Dexter, Part 3
Jun. 22nd, 2010 01:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normal(Maybe I should get a Dexter icon, so I don't have to keep appropriating Darla ones? Hmm...)
Ah, the long-awaited season 3 review! Overall, I thought it was poorly paced and started off really slowly, but the Dexter/Miguel interactions were worth it. I didn't love it as much as the first two seasons, but I still definitely enjoyed it. More detailed thoughts under the cut - I think this is my longest review yet, lol.
Okay, first, let's just get this out of the way: OMG JIMMY SMITS' MUSTACHE! I admit, it took me a little time to adjust and not think of him as President Santos, but that mustache... lol.
Anyway, as I said, I thought the season started off slowly. Between Rita's pregnancy, the house-hunting, and the wedding plans, it felt like they were going for the Complete Domestication of Dexter, and I couldn't help thinking, "Okay, when I said in last season's review that I kind of wanted Dexter to get better, I recognized that doing so would make for a terrible show!" I don't want to watch a completely sanitized serial killer, and it worried me a bit.
In any case, the theme of this season definitely seems to be, "Can Dexter change?" which is a question I've been asking myself ever since his visit to the therapist in season 1, but especially with the NA arc in season 2. He is struggling with his doubts about Harry, who was not who Dexter thought he was, and while not quite ready to abandon the code (last season's escapades with Lila have probably disabused him of that notion), he is willing to play around with it and mold it to his liking, rather than sticking strictly to Harry's morals, which he now realizes are just as fallible as anyone else's.
I think he does reach a new level here, finally able to admit he feels emotions - first, his rage at Miguel's betrayal, and then crying for his unborn son. I think we're also at a point where I can say he does love Deb, Rita, and the kids (not to mention the nice arc in the middle with the dying Camilla), even if he doesn't really recognize or understand it. And that's a huge change from the detached Dexter of season 1, but I'm not so sure it's a good thing. Having strong attachments to people can be incredibly dangerous when you're a serial killer, most obviously demonstrated by Dexter's killing the pedophile who targeted Astor. Even though he's not a murderer, I think most people would say a pedophile (who's clearly not reformed, if those pictures are any indication) is a valid bending of the code, but it definitely added a troubling new dimension to Dexter's killing. Dexter felt protective of Rita's kids and was angry at the threat to their safety, rather than his usual detached, emotionless "clean-up duty." How far will Dexter go to protect the people he cares about? He's tiptoed right up to the line - framing Paul so he'd go back to jail, setting up Doakes to take the fall for the Bay Harbor Butcher killings, neither of whom fit the code - but he's never had to actually dispose of them himself. What happens when there's no one else to do the killing for him? Will he abandon the code in the name of family?
I also thought it was interesting that we've shifted from the flashbacks of real, in-the-flesh Harry with young Dexter, to now having present-day Dexter interacting with an imaginary Harry who seems to personify his conscience and the code. As I mentioned, Dexter is questioning his father for the first time - I loved the scene with Astor and Cody playing with Dexter Jr. and Dexter wants to know why Harry never believed he could have that: "You couldn't picture this, could you? I could've surprised you. There's no reason it couldn't turn out like this." I'm relieved that we don't have to watch the bad acting of young Dexter anymore, but disappointed that we don't get to find out more about the real Harry, as this is obviously a figment of Dexter's imagination and he only says what Dexter thinks Harry would say (particularly since Harry this season seems crueler and more critical of Dexter, which I imagine is a consequence of Dexter discovering that Harry really couldn't accept him after all). On the one hand, it intrigued me to know that Harry killed himself after seeing firsthand what he'd wrought, and I wanted more exploration of him, but on the other, I suppose it's appropriate that we never see Harry alive in a flashback again after that realization. The real Harry is dead, even in Dexter's mind, and all that remains is this pseudo-conscience.
So, onto the meat of the season. Again, in the "started slowly" category, while I really enjoyed Jimmy Smits, I was left wondering what purpose Miguel served and why he wanted to be friends with Dexter, and it didn't really click until it was revealed that he was just as dark as Dexter and wanted to use him as an avenging angel. It felt like it took a little too long for that relationship to make sense. But once it did - wow. That was some awesome stuff.
