Dexter - Part 5

[BatLobster]

Does that mean I can compare it to the Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, The Shield or the dozen of other non-BB shows it doesn't hold up against?

As long as we can agree that it NEVER held up to any of those shows, even in its prime.

I think some are forgetting just how good this show was in its prime. It was unmissable with such an intriguing premise and characters.

It was good, but in a different way than some of the aforementioned shows. It was always a bit on the pulp side. At its best, it was fun and suspenseful with some really creepy moments and interesting character study. It was addictive because you wanted to know what happened next and if Dexter would ever get caught. But Showtime in 06/07 was not yet on the level of HBO/(current day AMC) in terms of truly brilliant writing, production value, etc. It's starting to get there now with Homeland.

 

[Teelie]

No excuse. Breaking Bad did not know it'd get its full five seasons when it was in season 1 or 2. The show only became popular over the last year or two. Dexter had a much more certain future during its early days. It was just sloppy and short-sighted not to plan ahead.

That is also why so many series end up unresolved with cliffhangers and abandoned plots when they don't get renewed.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

That is also why so many series end up unresolved with cliffhangers and abandoned plots when they don't get renewed.

And while that's a shame, at least the show stays true to a grand vision and barrels ahead even with the risk of cancellation. Better that than it compromising itself because it doesn't believe in its own longevity.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Debra called to ask where Maria's car was the night she was murdered, that should have been logged and should have raised enormous red flags. Not to mention that they both vanished from the party during the time of murder and then reappeared afterwards. This is a party full of cops, somebody should have noticed that.

Presumably they had to go and dig Deb's bullets out of her to prevent ballistics from determining that her gun did the killing so if forensics was even SLIGHTLY in competent they should have either found bullet fragments or found evidence that somebody removed them which points to another person in the cargo container.

And this is the what the 3rd or 4th, person to die around Dexter? Doakes, Rita, his best friend Miguel, his girlfriend Lila trying to kill his family, his sister nearly marrying a serial killer. But nobody even thinks about conducting even a proper police investigation because Dexter is such a nice guy. The fact that Deb made the call and that they both vanished from the party should have thrown huge suspicion over them and that the forensics of Dexter's scenario where upset by Deb's arrival should have sunk them.

This only works if everyone is insanely stupid or willfully blind to the possibility that it could have been Dexter.

The stuff about the other people dying near Dexter ignores context. The Doakes situation is entirely different, Miguel was thought to be targeted by a killer he was chasing, Lila simply left as far as anyone at Miami Metro would know (remember she left the country, her death would not have been known). The only one is maybe Rita, but to Miami Metro, what would separate Dexter from any other victim family member who Trinity killed? The thing with his brother maybe, but there was no direct connection between the two that anyone would have known.

But all this stuff about Maria doesn't matter. It ignores what happened in the season. She was completely ridiculed for her beliefs, her investigation made it even more likely that Doakes was the BHB, and her getting involved with a killer was something that she was warned about by peers. It may not have been the clearest, but for those involved, it made a lot of sense that no one saw the need to look into her death when most thought she'd lost her mind.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Yes each situation taken on its own makes sense but when you have a litany of people either going insane and trying to murder Dexter (in the case of someone like Lila) or outright dying it conflicts with the picture of Dexter as just some nice guy. Particularly when he is directly accused as a serial killer by one person who then goes off to die a few days later which is oh so convenient for Dexter isn't it.

He works in a police station full of people's whose job it is to detect crimes. I mean a police captain is murdered and the cops don't see the need to investigate? They don't inspect the bullet, or follow up on the call Deb made asking for her whereabouts just moments before she was murdered? No wonder Dexter has gotten increasingly sloppy, he works with idiots.

 

[Liam_H]

Miami Metro being completely oblivious is consistent so there is that.

 

[TheBat812]

It would have been more about her death eating at batista in the same way doakes' death ate at her. He would have dug and dug. Last season ended with some vey blatent clues that could have at least at off the idea that something was not right with Maria's death. Debs call, her hugging Maria and then showing up in those same clothes (they should've had at least SOME blood), the use of a police gun to kill Maria, etc. they were conveniently forgotten. It would have been great for the one person dexter once said he'd have liked to most be like to catch him based on this mistake of going to far by involving his sister and having her compromise all her values. It probably would've bugged me that it would've been a lot like season 5 of bB, but it would've allowed for this tension many detractors seem to be missing. The slow pace where dexter is hoping to glide out of frame into a new life is an interesting approach in itself IMO, but it definitely lacks the urgency many expected. Instead of it being about him getting caught and losing everything, it's been about him losing it all to a killer. Both seem fitting. Execution definitely could have been better tho.




