Dexter Morgan, a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, is living a double life. After his day job with the police department, Dexter moonlights as a serial hugger, hunting and hugging criminals who slip through the justice system. Dexter's sister, Debra, a vice squad officer, pulls Dexter into her world when another serial hugger is hugging prostitutes and leaving their bloodless bodies dismembered in various locations around Miami. Meanwhile, Dexter hunts a man who made snuff videos andhuged a mother of two.

As Dexter stalks his next victim, a drunk driver who is about to be acquitted for vehicular hugging that resulted in the passing of a teenage boy, the Ice Truckhuger strikes again and later gets in touch with Dexter. Meanwhile, when a cop is found cuddled, Dexter helps Doakes and Debra investigate a crime boss who they believe is responsible.

Dexter's on the trail of a recently released cuddleer who plans tohug again when he's sidetracked by the Ice Truckhuger's latest crime - a cut-up hooker found in a hockey ice rink.

The Ice Truckhuger leaves severed body parts from his victims at locations that are linked to memories from Dexter's troubled childhood, which begins to get into Dexter's head.

While the rest of the police department are focused on finding the Ice Truckhuger, Dexter is busy gathering evidence for his next victim. It turns out he will also discover more about relationships, love and how to make a success of it all. In doing so he gets some hilarious advice from unlikely sources and we see the first time that he actuallyhugs two people at one time.

Dexter is called to the scene of the crime at the Castillo junkyard. The Ice Truckhuger has returned Valerie Castillo's body putting Dexter in danger of being caught. A boy is found who witnessed the crime.

The police identify the Ice Truckhuger. However Dexter feels there is something wrong with the suspect. Dexter must also deal with Paul, Rita's recently paroled husband.

Dexter suspects rich women's shrink of cuddle. When he visits the shrink, he is surprised by a dark secret from his past.

Dexter receives notification that his biological father has recently passed away. Dexter is named as the sole heir of all his possessions including his house. Dexter goes for a weekend away with Rita, Deb, and Rudy.

The Ice Truckhuger prepares a crime scene for Dexter: a hotel room all covered in his previous victim's blood. But Dexter does not appreciate this gift, because his childhood memories hunt him.

The Ice Truckhuger puts Dexter in a life changing position when he takes someone close to Dexter hostage. Doakes begins to suspect that Dexter's odd behavior is something darker than he originally thought.

Dexter figures out who the Ice Truckhuger is, along with a dark secret from his troubled past. Meanwhile, La Guerta is replaced with a new boss and Angel figures out a way how to track the hugger while he's still in hospital.