It was a little odd that they never explained why Oscar was at Freebo's house in the first place, but my guess is that either Miguel was using him to do his dirty work (much the way Ramon claims Miguel used him, and it explains why he was so eager to buddy up with Dexter to kill people once Oscar was dead), or Oscar was just a drug addict having a conflict with his dealer. I kind of prefer the first option, because it adds more depth to Miguel and Dexter's relationship.
Throughout the building of their relationship, it was clear that there was something off about Miguel, so it wasn't a huge surprise to find out that he was okay with Dexter being a vigilante killer. I enjoyed seeing him go off the rails just as Dexter's starting to think he's found a friend. It's almost irresistible to Dexter, finding someone who understands and accepts him AND - bonus - isn't noticeably crazy like Lila. Miguel seems to be looking for a mentor, and that allows Dexter to ensure that he can impart the code and there won't be any conflict between their worldviews that would force him to kill Miguel, as he's had to do with his previous two fellow killers.
Except it seems that Miguel's already got a pretty well-developed sense of justice, and his code is more lenient and punitive than Dexter's. It appears that he's been manipulating Dexter into giving him serial killer lessons, and Dexter does NOT appreciate being manipulated. The conflict that sets up - with Miguel not seeing the difference between killing actual murderers and killing someone who helps murderers go free - reminds us that Dexter is a "serial killer with a conscience," that he has standards and actually takes pride in the fact that he "only" kills other murderers. And then, if you sit on that for a second, it reinforces just how far from normal Dexter really is.
I loved the confrontation on the rooftop. It really illustrates how different the two of them are, with Miguel a whirlwind of fiery emotions and Dexter completely calm and unruffled. Miguel is impetuous and sloppy (I lol'd at his Unabomber outfit), and that's what allows Dexter to gain the upper hand. I admit, I would've liked a bit more complicated of a conflict there at the end - it was pretty obvious that Miguel was going to meet a saran-wrapped fate at some point, but it seemed almost too easy for Dexter to get him there.
I was really excited to see Dexter as the victim strapped to the table. With two killers on the loose, it was somewhat of a toss-up whether it'd be Miguel or the Skinner who'd do it (up until Miguel called the Skinner anyway, which was a bit of a disappointment, since Miguel doing it himself would've been seriously awesome), but either way, I loved the reversal, and I was disappointed that it was over so quickly - especially because it was so sloppy. No one noticed Dexter went missing, right before his wedding? Dexter escaped from the scene and no one found any evidence that he was there? Again, there were problems with the pacing - both Dexter killing Miguel and the Skinner capturing Dexter should've had much more focus than they got, and I can't help feeling like we wasted some time in the earlier episodes that they could've fit that in if they'd tried. I'm finding this is a problem with Dexter in general - the season finales tend to lack the impact of the episodes leading up to it. The final twists just end up seeming so inevitable, so there's no real shock left when what you expected to happen (because it's the only logical resolution) happens.
Also, I don't know anything about next season, but I really hope they try a new formula, because the theme of Dexter finding a kindred spirit only to have to kill them because they violate the Code of Harry is starting to get really old. They even echoed again Dexter's choosing his adoptive family over said kindred spirit - in the first season, it was choosing Deb over Brian/Rudy, in the second, it was choosing Rita and her kids over Lila, and now we have him realizing that Deb ought to be his best man, not Miguel.
I also felt like there was a huge elephant in the room throughout the whole Dexter/Miguel relationship, in the form of the Bay Harbor Butcher. Miguel did not just fall off a turnip truck in the beginning of season 3. He HAD to be aware of the BHB investigation, particularly the Butcher's MO of only killing bad guys, and now he knows that's Dexter's MO as well - how could he not make the connection?? Or at least ask the question. I could see if maybe he thought Dexter was just inspired by the BHB or something (particularly since Dexter misleads him about disposing of the bodies in open graves, whereas the Butcher obviously dumped them in the ocean), but still, why would it never come up? I kind of want to fanwank it that he DID make the connection, and that's why he cultivated the relationship with Dexter, but since Miguel never actually mentions it, it seemed like a conspicuous absence hanging over the whole thing.
