The biggest question on "Dexter" has nothing to do with its titular hero, his sister, his fiancée or anybody else we've come to know over the two-plus seasons of the show. No, the question has entirely to do with the new addition to the cast, Jimmy Smits' Miguel Prado, and that question is this: How far will Miguel Prado go?

That's precisely what Dexter was wondering last night as he presented Prado with a task to test his mettle. This involved a member of Dexter's "Top Ten" list, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood who got a away with a brutal murder several years ago, and his still running his criminal interests from prison.

Dexter wanted desperately to kill him, and he wanted to see what Prado would risk to make that happen: It's very hard to kill a prisoner in custody, especially when you're coming in from the outside, without getting caught.

Dexter's reasons for choosing this target were twofold: He wanted to see what Prado would risk, but he also assumed he wouldn't go after a person in this position and would get out of the killing business altogether.

Turns out Dexter's prediction was wrong as Prado not only went along with going after the incarcerated man, but set up an elaborate plan to extricate him from custody. When the plan fell through, Prado put himself in further jeopardy by involving himself in the escape.

This led to Dexter's being able to perform his murderous ritual on the target, something he continues to hide from Miguel who nevertheless seemed intent on joining in the actual murder.

Every episode we see Miguel slip deeper into Dexter's world of brutality. His thirst for blood is similarly unquenchable to Dexter's, though the Assistant DA has yet to get actual blood on his hands. Also, he hasn't yet experienced the sadistic ritual that Dexter makes out of slaying his prey nor does he know that Dexter's attack on the wicked serves a deeper hunger than Miguel's need for justice. Prado seems deadest on continuing the bloodshed, but his reaction to Dexter's carnival of blood is still a mystery.

There is a Prado, however, who has not complaint with getting his hands dirty. This Prado is Miguel's brother Ramon whom Debra fingered for the mysterious skinner terrorizing the associates of the former FreeBo. The case became personal for Dexter's sister when the young boy she brought in for questioning in the previous episode was discovered with nearly his entire chest carved out.

Consumed with guilt, Debra, perhaps hastily, decides to track Ramon Prado and, with Quinn backing her up, eventually arrests him for torturing one of FreeBo's associates. A collar that will certainly cause the already rocky relationship between the Sherriff's department and Miami Metro Homicide to worsen, and proved Prado was not the skinner.

So, in reality, two questions remain. How far will Prado go? And just who the hell is this mysterious skinner taking a pound of flesh from the city's scum?

Dexter Cast: Michael C. Hall / Julie Benz / Jimmy Smits / Jennifer Carpenter / Erik King / Lauren Vélez / David Zayas / James Remar / C.S. Lee / more


Story by Andrew Payne

Starpulse contributing writer