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“ | You're a serial killer and I'm more fucked up than you are. | „ |
~ Debra to her brother Dexter. |
“ | I could give a fuck who you fuck. Just don’t fuck with my investigation, you fuck. | „ |
~ Debra to Joey Quinn. |
Debra Charlotte "Deb" Morgan is the deuteragonist of the crime drama series Dexter and the tritagonist in both its sequel Dexter: New Blood and prequel Dexter: Original Sin.
She is the adoptive sister of Dexter Morgan and the biological daughter of Harry Morgan. She begins as a patrol officer in Miami Metro Police Department's homicide division but progresses to detective and later lieutenant, frequently helping solve murder cases and catch prolific serial killers. She often clashes with her superior Maria LaGuerta.
She struggles with personal relationships (including those of colleagues and lovers, but particularly with Dexter and posthumously with Harry), professional challenges, and insecurity. Though Dexter is emotionally distant, she looks up to him and relies on him for support when lost. Her world is turned upside-down after discovering that he is a serial killer, but out of love, she continues to support him. She is eventually shot dead by serial killer Oliver Saxon, and Dexter drops her body in the Atlantic Ocean. After Dexter moves to Iron Lake, Debra frequently appears in his mind as a hallucination and his inner conscience.
She was portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter. In Original Sin, she is portrayed by Molly Brown.
Personality[]
Debra has an assertive, fiery temperament and often speaks her mind without a filter. She is known in particular for her colorful language, as she habitually uses profanity, even in professional settings. Her bluntness sometimes gets her into trouble with her colleagues and superiors, but it also makes her an honest and straightforward individual, and it is often seen as endearing by the other characters, alongside her sharp wit and vulgar, sarcastic sense of humor. At one point, a public display of this garners support for her among Miami's population due to her "no-nonsense" attitude.
Debra is deeply dedicated to her career in law enforcement, as she is determined to prove herself and work harder than her peers to gain respect, and also to honor her adoptive father, whom she felt ignored by throughout her childhood. However, her ambition sometimes borders on recklessness, and at times, Debra acts on instinct and impulse rather than careful planning, which contributes to both positive and negative occurrences in the series. That said, when she is thinking straight, Debra is quite intelligent, and can recognize patterns, devise strategies, and connect evidence in ways that others in her department frequently struggle with.
Her exterior is implicitly a way for her to cope with internal struggles and self-doubt. She often questions her decisions, worth, and whether she's good enough in her personal and professional life - she often feels out of place in the homicide department and believes that she was never given attention by her adoptive father, nor made him proud. As a result, she struggles to maintain a stoic front in difficult situations, and at times will simply have emotional breakdowns in front of others. She also has difficulty with maintaining relationships with other people, having had seven ex-boyfriends throughout the course of the series, and sometimes pushes others way, such as her brother, even when they are just trying to help. Despite this, and numerous personal and professional setbacks, Debra still demonstrates a lot of resilience by picking herself up after failures and striving to do better.
Debra is fiercely loyal to those she loves, especially her brother Dexter. She often prioritizes her relationships over her own well-being, and sometimes over the well-being of those around her. Her loyalty can blind her to the flaws of those she cares about, and also leads her to compromise her own principles by eventually aiding and abetting criminal activity. She is highly protective of her loved ones - again, Dexter in particular. This trait drives much of her conflict as she grapples with protecting him and reconciling their love for each other while learning unsettling truths about his "Dark Passenger," also serving as his moral compass. Her protectiveness extends to her colleagues and the victims she seeks justice for in her police work, and she frequently notes her disgust for the killers whom she goes after.
Biography[]
Background[]
Debra Morgan was born December 7, 1979, to Doris and Harry Morgan. Her parents had a son named Harry Morgan, Jr., who drowned possibly before Debra was born. She grew up alongside her foster brother Dexter Morgan, who had been rescued by Harry from his mother's murder scene. As a child, Debra frequently competed for her father's attention with Dexter, unaware that Harry spent so much time with him because he was secretly training Dexter to become a vigilante killer.