Let's see, other threads. Tying in with the Domestication of Dexter, I was disappointed in Rita's arc this season. She felt very much like a pregnant woman cliche, and although she and Dexter had some nice moments (like Dexter's multiple proposal attempts), overall it seemed like she was there more because she had to be, and not because they had anything interesting to do with her. I did appreciate that she got a friend this year - we rarely see her outside of her interactions with Dexter and the kids, save for the brief bit with her mother last season, which was unpleasant, so I liked her friendship with Sylvia. I don't expect that to continue, as I doubt Sylvia will be around now that Miguel's gone, but she is Rita's boss still, so maybe? I also would like to see more Deb/Rita bonding now that they're officially family. It kind of surprised me to see Deb babysitting Rita's kids, because it seemed like such an obvious, normal thing to do, and I couldn't believe this was the first time they'd shown it.
I liked that Angel got promoted. I think he's a great character who doesn't get nearly enough to do. I also liked his relationship with the vice cop. Not that I particularly needed that subplot, but I like to see Angel getting some. :) LaGuerta, on the other hand, was completely useless, and might as well have not even been in this season up until she discovered that Miguel killed Ellen. I did think it was a nice reversal that last season she was sure Doakes was innocent when everyone else assumed he was guilty, and this season, she's the only one who knows Miguel was a murderer. Both times she's right, and both times no one will believe her. I do think we need to get away from having so many murderers in close contact with our regulars, though. It's one thing to suspend disbelief and assume that no one (except Doakes, of course) was ever suspicious of Dexter's behavior, but it's quite another to have everyone - and these are POLICE DETECTIVES, people generally known for their keen observiness - in close relationships with multiple serial killers without realizing it.
Speaking of which, Deb - she of the bad relationship decisions. I liked her haircut, btw. It was awful in the first episode, but then it got much better after that. I also liked her thing with Anton - I mean, I can hardly blame her. The dude's hot and charming and a musician. I'd sleep with him if I had the chance. But it also made me very worried that being involved with Deb would get hot Anton very dead, and the whole time I couldn't help thinking, "Deb! Just STOP DATING! You really, really suck at it!" Personality-wise, I think I like her better now. Although I thought that at the end of last season, and then this season started and she was back to being dumb and obnoxious and had to work her way back up to mature and competent again. It's kind of starting to piss me off, that she has the same character arc every season, and then the next season it's as though it didn't happen.
I am really curious to see where things go with Deb and those case files next season. Will she make the connection between Laura Moser, CI and Harry's lover, and Brian Moser, the Ice Truck Killer? I know that Camilla said she destroyed Dexter's file, so there's probably nothing in the files connecting them to Dexter, but I feel like we are inching closer to Deb uncovering at least some of Dexter's secrets, and I am very curious to see how she reacts.
I liked Quinn by the end of the season, too. He started off super-shady (presumably as a red herring so we'd think he might be the Skinner), and the stuff with the Internal Affairs investigation was a total waste of time, so I was happy when they dropped that and just let him be a good partner to Deb. I won't mind seeing him around next season. (I'm assuming he comes back, yes?)
Ah, the long-awaited season 3 review! Overall, I thought it was poorly paced and started off really slowly, but the Dexter/Miguel interactions were worth it. I didn't love it as much as the first two seasons, but I still definitely enjoyed it. More detailed thoughts under the cut - I think this is my longest review yet, lol.
Okay, first, let's just get this out of the way: OMG JIMMY SMITS' MUSTACHE! I admit, it took me a little time to adjust and not think of him as President Santos, but that mustache... lol.
Anyway, as I said, I thought the season started off slowly. Between Rita's pregnancy, the house-hunting, and the wedding plans, it felt like they were going for the Complete Domestication of Dexter, and I couldn't help thinking, "Okay, when I said in last season's review that I kind of wanted Dexter to get better, I recognized that doing so would make for a terrible show!" I don't want to watch a completely sanitized serial killer, and it worried me a bit.
