Z/Web

Dexter is a wonderful TV show exclusive to Showtime, the pay channel. I watched the first season on DVD a few years ago, and caught the others when they aired on regular TV (CBS owns Showtime and aired part of the series). I think I’ve missed a few episodes, but I’ve seen most, and Dexter is one of my favorite series and characters. He’s a serial killer. But he’s a “good” serial killer, in the sense that he only kills bad guys (other serial killers, rapists, murderers, etc.). He’s really good at what he does. His adopted father was a cop and recognized early on that Dexter was a psychopath. He’s the one who taught Dexter a code: to only kill those who deserved killing and to do it in such a way that he wouldn’t be caught. Dexter actually works for the Miami police department as a lab geek: he’s a blood spatter analyst. Thus he has inside access to forensics and is involved in major investigations, but he’s also surrounded by cops, which is dramatic and fascinating. The entire series hinges on Dexter’s feelings of alienation and the potential of his dark secret being uncovered. We’re also never quite sure about Dexter: though he seems likeable and is intelligent and cunning, he’s also unemotional, distant, and slightly creepy. We see him do horrible things without an emotional waver and that makes us wonder just what he’ll do next. But there are glimmers of hope. In the previous season he finally married his long-time girlfriend, a woman with emotional problems of her own (her ex-husband abused her). In this most recent season, he’s trying to settle into domestic life: raise her kids, deal with their new baby, keep the wife happy and clueless, while still leading a double life as serial killer.

As usual, the series is terrific and every episode keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love the way they write this series. Each season is like a novel, with each episode a chapter. It’s one long story with shorter events in between. There are always terrific plot twists and unexpected turns, secrets and discoveries, and dramatic events and plenty of bloody killings. It’s wonderful. Though some episodes are naturally weaker than others, and some subplots distasteful or not that intriguing, overall this is one of the best series on TV. This particular season was incredible for a number of reasons. First, our bad guy was a serial killer played by the fantastic John Lithgow, who somehow pulled off the amazing feat of arousing our sympathy while being chillingly evil. Second, Dexter’s quest into becoming a real person seemed to be making a great deal of progress: domestic life, while causing lots of complications for his extra-curricular activities, seemed to be helping him. He’s the most human yet and that raises the stakes of the drama because as he becomes more human he’s more prone to emotion and mistakes, and his relationship with his wife becomes less of an act and he’s in greater danger of his secret being discovered. (That is one of the things that hooks us in: what would Dexter do if his family discovered his secret? Would he kill them in cold blood? Or is he human enough that would now be difficult?) The final thing that makes this season so incredible is the dramatic ending. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say it’s unexpected, tragic, and completely changes where the series is going. It makes you rethink everything that happened so far this season. While I didn’t find it unbelievable (it fit with the characters and wasn’t arbitrarily done), it effected me emotionally in ways I can hardly explain. I had trouble sleeping after the final episode. I felt like I’d lost someone close to me. It was a profound experience. I haven’t felt that way since I first saw David Lynch’s Blue Velvet or his Eraserhead. It was disturbing, creepy, sad, and left me bereft and confused. But it also left me fascinated, exhilarated, admiring the daring and brilliant writers of the show, and wondering where the series is going. I cannot wait for next season. I want to watch it right now. (Unfortunately, it won’t presumably happen until next fall.) I should reveal my technique for watching this series. I had a free three-month subscription to Showtime, which was awesome, as Dexter was the only thing I really wanted on the channel. (I am now convinced it’s worth paying for Showtime just for this series.) Anyway, all this fall I recorded the show on my DVD. When I saw that Sunday night was the final episode, I started watching all the episodes I had cued up. Yes, I watched twelve episodes of Dexter in a row. I won’t say one sitting, since it took me a few days, but I knew that’s how I had to do it: every episode ends on a cliffhanger and I hate that. I can’t stand waiting in limbo for the next chapter. This was an excellent way to watch the show (as getting it on DVD is also). It also could be why the final episode effected me so dramatically: I was profoundly in the whole Dexter world and experience. Anyway, if you haven’t seen Dexter, you need to do so. It is amazing. It’s quirky, fun, creepy, bizarre, dramatic, and colorful. The characters are twisted, the violence is realistic and gory (yet not so bad it’s unwatchable), and the pacing of the show is excellent. Highly recommend (but do start with the first season if you haven’t seen it as you need to start at the beginning).