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?)
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Date: Jun. 24th, 2010 03:14 pm (UTC)