In any case, the theme of this season definitely seems to be, "Can Dexter change?" which is a question I've been asking myself ever since his visit to the therapist in season 1, but especially with the NA arc in season 2. He is struggling with his doubts about Harry, who was not who Dexter thought he was, and while not quite ready to abandon the code (last season's escapades with Lila have probably disabused him of that notion), he is willing to play around with it and mold it to his liking, rather than sticking strictly to Harry's morals, which he now realizes are just as fallible as anyone else's.
I think he does reach a new level here, finally able to admit he feels emotions - first, his rage at Miguel's betrayal, and then crying for his unborn son. I think we're also at a point where I can say he does love Deb, Rita, and the kids (not to mention the nice arc in the middle with the dying Camilla), even if he doesn't really recognize or understand it. And that's a huge change from the detached Dexter of season 1, but I'm not so sure it's a good thing. Having strong attachments to people can be incredibly dangerous when you're a serial killer, most obviously demonstrated by Dexter's killing the pedophile who targeted Astor. Even though he's not a murderer, I think most people would say a pedophile (who's clearly not reformed, if those pictures are any indication) is a valid bending of the code, but it definitely added a troubling new dimension to Dexter's killing. Dexter felt protective of Rita's kids and was angry at the threat to their safety, rather than his usual detached, emotionless "clean-up duty." How far will Dexter go to protect the people he cares about? He's tiptoed right up to the line - framing Paul so he'd go back to jail, setting up Doakes to take the fall for the Bay Harbor Butcher killings, neither of whom fit the code - but he's never had to actually dispose of them himself. What happens when there's no one else to do the killing for him? Will he abandon the code in the name of family?
I also thought it was interesting that we've shifted from the flashbacks of real, in-the-flesh Harry with young Dexter, to now having present-day Dexter interacting with an imaginary Harry who seems to personify his conscience and the code. As I mentioned, Dexter is questioning his father for the first time - I loved the scene with Astor and Cody playing with Dexter Jr. and Dexter wants to know why Harry never believed he could have that: "You couldn't picture this, could you? I could've surprised you. There's no reason it couldn't turn out like this." I'm relieved that we don't have to watch the bad acting of young Dexter anymore, but disappointed that we don't get to find out more about the real Harry, as this is obviously a figment of Dexter's imagination and he only says what Dexter thinks Harry would say (particularly since Harry this season seems crueler and more critical of Dexter, which I imagine is a consequence of Dexter discovering that Harry really couldn't accept him after all). On the one hand, it intrigued me to know that Harry killed himself after seeing firsthand what he'd wrought, and I wanted more exploration of him, but on the other, I suppose it's appropriate that we never see Harry alive in a flashback again after that realization. The real Harry is dead, even in Dexter's mind, and all that remains is this pseudo-conscience.
So, onto the meat of the season. Again, in the "started slowly" category, while I really enjoyed Jimmy Smits, I was left wondering what purpose Miguel served and why he wanted to be friends with Dexter, and it didn't really click until it was revealed that he was just as dark as Dexter and wanted to use him as an avenging angel. It felt like it took a little too long for that relationship to make sense. But once it did - wow. That was some awesome stuff.
It was a little odd that they never explained why Oscar was at Freebo's house in the first place, but my guess is that either Miguel was using him to do his dirty work (much the way Ramon claims Miguel used him, and it explains why he was so eager to buddy up with Dexter to kill people once Oscar was dead), or Oscar was just a drug addict having a conflict with his dealer. I kind of prefer the first option, because it adds more depth to Miguel and Dexter's relationship.
Throughout the building of their relationship, it was clear that there was something off about Miguel, so it wasn't a huge surprise to find out that he was okay with Dexter being a vigilante killer. I enjoyed seeing him go off the rails just as Dexter's starting to think he's found a friend. It's almost irresistible to Dexter, finding someone who understands and accepts him AND - bonus - isn't noticeably crazy like Lila. Miguel seems to be looking for a mentor, and that allows Dexter to ensure that he can impart the code and there won't be any conflict between their worldviews that would force him to kill Miguel, as he's had to do with his previous two fellow killers.
