Given Showtime's surprising decision to bump 'Dexter's potentially final season up to June 30 from its usual September air date, what hasn't surprised us is the multiple casting announcements arriving fast and furious as production gets underway for an earlier start. One such role we heard about was a recurring part for 'The Walking Dead' star Nick Gomez, but no details of the character were available at the time. Now, as 'Dexter' season 8 prepares to get underway, we've learned a bit more about who Gomez plays, and it might end up seriously bad news for Dexter's sister, now partner-in-crime Deb!

As 'Dexter' season 8 prepares to go before cameras, more and more details are becoming available of the new roles being cast, and what shape the potentially final year for Miami's most deadly serial killer will take. Following up on the actor's own announcement, TVLine has revealed that 'The Walking Dead' star Nick Gomez will play a recurring role in the upcoming eight season as hitman Javier "El Sapo" Guzman, who comes into conflict with Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) when the Miami Metro lieutenant comes between El Sapo and his target.

Gomez was best remembered on 'The Walking Dead' for appearing in the initial two episodes of the third season as traitorous prisoner Tomas, whose skull Rick cleaved with a machete. Maybe he'll get some payback this time around?

Elsewhere, ‘Dexter’ season 8 cast additions Charlotte Rampling as criminal profiling neuro-psychiatrist Dr. Evelyn Vogel, and ‘The Boondock Saints’ star Sean Patrick Flanery as ex-cop turned private-eye Jacob Elroy. Showtime has yet to make a definitive statement about season 8 being the final year for ‘Dexter,’ but it’s certainly been implied before.

What say you? Could Deb be in danger of biting the big one this year? What do you want to see from 'Dexter' season 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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