During her teenage years, Debra lost her mother to cancer. Afterwards, she followed in her father's footsteps as a homicide detective, leading her to secretly practice with his gun. When Dexter discovered this and told Harry, she was punished. In her anger, she lashed out at Dexter, saying she wished Harry had never brought him home, though she quickly regretted and apologized for these words.
Harry's death from what appeared to be an accidental heart medication overdose hit Debra hard. She never learned that it was actually suicide, driven by Harry's guilt over molding Dexter into a methodical killer. Following her father's path, she joined Miami-Metro Police Department, spending three years on patrol and two in vice before family friend Captain Tom Matthews promoted her to Homicide at the beginning of the show's first season.
Season 1[]
In her first assignment with homicide, Debra investigates a string of murders by someone dubbed "The Ice Truck Killer." The killer targets prostitutes, leaving their dismembered remains in refrigerated trucks and dumping them in Miami's streets. Though dedicated to solving the case, Debra doubts herself and clashes with her boss, Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta.
During this time, she begins a romance with Rudy Cooper that blossoms into love. What she doesn't know is that Rudy is actually the Ice Truck Killer himself, pursuing her only to get closer to her brother Dexter. After accepting Rudy's marriage proposal, she discovers the truth when he kidnaps her. Rudy, whose real name is Brian Moser, turns out to be Dexter's biological brother. He ties her down in plastic wrap, mimicking Dexter's method of killing, while the brothers debate her fate. Dexter chooses to protect her by grabbing Brian's knife-equipped hand before Debra is stabbed. Dexter would later kill Brian.
Season 2[]
After her encounter with Brian, Debra's confidence as a detective is crushed, believing she should have seen through her fiancé's facade. She finds comfort and validation in FBI agent Frank Lundy, and they become romantically involved until his work takes him from Miami. She moves in with Dexter while processing her trauma. When she discovers Dexter's affair with his NA sponsor Lila Tournay, Debra is disgusted. Her instincts about Lila prove right - after learning Lila killed an ex-boyfriend, Debra threatens her with deportation. The season culminates with Debra helping Dexter save Rita Morgan's children from a fire set by Lila. As the season closes, her self-assurance is improved and she is more driven to advance her career and earn her detective shield.
Season 3[]
At the start of season three, Debra appears with shoulder-length hair and has given up men, alcohol, and cigarettes. She works with new partner Detective Joey Quinn, but Internal Affairs officer Yuki Amado asks her to help investigate Quinn for corruption. She reprimands her and declines to participate.
The newly promoted Angel Batista removes her from the investigation of Miguel Prado's brother Oscar's murder due to her poor interpersonal skills. She is reassigned to a young woman's murder case, which connects to "The Skinner" (later revealed as George King) serial killer investigation. She solves this case with help from informant Anton Briggs, leading to a romantic relationship after she saves him. Her success with the Skinner case earns her detective status. She serves as Dexter's best man at his wedding to Rita.
Season 4[]
When Dexter reveals Harry's relationship with an informant, Debra searches through his informant files, including one for Laura Moser. Her relationship with Anton struggles when Frank Lundy returns pursuing the Trinity Killer. After rekindling their relationship, both are shot that night, with Lundy dying. Debra blames herself for it, feeling "broken." She suspects Trinity's role in the shooting and investigates.
Working with forensics technician Vince Masuka, Debra rules out Trinity as the shooter. During Thanksgiving with Dexter's family, she recalls reporter Christine Hill's suspicious knowledge of the shooting details and identifies her as the culprit. Hill, revealed as Trinity's daughter, admits to killing Lundy in a conversation with Debra before taking her own life, which shocks Debra. Debra resumes searching for Harry's mistress, discovers Laura Moser, and learns about Dexter and Brian Moser being brothers. She shares this information with Dexter (who already knew) and tells him he is "the one consistently good thing" in her life.
