11. John Lithgow Technically Appeared In Season One
The Trinity Killer was one of the most engaging, frightening season-long villains in the history of Dexter, and getting John Lithgow to play the character was a real coup. He's still best known to audiences at the goofy alien patriarch in sci-fi sitcom Third Rock From The Sun, or else as the voice of the bad guy from the first Shrek film. Not somebody who you'd expect to be a depraved serial killer, which is exactly what that role needed. Lithgow coming aboard wasn't only interesting because of his past roles, but because he's a high-profile actor who's been in the industry for decades. In fact, one of his breakthrough roles was in Terms Of Endearment, released all the way back in 1983. And it's that film which Dexter and Rita sit down to watch together in the very first season of Dexter. That means that, technically, John Lithgow actually appeared in the show some three seasons before he was actually cast as a recurring character. That's some crazy-good foreshadowing on the part of the writers (or an amazing coincidence).
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
