Dexter Season 6 Details

There are still a couple of months before Dexterreturns to our screens but that doesn't mean that details for the sixth season are thin on the ground. New showrunner Scott Buck has shared with Entertainment Weekly information on new characters, plotlines and what mental state we will find Dexter in this year.

So what mental and physical state will we find Dexter (Michael C. Hall) in? First of all it is a year on from last season and his cleansing relations with Lumen (Julia Stiles). We will see Dexter in a much better place than the dark period after Rita's (Julie Benz) death that he blamed himself for. The key point that Buck reiterates in this interview is that this year, we will see a Dexter that is much like how he was when we first met him in season one, but he is better than that:

"Things are good for him. He’s very centered, strong and focused, much the same way he was in season 1, but now he knows so much more. He’s a much more self-assured person. A more evolved serial killer."

The one thing that still plagues him however is what will happen with his son, has he passed on the "dark passenger"? If he hasn't passed on this element of his being then what should he try and give to his son? It is this philosophical search to pass on something good to his child that will take him on a spiritual quest that will lead him to the 'big bad' of the season.

So who are the new characters that Dexter will be encountering this season:

Professor Gellar (Edwards James Olmos; Battlestar Galactica): Professor Gellar is a religious studies academic, who on the side is committing some of the biggest crimes that the show has seen so far. Buck compares the conviction that Gellar has for killing people to the real life Zodiac killer and believes that he is the first killer on the show who believes that he is in the right with his actions. Dexter is very curious about Gellar's thought process when it comes to these acts and why he believes that he is in the right. It is fundamentally something that doesn't make any sense to Dexter as a fellow killer.

Travis Marshall (Colin Hanks; The Good Guys, Mad Men): Travis is a close acquaintance of Professor Gellar who has fallen under the charismatic spell of the Professor. Travis has done some bad things because of his belief system and how easily swayed he can be. Travis is not a character who would intentionally seek out to harm someone but is easily manipulated and taken advantage of.

Lisa Marshall (Molly Parker: Deadwood, Swingtown): Lisa is Travis' protective big sister who helped raise him when he was younger.

Brother Sam (Mos Def; Be Kind Rewind, 16 Blocks): Brother Sam is an ex-con who found God in prison. Trying to right the wrongs he committed as a street thug, Brother Sam has set up an auto body shop that hires other ex-cons to try and help them set themselves straight. When one of these employees is accused of a crime Brother Sam will cross paths with Dexter.

Jaime Batista (Aimee Garcia; Trauma, Off the Map): After underusing Harrison's nanny Sonya (Maria Doyle Kennedy) last season, Buck has said they have decided to go in a completely different direction this year with this role. Harrison's new nanny will be Jamie, who also happens to be Angel Batista's (David Zayas) little sister. She will be part of the 'family' story and Buck has said that when it comes to Jamie "there will be no big reveals or twists that the audience will never expect." She will inject an upbeat vibe in to Dexter's home that might go against what he has come accustom to.

Mike Anderson (Billy Brown; Lights Out, Southland): Anderson is a detective from Chicago who is a bit of a hard-ass and because of this he has a difficult time fitting in with others. However, he is an excellent detective so it will be interesting to see if he causes any problems for Dexter.

There is certainly a slew of new characters that will be challenging Dexter and causing conflict this season but what about those that have been entangled in the show for sometime now, particularly Quinn (Desmond Harrington) and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter)? The couple are still living together but as this is Dexter this happy period will not last for long, particularly for Quinn who has some dark days to look forward to. Change in both her career and personal life is on the cards for Debs this season but does this include finding out the truth about her brother and his 'hobby'? Buck is refusing to answer this question, telling Entertainment Weekly that:

"When that happens, obviously it’s going to be a very huge deal.  And I will never tell you when that’s going to happen."

The key theme this year is a spiritual one; the journey that Dexter will be going on and with regards to the new serial killer that he will become embroiled with. Other new characters such as Brother Sam clearly have a religious connection and so big questions are likely to be posed.

Are you looking forward to the return of Dexter? Do these new details for season 6 excite you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Dexter will return in the Fall on Showtime.