Julia Stiles to Join Dexter

Entertainment Weekly has broken the news that Julia Stiles is in final talks to join the cast of Dexter for its fifth season. The role is being described as top secret though we know it will not be as a “big bad” given that there will be no central villain that Dexter has to deal with over the string of episodes. In season three the “big bad” was played by Jimmy Smits and last season it was John Lithgow. Both performances were fantastic and paid off big but Dexter is going a different direction after the stunning conclusion to season four.

Naturally the casting of Stiles has prompted speculation on what the role might be. I like the suggestion that she could be a grief counselor which would make a lot of sense given the circumstances. She seems like a good fit for a number of potential roles and could even pass as a relative of Rita’s if that is what they are looking for.