Season 5[]
Season five Debra starts dating Quinn while helping Dexter cope with Rita's murder at the hands of the Trinity Killer. They work together on the "Barrel Girls" case, investigating 13 women who were raped, tortured, murdered, and deposited in barrels in a swamp by the Barrel Girls Gang. After police discover DVDs showing the crimes, Debra is tasked with reviewing them. She determines that Jordan Chase, a well-known motivational speaker, is connected to the murderers, but lacks evidence since he never appears in the recordings. She eventually locates him at season's end, finding his body shortly after Dexter and Lumen Pierce - the 13th survivor of the Barrel Girl killers who becomes Dexter's girlfriend and accomplice - have killed him. She sees their silhouettes through plastic sheets at the scene and tells them she must report the crime. She allows them an hour to escape, sympathizing with Lumen, but never learns of Dexter's involvement.
During the season, Debra discovers Quinn has been secretly investigating Dexter, suspecting his connection to Rita's death. She confronts Quinn angrily about this. Quinn chooses to prioritize his relationship with Debra over his unproven suspicions about Dexter, abandoning his investigation. They reconcile by season's end and go together to Dexter's son Harrison's birthday celebration.
Season 6[]
Quinn proposes to Debra as the season opens, but she declines and terminates their relationship. Their uncomfortable situation worsens when she receives a promotion to Lieutenant, partly due to LaGuerta's political moves, positioning Debra as Quinn's boss. While Debra gains office respect, she worries about people feeling less comfortable approaching her in her new role, feeling as though she appears less like a friend. The position's stress leads her to question her capabilities. Facing both work and personal challenges, she begins therapy. When Matthews tries to negotiate her silence regarding his involvement in a prostitute's death, LaGuerta informs his superiors before Debra can act, allowing her to take blame. The season concludes with her therapist helping her recognize her longtime romantic love for Dexter, which she is initially disgusted and angry at the idea of. However, she comes to terms with this realization and approaches Dexter - only to then witness Dexter ritualistically killing "Doomsday Killer" Travis Marshall at his abandoned church.
Season 7[]
Dexter explains he went to gather evidence at the scene but Marshall surprised him, causing him to "snap" and kill him impulsively and formulaically. Debra helps him burn the abandoned church where the murder occurred with gasoline, destroying evidence. Debra grows suspicious of Dexter, and also notes that the plastic wrap method used on Marshall is the same as Brian Moser's. Later at home, Debra confronts Dexter while surrounded by his collection of blood slides, knives, and killing tools. She asks if he's a serial killer. Caught off guard, Dexter confirms this. Debra runs outside and recoils as he reveals he's the "Bay Harbor Butcher" and that Harry taught him to avoid capture.
After studying Lundy's serial killer files, Debra offers to help Dexter and prevent future kills. Dexter agrees, having little choice since Debra would likely arrest him otherwise. Dexter manages to slip away and kill Ray Speltzer, a serial killer Debra had failed to imprison. Debra acknowledges understanding Dexter's vigilante justice and agrees not to stop him if he keeps her uninformed and avoids interfering with Miami Metro cases. She compromises her ethics by altering evidence to misdirect LaGuerta's reopened Bay Harbor Butcher investigation.
Their arrangement becomes strained when Dexter begins dating Hannah McKay, a poisoner Debra wants to arrest for killing Sal Price, a writer she had feelings for. Debra later reveals her romantic feelings for Dexter in a moment of anger. After Debra nearly dies in a car crash following a confrontation with Hannah, she suspects that Hannah had poisoned her. Dexter tests a water bottle from Debra's car, confirming Hannah's guilt. This forces Dexter to provide Debra evidence of Hannah killing Price. Debra arrests Hannah while Dexter watches.
In the finale, Debra defends Dexter when LaGuerta arrests him for the Bay Harbor Butcher murders, angrily confronting her before being removed from the case. Dexter is freed due to Debra's evidence tampering. The next day, LaGuerta supposedly calls Debra to apologize but instead presents evidence placing her near the church when it burned. Though Debra talks her way out, she fears LaGuerta will soon find proof of their actions. At Batista's New Year's party, she learns LaGuerta is pursuing Dexter, believing he's about to kill Hector Estrada, his mother's murder orchestrator. At the scene, she finds Dexter ready to shoot an unconscious LaGuerta. As Debra begs him to stop, LaGuerta wakes and urges Debra to kill her brother. Dexter tells Debra to "do what you gotta do". To protect Dexter, Debra shoots LaGuerta dead and breaks down crying over her body.
