Season 4 of Dexter has been pretty decent so far. It doesn't have the same allure and mystery of the first season, but definitely allows the characters to show some rich emotions. There's plenty of suspense too. But there have been a few things in these past 2 episodes that have really shown that Dexter, as a show, is back on its game.
Spoilers
In the beginning of episode 3, the Trinity killer works away on his second victim. He brings her to the top of a warehouse and forces her to jump off by her own will. Getting her to the warehouse and bringing her to the top is pretty easy, but now he has to threaten her to kill herself. He does so by threatening her family. With her children in danger, she lets go of the railing and falls to her death.
Near the end of the episode, Dexter is hunting down the neighborhood vandal. He discovers who it is, and confronts him in his garage. Exposing the vandal's identity isn't enough for the vandal to stop ruining the neighborhood. Dexter roughs him up a little bit, but the vandal refuses. He has nothing to lose. Dexter threatens the vandal's family, and the vandal changes his mind pretty quickly.
I find it interesting how both Trinity and Dexter arrive to the same persuasive tactics, when all other options have been exhausted. Being killers, they have no emotional connection to their victim, their victim's lives, or life in general. They will stop at nothing to get their way, and will perform any action to get it.
Though, it doesn't really sound like much, but it was a parallel occurrence in this episode that linked Trinity and Dexter. Dexter (the show) attempts to profile what it is to be a killer. Every killer doesn't follow the same code, but perhaps a killer's code has a general set of guidelines?
Dexter's "dark passenger" brings him to interesting places and follows convenient leads. Though, many of those leads in the first two seasons were very convenient for story. In Season 1, Dexter stalked and killed a couple who were exploiting illegal Cuban immigrants. After capturing and subduing the couple, he actually talked with them a little bit about relationships and how to "make it work."
Dexter was having trouble figuring out how to act as a boyfriend to Rita and didn't have anyone to talk to. The only people he really can talk to are his victims, those who see Dexter for who he really is. Dexter has no trouble talking to them about this problems, because he's comfortable. He knows this conversation and "friendship" has a very soon expiration date. This happens a couple other times, especially when confronts the man who killed his mother.
In episode 4 of Season 4, Dexter (the show) returns to this problem solving technique when Dexter (the character) stalks and captures a woman who murdered her own family. A woman who couldn't take the annoying, badgering, constant time loss of the daily grind of family life, so she "solved" it in a way most convenient for her.
Dexter has been fighting many of the same problems with married life, and "talks" about them with his victim. Through their dialogue, he grows. He finds out in himself that he really loves his family and that he would do anything to keep them from harm.
The release of his dark passenger always gives him clarity. Room enough to think his way through his social problems. Yes, killing does get in the way of his family life, but it's essential for his character growth, and for the show as well.
I don't remember this happening in Season 3 at all.
Season 4 is certainly returning to what made Dexter great. I still think they're throwing too much suspense into the mix to distract away from the many many plot lines that no one cares about. But Dexter and Trinity are the stars of this Season and are going strong.