
Great casting, unexpected come back and scary villain but déjà vu patterns, lazy graphic violence and hopeless writing
igoatabase14 October 2009
Since Easy as Pie, the 7th episode of season 3, I have felt less and less interested by Dexter because his dark story is not the one I would have written. However being an optimistic I thought his baby with Rita could be the wake up call he needed. But what I think doesn't really matter so let's go back to Living the (American) Dream. A beautiful and inspiring title but when it comes to Dex you know something deadly is on the way. So as usual we were introduced to a new nemesis and all our favorite characters were back : Sweary Deb, playcop Quinn, cool Batista, kinky Masuka… But in the end it really felt like déjà vu and nothing really surprised me. Of course Jennifer Carpenter's performance is still irresistible but I wish things had changed a little more. For example they could have at least redesigned their office. But for a premiere I think it's important not to be too picky because there were still plenty of elements to enjoy.

First one character I wasn't expecting to show up was back. In fact it scenes made me realize how much I missed it. I know its relationships with other characters will greatly contribute to their development and it should also create some twisted story arcs.

Second John Lithgow plays Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer, and as a veteran I'm sure he'll do a great job. In fact his calm but disturbing attitude reminded me of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. However it would be foolish to expect him to be as good as Anthony Hopkins was. But his few scenes were quite shocking so I expect the worst to happen in the upcoming episodes. In fact it worries me because in my Easy as Pie review I denounced free graphic violence and I don't want this season to turn into a blood bath. I mean what's the point of showing something if it's explained by some character a few seconds later ? So I think it would be better to let the viewers imagination do its magic instead of fast-fooding some scenes.

It leads us to Dex and Rita, lemonly played by Julie Benz. As usual Michael C. Hall performance is great but I have to admit that Dex is not growing on me anymore. In fact season 3's ending dramatically changed my mind about the show, specially its controversial morality, and the path the writers have decided to follow. I respect their talent but we have to question their decision and I wonder for example what Jeff Lindsay, writer of the Dexter novel series, thinks of the show. Has it already jumped the shark for him ? It's a question I can't help asking because they have already planned a 5th season and as a fan I worry the show will never end.

But don't get me wrong, Dexter is still a good show. This time I specially enjoyed the contrast between his daily routine and night life. So there's still something fascinating about it. However it's not as great as it could have been. Do the show creators still care about their baby or it's now only in the lucrative hands of the network ? Beside Trinity an other character was introduced and the episode ended on a climax but don't we already know what will happen in the upcoming episodes ? Surprise, surprise… or not.
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