My Bad (Dexter)

In its original American broadcast, "My Bad" was seen by an estimated 1.77 million household viewers with a 0.8/2 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 2 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast watched it.^[2] This was a 32% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 2.58 million household viewers with a 1.3/3 in the 18–49 demographics.^[3]

"My Bad" received highly positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.5 out of 10, and wrote, "The funeral scene might have made for a natural opening scene for this episode if Dexter was adhering to its own usual framework. Instead, Executive Producer, Sara Colleton, and new showrunner, Chip Johannessen, felt the need to honor Rita's character by giving the audience a chance to grieve and say their own farewells. Personally, I appreciated Rita, but I didn't really need to grieve for her as much as this show thinks I did. I enjoyed what she meant to Dexter himself, but beyond that I didn't need to watch everyone on the show, piecemeal, discover the horrible news of her death."^[4]

Emily St. James of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "There's no real sense of where Dexter goes from here – unlike in the other seasons, the show doesn't introduce a major new arc or villain – but as a season premiere, this works fantastically. Dealing with a character's death, particularly when that character had worn out his or her welcome, can be a tricky proposition for a long-running show, but Dexter finds a way to do it that suggests the darkness just over the horizon and that there will be no redemption for this man. For as goofy as the show can play him, it hasn't forgotten that he's a force of pure destruction, and that's a relief."^[5] Lizzy Goodman of Vulture wrote, "Dexter has spent four seasons trying to coax his two conflicting personae into coexistence, and so far he's failed. He now seems determined to try again. But questions abound: What do we make of the fact that Dexter gains clarity in this episode only after committing a murder that breaks his own code?"^[6]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "a great start to the season, and I like the idea that this year won't have one Big Bad – because who could top Lithgow? – and as much as Dexter misses Rita, the show itself is better off without her after the way she was written the last couple of seasons."^[7] Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Back on the mainland, Dexter came back to attend Rita's funeral, looking out of place in khakis and a blue shirt. Among his ponderings during the eulogy: "She had a big heart, big enough for the both of us, had to be, I wasn't even human when we first met." But, readers, is he human now? And if so, is that even more dangerous?"^[8]

Billy Grifter of Den of Geek wrote, "Dexter, I've decided, is like one of those people you don’t mind turning up unannounced at your door. The ones that you're welcome to see and never overstay their welcome. It's great to have this show back on TV, and I can't wait for the next eleven slices, because the track record of this show dictates that they'll come easily off the bone."^[9] Gina DiNunno of TV Guide wrote, "Everyone is restless standing around Rita's casket at the cemetery — especially Deb. Just before Quinn is able to tell Deb about the Elliot-Dexter thing, Dexter pulls up. The funeral begins and Dexter gives a very touching eulogy that seems as though it actually came from the heart."^[10]

Claire Zulkey of Los Angeles Times wrote, "As always, the drama at Miami Metro is a distant second to that in Dexter's life, but thus far it doesn't seem to compete with our favorite serial killer, who has to pick up the pieces and move on, or at least appear that way."^[11] Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A" grade.^[12]

• "My Bad" at IMDb