Dexter - Part 4

[Maximus One]

Someone post a link of the clip please and thank you

 

[Reek]

Someone post a link of the clip please and thank you

can't find it yet, but

Spoiler

she tells Dex that psychopaths are alpha wolves that are necessary.

MCH directed this sundays episode as well

 

[Reek]

wouldn't suck if the Koshka Brotherhood had a part

 

[Reek]

Quinn = Michael McElhatton as a younger man.

 

[Maximus One]

Ya know, I kept wondering if the Koshkas would play a bigger part. I kept mentioning it last year that I'd hoped Speltzer and his bull mask was alluding to the cannibal cult from the books. Pisses me off we'll never get to see Dexter's reaction to a cannibal killer at this point

 

[The Demon's Head]

The premiere wasn't as good as last year, but it wasn't bad. Felt like a return to the status quo, with a new Big bad and all. Hoping it matches last season's greatness.

 

[DrDoom]

Why are they still trying to force that new cop that appeared outta nowhere down our throat?lol

Especially since it's the final season, she MUST play a bigger part somehow

 

[Maximus One]

Suuuure she does.

 

[Reek]

define 'bigger'.

 

[DrDoom]

Mostly joking

 

[Reek]

so was I cause she is pointless and randomly has lines that main characters could have, like Masuka. who is usless.

 

[DrDoom]

I agree, Angel should have been looking at Masuka's ass not this rando cop's

 

[Reek]

Masuka is such a waste. they should have shown some impression that he is actually really good at what he does.

 

[Matt]

Masuka is such a waste. they should have shown some impression that he is actually really good at what he does.

They actually have. In season 2, Lundy picked him, over Dexter, as his go to forensic expert because of his impressive credentials. In season 3 or 4, he was then published in academic journals due to his work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case. There has been many indications that Masuka is highly competent.

Anyway, as for this season, my theory:

Spoiler

This woman was Dexter's childhood therapist or something along those lines. She helped Harry craft the code. As co-creator of the Code, she then passed it on to another psychopath, the season's killer, the brain guy. He is now every bit as careful and cunning as Dexter, knowing all of Harry's tricks for blending in and not getting caught, but has forsaken the moral aspects of the Code. Basically, he is the anti-Dexter. This will tie in nicely to the Deb storyline, as she will finally see what a true monster Dexter can be but isn't and at least somewhat come to terms with him.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

They actually have. In season 2, Lundy picked him, over Dexter, as his go to forensic expert because of his impressive credentials. In season 3 or 4, he was then published in academic journals due to his work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case. There has been many indications that Masuka is highly competent.

Anyway, as for this season, my theory:

Spoiler

This woman was Dexter's childhood therapist or something along those lines. She helped Harry craft the code. As co-creator of the Code, she then passed it on to another psychopath, the season's killer, the brain guy. He is now every bit as careful and cunning as Dexter, knowing all of Harry's tricks for blending in and not getting caught, but has forsaken the moral aspects of the Code. Basically, he is the anti-Dexter. This will tie in nicely to the Deb storyline, as she will finally see what a true monster Dexter can be but isn't and at least somewhat come to terms with him.

That actually sounds pretty good.

 

[Maximus One]

Sounds quite plausible

 

[squeekness]

Yeah, I could buy that.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Okay, Dexter is airing one week later here in the UK, so just saw last Sunday's premiere tonight. And I'm most thoroughly underwhelmed. It's sad to watch and see how saggy and tired Dexter has become. It doesn't help that new serial killer TV show on the block Hannibal feels all the more smart and fresh by comparison. But even taking that out of the equatio, this whole episode just felt clunky and toothless to me.

First off, who the hell wrote that dialogue? Total Exposition 101 stuff here, really clumsy. And everything just felt totally by-the-numbers. There's no real high stakes or peril anymore. We've seen Dexter Morgan in just about every possible situation before, and so every interaction, every plot contrivance felt familiar and repetitive. It's telling that the one aspect of this humdrum pilot that sparked some interest was the arrival of Evelyn Vogel into the cast, as it was the one thing that was new and unpredictable.

Short term, I can see these problems being resolved as the plot warms up and the tension starts to build. But in a more overarching sense, I really feel like we're in danger of a hollow finale. Here's my problem, and I don't know if others agree with me. By this stage, I'm starting to feel like Dexter's pretty much a piece of ****. He's ruined Debra's life, and when I was watching their confrontation and listening to her say these really cruel, cutting things, I know I was supposed to be thinking, "Oh no, Debra, come back to Dexter!" But I was actually agreeing with her.

