Any mom, any town, USA. I am your neighbor/co-worker/PTO member/non-traditional grad school candidate/aspiring chef/stoner mom.

Dexter for President.

Is anyone else out there insanely excited that Dexter Morgan has reappeared?!?! After a decade of wishing the original series would have been made into a movie (not unlike Sex and The City) – it happened. Not in movie form, but in a next-level series that feels much like the very first season did (when Dexter was new to the Showtime-series market). A sophisticated killer, interesting developments (the apple from tree analogy comes to mind), and old patterns (victims bound in plastic). The tone has definitely been set.

If you are geeking out about this (like me) – take note the actor Michael C. Hall is also actively directing/producing the new series. He was active in the first series, too (FYI). There’s a bit of Kubrick directorial vibe, here. If you’re a fan of the late, great director I’m sure you can follow me on this. His movies were dark, psychologically thrilling, and intensely vivid (think Full Metal Jacket’s sniper scene – still mind blowing). Not unlike our favorite anti-hero.

The most recent episode was rather intriguing, to say the least. Dexter’s son from the first series – Harrison – located his father in the middle of the wilderness. Frankly, the teenager is no fool. He’s also wicked smart, which is starting to make me wonder – a lot. He has an altercation at school, which invokes Dexter’s senses. Both from a serial killer’s mind, and that of a (former) forensic blood spatter analyst. In this classic case of whodoneit, Dexter has a revelation. I’m going to cut it off right there…no spoiler alerts.

Another point of interest, fellow geeks, is the omnipresent Deb. As someone who admired the deceased detective/serial killer’s sister, I think it’s uber cool that she’s now become Dexter’s unrelenting subconscious. On par with the show’s real-life Deb, she makes her presence known (the “fuck nuggets” term is back, baby). And, she is not happy with Dex. The “bullet scene” was brilliant (another one I won’t ruin – just watch it). Since Deb has dropped in, I’m dying to know if any of Dexter’s former, um, colleagues will also come back to life.

There were very few TV series that managed to catch my attention on this level. Besides Sex and the City, I really only followed The Sopranos (nope, I didn’t love the last two seasons either). With that being said, here’s an interesting thought: the final season premier of Dexter attracted 3 million viewers. The series finale drew in 2.8 million viewers. From a fan’s standpoint – that is one helluva dedicated audience. In most series finales, this just doesn’t happen. Most fans drop out as the show becomes anticlimactic in nature.

Americans (self included) are fascinated with serial killers. I suspect this is truly why Dexter had the rich following for so damn long. If you didn’t know this piece of cinematic history, The Silence of the Lambs won Oscars in all five major categories (best actor – no brainer).

Why the immense fascination? Well, peeps, we (Americans) love when authority is challenged. Serial killers evade police detectives and investigations. Alongside iconic killers, comes the iconic killer hunter – the FBI profiler. It becomes a battle of the minds – who perseveres. Frankly, both personalities fascinate me (there’s some overlap there, for sure).

Something else to consider: a modern-day serial killer who takes out the disgusting scourge of the earth. Yeah, I’m not complaining. For those who invoke harm on innocents – well, Dexter isn’t all that far off. Normal, human instinct is pure revulsion for those who would target the innocent (children, sick, elderly). It’s why we like Dexter and his ability to evade persecution. Be honest, it just seems right – he’s likable because he follows a discipline (or, code).

If you honestly haven’t watched the first series, do it. The second has been well worth it!


~SM