Crime Fighters II - Dexter

5/13/2012

Crime Fighters II - Dexter

This show was recommended to me so many times that I felt compelled to watch it. Now I have to be honest. I don't think I even reached the middle of the second season and it was such a disappointment to me. So, if you are a huge fan of Dexter, you might reconsider reading this post. Otherwise, enjoy!

As always, here are some basics about the show itself. It debuted on 1, October, 2006 on CBS and as of now, it was renewed for a seventh season. It is an adaptation of a book series written by Jeff Lindsay which first piece was titled as The Darkly Dreaming Dexter. While for me the storyline itself was alluring enough to watch, it left me with conflicting feelings.

During the day, Dexter Morgan is a jovial employee in the Miami Metropolitan Police Department's crime lab, but his meticulously crafted life masks his true nature. In reality Dexter is a disciplined and murderous psychopath (a self-admitted "monster"), and he slakes his blood lust at night by carefully killing the serial killers he tracks down during the day. Based on the novels (Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark) by Jeff Lindsay.  imdb.com

Thus, we have a serial killer/crime fighter in one person. While the thought is not that original, the realization of it certainly is.  Dexter is the antihero, he is doing a "good thing" to prevent himself from committing "bad things" - he feels compelled to kill and instead of killing in a random manner, his, let's say attention, is solely focused on criminals.

However, he can be kind. He is gentle with children, protective and loyal to his sister and his partner, and he has friends. On the other hand, he is a self-diagnosed sociopath, which, in his case means that he "suffers from" (a paradoxical term in Dexter's case as he enjoys the disorder that his mind is) antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy.  Self-diagnose, because while some people suspected that something was wrong with him, he still managed to deceive everyone, including the Miami Police Department he works for as a bloodstain pattern analyst, and he had never been hospitalized because of his... little problems. Or put behind bars, whichever one would prefer.

That was as far as I got with  the show. When I learned that he got married and reproduced, I decided against ever continuing to follow the series. A person, who is incapable of feelings such as love, empathy, and kindness turns into a family man while happily keeps on committing brutal murders at night. A police department that has no idea that their wanted serial killer is right under their nose. A sister, who is also a cop, unable to see what her brother really is. A cop father that accepts a psychopathic son and teaches him how to commit the so far impossible perfect crime. Unreal much? I do not even want to go into more details.

Thus, for one who is as interested in psychology as I am, this show is an insult. While I admit it is somewhat entertaining, the message and the portrayal are nothing but nonsense. However, for those who do not care for any of these facts in the face of a blood-promising forty minutes, good bye common sense, welcome Dexter.