The one way this show could be salvagable for me is if it finally cottons on to what I probably realised somewhere around Season 4: the real hero of the story is Debra Morgan. I'm not sure if it's by design, or the sheer power of Jennifer Carpenter's acting overwhelming some woeful writing, but what's happened is that I'm emotionally invested in Debra, I feel like the decisions made in the show actually have weight in how they impact her, and I want to see her ultimately succeed. The one arc I can see giving the whole show a satisfying narrative thread is Dexter emerging as the true Big Bad of this season, and the show itself, with Debra the only one that can stop him. And finally bringing him down can maybe bring her some peace. But I don't know if it'll happen, because we're so firmly placed within Dexter's head, and so thoroughly meant to sympathise with his perspective on things. And maybe that's what lies at the heart of my disengage from the show.

 

[Maximus One]

I agree wholeheartedly with that last paragraph. Dexter is a massive piece of **** to me now. I want Deb to put him down

 

[Keyser Soze]

I honestly think that's something I've never forgiven Dexter for. Season 4, that whole storyline with Trinity.... Debra had to be the one to catch him. She had so much personally invested in it, God, she was standing there sobbing in front of Dexter and he could surely see she NEEDED that closure of putting him down. And Dexter took that from her, ostensibly to "get revenge" for Debra getting shot, but really because Trinity was his white whale and he REALLY wanted that blood slide for his collection. And in doing so, he crossed the line from taking out the killers who the police can't catch to actively sabotaging police investigations to leave the juicy kills to himself. And in killing Trinity, he took away a deeply important catharthis from Debra that I don't think she's ever really recovered from.

 

[squeekness]

I agree wholeheartedly with that last paragraph. Dexter is a massive piece of **** to me now. I want Deb to put him down

I must be much more forgiving. I still root for the guy. Oddly he has never fallen as low for me as Tony Saprano who by the end, I couldn't even stand any more.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I must be much more forgiving. I still root for the guy. Oddly he has never fallen as low for me as Tony Saprano who by the end, I couldn't even stand any more.

I view Dexter Morgan as very much existing in that Tony Soprano/Walter White/Vic Mackey realm of morally repugnant protagonists. That in itself isn't a problem, as those can be some of the most interesting characters on TV. But the problem is that, while those respective shows weren't hesitant to present those characters as vile at the crucial moments, the writers of Dexter constantly find ways to excuse him, give him easy moral "outs" and emerge from every situation as The Hero.

 

[Teelie]

I agree that I think the series will end with Debra killing Dexter. I don't know how or why she will but it's all being set up that a confrontation will arise, Dexter will or will be about to commit an unforgivable act and Debra will either shoot him or stab him with one of his own knives.

That will be their closure. Dexter won't see redemption or his death is seen as that redemption and Debra won't pay for killing Dexter. Somehow I think she'll be given an out to justify her actions. Probably either self defense (or defense of an innocent) or in a remote area where his body will never be found.

 

[Tron Bonne]

They actually have. In season 2, Lundy picked him, over Dexter, as his go to forensic expert because of his impressive credentials. In season 3 or 4, he was then published in academic journals due to his work on the Bay Harbor Butcher case. There has been many indications that Masuka is highly competent.

Anyway, as for this season, my theory:

Spoiler

This woman was Dexter's childhood therapist or something along those lines. She helped Harry craft the code. As co-creator of the Code, she then passed it on to another psychopath, the season's killer, the brain guy. He is now every bit as careful and cunning as Dexter, knowing all of Harry's tricks for blending in and not getting caught, but has forsaken the moral aspects of the Code. Basically, he is the anti-Dexter. This will tie in nicely to the Deb storyline, as she will finally see what a true monster Dexter can be but isn't and at least somewhat come to terms with him.

This is a great idea for a season, the only problem is...

Spoiler

What you're describing is basically what we got in season one. Brian was every bit as cunning and stealthy as Dexter is, without the code. Honestly, if this is the route they went for the final season, I'd be pretty disappointed. The only real fresh element to it is the stuff with Deb, but even that seems far too easy to resolve. So she sees "Dexter Unleashed" and comes to term with the fact that he still does stuff that's mentally scarred her for life? I don't know, just seems really unsatisfying all the way around to me.

 

[Matt]

I agree that I think the series will end with Debra killing Dexter. I don't know how or why she will but it's all being set up that a confrontation will arise, Dexter will or will be about to commit an unforgivable act and Debra will either shoot him or stab him with one of his own knives.

That will be their closure. Dexter won't see redemption or his death is seen as that redemption and Debra won't pay for killing Dexter. Somehow I think she'll be given an out to justify her actions. Probably either self defense (or defense of an innocent) or in a remote area where his body will never be found.

I don't see it happening.