Dexter: The TV Series About A Serial Killer
Dexter is a caring brother, a loving husband and father, and a highly skilled forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department. Dexter is also a serial killer. Not just any run-of-the-mill serial killer, either. In the world of serial killers, Dexter is near the top of the food chain – if the number of kills is used as the standard of measure.
In the wildly popular Showtime TV series, Dexter, we’re never made privy to the exact number of people Dexter has killed, but we are shown his very unusual trophy cases. A glance at those trophies makes it clear that Dexter is a much more accomplished serial killer than the likes of serial killers Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz and Kenneth Bianchi. But being at the top of the serial killer heap doesn’t slow Dexter down at all. He continuously locates, selects and stalks new prey with chilling precision and skill.
What makes Dexter such an unusual serial killer isn’t his amazing number of successful kills. A ‘successful kill’ being one that Dexter doesn’t get caught for committing. What makes Dexter a unique serial killer is that so many people – the TV show’s growing number of viewers – love him! It’s not just the show’s ratings that let us know how popular Dexter is, either. Online one can purchase all manner of Dexter paraphernalia – including the official Dexter killing uniform. Dexter always wears the same outfit when he is about his gruesome business.
I got hooked on Dexter a couple of months ago. Friends had been pestering me to tune into Dexter, claiming that I’d love it, but I couldn’t imagine enjoying a TV show about a serial killer. Finally I did watch episode 7 of season 4: Slack Tide. Frankly, I only thought the show was okay – nothing special, really. I clearly didn’t understand the dynamics of the characters. But since this year Dexter has one of my favorite actors, John Lithgow, as the featured star on the TV series, I tuned in again on the following Sunday night. Episode 8 of season 4: Road Kill was great! I was hooked – even though I had a hundred questions about the characters and their history and relationships.
The following two weeks found me glued to the TV watching DVDs of seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Dexter in every free second I had. Wow! What a creative, often unnerving and superbly done TV series. It’s smart, shocking, fast paced, unpredictable, funny and totally entertaining.
At the heart of the TV series Dexter is actor Michael C. Hall. I dare say that he was born to play this loveable serial killer. He is absolutely perfect in his role as Dexter. Dexter is a true sociopath, and as such cannot experience emotions. The ingenious way the show allows us insight into the problems this causes poor Dexter, is by a running Dexter’s inner monologue throughout each episode. Watching the actions and facial expression of Michael C. Hall match that inner monologue is one of the most entertaining elements of the show. “I think she wants me to smile” Dexter will say to himself as Michael C. Hall forces an eerie grin that doesn’t quite match his eyes. It’s really quite brilliant.
The rest of the cast, which includes the real life wife of actor Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, is also excellent. After Dexter, my favorite character is another forensic expert for the Miami PD: Vincent Masuka, marvelously brought to life by actor C.S. Lee. I also applaud James Remar for his ongoing portrayal of Dexter’s dead father – who appears to Dexter at the most compelling moments.
If you think you can’t watch and enjoy a TV series about a serial killer, you might want to open yourself to new vistas and give Dexter a try. This is a good year to start your addiction. John Lithgow is appearing prominently in all 12 episodes this season as a successful serial killer who has spent 30 years repeating the same three murders all over the country. Lithgow is fantastic in this role as an almost schizophrenic serial killer – one minute he’s all smiles and love and religion, the next he’s a terrifying brute of a killer.
If you’d like to get caught up to Dexter so that you understand the characters and the dynamics – plus what motivates Dexter to be a serial killer – but you don’t want to rent and watch all the previous season DVDs, I’d suggest watching only season 1 and then the early season 4 episodes. Season 1 of Dexter is likely available at the place where you rent DVDs. The early episodes of season 4 are on the Showtime website, but nothing is free. You can also do some catching up at: http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/about.do.
Original episodes of Dexter air on Showtime on Sunday nights at 9. Then Showtime will air the current episode several times during the following week.
Watch Dexter if you can. It really is true what they say: Dexter is the serial killer everyone loves!
(Since the era of the infamous Jack the Ripper, it is believed that about 100 serial killers have operated around the world.)
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