Showtime's "Dexter" (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Superheroes seldom are judge/jury/executioner. Dexter does his business outside the system, total vigilante-style.

Dex's handling of Paul shows a little bit of growth in how he handles his urges, his own internal sense of justice, and is actually using the system to get what is needed to happen without playing the card of death on Paul.

The repressed memories that get kickstarted by Rudy's hotel room setup makes you wonder what Rudy knows about Dex, but in a way it allowed Dex to confront those memories that left deep-seated scars in him as a little child.

Rudy has to be getting nervous, he's playing a truly dangerous game, keeping himself insulated by the cops, already has Deb as an alibi for Angel's attack, smart cookie.

 

[ChrisCAB]

Did anyone else laugh out loud when Dex's sister said something along the lines of "he's not your bio dad"?

 

[KevinGress]

I have problems with this view, part of which was highlighted by Patrick.

If I have a complaint about the show, it's that it does gloss over the feelings/compulsions that Dexter has. I wish it was closer to the depiction of the book - that he constantly has a "dark passenger" with him, laughing, poking, prodding, etc. Dexter from the show is too much of a vigilantee; he murders because it's "the right thing to do" rather than he has to kill and he chooses murderers to "satisfy the code of Harry". I'd like to see the show highlight what killing does to Dexter; tense and apprehensive when planning and preparing for a kill and afterwards, calm, relieved, spent.....

Just last weekend I listened to the audio book of Darkly Dreaming Dexter and while I do wish the show would pattern Dexter more like the book, I will say otherwise I think the show is superior - it has more time to develop the characters. Ex. LaGuardia (sp?) in the book was a media hound and a fraud of a detective. In the show, while she does look for ways to advance her career through the media, she is truly a detective and isn't a fraud at all. Rita in the book is barely present; in the show, a major character and one a viewer has feelings for.

I love the show so far and have high hopes for the next season and beyond. (And I'll be cancelling Showtime until it starts back up; only thing worth watching on that channel).

 

[Henry Gale]

Dexter's expression as he contemplated Paul laid out on the kitchen floor was priceless.

 

[Chris]

The facial expressions in this show are incredible. I still think the moment a few weeks ago is the best single face shot I've seen in years. But Michael Hall has been incredible in his role.

 

[Patrick Sun]

 

[Chris Woodard]

n/m

 

[Chris]

Brilliant. That's all.

 

[mylan]

My wife and I will definitely miss this when it is over, we tivo it but still have to watch on Sunday nights (why wait?) some thoughts:
Why wasn't Paul screaming that he was framed instead of vaguely wondering how he got there?
Why does Doakes suspect Dexter? Because he doesn't show his feelings well?

Also, I just moved my sub closer to our seating position and now get way more bass, did anyone else notice the sustained low bass note when Dex's sister was at the I.T.K.s door ?

 

[Raasean Asaad]

Wow

 

[Chris]

You know, I've had the night to digest this one.. the way that the acting roles in this show are handled is what really makes it stand out for me. Every single character has their own plot and is fully realized, the characters seem to all have a reason where you feel like you know them.

In a lot of shows like this, Dexter would be scripted out and everyone else would just be wallpaper for him to play off of. Here, every character has their own unique storyline and a reason to care about them. Angel in the hospital with his wife hoping for reconciliation. Rita taking her children to prison to meet their father and have him reveal to his kids that he's trying to make amends. The inner police fighting over power.

The characters really have something to them that makes them not necessarily likable, but absolutely believable. You feel as though the characters have a reason to be there, not just throw on fodder.

And it's amazing that the secondary characters can have such strong storylines that make you feel for them. Hell, even the hooker who was offed made my wife cry because we had an idea of who she was first.

Their are characters who have been 1 show appearance people, but the main cast is vast, and even the secondary cast is so well played that you "get in on it" with them. It makes finding Angel's attacker (the Ice Truck killer) far more interesting.

I'm unsure of the writing team on this show, but there are a lot of writers that should pay attention to the writing style here. Not because we need more dramas "exactly like this" but because the attention to writing detail in this show is the thing a lot of programs desperately need. I can think of quite a few shows with the right concept, that if they had this kind of writing discipline would be infinitely improved.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Next week is going to be a doozy! Can't wait for the next episode. This is how you do a cliffhanger, the slow buildup is so sublime.

Wonder how the Lt. will get her revenge on the captain.

I've heard that this show has taken the material from the books, but adapted and expanded and fleshed out the supporting cast, and they do seem to have other lives, and don't just serve to give Dexter a sounding board, but come and go as normal people interacting in the course of life and being on the job.

 

[Joe_H]

I have to say that I agree with this for the most part but there is one little detail that they messed up that has been really bugging me. It's one of those stupid little factual errors, but it would have been so easily made right. On the episode where we found out Dexter's father was still alive, it was revealed that Dexter needed specific blood from a donor, and that his was very rare. They also identified his blood as AB-. While AB- is the rarest blood type, AB is known as a universal recipient, which means that Dexter could have received blood from ANY Rh negative donor. One simple little error that would have been easily corrected by giving him O- or B- blood. Considering how much his character is into blood, that error really bothers me.

 

[Brian^K]

Drugs distort your memory.

 

[KevinGress]

This is just opinion here, but I think it's because of his time in the military (the Haitian stuff). He would have seen people who love to kill and while Dexter's good at hiding, Doakes' subconscious would key off of Dexter's small expressions or gestures.

I also thought it a good tossback to the first episode when ITK was chastising Debra wondering why she didn't know; that she surely suspected something was wrong with him. Similar to Dexter's comment about how in a building full of detectives, Doakes was the only one creeped out by him.

 

[Chris]

Yes, I thought that was some neat writing regarding how she didn't know.

I am very eager for this weekend's conclusion

 

[Bob Spears]

You are correct. AB neg is the rarest blood type. Only one percent of the population has but it is not the universal recipient type. If an AB neg blood type person got Rh positve blood he would have a transfusion reaction. AB positive is the universal recipient. AB positive is found in 3% of the population.

PS......he could have received O neg blood and done fine

 

[Joe_H]

Well, I was exaggerating a little bit, but he can get all Rh negative blood as a AB-. Like I said, the fact that they made an error about the blood just detracts a little bit from the show. Its not a big thing, but something they should have noticed for a character who loves blood so much.

 

[Chris]

Holy crap! What a conclusion! This season is a must buy on DVD for me.

The tickertape parade in his mind at the end was a GREAT touch. Basically mocking that there are people who root for him as a character - hell, we've already seen people in this thread ask if he's a dark superhero. What a humorous response

 

[ErichH]

Hooked from the start. Agree, the show has a new twist (cast & writing) that keeps you glued to every minute.

Best of the season without a doubt.

E