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On October 21, 2008, Showtime renewed the series for a fourth and fifth season, each consisting of twelve episodes. Season 4 aired its season finale on December 13, 2009 to a record-breaking audience of 2.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched original series episode ever on Showtime.
[1]Overview
The series follows the day to day events of Dexter Morgan's life, a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, who also happens to be a serial killer in his free time. He was taught by his adoptive father, Harry, only to kill those "who deserve it"; mainly, other killers who have escaped the legal system or were never suspected in the first place. It shows him balancing an everyday life with his secret identity all while keeping up a facade of normalcy.
Title sequence
Dexter's opening title sequence features an extended montage where ordinary day-to-day events such as shaving, flossing, dressing, preparing breakfast and eating are used visually to evoke Dexter's sinister nature.
[2] Per television critic Jim Emerson, "The first time you see it... it tells you everything you need to know about the character."
[2]
The series won an
Emmy Award in 2007 for "Outstanding Main Title Design", while the title music was also nominated for "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music" in the same season. It was made by Digital Kitchen.
Cast and crew
Cast
In addition to
Michael C. Hall, the show's principal cast also includes Hall's real-life wife
Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's sister, Detective Debra Morgan,
Julie Benz played Dexter's wife
Rita Bennett Morgan, and
James Remar as Dexter's deceased father Harry. Dexter's co-workers include
Lauren Vélez as Lt. Maria LaGuerta, Dexter and Debra's supervisor,
David Zayas as the friendly Detective, Sergeant Angel Batista, and
C.S. Lee as the perverted lab tech Vince Masuka (promoted to title credits as of Season 2). Rita's children Astor and Cody are played by
Christina Robinson and
Preston Bailey (who replaced Daniel Goldman after the first season).
Erik King portrayed the troubled Sgt. James Doakes for the first two seasons of the show.
Desmond Harrington joined the cast in Season 3 as Detective Joey Quinn; his name was promoted to the title credits as of Season 4.
Keith Carradine, as Special FBI Agent Frank Lundy and
Jimmy Smits, as ADA Miguel Prado, each appeared in season-long character arcs in seasons 2 and 3, respectively.
John Lithgow joined the cast in season four as the notorious "Trinity Killer". Carradine returned in Season 4, reprising his role as newly-retired FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy, who was hunting the Trinity Killer.
Notable appearances in Season 1 are
Christian Camargo as Rudy Cooper, who woos Debra; and
Mark Pellegrino, as Rita's paroled, abusive ex-husband Paul.
Brad William Henke had a role as amputee victim Tony Tucci in the first season as well.
Margo Martindale has a recurring role as Camilla, a records office worker who was close friends with Dexter's adoptive parents.
Geoff Pierson plays Captain Tom Matthews of Miami Metro Homicide.
Jaime Murray portrayed Lila Tournay in Season 2, a beautiful British artist and recovering drug addict who develops an infatuation for Dexter.
Anne Ramsay portrayed defense attorney Ellen Wolf, Miguel's arch-nemesis.
Valerie Cruz had a recurring role as Miguel's wife, Sylvia. David Ramsey, who plays
confidential informant Anton Briggs in Season 3, returned in Season 4, romantically involved with Debra.
Courtney Ford was featured as an ambitious reporter who mixes business with pleasure, getting romantically involved with Det. Quinn while simultaneously fishing for sources and stories.
Crew
- James Manos Jr. (35 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Melissa Rosenberg (8 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Marcos Siega (7 episodes, 2007–2008)
- Lauren Gussis (7 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Scott Reynolds (7 episodes, 2007–2008)
- Timothy Schlattmann (6 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Scott Buck (5 episodes, 2007–2008)
- Keith Gordon (5 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Michael Cuesta (5 episodes, 2006)
- Steve Shill (4 episodes, 2006–2008)
- Tony Goldwyn (4 episodes, 2006–2007)
- Kevin Maynard (3 episodes, 2006)
- Robert Lieberman (2 episodes, 2006)
- Drew Z. Greenberg (2 episodes, 2006)
- Nick Gomez (2 episodes, 2007)
- John Dahl (2 episodes, 2008)
- Charles H. Eglee (2 episodes, 2008)
Plot
Series Introduction
Orphaned at the age of three, Dexter Morgan was adopted by a
Miami police officer named Harry Morgan. Harry recognized Dexter's
sociopathic tendencies and taught him to channel his gruesome passion for
thrill killing towards
people who deserve it. Dexter's victims must be killers themselves; people who have killed multiple times with no remorse. He must also have proof that the criminals are guilty before he takes action.
Flashbacks throughout the series show how Harry, who died several years before, instructed Dexter in the art of appearing normal and covering his tracks. He follows Harry's instructions closely, calling them the "The Code". Like many serial killers, Dexter keeps trophies from his kills: a collection of glass slides containing a blood sample from all of his victims. He hides them in a box inside his air conditioner.
Although his drive to kill is unflinching, Dexter is, through extensive instruction from Harry, able to fake normal emotions and keep up his appearance as a socially responsible human being. To hide in plain sight and to erase his own crimes, Dexter works as a
blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter also uses his calculated charm to become well liked by all of his colleagues, except for a few who think something is odd about him.
Despite not having any "real" feelings, he feels affection towards Harry’s biological daughter and his adoptive sister, Debra. Debra makes her jealousy known of the perceived preferential treatment Harry gave Dexter, but is unaware of Harry's training or Dexter's tendencies. He also dates a woman named Rita to appear normal. Rita is psychologically damaged from past rape and abuse by her ex-husband, Paul, and is too distraught to want to be in an intimate relationship. This suits Dexter, who believes he is unable to fake intimate emotions. He also is fond of Rita’s two children, Astor and Cody.
Season 1
Main article: Dexter (season 1)
"The Ice Truck Killer", a serial killer eluding the Miami PD, has been communicating with Dexter through his crime scenes. Sgt. James Doakes (
Erik King) suspects that Dexter has some connection to the Ice Truck Killer and starts to keep him under surveillance. After repeated attempts to get back in Rita’s life, Dexter sets up Paul to look like he violated his parole. While back in prison proclaiming his innocence, he points Rita to a clue to the truth about Dexter, which she dismisses.
Debra begins dating a man named Rudy, who is later revealed to be the Ice Truck Killer. Rudy also reveals to Dexter alone that he is his biological brother, Brian Moser. He describes additional details of Dexter's early childhood to him. The formative event for the brothers was witnessing their mother and several other people being butchered by a drug dealer and being locked in a
cargo container for two days with the dismembered corpses, the floor covered in blood. Brian spent much of his childhood institutionalized. Harry, the officer who freed the boys, deliberately hid the details about the crime from Dexter, as well as information about his biological family.
Brian kidnaps Debra, with the intention that he and Dexter would kill her together to cement their bond and sever the ties between Dexter and his adoptive family. Dexter instead turns against Brian and ultimately kills him, making the death look like a suicide. Everyone, including Debra, remains unaware of the exact connection between Dexter and Rudy/Brian. Dexter feels some regret over killing Brian, the one person who fully understood him, in order to save Debra, whom he knows would turn away from him if she ever learned his true nature.
In the U.S., the complete first season of
Dexter was released in a four-disc DVD package on August 21, 2007. On January 6, 2009, a three disc
Blu-ray version was released.
Season 2
Main article: Dexter (season 2)
Dexter has been unable to satisfy his killing-urges for over a month, due to the constant surveillance by Sgt. Doakes. When the opportunity to kill arises, he has problems executing his victims after having killed his brother. Dexter struggles with his life as a serial killer thanks to him learning that Harry was sleeping with Dexter's biological mother, Laura Moser, before she died and that Harry took his own life after walking in on Dexter in the middle of a murder, unable to deal with the reality of the monster he had created. With his confidence in the Code of Harry and himself destroyed, Dexter plays out the possible resulting scenarios in his head of turning himself in.
Debra continues to struggle with the trauma of her experience with the Ice Truck Killer. For a sense of safety and comfort, she stays with her brother, another new source of stress in Dexter's life. To further complicate matters, treasure hunters discover Dexter's underwater dumping ground for his victims. As the police extract body parts from the ocean, the media dubs the killer the "Bay Harbor Butcher," and
FBI Special Agent Lundy is brought in to catch him. A cult following begins to form behind the "Butcher" when it is discovered that his victims were themselves responsible for deaths.
Rita's relationship with Dexter becomes tense as she and her children deal with the death of her ex-husband Paul, who was killed in a prison fight. Paul's repeated suggestions that Dexter was to blame for his imprisonment causes Rita to finally accuse Dexter of setting up her ex-husband. Dexter admits to setting up Paul, but Rita refuses to believe that Dexter premeditated the crime and assumes that Dexter is a
heroin addict. He admits to "having an addiction"; in return, she vows to stay with him while he goes through the
Narcotics Anonymous program. There, he meets and becomes involved with his sponsor, Lila, a
pyromaniac who starts to obsessively pursue Dexter.
Doakes confronts Dexter leaving an
NA meeting. Doakes is temporarily satisfied that Dexter's odd behavior can be explained by traumatic experiences from a career in law enforcement and drug abuse. Doakes' suspicions about Dexter eventually return, and he ultimately discovers Dexter's glass slides. The possibility of matching them with the bodies of the Butcher's victims sets up a climactic showdown in which Doakes confronts Dexter at a remote cabin, ending with Dexter overpowering Doakes and keeping him locked in a cage inside the cabin. Dexter then begins framing Doakes as the Butcher after the police discover Dexter's slides in Doakes's car. Lieutenant LaGuerta, Doakes's former partner, is the only one who believes that Doakes is innocent. She finds evidence of this and takes it to Lundy, who rejects LaGuerta's case files.
In the season finale, Lila finds the cabin where Doakes is imprisoned and causes a propane tank explosion, blowing up both Doakes and the corpse of one of Dexter's victims, preventing Dexter from being caught. Lila then meets with Dexter, expecting him to accept her love now that she knows his "dark secret". She catches him preparing to kill her and seeks revenge by trying to kill Rita's children and Dexter. Dexter manages to save the children and escape, later exacting his own revenge on her after she has fled to Paris. In the closing scenes, Doakes' memorial service goes largely unattended, with the exception of LaGuerta, Dexter, and Doakes's immediate family.
Season 2 premiered on September 30, 2007. On July 17, the first two episodes of the season were leaked on the internet, and on December 4, the last two episodes were also leaked.
[4] On November 4, 2007, the
Writer's Guild of America started a strike, but writer Daniel Cerone stated in the L.A. Times that Season 2 had already been completed in anticipation of the WGA's action.
[5]The complete second season of
Dexter was released in the USA and Canada on August 19, 2008. It was released in
Australia and
New Zealand on August 21, 2008. The season 2 Blu Ray was on May 5, 2009.
[6]Season 3
Main article: Dexter (season 3)
Rita discovers she is pregnant, informing Dexter that she will keep the baby and raise him with or without his help. He ends up proposing marriage to Rita, which she accepts.
While stalking a murderous drug dealer, "Freebo", Dexter stumbles upon a fight between Freebo and another man, whom he is forced to kill in self defense. This victim turns out to be Oscar Prado, brother of
ADA Miguel Prado (
Jimmy Smits) a prominent assistant district attorney and old flame of Lt. LaGuerta. Miguel comes to confide in and trust Dexter after he helps assist with the case.
Eventually, Dexter tracks down Freebo and kills him, but as he leaves he encounters Miguel, who has followed a lead to Freebo's location. Dexter tells Miguel he had discovered Freebo and killed him in self defense, but instead of reprimanding him, Miguel thanks him and offers to help him cover up the crime. As Dexter and Miguel cooperate to conceal Freebo's true demise from everyone else, the duo end up becoming close friends, as does Rita and Miguel's wife Sylvia.
Later, Miguel discovers that Dexter killed a murderer he had complained about before. He praises Dexter for killing another criminal and offers his aid in the future. Trying to discourage Miguel, Dexter proposes a risky operation to free an infamous
Aryan Brotherhood leader from prison in order to kill him. Miguel agrees with the idea and the plan succeeds. Dexter starts to recognize Miguel as his first and only true friend, to the point of inviting him to be his best man at his wedding.
Debra starts working more seriously to earn her detective shield, and also starts working with a new partner, Joey Quinn. They investigate a serial killer, "The Skinner", who has the habit of skinning his victims while alive. She also starts a relationship with Anton, one of Quinn's confidential informants.
Miguel and Dexter's partnership takes a new step when Miguel offers to be the one to kill their next target. With some reluctance, Dexter agrees, only watching as Miguel kills without hesitation. The next day, Ellen Wolf, a ruthless defense attorney and old courtroom adversary of Miguel's, goes missing, and Dexter, discovers that Miguel has killed her alone. Dexter also learns that Miguel has been manipulating him since the beginning, having never trusted him at all.
The police investigate the death of Ellen Wolf and capture The Skinner. Dexter eventually realizes that Miguel cannot be allowed to run loose any longer, at which point Dexter decides to kill him and make it look like The Skinner did it. Meanwhile, Miguel uses his position to help The Skinner escape police custody in return for his agreeing to kill Dexter.
Striving to discover the truth about Ellen Wolf's death, LaGuerta ends up obtaining evidence which links Miguel to the crime. Miguel discovers that LaGuerta was investigating him and decides to kill her, but Dexter discovers Miguel's plot and captures him. Before killing Miguel, Dexter confesses to him that he was the one who killed Oscar.
After Miguel's body is discovered, he is immediately identified as a victim of The Skinner, just as Dexter planned. Miguel's other brother, Ramon, however, becomes suspicious of Dexter. After pointing a gun at Dexter during a dinner with Rita, he is taken into custody. During a visit to him in jail, Dexter helps Ramon put his demons to rest by relating himself to Ramon.
On the night before his wedding, Dexter is captured by The Skinner, but manages to break free by taking advantage of a moment when the Skinner is distracted. After a short but vicious fight, Dexter manages to snap The Skinner's neck and make it look like suicide by throwing his body before a running police car. Dexter gets his broken hand put in a cast and attends his wedding.
The complete third season of Dexter was released in the USA and Canada on DVD and Blu-ray on August 18, 2009.
Season 4
Main article: Dexter (season 4)
Dexter is now a married family man, and Rita has given birth to a baby boy named Harrison. The family has moved to the suburbs, where Dexter struggles to reconcile his new life with his killing urges. Special Agent Frank Lundy returns to hunt down the "Trinity Killer" (
John Lithgow) who he believes always murders three people in a very specific sequence: a young woman in a bathtub, an older mother of two falling to her death, and a father of two bludgeoned to death.
Lundy begins working with Debra and shortly after, an unseen assailant shoots them both, killing Lundy. Afterwords, Debra is barred from working the Trinity case because the shooting is suspected to be the work of Trinity, making Debra a victim. Debra eventually discovers that Trinity was not the shooter, and she is put in charge of the case. Meanwhile, LaGuerta and Batista have renewed their relationship and, in danger of losing their jobs, decide to marry.
While investigating Lundy's data about Trinity, Dexter determines Lundy was killed because he had determined when and where Trinity would claim his third victim. Dexter stakes out the building, and witnesses Trinity bludgeoning a man on a security camera. Dexter follows Trinity to his home, where he is surprised to discover that Trinity is a family man named Arthur Mitchell. Using the alias Kyle Butler, Dexter attends the same church as Arthur and eventually befriends him. While investigating the reasons behind Arthur's crimes, Dexter learns how he manages to reconcile his family life with his killing urges and utilizes that knowledge to deal with his own issues.
Dexter visits Arthur at his home and discovers that he will be traveling to Tampa on another building project, which could be the start of another cycle. Dexter decides to make the trip with Arthur to ensure this doesn't happen. On the way, Arthur takes Dexter to his childhood home and reveals that at the age of ten, he spied on his older sister in the shower out of innocent curiosity. Startled by his presence, she slips in the shower, shattering the glass shower door and cutting open her
femoral artery, causing her to bleed to death. His mother committed suicide and his father died soon after. Dexter realizes that Arthur impulsively murders groups of people that bear resemblance to those in his family, recreating their deaths each time.
During Thanksgiving at Arthur's home, Dexter learns that Arthur has been terrorizing his family, locking his daughter away in her bedroom and physically abusing his son. After Arthur attacks his son, Dexter is forced to restrain him. Arthur then goes to see a reporter who has been snooping around the Miami P.D., Christine Hill, who is revealed to be his
illegitimate daughter.
Later Arthur kidnaps a boy while being pursued by Dexter. