Dexter

[Dagger Dias]

How is there not a thread about this show!? Time to change that.

Dexter is in my opinion one of the best shows out there today and I highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to watch it. It stars Michael C Hall as Dexter Morgan, a blood analyst in Miami's Police Department but is also a serial killer who only kills "evil" people. It has been on for 6 seasons, with the season finale for season 6 having aired last night. I had checked it out after many people recommended it to me and quickly became a fan. If you have not seen it yet you should at the very least watch a few episodes. After a couple I was hooked.

What are your thoughts on this show? Like or dislike, and why? Any characters or seasons in particular you liked?

This show has TONS of spoilers. Please be careful to not spoil anything in this thread. Yes all 6 seasons have aired, but there are some shocking things that should be left unmentioned to those who haven't seen them yet, you Dexter fans know what I'm talking about! Thanks!

Discuss.

 

[nightmare]

I love this show as well. A show about a serial killer who kills the bad guys? Fuck yea.

The books are pretty badass as well if you get the time to read them. They dont really follow the Showtime series at all though, so be prepared for some twists.



This season was good. Mos Def & Colin Hanks played their respective roles quite well. Wasnt nearly the best season, but definately worth the time. Cant wait for the next season.

 

[INDYjon22]

This was a definite step up from last season. This year as a whole was brilliant. The way they delved into Dexter's religious beliefs and how they have changed was great to see. Mos Def deserves a nomination for his work for sure. I also thought the finale was setup perfectly. We have been waiting years for someone close to Dexter to learn about his homicidal ways, and now we have that person. It will be so interesting to see how they deal with that knowledge now. Two more seasons and it's all over. Kind of a bummer, but this season was great.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This was a definite step up from last season. This year as a whole was brilliant. The way they delved into Dexter's religious beliefs and how they have changed was great to see. Mos Def deserves a nomination for his work for sure. I also thought the finale was setup perfectly. We have been waiting years for someone close to Dexter to learn about his homicidal ways, and now we have that person. It will be so interesting to see how they deal with that knowledge now. Two more seasons and it's all over. Kind of a bummer, but this season was great.

I agree. This was a great season. Last year's started off rather slow and I strongly disliked Lumen. The season got better as we found out more about Jordan Chase though. He ended up being a great villain. Travis was a far more interesting character though, and is second only to John Lithgow's Trinity for best villain so far in this show. They are never going to be able to top that character, he redefined the diabolical psycho role. I am already anticipating next year's episodes due to wanting to see what happens next after the cliffhanger they left us with a few weeks ago.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Dexter has always been a favorite of mine since I just started watching it a few years ago. Season 4 is my favorite with John Lithgow as the Trinity killer. Season 1 and 2 are pretty good as well. Season 3 and 5 were decent in my opinion, I'm just not a big fan of Jimmy Smits or Julia Stiles. Season 6 had a great cliffhanger that I think everyone would enjoy. I think season 7 is the last season of the series. I can't wait to see where they go with it since anything can happen. One of my top 3 favorite shows in television right now, along with Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad.

 

[Spunky]

Can somebody give me a breif summary of the show for someone wanting to get into it?

Its about a blood splatter analyst who moonlights as a serial killer. It's a great tightly written show so check it out for sure. Dexter has to juggle his work, not getting caught, finding out who the Ice Truck Killer is, and his family life.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Dexter reminds me of the anime series Death Note in some ways. It's like a more adult, gruesome version of the anime although the protagonist here seems to be afflicted with a mental illness than a self righteous desire to kill the bad guys.

I have just started watching the show after being recomended to it by a friend. Just finished season 1 yesterday. I was hooked onto it from the first episode itself. Even many good shows have had terrible pilot episodes but Dexter is certainly not one of them. The show begins with a murder so there is action from the first instance itself. The characters are also pretty well developed be it Dexter's underconfident sister Debbie, the self important Lieutenant Laguerta or even Dexter himself who hardly thinks he is human himself.

The series even raises the same moral questions as Death Note as to whether what Dex is doing is right or not but it raises another important one. Assuming Dex cannot be cured and you catch him, what do you do? Kill him or leave him? The easy answer would be to say that would be to kill him as what he does is a crime and a crime should not go unpunished. But still I would like to see how this question is handled in the show.

Dexter is a show that has brought a whole new level to the word antihero. There hardly seems to be anything wrong with it so far. The screenplay also deserves a word of mention here because despite the theme of the show, the killings are well handled and picturised, sometimes to the backdrop of a happy song like in the second episode of the first season, very well.

 

[Manowar]

I used to be a huge fan, but the last 2 season had really sloppy writing and too amateur for my taste.

 

[jackaroda]

The Dexter season 5 according to me this story was amazing. I am watching this show last five years ago. Which interesting part is story based on serial killer and some unique story to anther TV serials. So I really like to watch the show. Mostly i like comedy tv show.

