Rita Bennett Biography

warning this might contain spoilers.

• Dexter Morgan, husband
• Debra Morgan, sister-in-law
• Astor Bennett, daughter
• Cody Bennett, son
• Harrison Morgan, son
• Gail Brandon, mother
• Paul Bennett, ex-husband

History:

Rita is a mother of two who is slowly recovering from being abused by her ex-husband, Paul. Dexter was originally introduced to her by Debra, who responded to the domestic violence call and saved her life. Rita tentatively started a relationship with Dexter, while remaining unaware of how he spends all of his free time. Her past abuse made her temporarily uninterested in sex, which worked well for Dexter. Rita stood up to Paul by demanding he sign the divorce papers he refused in prison and she offers supervised weekly visits. He at first tries to intimidate her, but signs them when she doesn't back down. Paul comes into the house drunk one night, and Rita reluctantly lets him in. He wrestles her on her bed and she successfully knocks him out with a baseball bat. He then sued her for custody of the kids. Dexter takes it into his own hands by knocking him out and making it appear Paul had taken illegal drugs again, and he is sent back to prison. Paul pleads with her in prison not to let Dexter near their children, claiming that Dexter had framed him, but she brushes him off. She later finds Paul's shoe outside of her house — just where he said it ended up after Dexter knocked him out.

Rita's relationship with Dexter becomes troubled after this. Discovering what Dexter did to Paul, she suspects that Dexter owned the drugs Paul was injected with. Dexter allows her to think he is an addict, as it is better than saying he is a serial killer. She pushes him into Narcotics Anonymous and threatens to leave him when he expresses reluctance. She is very supportive of this even though her mother who is visiting encourages her to break it off with Dexter saying he's just like Paul. Although he begins to work through the program, Rita suspects he is having an affair with his sponsor, Lila, and breaks up with him, which pleased her mother to no end. Rita's mother stayed with her for a while but her mother is a perfectionist and very judgmental. Her attitude causes Rita to break off all ties with her mother and force her to leave her home, not wanting her children to be exposed to her. When Rita tries to reconcile with Dexter, she learns that the relationship was now a romantic and sexual one. Rita makes the break official, although her children still try to maintain a relationship with Dexter. After Dexter lies to Lila about working late Lila breaks into Rita's house, afraid that they had rekindled their relationship. Angered, Dexter breaks up with her. The next day, Dexter apologized to Rita for his infidelity, saying that Lila is one of his biggest mistakes. Later, she calls him and states she wants him back, due to her "feelings for him." His breakup with Lila, his love for Rita and her children, and his sincere regret over what he had done convinces Rita to start dating him again.

Rita is really enjoying her relationship with Dexter once again, and then suddenly discovers, unexpectedly, that she's pregnant with Dexter's baby. Knowing that being a single parent was one of her few achievements, Rita decided to keep the baby, and left Dexter's role in the child's life entirely up to him. After much deliberation, Dexter decided that he'll be there for the child and Rita eventually accepts his marriage proposal. Rita lost her job when she was rude to a customer due to raging hormones of the pregnancy which she hadn't told her boss about. Luckily she got back on her feet by being hired by Sylvia Prado, her friend, as her assistant at least for the time being. She told Dexter she had only been married to Paul before but her mother sent her a card saying "Third times the charm". Dexter discovered that Rita was briefly married when she was sixteen,. She also lied outright when he subtly asked her about it. After some reflection, he decided to let Rita keep her secrets as he would be keeping his own.

After the baby (named Harrison after Dexter's father) is born, Rita and Dexter move in together to a house in the suburbs. It is apparent at this time she is not working any more and has become a stay at home mother. Rita begins to notice a pattern of lies by Dexter, including that he kept his old apartment. Rita and Dexter then go to a marriage counselor, who sorts out their problems and puts peace between them. However, their neighbor, Elliot, begins to fall for Rita. On Thanksgiving Elliot kissed her and pointing out that Dexter is never home. Though she initially kisses him back, she quickly ends it before something begins. She eventually admits this to Dexter, and is disappointed by that he does not seem to care. However, she later sees him punching Elliot over it. Dexter feigns concern when Rita tells him she saw, but then tells him that she is glad that he cared that much.

Dexter, aggravated at the obstacles he kept encountering in his quest to kill Trinity, is arrested for assaulting a policeman. Rita picks him up after receiving a call from the jail. Dexter expresses disappointment in himself, and apologizes to Rita for being the second husband she has had to pick up from jail. Rita tells him that when Paul was in jail it was a relief but with Dexter she is more afraid that if he were removed their world would be shattered. Dexter tells her that he has demons inside of him, and is afraid of what they will do; but she assures him that she loves him, and that he can conquer any demons that he has. Rita suggests that while Cody and Astor are at Disney World with their grandparents (Paul's parents), her and Dexter (with Harrison in tow) have a honeymoon in the keys. He agrees suggesting that she head there first and he'll take a later flight after work although he really plans to use that time to finally kill Trinity. Rita agreed and once Astor and Cody leave she and Harrison head for the airport. Dexter returns home to find a voicemail from Rita, who tells him she left her ID at home, and would take a later flight after going back to pick it up. Dexter calls Rita and is shocked to find that her phone and purse are at the house. He then hears Harrison crying, and proceeds to the bathroom where he finds Harrison in a pool of blood and Rita's lifeless body in the blood-filled bathtub, an apparent last act by the Trinity Killer. He appears to be genuinely devastated by her death, rushing to her side, before he picks Harrison up and carries him away.

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