Except it seems that Miguel's already got a pretty well-developed sense of justice, and his code is more lenient and punitive than Dexter's. It appears that he's been manipulating Dexter into giving him serial killer lessons, and Dexter does NOT appreciate being manipulated. The conflict that sets up - with Miguel not seeing the difference between killing actual murderers and killing someone who helps murderers go free - reminds us that Dexter is a "serial killer with a conscience," that he has standards and actually takes pride in the fact that he "only" kills other murderers. And then, if you sit on that for a second, it reinforces just how far from normal Dexter really is.
I loved the confrontation on the rooftop. It really illustrates how different the two of them are, with Miguel a whirlwind of fiery emotions and Dexter completely calm and unruffled. Miguel is impetuous and sloppy (I lol'd at his Unabomber outfit), and that's what allows Dexter to gain the upper hand. I admit, I would've liked a bit more complicated of a conflict there at the end - it was pretty obvious that Miguel was going to meet a saran-wrapped fate at some point, but it seemed almost too easy for Dexter to get him there.
I was really excited to see Dexter as the victim strapped to the table. With two killers on the loose, it was somewhat of a toss-up whether it'd be Miguel or the Skinner who'd do it (up until Miguel called the Skinner anyway, which was a bit of a disappointment, since Miguel doing it himself would've been seriously awesome), but either way, I loved the reversal, and I was disappointed that it was over so quickly - especially because it was so sloppy. No one noticed Dexter went missing, right before his wedding? Dexter escaped from the scene and no one found any evidence that he was there? Again, there were problems with the pacing - both Dexter killing Miguel and the Skinner capturing Dexter should've had much more focus than they got, and I can't help feeling like we wasted some time in the earlier episodes that they could've fit that in if they'd tried. I'm finding this is a problem with Dexter in general - the season finales tend to lack the impact of the episodes leading up to it. The final twists just end up seeming so inevitable, so there's no real shock left when what you expected to happen (because it's the only logical resolution) happens.
Also, I don't know anything about next season, but I really hope they try a new formula, because the theme of Dexter finding a kindred spirit only to have to kill them because they violate the Code of Harry is starting to get really old. They even echoed again Dexter's choosing his adoptive family over said kindred spirit - in the first season, it was choosing Deb over Brian/Rudy, in the second, it was choosing Rita and her kids over Lila, and now we have him realizing that Deb ought to be his best man, not Miguel.
I also felt like there was a huge elephant in the room throughout the whole Dexter/Miguel relationship, in the form of the Bay Harbor Butcher. Miguel did not just fall off a turnip truck in the beginning of season 3. He HAD to be aware of the BHB investigation, particularly the Butcher's MO of only killing bad guys, and now he knows that's Dexter's MO as well - how could he not make the connection?? Or at least ask the question. I could see if maybe he thought Dexter was just inspired by the BHB or something (particularly since Dexter misleads him about disposing of the bodies in open graves, whereas the Butcher obviously dumped them in the ocean), but still, why would it never come up? I kind of want to fanwank it that he DID make the connection, and that's why he cultivated the relationship with Dexter, but since Miguel never actually mentions it, it seemed like a conspicuous absence hanging over the whole thing.
Let's see, other threads. Tying in with the Domestication of Dexter, I was disappointed in Rita's arc this season. She felt very much like a pregnant woman cliche, and although she and Dexter had some nice moments (like Dexter's multiple proposal attempts), overall it seemed like she was there more because she had to be, and not because they had anything interesting to do with her. I did appreciate that she got a friend this year - we rarely see her outside of her interactions with Dexter and the kids, save for the brief bit with her mother last season, which was unpleasant, so I liked her friendship with Sylvia. I don't expect that to continue, as I doubt Sylvia will be around now that Miguel's gone, but she is Rita's boss still, so maybe? I also would like to see more Deb/Rita bonding now that they're officially family. It kind of surprised me to see Deb babysitting Rita's kids, because it seemed like such an obvious, normal thing to do, and I couldn't believe this was the first time they'd shown it.
