Vigilante Supreme Hasn't Failed Fans Yet
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Entertainment
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Rotunda Reporter
For those of you with cable at home, you may have come across a particularly interesting show called "Dexter". The show debuted on Showtime in October of 2006. The show is based off the novel series "Dexter" written by Jeff Lindsay. As of right now, the show has completed three seasons. Showtime recently renewed the show for the fourth and fifth season. The fourth season premiered at the end of September.
The show follows Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), who is a blood-splatter expert for the Miami Metro Police Department. He works there with his sister Debra Morgan, played by Jennifer Carpenter (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), who is a detective. Unfortunately for the ladies, Dexter has a love interest in Rita Bennet, played by Julia Benz. Seems like a fairly standard beginning. Maybe something cool will happen, like aliens or giant mutants attacking the city. Sadly, no. Fortunately, our hero has a deep dark secret to keep the ratings up. Dexter is unique in the fact that he feels an unquenchable thirst to kill. His victims are varied: the mailman, the cashier at the store, or a dog who has wandered into the yard. It does not matter. Dexter's father Harry Morgan, played by James Remar, was a police officer while his character was alive; he discovered his son's terrible secret early in his adolescence. Harry did not back away, but instead took this as an opportunity to do some good. Harry would watch day-in and day-out as criminals walked free because the police were not able to arrest them or find enough evidence. He felt a slave to his job and its protocol. Harry trained Dexter on how to find the "scum of the earth," rub it out, and most of all, not get caught. Dexter was trained to be the vigilante supreme.
So, I think you can imagine how it goes. Dexter leads a double life. He uses his job to find criminals that have gone free, but cannot be caught by the police. That way he can satiate his thirst, but stick to "Harry's Code." Especially with a girlfriend and a nosey sister, this can be quite the task, especially when the storyline becomes increasingly more complicated. Every season focuses on one particular storyline. The seasons typically have a short run time. The first season focuses on the Ice Truck Killer and Dexter getting used to his relationship with Rita. He is unsure of how to act because he only started a relationship to appear normal to the world. Rita was an emotional mess after her abusive and drug-using husband was put in jail. The second season is about the Bay Harbor Butcher. Simultaneously, Dexter gets involved with another woman. With every season the plot thickens. It's all about politics, drugs, murder (not just for Dexter), and someone is pregnant! From what I've read, the fourth season follows the "Trinity Killer." Apparently he kills three people the same way and has been on the run for over thirty years.
Personally, I find the show to be very entertaining. I agree that the premise is a little dumb. A righteous killer? Give me a break! It's not too original. Once you get past that though, the story really pulls you in. It's funny because you still end up rooting for the good guy! And we have all felt the same thing Dexter feels: this world is a little too crowded. After the obvious beginning, the show has kept me guessing and has yet to disappoint. I only hope that the writers can stay true to the original feeling and never lose it. The one thing that usually kills a good show is time.
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