And dexter was always more engaging and intriguing premise wise, with a fascinating protagonist than it was great writing or cinematic genius like bb. This is comin from somebody who's favorite tv world is dexter. But it's always had contrived plot lines with sloppy errors that we didn't really notice because it didn't detract from the show. But they never really evolved so we, as an audience, can see it coming a mile away. It's also unfair to say, 'well if bb came in with all planned out, then there's no excuse.' Ridiculous argument. Bb is one of a handful of shows to do that, and the first I ever knew about (I can't even think of any other examples).

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Miami Metro being completely oblivious is consistent so there is that.

You're not wrong but I feel like the show just wants to have its cake and eat it too on that notion since there are plenty of moments where the audience supposed to take these people seriously as cops but how can you?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Ok so I finally got around to watching this weeks Dexter because after BrBa I had to give it a few days. I'm surprised nobody brought this up yet but how the hell did saxon manage to get a shot off on Deb who is a trained marksman and had her gun drawn and pointed at him?!?!?

The second he made a move she would have lit him up, I know that's not what the writers wanted for the show but it if that's the case then he should have shot her as soon as she came into the room!! Problem solved

 

[Reek]

Spoiler

 

[Liam_H]

Well, [BLACKOUT]if you believe the spoilers Quinn is the sharpest tool in the box that is Miami Metro. [/BLACKOUT]

 

[Teelie]

Scary thought, isn't it?

 

[Reek]

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Spoiler

Seriously, I nearly facepalmed at that scene for real.

 

[Reek]

Seriously, I nearly facepalmed at that scene for real.

it was unreal. I get together with family every sunday to watch... We all asked 'did that just happen?'

like WTF?!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ok so I finally got around to watching this weeks Dexter because after BrBa I had to give it a few days. I'm surprised nobody brought this up yet but how the hell did saxon manage to get a shot off on Deb who is a trained marksman and had her gun drawn and pointed at him?!?!?

The second he made a move she would have lit him up, I know that's not what the writers wanted for the show but it if that's the case then he should have shot her as soon as she came into the room!! Problem solved

Serial killers are kind of badasses on this show. How many times has Dexter gotten the upper hand on people he had no business fighting in the first place? An urge to kill apparently amounts to super powers in the world of Dexter.

 

[AnneFan]

Well, [BLACKOUT]if you believe the spoilers Quinn is the sharpest tool in the box that is Miami Metro. [/BLACKOUT]

Yeah.

Spoiler

I get the thing that there are people at Miami Metro who don't have a clue Dexter is a killer, never saw him in the act, etc. But if they pull this Quinn was a killer all along as well thing, it just feels so out of the blue. Not liking the concept.

 

[Ghostvirus]

Spoiler

I was wondering if I was imagining things. You can also see Batista, & Matthews in frame with Dexter & Deb. They were also at least within ear shot.

 

[Ghostvirus]

Yeah.

Spoiler

I get the thing that there are people at Miami Metro who don't have a clue Dexter is a killer, never saw him in the act, etc. But if they pull this Quinn was a killer all along as well thing, it just feels so out of the blue. Not liking the concept.

WHAT! I hadn't heard that one. There has been absolutely no sign of that at all! Wow...

 

[Reek]

Quinn killed someone in season 7. But I think Anne is confused on the 'spoilers'.

 

[Ghostvirus]

If they were to ever do something like that. I would have suspected Masuka to of been a killer all along.

 

[Reek]

aaaaahuhuhuhuhuhuh

 

[AnneFan]

If they were to ever do something like that. I would have suspected Masuka to of been a killer all along.

Exactly.

We will have to see. I've seen several versions of the final episode going around. [blackout]Either Quinn becoming like Dex for a spin-off, in part to his anger at Deb dying, or having been a killer for a while too. Either way I see him being involved somehow. [/blackout]

 

[Deserana]

I read the opening paragraph of the Reddit spoilers and they look to be the most true so far as it literally follows on from Episode 11 yet was posted weeks ago. Refuse to read the rest though as I do wanna be at least a little surprised.

Here is the post that posted them http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=26783297&postcount=557

 

[Reek]