"Dexter" Is Back to His Murderous Ways

When "Dexter" first hit the airwaves in 2006, no one quite knew to make of the show about a forensics expert by day who is a serial murderer by night.

Now in its fifth season "Dexter" is one of the most talked about programs on TV, racking up critical acclaim and "killer" ratings.

Michael C. Hall plays "Dexter," after losing his wife is now "dying" to get back in the killing game.

"In spite of everything that has happened, Dexter continues to indulge in his killing," Hall told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez.

But is there a hint of weakness in him this time around?

"I think what happens at the end of the fourth season, everything he's built for himself has been sort of dismantled and shattered and, I think he's struggling with a sense of responsibility for what he's lost, for his wife's death, and he has a feeling of guilt that he never anticipated having," Hall explained.

Rodriguez points out that the show just keeps getting better and better and that the bar was set so high with season four, especially the finale -- so how can they top it now?

"It is amazing. We have a roomful of writers that manage to keep so many plates spinning and keep moving the character in places he's never anticipated going and finished the first season, I thought, we should just stop, right? But somehow, they've managed to keep some sort of forward momentum characterizing each of the seasons and, yeah, last season went out with a bang, but we're having a good time this one," he said.

In addition to a strong script, there have been stellar guest appearances as well, including John Lithgow last season, Jimmy Smits the season before and this season, Julia Stiles, among others.

How do you entice these big actors to come on the show?

"I don't know. It's a shot in the arm when we are able to attract people of this caliber to join us," Hall said.

Any hints what Stiles' character will do?

"Sometimes I feel like Dexter's press secretary, answering questions without saying anything, but she serendipitously appears in Dexter's life at the end of a third season and start a relationship that is adversarial. Through his relationship through the character Julia Stiles plays, Dexter is moving towards atoning for his wife's murder," he explained.

Fans can watch Stiles in the third episode, which airs Sunday.

When Hall isn't taking on the complexities of Dexter, he's been facing some personal battles of his own, which he's thankfully recovering from.

Hall was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma late last year and underwent treatment, but is in remission now.

"I am. I have been for some time. Treatment wrapped up mid-March this past spring. I feel great, very fortunate," he said.

Hall was diagnosed at 38 -- his father was 39 were when he died of cancer.

"I turned 39 over the course of my treatment. But, yeah, that coincidence was not lost on me," he admitted.

How did he look beyond his father's death to think, "I'm going to beat this?"

"Well, you know, I think I was lucky to be diagnosed with something that's very treatable and curable and I caught it early and I'm just thankful for that," he said.

Hall kept his diagnosis a secret from his castmates while shooting season four.

"Well, we were probably two and a half episodes away from finishing the season and everybody is running on fumes at that point and I think sometimes with something like this, not only do you manage your own response but you have to manage the response of people around you. And it was probably a way to just keep it close for a time and just not have the end of the season feel like it was about anything other than our collective desire to make a good show and, you know, and I knew that the news of it would come out eventually," he said.

"We're glad to see you doing so well," Rodriguez said.

You can catch "Dexter" on Showtime on Sunday night at 9:00, 8:00 central.