Season 8[]
Six months following LaGuerta's death, Debra's life has deteriorated significantly due to remorse and self-destruction: She's resigned from her position, become a heavy drinker, and severed ties with Dexter. Working as a private investigator, she's become romantically involved with drug dealer Andrew Briggs while investigating him. Dexter visits her hotel to warn that an assassin, El Sapo, plans to kill her and Briggs; Debra indicates she's indifferent. When Briggs attempts to intimidate Dexter, Dexter kills him and urges Debra to leave with him. She declines. El Sapo locates Debra while she's searching for Briggs' stolen goods and assaults her. Later, she fatally shoots him. Upon learning of Debra's actions, she requests Dexter's help concealing the crime, which he provides.
Following a drunk driving arrest, Debra contacts Quinn for bail. Quinn informs Dexter, who insists on discussing matters with Debra over dinner. During the meal, he presents footage of her saving someone's life, reminding her of her heroism. Several days later, Debra enters Miami Metro intoxicated and tells Quinn she killed LaGuerta. Quinn, believing she's confused, calls Dexter for assistance. Dexter arrives with Dr. Evelyn Vogel, who knows Harry and is aware of Dexter's nature as a serial killer. Before Debra can reveal the truth about LaGuerta's death, Dexter sedates her using his usual tranquilizer and takes her to his apartment. He then requests Vogel's help.
Vogel explains to Debra that protecting Dexter was her only option, and reveals recorded interviews where Harry expresses remorse over training Dexter to kill; these recordings reveal to Debra the truth of her father's death. She reaches out to Dexter, suggesting a drive to talk. During the drive, she grabs the steering wheel and drives them into the bay, attempting to end both their lives. After being rescued, she saves Dexter by swimming to the car and extracting him. When Vogel is kidnapped, Debra seeks help from a resistant Dexter. While searching for Vogel, Debra explains she saved him because she couldn't envision life without him. They discover Vogel held by her former patient, serial killer A.J. Yates; Dexter kills him to protect Debra. They acknowledge their mutual dependency on each other and reconcile.
Hannah, who has escaped custody, poisons both Debra and Dexter non-fatally. Debra insists Dexter remove Hannah from their lives and begins monitoring her. When Dexter hesitates, Debra approaches her employer Jacob Elway about capturing Hannah for a reward. During her attempt to apprehend Hannah, Hannah reveals she spared Debra's life to avoid hurting Dexter. Debra reluctantly abandons the pursuit and even provides Hannah refuge from law enforcement in her apartment.
Visiting her former precinct, Batista offers to restore Debra's detective position. Though interested, she recognizes she can't accept while harboring a fugitive and overlooking Dexter's activities. Later, she and Quinn, the latter now dating Batista's sister Jamie, share a kiss. Dexter reveals his plans to relocate to Argentina with Hannah and Harrison. Though saddened, Debra supports his decision upon seeing his happiness with his new family. The next day, she accepts the position at Miami Metro and resumes her relationship with Quinn.
During her first case back, Debra assists Dexter in pursuing Oliver Saxon, known as "the Brain Surgeon". When Dexter opts not to kill him after restraining him, he asks Debra to make the arrest. Debra arrives as Saxon kills Max Clayton and draws her weapon. Saxon manages to shoot her in the abdomen. In the series finale, "Remember the Monsters?", Debra is hospitalized, where she expresses her love to Quinn and wishes Dexter well. Shortly after, she suffers a severe stroke leaving her in a vegetative state. After killing Saxon, Dexter visits her in the evacuating hospital during a hurricane. He disconnects her life support in an act of mercy, carries her to his boat, and commits her body to the sea.
External Links[]
- Debra Morgan on the Villains Wiki
- Debra Morgan on the Dexter Wiki
- Debra Morgan on the Wikipedia
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Morgan Family
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