Dexter Morgan: America’s Serial Killing Sweetheart

Since it’s premiere in December 2007, the hit Showtime series Dexter has been immensely popular – and immensely controversial. I have no desire to debate the merits and drawbacks of viewers identifying with or even liking a character who is, in fact, a serial killer – but I feel I must address why Dexter and his Dark Passenger are so captivating to so many.

Many of the greatest characters of all time have been evil, murderous and generally horrific people. Though they may be fascinating, Hannibal Lecter and the Wicked Witch of the West are not the most relatable characters out there, and the same holds true for most villains in popular culture. Dexter however, minus the occasional slicing and dicing of evildoers, is very relatable to anybody who has ever felt less than comfortable in society. We are all guilty of faking certain human interactions at some point or another during our lives, and Dexter’s character takes this to the utmost extreme. He’s a better faker than any of us could hope to be, because he fakes everything.

Fantastic writing is the key ingredient in the fabulous formula which is Dexter. Though the Dexter book series differs immensely from the television series (which is based solely on the first book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and the character Dexter himself) they are both fantastic. Since I have managed to keep this article spoiler-free in terms of the television series, I may as well keep the book spoilers out of it as well. Suffice it to say that if you liked the show, you will like the books ( I have just started the fourth novel in the series, and I promise to write a full review of the Dexter series when I am finished). But be warned: the books are a bit more unsettling than the series, in a number of ways.

A big part of Dexter’s charm also comes from Michael C Hall’s immense acting talent, which was obvious from his portrayal of David Fisher in HBO’s Six Feet Under – a faker in his own right, just in a much different context. The talent of the entire cast is not to be taken for granted, either – just look at John Lithgow’s stunning (and award winning) performance as the Trinity killer, or Jennifer Carpenter’s always amusing portrayal of Dexter’s foul mouthed sister Deb.

The next ingredient? Humor. Though upon first glance Dexter will not strike most folks as a comedic show, Dexter’s inner observations are not only quite often very humorous but also very astute. All aspects of the show are extremely well written, but Dexter’s inner observations steal the show in terms of laugh out loud moments as well as biting social commentary.

I have seen many different reactions to Dexter (and no, none of them have resulted in murder, fortunately) but the one that always surprises me is when people say that this show glamorizes or even encourages murder and vigilantism – not just folks giving a shallow read of what they think the show is about, but people who have actually watched the entire series. Yes, we all know Dexter only kills “bad guys” – but not for one second do I feel like this show has ever glamorized killing. If anything, this show illustrates just how difficult it is to successfully get away with it – especially if you look at characters other than Dexter. Dexter is never presented as anything other than an anomaly – because of Harry’s influence. Dexter would be just another killer, no different from one of his victims without the introduction of “Harry’s code” into his life.

The much anticipated 5th season of Dexter begins airing September 26, 2010 on Showcase. (Click here to view the trailer) Until then, check out the Dexter: Early Cuts Webisodes available here.

– Mary Hoffman

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