 

[The Ghost of Benoit]

This is how I would rank the seasons:

1 > 4 > 2> 6 > 3 > 5

5 was just fucking terrible. 3 was alright but had a lot of pacing problems. I fucking loved the villians in 6 because I really hate religious fanatics. But I hated the surprise twist concerning one of the villians. It didnt seem believable. 2 the main Bay Harbor Butcher storyline was great but I didnt care for Lila. 4 and 1 were amazing, but 1 is first because it just blew me away the first time I watched it.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This is how I would rank the seasons:

1 > 4 > 2> 6 > 3 > 5

5 was just fucking terrible. 3 was alright but had a lot of pacing problems. I fucking loved the villians in 6 because I really hate religious fanatics. But I hated the surprise twist concerning one of the villians. It didnt seem believable. 2 the main Bay Harbor Butcher storyline was great but I didnt care for Lila. 4 and 1 were amazing, but 1 is first because it just blew me away the first time I watched it.

Season 5 wasn't that bad. It might seem to be of lower quality due to having the rather difficult task of following season 4 which was epic beyond belief. Lithgow's character was one of the most sinister and messed up villains I have ever seen onscreen. I disliked Lumen, she was very annoying. However, the storyline with Jordan Chase and his allies kept me interested. Had they not included someone as annoying as Lumen then I would rank it much higher. Seasons 4 and 1 are definitely the best, with 6 being a step back in the right direction. 3 dragged on somewhat but wasn't necessarily bad. Every season has it's good points, the only one I really feel negatively about was season 2, due to Lila. I absolutely HATED her! Let's just say I was happy about how that season ended.

My rankings from best to worst:
Season 4
Season 1
Season 6
Season 3
Season 5
Season 2

Can't to see what happens next, and anyone who saw season 6's ending knows exactly what I am talking about.

 

[BK Styles]

Season 5 wasn't that bad. It might seem to be of lower quality due to having the rather difficult task of following season 4 which was epic beyond belief. Lithgow's character was one of the most sinister and messed up villains I have ever seen onscreen. I disliked Lumen, she was very annoying. However, the storyline with Jordan Chase and his allies kept me interested. Had they not included someone as annoying as Lumen then I would rank it much higher. Seasons 4 and 1 are definitely the best, with 6 being a step back in the right direction. 3 dragged on somewhat but wasn't necessarily bad. Every season has it's good points, the only one I really feel negatively about was season 2, due to Lila. I absolutely HATED her! Let's just say I was happy about how that season ended.

My rankings from best to worst:
Season 4
Season 1
Season 6
Season 3
Season 5
Season 2

Can't to see what happens next, and anyone who saw season 6's ending knows exactly what I am talking about.

My ranking goes like this... 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3. I really felt that three was a big letdown after the first two, but it was still great. It's a testament to a show when every season, even the worst ones, is still good. Four was brilliant in places, a little ordinary in others (though Lithgow was thoroughly brilliant all the way through). Same with five, though more so, and at times five felt like a bit of a chore to watch. One thing with my list, however...the top three swap around sometimes, because they're genuinely so close in awesomeness.

And Dagger, I caught up with and finished season 6 a few days ago...HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS YES!

 

[The Ghost of Benoit]

The only question about the twist at the end of season 6: Is it too soon? There are 2 more seasons after this. Im not even sure if its official that season 8 will be the final season. I think that the ending of 6 would have been more appropriate as the ending for season 7.

 

[Loveless]

Season 1 - It works because of the mystery and reveal at the end. It's still the most logical, planned out and cohesive season.

Season 2 - Whatever your feelings on Lila she was important for establishing the idea of addiction. Season 2 is awesome because of the Bay Harbour Butcher case but mostly because of Dexter Vs Doakes.

Season 3 - The formula was starting to suffer from predictability at this point but it's saved by Jimmy Smits who puts in an awesome performance. The rooftop scene is still one of my favourites.

Season 4 - It's all very solid but honestly a bit boring right up until the last couple of episodes. It gets overrated because of the ending.

Season 6 - Dumb as hell but at least entertaining. Travis deserved better than to be overshadowed at the end though.

Season 5 - A terrible, illogical mess of forgotten stories, wasted villains, unexplained actions and anti-climactive endings. By far the worst season

 

[KettleFace]

Just started to watch this over the last few days and I'm up to the last 2 episodes of Season 1 which I'll be watching tomorrow. It's definitely become one of my favorite shows and it leaves me on edge at the end of pretty much every episode. Can't wait to see how this season ends.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

RIP Issac Sirko. I'm actually gonna miss him — really grew to love his character.

I actually think of all the "villians" Dex has had to deal with, aside from perhaps Trinity, Issac's character was the most influential, and symbiotic. I actually think, in some way, his death is going to be a bit of a catalyst for him. In love, especially, if for nothing else. I loved that final scene of him dying on Dex' boat, asking him what he was going to say to Hannah. Ever the romantic, that fella.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Started season 7 but decided not to watch it until season is over. Then I would watch whole season i like 2 days.

