Dexter (episode) - Plot

Plot

The pilot commences with Dexter driving through Miami, summarizing, in a monologue, that something is to occur on that night. After a choir performance at a bandstand, Dexter kidnaps Mike Donovan (Jim Abele), a pastor who rapes and murders young boys, and takes him to a remote cabin in the Everglades and forces him to look at the bodies of his victims. Before sedating him, Dexter explains that he could never kill a child, because he abides by a moral code. Later, Donovan awakes to find himself strapped to a table. Dexter makes an incision in his cheek with a scalpel and collects his blood in a slide, and proceeds to kill him. Dexter, returning from dumping Donovan's remains, narrates that he is not sure why he feels the need to kill, and speaks of his adoptive parents, Harry and Doris Morgan, both of whom are dead. At his apartment, Dexter stores Donovan's blood in a case containing the blood of his other victims. Dexter explains that he kills according to a code taught to him by his foster father who, as a Miami police officer, instructed Dexter on how to avoid being caught, and to kill only those who "deserve it". Flashbacks throughout the episode reveal that Harry first decided to impart these "lessons" upon Dexter after discovering that the boy had been killing neighborhood pets.

Dexter receives a voice message from his foster sister Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), a police officer in the vice department and, Dexter believes, the only person who loves him. Debra says that she is at a crime scene, and wants him to be there because she needs his help. Dexter arrives and Debra, undercover as a prostitute, informs him that another hooker has been killed, the third in five months. Dexter inspects the victim and is shocked to learn that the chopped up corpse is bloodless. Dexter leaves, awed by the killer's technique, and says that due to the lack of blood he can't help out. At the police station, Dexter discusses another murder case being handled by James Doakes (Erik King), who hates Dexter and suspects he is hiding something. Dexter suggests that it was a crime of passion, rather than the bad drug deal Doakes believes it to be. Dexter surveils Jamie Jaworski, a murderer who escaped justice due to a faulty warrant, and breaks into his home to find proof of his crime. Once he confirms that Jaworski is guilty, Dexter meets with his girlfriend Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), a domestic violence victim. As a result of her violent past with her husband, Rita has no interest in sex, and Dexter secretly feels comfortable with the lack of intimacy. Rita also has two young children, Astor and Cody, whom Dexter genuinely feels for. While on a date with Rita, Dexter finds another crime scene in which the victim has been cut into pieces with no traces of blood; this time, however, the head is missing. Dexter theorizes that the killer murders his victims in extreme cold, explaining the absence of blood. Dexter further suggests that a stolen refrigerated truck is being used for the murders. Dexter allows Debra to pitch the theory, but their superior officer, Lt. María LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez), who dislikes Debra, dismisses it.

Dexter captures Jaworski, who admits his guilt and explains that he has no remorse for his act. After killing Jaworski, Dexter drives to see Rita, but is sidetracked when he sees a refrigerated truck. Dexter follows the truck, and the driver throws a severed head onto Dexter's car. When the police squad arrives, LaGuerta confirms that Doakes' case was indeed a crime of passion. Dexter arrives at Rita's apartment, where she expresses interest in taking their relationship to a more intimate level, under the impression that this is what Dexter wants. Dexter feels uncomfortable, and is saved when Rita's son, Cody, begins vomiting next door. When Dexter arrives at his apartment, he finds a doll's head on his refrigerator door. Inside the freezer, he finds the other parts of the doll, severed just like the bloodless bodies of the dead women. Dexter views the doll as an invitation to play, which he greets gladly.