Who is the Skinner in Dexter? Here's everything we know

Dexter, the Showtime series that aired from 2006 to 2013, followed Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician by day and serial killer by night. The show introduced fans to many chilling villains. One of the most disturbing was The Skinner, also known as George King. Jesse Borrego played the role in season three, from episode three to episode eight.

The Skinner was calm and soft-spoken on the surface, but hid a terrifying personality. His name came from his brutal method of torturing victims by removing their skin. This made him one of the most fearsome characters Dexter Morgan ever faced.

The Skinner's character in Dexter

Before becoming The Skinner, he was Jorge Orozco, who was born in Nicaragua. He served in the Resistencia Nicaraguense, a rebel military group in his home country. He climbed the ranks to become a Captain, leading a unit that specialized in interrogation. Orozco became known as “The Blade” for his cruel techniques. He didn’t just question people, he tortured them. This experience made him obsessed with control and deeply fixated on earning respect.

Eventually, he left the military and started a new life in the U.S., settling in Miami. He changed his name to George King and opened a tree-trimming business. But his dark urges didn’t go away suddenly. Instead, they evolved into something even more twisted.

In Dexter season three, The Skinner’s story begins when one of his associates, Freebo, vanishes. Unknown to him, Dexter had killed Freebo earlier in the season. However, King believes Freebo is hiding and has disrespected him by running off. Determined to track Freebo down, King begins digging through the streets of Miami. He questions anyone who may know something and uses his violent methods on those who don’t cooperate.

In the third episode, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, King is questioned by police. He stays calm and agrees to provide a list of his workers. But the tension rises when his employee Mario becomes nervous at the mention of King talking to the cops. Later, King tries to shift the blame by telling the police that Mario once killed someone back in Nicaragua. This only makes the police more suspicious.

The situation escalates in episode eight, The Damage a Man Can Do. Debra Morgan grows concerned when Anton Briggs disappears. She finds his apartment empty and notices that the nearby trees have been freshly trimmed, pointing to King. By the next episode, About Last Night, the police confirm that Anton was kidnapped by The Skinner.

Debra and Quinn break into King’s shed without a warrant. When King returns home, they bring him in for more questioning. He stays silent, and they’re forced to let him go after a private talk with ADA Miguel Prado. Eventually, Debra and Quinn learn from Mario where Anton is being held. They stop King just in time.

In episode ten, Go Your Own Way, King watches Dexter Morgan and Miguel argue from afar. Miguel later tells King that Morgan is the only person who knows Freebo’s whereabouts. This sets King’s sights on Morgan. By episode eleven, I Had a Dream, King is on the run. Debra and Quinn find him in a vacant house, but he escapes after injuring Quinn. King’s violence only grows more desperate.

In the finale, episode twelve, Do You Take Dexter Morgan?, Morgan frames King for Miguel’s murder. King retaliates by kidnapping Dexter and taking him to a warehouse to torture him. But Dexter outsmarts him. He reveals that he killed Freebo and has already disposed of the body.

This rattles King, exposing that his real motive is not revenge, but his love of torture. Morgan breaks free and, after a brutal fight, snaps King’s neck. To avoid suspicion, Dexter stages the scene to look like a suicide. When the police arrive, they find King’s body dragged across the floor. His face is partially skinned, a cruel twist of fate.

The Skinner was one of the show's most sadistic killers. Driven by control and a need for respect, his mask of being a normal man hid a monster. In the end, Dexter caught up with him.

Dexter is streaming on Paramount Plus with Showtime.

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