Good show. Books are better and I think that they could work the series by the books and that it would be even better but noone the less, it's a fine show.

And yeah, I agree with The Ghost of Benoit: 1>4>2>6>3>5

 

[It's Damn Real!]

First off, two words:

FUCK and YES! So long, Captain LaGuerta. It's been six long years, but you finally meet your end.

Second:

The real story here isn't even LaGuerta's death (do we know she's dead anyway?) — it's Hannah McKay getting out of the hospital. The final season IMO is gonna hinge on Dexter's choice — kill Hannah, and choose Deb, or kill Deb, and choose Hannah. Don't see how it works any other way.

 

[Slice]

First off, two words:

FUCK and YES! So long, Captain LaGuerta. It's been six long years, but you finally meet your end.

Second:

The real story here isn't even LaGuerta's death (do we know she's dead anyway?) — it's Hannah McKay getting out of the hospital. The final season IMO is gonna hinge on Dexter's choice — kill Hannah, and choose Deb, or kill Deb, and choose Hannah. Don't see how it works any other way.

I personally loved all of it, and the prospect of at least a bit more Doakes makes me giddy. Hell, I'd watch a spinoff; Doakes and Morgan as a good cop/bad cop duo. You know, if one wasn't dead and the other was actually a cop.

Anyways, I can't wait!

 

[It's Damn Real!]

What, no one wants to talk about the new season?

Deb's a mess, which is to be expected, but the Evelyn Vogel character is far and away the most interesting take-away thus far. Her evolving relationship with Dexter is one of the best, most symbiotic ones the show has produced in eight seasons IMO.

I honestly think she is the serial killer, though, or that she's working with him as some sort of mastermind. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see her as something of a puppet master by the end of the season.

Also, small role for now, but I also really dig that Sean Patrick Flanery's been given a role this season.

 

[Coco]

Ugh.

Did they really have to ret-con Vogel into Dexter's origin story? And in a way that's essentially going to be used to make it seem like Dexter isn't responsible for his actions?

Retch. As usual, I keep watching in hopes that Dexter will be the show it should be. The Dex-Deb stuff has been good this season. But the purpose Vogel serves offends me. Once again, a show about a serial killer shouldn't be so nutless and shouldn't always be so eager to make Dexter look like a good guy (or in this case, a victim/creation of Vogel's twisted experiments).

But fuck it, I've made it this far. I guess I'll finish the season.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Ugh.

Did they really have to ret-con Vogel into Dexter's origin story? And in a way that's essentially going to be used to make it seem like Dexter isn't responsible for his actions?

Retch. As usual, I keep watching in hopes that Dexter will be the show it should be. The Dex-Deb stuff has been good this season. But the purpose Vogel serves offends me. Once again, a show about a serial killer shouldn't be so nutless and shouldn't always be so eager to make Dexter look like a good guy (or in this case, a victim/creation of Vogel's twisted experiments).

But fuck it, I've made it this far. I guess I'll finish the season.

They've certainly been serving it that way thus far, but the overarching point to Vogel is that Dexter isn't "good", but a natural requirement of nature - a balancing act, of sorts. He just so happens to also have done so utilizing a conscience in the process, which to this point she still doesn't believe he has, but that he quite obviously does.

 

[Coco]

They've certainly been serving it that way thus far, but the overarching point to Vogel is that Dexter isn't "good", but a natural requirement of nature - a balancing act, of sorts. He just so happens to also have done so utilizing a conscience in the process, which to this point she still doesn't believe he has, but that he quite obviously does.

The overarching point to Vogel is that her twisted world view has affected Dexter's upbringing. She gets to be the evil bitch, while Dexter is absolved of some level of responsibility for his actions in the eyes of the viewer. Non-kayfabe (retch; sorry for that), that's the point.

Oh well. Could be worse. Could be season 6.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I agree, and I wanted the show to end with the Trinity Killer myself, but hasn't the line between morality and Dexter's call to kill been blurred from the onset? The show has never presented him in a mad killer fashion, so I'm not sure why you're expecting that, or something even close to it. He's always been portrayed as intentionally blurring the social lines of acceptance when it comes to what are otherwise reprehensible actions.

 

[Coco]

but hasn't the line between morality and Dexter's call to kill been blurred from the onset?

Not in any significant way. He's only ever really been presented a vigilante, fighting on the side of right. It's the least interesting blurred morality of all time.

How about focusing more on his blood lust? Or they could spend time showing how fucked up Dex is instead of fetishizing his work, which has been the case for much of the show's run.

You call this a blurred line. I call it a big yawn, and a compromise so Dexter is as likeable as possible in the eyes of the viewer.