Dexter aired on the Showtime network in October 2006. I was 9 years old, so it should go without saying that I didn’t watch it back then. Fast forward to 10 years later, I started watching it on Netflix after it was recommended to me. I had always seen it being referenced in other movies and TV shows, but avoided it as I'm not a big horror or crime fan. There are lots of things I like about the show. I thought it was interesting that it was set in Miami, as so many crime shows are set in Los Angeles and New York (with the exception of CSI: Miami lol).
Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst by day and vigilante serial killer by night. We learn more about Dexter through his internal monologue throughout the show and flashback scenes to his childhood. He was adopted when he was three by Harry, a police officer. He is close with his adoptive sister Deb, who also works for the the Miami Metro Police Department. Harry recognised from an early stage that Dexter was different. He lacked empathy for other people, didn’t pick up on social cues, and had the urge to hurt animals. Harry knew that Dexter's desire to kill wouldn't go away, so he helped him to develop a code of so-called morally acceptable people to kill, when the justice system fails and criminals fly under the radar.
On the surface, Dexter is a likeable guy. He’s awkward but oddly charming. He brings donuts into work because he doesn't know how to bond with people, but recognises that they respond well to free food. We see the manipulative side of his personality come out more when he provokes Doakes by headbutting him in the office, and then acts innocent. As a viewer, I don't want Dexter to be caught because of the devastating impact it would have on the people in his life, Rita, Cody and Astor, Deb, as well as his colleagues and friends, Angel, LaGuerta, Vince. At the same time, I want him to stop killing people, but that would the defeat the whole purpose of the show.
The answer to the question about whether Dexter can still be considered a good person becomes crystal clear when he frames Doakes for his murders. Dexter's arsonist ex-girlfriend Lila murders Doakes in Season 2, and he unknowingly goes down for The Bay Habour Butcher murders. The tragedy of Doakes is that the memory of him as a decent person and dedicated Sergeant are destroyed. Only three people attend Doakes’ funeral, his mother and two sisters.
I thought I'd talk a little bit about the things that I like and dislike about the first two series and this genre of television in general.
Things I Like: Fleshed-Out Characters
(pun intended)
James Doakes
The viewer feels somewhat loyal to Dexter because he is the main character, the one taking us on this journey with him. That’s why Doakes feels like a threat. He’s the only person who suspects something is off with Dexter. Doakes is one of my favourite characters. He’s complex and has some hilarious lines. He makes it abundantly clear that he doesn’t like or trust Dexter and throws regular insults at him.
Grab a crayon psycho, and scribble this down.
Deborah Morgan
Deb is an emotional person, and Dexter is emotionally stunted. Her ability to express how she’s feeling further contrasts Dexter’s inability to understand and empathise with people. She also provides comic relief.
Angelo Baptista
Baptista represents morality, even his nickname Angel suggests this. He isn't perfect, it's revealed that he is separated from his wife as he cheated on her, but fronts to his colleagues that they’re still together. Angel is faced with a moral dilemma after Doakes shoots a man in Series 1 Episode 9, Father Knows Best.
When my father was dying, he just asked me for one thing. Debería ser un hombre honesto. Be an honest man. That’s all he asked. I made him that promise and that’s why I’m a cop.
María LaGuerta
LaGuerta is hard to like at the beginning. She gives off 'pick me girl' energy, attempting to embarrass and undermine Deb at any opportunity. She slowly starts to recognise Deb’s talent as a detective and becomes more supportive of her.
Rita Bennett
Rita is traumatised from her abusive marriage with her ex-husband Paul who is in prison at the beginning of the series. He is released later on due to overcrowding, and becomes a threat to her once again. Dexter's wholesome reactions with her and her children reinforce this idea of him being a normal, pleasant guy.
Rudy Cooper/The Ice Truck Killer/Brian Moser
The focus of Series 1 is the Ice Truck Killer, a serial murderer who targets prostitutes. He takes a special interest in Dexter, which of course Dexter can't reveal to the police without causing suspicion. We're first introduced to Rudy as the man in charge of providing Ice Truck Killer victim Tony Tucci's prosthetic limbs. He starts dating Deb, and it's revealed to the audience before any of the characters on the show that he is the Ice Truck Killer. Even more shockingly, we find out that he is actually Dexter's biological brother, and his real name is Brian Moser. One of the most harrowing moments in the first series is when Dexter feels he has no choice but to kill Brian. He frames it as a suicide, and The Ice Truck Killer case is closed. Dexter mourns the loss of his brother but can't tell anyone about it. Deb is beyond traumatised and starts to doubt her ability as a detective because she couldn't see that she was with a murderer this whole time. It's sad to see.
Things I Like: Cinematography 🎥
I also like that Dexter breaks the fourth wall every now and then.
The cinematography in Episode 10, Seeing Red feels like a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. The scene when Dexter emerges from the elevator, followed by the horrendous bloodbath in the hotel room.
The title sequence in itself is a work of art! The symbolism is on point
Things I Don't Like: Romanticisation of Serial Killers in Media
Joe Goldberg from You (2018-present), Paul Spector from The Fall (2013-2016) and Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019).
The fetishisation and romanticisation of serial killers can not only be seen in fictional media, but also in true crime documentaries, and it's a serious problem. Heinous serial killers Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez received fan mail and marriage proposals while they were in prison for murdering innocent people.
Real tweets from real people. I decided to censor their usernames.
Much like Dexter, Rudy/Brian is a charismatic, conventionally attractive white man who is killing people right under everyone’s noses (his race is relevant, because of white privilege). No one suspects him because of his career choice, his relationship with a detective, and his charming personality. Similarly, no one suspected Ted Bundy because he seemed like “a very nice person”. Season 1, Episode 11 is unbelievably tense. Watching Deb realise who Rudy really is is distressing, very well acted by Jennifer Carpenter.
This is what the judge famously said to Ted Bundy during his sentencing.
You’re a bright young man. You’d have made a good lawyer. I would've loved to have you practice in front of me. But you went another way, partner.
Needless to say, absolutely abhorrent.
The Downfall of Dexter
Some shows end at the right time, others don’t. Breaking Bad had the same running time as Dexter, but it never lost the pacing, the tension, the impeccable character development. There are a couple of episodes from Season 3 which are just about tolerable, but with the introduction of Miguel’s character it becomes ridiculous. I found it so cringeworthy. There are lines from the show which I still clown to this day, like the "key lime pie" fiasco. This was meant to be a moving scene, but I just couldn't take it seriously. There were so many clichés, so much repetition of lines from episode to episode, it just became annoying. My main problem with it was that it started to lack realism. Dexter takes a massive risk in so many situations, going back to crime scenes after hours (like the time he goes back to the hotel room where one of the Ice Truck Killer crimes took place, and lies down on the carpet). It also makes no sense to me that Harry reappears in episodes as Dexter's moral conscience even after it's revealed that he was horrified and sickened by Dexter after he found out about his first kill.
It makes sense that producers would milk this show for all that it's worth, considering the massive success and cult following. I haven’t seen the final season, and I don’t have any desire to. Many fans felt down by the way it ended. For some, the show already ended after Season 4 when they felt it had peaked. For me, it was Season 2. I can still appreciate how good the first two were and would recommend them to anyone. Just nothing beyond that.
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