Last season Dexter finally opened up to the possibility of love, so there's hope that a new relationship could blossom between the blood splatter expert and his child's caretaker, even if their dispositions are polar opposites. TVGuide.com chatted with Off the Map's Garcia, who also discusses Jaime's relationship with her brother and the constant danger a nanny to a serial killer faces, especially when she's practically living with him:
What can you tell us about your character, Jamie?
Aimee Garcia: She's a carefree, smart graduate student. She's studying Child Psychology, so being a nanny is a perfect job for her. She's a very good nanny and absolutely adores Harrison and equally adores Dexter and thinks he's the best dad in the world. She's completely unaware of his extracurricular activities. Read more after the jump...
What is the dynamic like between Batista and his sister?
Garcia: She has the typical little sister-older brother relationship where he gets super-protective, so much so it may get him into trouble. They have a good bond and healthy relationship. He's almost like a second father to her, though they didn't grow up in the same household. She's equally as protective of him, and she's realizing he's gone through a lot, with two divorces under his belt, and he loves the ladies, like any Cuban man would.
How does her carefree attitude compare to Dexter's dark side?
Garcia: Dexter carries the weight of the world on his shoulders...all of his dark secrets weigh heavily on him. But Jamie has no cares in the world. She's fun, free and doesn't question if she's a good person. That's the kind of positive energy Dexter wants around Harrison. Dexter always has a cloud over his head, but she probably just thinks it's because he's stressed out at work and is a single dad. Their chemistry is great and their dynamic is interesting. It's a good mix where he's kind of death and she's almost life, kind of a yin-yang type of thing.
Dexter's old nanny pushed Dexter to be more involved in Harrison's life. Will Jamie do the same?
Garcia: She's very, very protective of Harrison and she actually doesn't have a beef with Dexter. She has a beef with somebody else who you'll see early on in the season who she goes toe-to-toe with. She doesn't really chastise Dexter. She lets things roll of her back. Because she's a student, she has tons of studying to do and she frequently spends the night in Harrison's apartment. She's also smart and very aware of what's going on with the late nights, but chalks it up to processing a really big loss in Rita [Julie Benz]. They're more buddies than being at loggerheads.
Because Dexter was able to open himself up to the possibility of finding love, will a relationship develop between them?
Garcia: Maybe. I can't say. I always joke about being on the show, I feel like I work for the CIA and on a need-to-know basis. I do know that they're in close quarters and she's basically the mother of his kid right now in raising him, changing his diapers and feeding him. Harrison means the world to Dexter, so anyone who's helping Harrison live a healthy life in his developmental years, obviously holds a good place in his heart. You only get one true love in every lifetime, so Lumen [Julia Stiles] was probably that for Dexter.
How do you think she would feel if she did find out his secret?
Garcia: I think it's so out of the realm of possibilities for her. She really is such a beam of positivity and sees the best in people that I don't think it would ever cross her mind. If she ever did discover Dexter's dark secret, I think she would be shocked and mortified and obviously concerned for Harrison. She'd be like, "No, no, no, you've got the wrong guy."
Because they're in such close quarters, should we worry about what might happen if she does figure out his secret?
Garcia: When you're on a show with a serial killer, your head could roll at any time, which keeps everyone on their toes. Dexter leads a double life, and the underground life is dangerous, not only for him, but for people close to him. She might be in danger, we'll see.
The sixth season of Dexter premieres Sunday at 9/8c on Showtime.