Ep 1. A Beautiful Day

Dexter is a popular crime thriller television series, which follows the life of Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood pattern analyst working for the Miami Metro Police Department, who is also a serial killer with a code of ethics. The seventh season of the series left fans wondering about the life of Dexter, and season 8 picked up where the seventh season left off, with Dexter in the middle of a serious predicament.

Season 8 begins with "A Beautiful Day," which opens with a stunning shot of Miami's skyline. The episode opens with a brief recap of the previous season's events, particularly the shocking death of Dexter's sister, Debra. The season picks up six months after Debra's death, with a new and different-looking Dexter living a new life.

In the first scene, we see Dexter now living as a lumberjack in the small town of Iron Lake, located in Oregon. Dexter has chosen this profession as an escape from his previous existence, and it’s clear that he’s left his former life completely behind. Living a solitary life in a cabin by a serene lake, Dexter is determined to keep his murderous tendencies buried and start afresh.

However, Dexter’s past soon catches up with him as he finds a new victim, which leads him to the scene of an accident where he witnesses a horrific crash that sets off a series of events that will bring his life back into the chaos he thought he had left behind. In the aftermath, Dexter must confront a difficult decision about whether to intervene or remain in hiding.

Meanwhile, Dexter's old Miami Metro homicide department colleagues are investigating a series of murders that are seemingly unrelated but in fact, may have ties to Dexter and his past. A new homicide detective named Angie Miller is introduced, and she's already started to make an impression on the team’s lead detective, Angel Batista, who is her boss. Another subplot revolves around a young woman named Jamie Batista, Angel's sister, who is now Dexter's new nanny for his son, Harrison. She is smart, attractive and seems to hold a close bond with Dexter's son, Harrison.

In addition to all this, Dexter begins to see visions of his past, with his sister Debra haunting him in his dreams. It has a profound effect on him, causing him to question his choices and whether he was responsible for Debra's death. Additionally, Dexter starts to engage in conversations with his dead sister, which leads him to dig into his subconscious and go back to his old life in Miami to find answers to his past.

"A Beautiful Day" sets up a lot of intriguing storylines for the season to come. The opening episode of the new chapter takes its time to establish a new setting, new characters, and new challenges for Dexter, and it does so successfully. It's clear from the outset that season 8 won’t be an easy ride for Dexter, and the writers have set the groundwork for some exciting storyline developments.

Overall, Dexter season 8 episode 1 titled “A Beautiful Day” marks a strong start to the final season of the show, with plenty of exciting storylines to follow. The episode is a mixture of drama, suspense, and thrilling action sequences that leave audiences on the edge of their seat and eager to know what comes next. In addition, Michael C. Hall's performance as Dexter once again takes center stage, delivering an engaging performance as a man trying to move on from his past, but being pulled back into it. Fans of the show will not be disappointed with the opening episode's direction and execution, and it serves as a promising beginning for the rest of the season.