I liked that Angel got promoted. I think he's a great character who doesn't get nearly enough to do. I also liked his relationship with the vice cop. Not that I particularly needed that subplot, but I like to see Angel getting some. :) LaGuerta, on the other hand, was completely useless, and might as well have not even been in this season up until she discovered that Miguel killed Ellen. I did think it was a nice reversal that last season she was sure Doakes was innocent when everyone else assumed he was guilty, and this season, she's the only one who knows Miguel was a murderer. Both times she's right, and both times no one will believe her. I do think we need to get away from having so many murderers in close contact with our regulars, though. It's one thing to suspend disbelief and assume that no one (except Doakes, of course) was ever suspicious of Dexter's behavior, but it's quite another to have everyone - and these are POLICE DETECTIVES, people generally known for their keen observiness - in close relationships with multiple serial killers without realizing it.
Speaking of which, Deb - she of the bad relationship decisions. I liked her haircut, btw. It was awful in the first episode, but then it got much better after that. I also liked her thing with Anton - I mean, I can hardly blame her. The dude's hot and charming and a musician. I'd sleep with him if I had the chance. But it also made me very worried that being involved with Deb would get hot Anton very dead, and the whole time I couldn't help thinking, "Deb! Just STOP DATING! You really, really suck at it!" Personality-wise, I think I like her better now. Although I thought that at the end of last season, and then this season started and she was back to being dumb and obnoxious and had to work her way back up to mature and competent again. It's kind of starting to piss me off, that she has the same character arc every season, and then the next season it's as though it didn't happen.
I am really curious to see where things go with Deb and those case files next season. Will she make the connection between Laura Moser, CI and Harry's lover, and Brian Moser, the Ice Truck Killer? I know that Camilla said she destroyed Dexter's file, so there's probably nothing in the files connecting them to Dexter, but I feel like we are inching closer to Deb uncovering at least some of Dexter's secrets, and I am very curious to see how she reacts.
I liked Quinn by the end of the season, too. He started off super-shady (presumably as a red herring so we'd think he might be the Skinner), and the stuff with the Internal Affairs investigation was a total waste of time, so I was happy when they dropped that and just let him be a good partner to Deb. I won't mind seeing him around next season. (I'm assuming he comes back, yes?)
no subject
Date: Jun. 22nd, 2010 07:27 pm (UTC)I feel the need to warn you about the first few eps of season 4. Because it is HEAVY on family and I was getting annoyed with how adamant they were about showing Dexter being all boxed and having to deal with "normal" problems.
(not to mention the nice arc in the middle with the dying Camilla)
most obviously demonstrated by Dexter's killing the pedophile who targeted Astor
I kind of loved how Dexter ended up doing what Camilla asked him to. And I kind of loved him killing the pedophile. Though I really loved how the guy set his alarm off immediately in grocery store, and I really, really loved the little talk Dexter gives him about not being able to change and stay the fuck away from my kids.
It felt like it took a little too long for that relationship to make sense. But once it did - wow. That was some awesome stuff.
It was awesome. It takes a bit to figure Miguel out, but it becomes clear that he's just as twisted as Dexter. Or more, depending on how you look at it.
Dexter does NOT appreciate being manipulated.
Indeed. I loved how Dexter dug up Ellen just to make Miguel squirm a little, and their talk in the graveyard about what lesson Miguel was taking from this. The confrontation on the rooftop was amazing. Miguel was crazy ranting, and Dexter was cool and calm, and describing how all his victims are guilty, and how there's nothing to prove that they're even dead.
The speech Dexter gives to Miguel when Miguel is on the table is one of my favorite in the whole series. All the parts about "quite a few have seen the real me as they've laid on that table," and "no, I know what I am," and "you're all just...unchecked versions of myself." And, uh, I love all the gesturing Michael C. Hall does with his hands.
I also love the speech Dexter gives to the Skinner when he's on the table. How he interrupts the Skinner's planned intimidation with the calm, flat description of how he killed and disposed of Freebo, and how he says there's no point in lying now, and how he just needs to do these things.
Also, I don't know anything about next season, but I really hope they try a new formula, because the theme of Dexter finding a kindred spirit only to have to kill them because they violate the Code of Harry is starting to get really old.
No comment. The dynamic with the Big Bad (lol) is different next season, and there is a, uh, surprise, but I suppose it's obvious that anyone who knows Dexter's secret isn't going to make it through the season.
