Yeah, this is easily my favorite season of the show. Just has everything. The villain is by far the most personally connected to Dexter and therefore, tests Dexter the most morally and emotionally. The sub plots (While still not that great) are at their peak due to my interest in characters like Doakes or Angel. Said sub plots even occasionally tie into the main plot and, for once in this show, make the story feel connected and motivated instead of spread thin. The whole season, especially early on, carries this intoxicating macabre, but also incredibly darkly quirky atmosphere that is just dripping throughout. Seeing Dexter as a legitimate socially and emotionally disconnected sociopath slowly trying to discover his humanity was truly such a breath of fresh air after the, at times, rather watered down version of him we see later on. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely feel as if Dexter discovering his humanity is a major theme of the show overall, but there’s just something about this dark and…I almost wanna say “Evil” version of the character that is just so engrossing. The connection of the sub plots means the pacing is top notch, the eventual revelations of why Dexter is who he is were earth shattering, and perhaps most importantly, this is the only season where the events that take place, for the most part ofc, have legitimate consequences and ramifications SEASONS later, something that is frustratingly rare in this show. Like even though I appreciate the ending of S4, it’s heavily neutered by the fact that it almost feels like it gets undone in the next season. S1 isn’t like that. Everything that happens here bleeds into S2 AND even S4 itself. Just an incredibly compelling, promising, and richly atmospheric and personality filled season of tv that I almost wanna rewatch again. I have so much more to say, but I’ve rambled enough lol. Easily my favorite season of the show by far.