It seems like ages since we’ve had any Dexter news to chew on. So it feels delightfully ironic that, unlike the effect he has on his victims, this new Dexter season 6 teaser has breathed new life into me!

There’s no new footage, but it still gave me chills, and if it doesn’t get you excited for new Dexter in the fall well then, sadly, I fear you may be dead already.

Adding to the goodness: Mad Men alum and former Good Guys star Colin Hanks has reportedly landed an under-wraps role in a major Season 6 arc, possibly as Dexter’s newest adversary.

Watch the teaser, and then keep reading below the video for what we know (or, more accurately, what we don’t know) about Hanks’ character and what else may be coming our way in Dexter season 6:

Regarding the teaser: Did you notice one big killer missing from the mix? That’s right, no mention of Lumen (Julia Stiles), Dexter’s most recent co-conspirator (and girlfriend) in this teaser, but we probably shouldn’t read too much into it. Could be that the producers want Dexter to fully deal with her departure at the beginning of the season, and they don’t yet want to color us on how that will happen. Or maybe her more morally ambiguous role last season just didn’t fit in with this montage of bad boys. (Hey: No mention of Lila, either. Huh.)

All I know is, hearing Deb say “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god” at the end has me squealing with anticipation that maybe this will finally be the season when she learns the truth. But again, let’s not read too much into it.

Another reason the teaser might bring up the Ice Truck Killer, Doakes, Miguel and the Trinity Killer? Season 6 may mark a return to those stories that so enthralled us in Dexter’s past. Or so Showtime president David Nevins has me hoping, after reading this quote he gave TV Line’s Michael Ausiello: “Dexter this season will be in some ways a return to the Dexter that you’ve seen in the early seasons. There’s a really interesting story and journey that he’s going to be on this year. There’s going to be some degree of getting back to his roots.”

Even if Deb doesn’t learn the truth about Dexter, it sounds like she will get ever closer: “There will be a microscope on the Deb/Dexter relationship this season. Over time you’re going to see that relationship evolve and change, no questions about it.” Vague, but promising.

Production on Dexter season 6 begins later this May, and Nevins confirmed that, despite his earlier “back to its roots” talk, the season won’t be structured around just one Big Bad: “There’s one interesting story that will move through the season, and it will be cast very interestingly, but it’s not exactly that one person.”

Again: vague. But that “one person” kingpin in the center of Dexter’s next problem could very well be Colin Hanks’ mystery character — unless he’s set to play one of these three other recurring roles (it’d have to be Louis, if any) currently being shopped by Showtime:

Jamie: Described as an outgoing and fun Latina in her mid-20s, this Florida native relocates to Miami for grad school.

Chicago Mike: New thirtysomething African-American homicide detective who possesses a finely-tuned BS detector. The Windy City native does not play well with Dexter others. (Doakes 2.0?)

Louis: A buddy of Masuka’s (C.S. Lee) who joins MMP as a new lab intern. Role calls for a Caucasian actor in his 30s who is “attractive in his own way.”

Thanks, TV Line, for all the great scoop! I’ll keep you posted as I find out more, but until then: What do you make of all these Dexter half-spoilers?

(Images courtesy of Showtime/FOX)

Meghan Carlson

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The OfficeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.