I was disappointed in Rita's arc this season.
Prepare for more disappointment. IMO. As far as I can tell, in season four, she has no job, no friends, and has completely been reduced to wife and mother. Of course I don't want to see her stay the damaged little thing she was in S1, but the evolution to Stepford is another thing entirely.
I am really curious to see where things go with Deb and those case files next season. I feel like we are inching closer to Deb uncovering at least some of Dexter's secrets, and I am very curious to see how she reacts.
You know, there was one thing that really bothered me about Dexter's reaction to finding out that Deb is investigating Harry's past. He thinks several times that if Deb makes the connection to Laura and Brian and then him, that Deb will have discovered all his secrets. Um, no. What she would have discovered is that he's the Ice Truck Killer's brother. She would not make the INSANE leap of "Brian was Dexter's brother! Oh noes! Dexter is a killer, too!"
(I'm assuming he comes back, yes?)
Yes to Quinn. Unfortunately, next season also introduces the most annoying character ever IMO besides Lila. Not to mention, her character arc and backstory don't even come close to making sense. Also unfortunately, the writers seem to be getting sloppy with Dexter. The argument could be made that Dexter himself is getting sloppy, but I really think it's the writers. There were several scenes where I was shaking my head, saying, "This is NOT meticulous or planned enough!"
no subject
Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 12:21 am (UTC)I suppose it's obvious that anyone who knows Dexter's secret isn't going to make it through the season.
True, lol, and I suppose that's a predictability they can't avoid. It's more the specific circumstances that applied to Brian, Lila, and Miguel that I want to avoid. For instance, I knew Doakes had to die as soon as he found the blood slides, but that didn't bother me because he didn't fit the pattern (of course, at the time, I didn't realize it was a pattern).
He thinks several times that if Deb makes the connection to Laura and Brian and then him, that Deb will have discovered all his secrets. Um, no. What she would have discovered is that he's the Ice Truck Killer's brother. She would not make the INSANE leap of "Brian was Dexter's brother! Oh noes! Dexter is a killer, too!"
Heh. Well, I think part of it is that Dexter is just paranoid - remember, he's gone his entire life undetected, and yet, in the span of a couple years, he's had FOUR separate people all find out - and exploit - his secret (Brian, Doakes, Lila, and Miguel). That's got to put him on edge.
But I think it's also that Dexter sees the connection - they both suffered a trauma as children, and they both reacted to it in the same way - and so it feels very obvious to him. I certainly don't think Deb would intuitively make that leap, but it could plant a seed that she might eventually put it together with other clues. (Then again, Deb is pretty dumb most of the time, so I think Dexter's safe, lol.)
no subject
Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 05:46 am (UTC)It's more the specific circumstances that applied to Brian, Lila, and Miguel that I want to avoid.
I kind of wish the show would take a page from the later books and have Dexter actually hunting a killer for the sole reason of putting him down. I know season one sort of starts like that, but of course the killer is also hunting Dexter, so it establishes the pattern of a person knowing the real Dexter, only to end up killed by the real Dexter. But it seems that Dexter gets so many "easy" kills during the episodes, that they feel they have to make a personal connection to complicate things? Otherwise, how could they make the hunting plot last the whole season? I don't know.
no subject
Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 04:20 pm (UTC)Yeah, that would be a different direction to go in. Of course, that would likely mean ANOTHER season where the police investigation ends with a dead serial killer (because Dexter got to him first). That's another trap they ought to avoid. It makes the police department look terribly incompetent - this is THREE serial killers now that have "committed suicide" before the police could catch them. In season 1, it made sense, because it had to be Dexter choosing between Deb or his brother. In season 2, it was a cop-out to have Lila kill Doakes, so that Dexter wouldn't have to make the tough decision. And in season 3, it was completely unnecessary - there's no reason at all they couldn't have taken George King alive (unlike Doakes, he wouldn't incriminate Dexter).
no subject
Date: Jun. 22nd, 2010 11:07 pm (UTC)I think you'll find it's similar to Buffy. The struggle to find a kindred, but continually being pulled back to protect those you love. Dexter and Buffy always have shadow figures. Angel, Faith, Spike. And Buffy has to choose between these figures and her friends and family. I mean similar in the sense that it keeps on happening because it's the central issue of the entire series. So yeah, the shadow of the protagonist and the personal connection continue to be present.
but it's quite another to have everyone - and these are POLICE DETECTIVES, people generally known for their keen observiness - in close relationships with multiple serial killers without realizing it.
