Dexter's critical and cultural reception would make one of TV history's most fascinating line graphs. People loved watching Michael C. Hall butcher killers for five seasons, but the sixth was despised. Some saw the seventh as a return to form, but it remains controversial. The unquestioned MVP of season seven is Ray Stevenson's villain, Ukrainian mob boss Isaak Sirko.

Ray Stevenson was 24 when he made his big-screen debut. He's the kind of dedicated character actor who pops up everywhere. He's best known as Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone, Volstaag the Voluminous in the Thor trilogy, Danny Greene in Kill the Irishman, and Scott Buxton in RRR. His tragic passing shocked fans, who then watched his excellent performance in Ahsoka. He was a beloved performer who will be missed.

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Who Did Ray Stevenson play on Dexter?

Ray Stevenson portrays Isaak Sirko in Dexter season seven. Sirko, sometimes known as The Wolf, is a high-ranking leader in the Koshka Brotherhood. His gang is a Ukrainian criminal operation that traffics heroin and humans around the world. In Miami, their business runs through The Fox Hole, their strip club. The Koshka Brotherhood are the main antagonists of season seven, but the show does provide some information about Isaak Sirko's life before he became a mob boss.

Sirko was born in Kiev on 25 May 1964. His family had a strange relationship with revenge. Isaak's great-uncle was a celebrated soldier in the Red Army. His local fame led a Soviet Party official to grow jealous and attack. The bureaucrat stole Isaak's great-uncle's home and ordered the war hero executed when he fought back. The official had Isaak's grandfather shipped off to Siberia to avoid reprisal for the killing. After the fall of the USSR, Isaak's grandfather returned and stabbed the official to death. Isaak likely learned from that story.

Isaak enters Dexter Morgan's life in earnest. He isn't a serial killer. He's an assassin who dispassionately takes human lives to further the goals of his criminal enterprise. Isaak doesn't share Dexter's alienation from emotions. He's a romantic who sees love as the ultimate motivator. Isaak comes to Miami to find Dexter after discovering the Bay Harbor Butcher killed his clandestine lover, Viktor Baskov. Isaak Sirko is another equal and opposite of Dexter Morgan. He has a code, but his morals are warped. He's easygoing and capably violent, but love drives him to kill. He's a compelling villain who might feel more at home in a spy movie than Dexter.

What happens to Ray Stevenson's Dexter character?

Isaak finds Dexter before he knows what he looks like. They share a casual chat before Isaak learns who he's looking for. After he finds out, they circle each other for a while. Isaak breaks into Dexter's apartment, but he tricks him into leaving. Dexter sets a trap for Isaak, but Isaak kills the three goons Dexter sent. Isaak shoots at Dexter in public, but he misses. They meet in a bar to discuss motivations, leading Dexter to abandon another assassination attempt. Dexter learns that men like him can love, warming his opinion of Isaak. Eventually, the Koshka Brotherhood sends killers after Isaak to prevent his revenge obsession from upending the business. This briefly puts Isaak and Dexter on the same side.

Isaak kidnaps Dexter's new girlfriend. He orders Dexter to kill the men coming after him. Dexter takes one assassin out alone. Dexter and Isaak work together to eliminate the other target. When the job is done, Isaak tosses their weapons into the sea and agrees to a ceasefire. Isaak is heartened by Dexter's messy attempts to find love, so he prepares to leave Miami forever. Unfortunately, another Koshka brother attacks while Isaak is unarmed. George Novikov takes the place of the would-be assassins and shoots Isaak, running away when Dexter turns to retaliate. Isaak finds respect for Dexter before he dies. His last wish is to be buried at sea, where Dexter left his lover Viktor. Dexter is sincerely devastated by Isaak's death. Isaak's final message seems to enlighten him about the importance of love, even in lives like theirs. He obliges Isaak's last request, sinking him into the water alongside Viktor. Isaak's last words are simple, yet poignant:

There's hope for you yet...

Ray Stevenson imbues Isaak Sirko with the usual blend of easy charisma and distinct interrogation he brought to many characters. Sirko is far from the first villain anyone thinks of when they remember Dexter. The Trinity Killer, James Doakes, the Ice Truck Killer, and even Lila come to mind first. Sirko doesn't immediately feel at home in Dexter, a show about forensic investigation and surgical serial murders. However, he's a fascinating mirror to the title character. He's a killer with a heart of gold. An illicit relationship changed his life, giving Dexter the guidance he needed to pursue love again. Isaak Sirko might be the most honorable killer in the series. Ray Stevenson, as always, delivers an excellent character performance as Isaak Sirko in Dexter.

Dexter

Release Date: October 31, 2010
Cast: David Zayas , Michael C. Hall , Lauren Velez , C. S. Lee , James Remar , Jennifer Carpenter , Desmond Harrington , Julie Benz
Seasons: 8