Rita Bennett's taste in men has improved since leaving her violent ex-husband. Now she's dating a fellow who has real charm and, unbeknownst to her, is a serial killer -- oh, but he's the ethical, principled kind who kills only other killers.
Murrysville native Julie Benz -- best known for her role as the vampire Darla on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" -- will play Rita on the new Showtime series "Dexter," which debuts Sunday night.

Benz plays the girlfriend of Dexter Morgan, portrayed by actor Michael C. Hall from "Six Feet Under." Dexter, a blood-spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, is obsessed with carrying out his own twisted brand of justice: hunting down and killing the guilty.

He and Rita, Benz says, make the ultimately dysfunctional -- and yet, somehow, good -- pair. 

"She is very damaged and fragile and needy, and yet despite all that, a hopeless romantic," Benz says. The actress lives in Los Angeles with her husband, actor John Kassir, but sometimes comes back to the Pittsburgh area to visit.

Prior to dating Dexter, Benz's character had a husband who beat and raped her. Struggling with raising two children on her own, she is vulnerable and naive. Dexter, with his charming and cool exterior, is very kind to her and seems to be a huge improvement over her former husband. And in a way, he is.

"She thinks that he is the perfect man. ... She really thinks that Dexter is that guy," Benz says. "She doesn't know he has this whole other side to him, and this dark element. They heal each other, and they belong together."javascript:smartbar(); Edit Smartbar

"Dexter" predominantly has a crime-drama feel, although the show has plenty of black humor in it, too, Benz says. The show explores the sometimes gray area of what is good and evil, and viewers should find themselves sympathizing with both Dexter's and Rita's characters, as flawed as they are, Benz says.

"Definitely, at first you can't help but feel so sorry for this poor woman," she says. "I think you definitely want to give her a hug."

As for the shadowy Dexter, Benz says people will find themselves rooting for him in a way.

"I think we all have those moments where you hear about ... a child that was brutalized and killed in some horrible way," Benz says. It's human nature to believe in justice, she says, and to wonder whether someone who is so evil deserves to live. Because Dexter appoints himself as the executioner of public enemies, it's hard to hate him too much.

Benz soon will be seen in other arenas as well. She has the leading role in a new Lifetime movie thriller, "Circle of Friends," and also stars in the upcoming independent film "Kill Your Darlings."