This is one of the reasons I liked Doakes so much. And I actually cried/was pissed when he died. I loved how Doakes just knew something was off with Dexter. And maybe it was that he had his own inner darkness he was battling so he could better sense it.
I like Deb a lot actually, though I find her relationships kinda boring. They are repetitive, huh? But I love her interactions with Dex and then Rita and the kids. And her foul mouth. Haha, fuck fuck motherfucker fuck.
Yep, more Quinn to come.
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Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 12:28 am (UTC)Oh, I get that. And I don't mind the shadow selves in and of themselves. I think they all provide a slightly different reflection of Dexter, which is interesting.
It's the duplication of the specific plot that I find problematic. It would be as if Buffy fell in love with both Faith and Spike, and then had to kill them to save the world when they turned evil, after going through it with Angel. That would just be repetitive.
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Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 01:02 am (UTC)He sees his family as incompatible with his Dark Passenger. So it's the constant conflict. But it is repetitive with the plot. Though I think each shadow self has something new to show Dexter, something new for him to learn from them and thereby more greatly learn about himself. But they seem to inevitably fail him and he kills them once he's learned all he needs to know. When they're no longer useful to him, but instead become a threat, when he can't dissect his experience with them and take away any knowledge about his Dark Passenger, they must die.
It makes me wonder what the series finale will entail. Will Dexter have to kill himself? It feels like he's forever seeking a way to find the harmony between his Dark Passenger and his family connection. He started out completely compartmentalizing the sides, but now they're starting to bleed over into each other.
But yeah, I don't know what other way to make the plot different--to not have Dexter kill them. Perhaps it needs to be someone else that kills the villain. Perhaps there needs to be two Big Bads--one that must be killed, another that is somewhat redeemed and saves Dexter by killing the other Big Bad. Or actually, I think once, just once, Dexter needs to unleash the police on a serial killer. HIs hunt to be the one to kill his shadow self endangers a lot of people every time. I wonder if he'll ever realize that fully. That by notifiying the police, he'd simplify matters. What would happen if he stopped feeding his Dark Passenger?
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Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 04:33 pm (UTC)Yeah, that makes sense from a symbolic perspective. I just don't know how to keep doing it without the plot seeming repetitive. Unless they come up with other symbolic ways to "kill" the shadow self? Like having the shadow self arrested, or the shadow self killing himself, etc. Or even just not making the shadow self have a personal connection to Dexter. He can see himself in the other person without it being his brother/lover/best friend.
I admit, I kind of wanted Miguel to escape and then show up again in the final season, because he was awesome and I didn't want to be rid of him.
It makes me wonder what the series finale will entail. Will Dexter have to kill himself?
I figure we have three options: (1) Dexter gives up killing and leads a normal life, defeating the Dark Passenger, (2) Dexter goes on the run, abandoning the people he loves to sate the Dark Passenger, or (3) Dexter ends up dead/in prison (I could see a cool conflict there if Deb is the one to bring him down).
Or actually, I think once, just once, Dexter needs to unleash the police on a serial killer.
Yeah. That actually dovetails with my complaint to
no subject
Date: Jun. 23rd, 2010 11:40 pm (UTC)Yeah, I'm not even good at finding plot holes and that one got on my nerves.
[Rita]felt very much like a pregnant woman cliche
Yes! That's what I hinting at before when you saying that Rita was awesome and Deb was annoying. In this season Rita basically becomes a bad-sitcom woman-as-punchline. Ugh. Makes the feminist in me want to hurl.
In general I try not to think to hard about Dexter. I love watching the show - it's interesting, it's funny, it's suspenseful, and it's shiny (well-produced visually) but peeling back the layers just gets me frustrated.
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Date: Jun. 24th, 2010 03:14 pm (UTC)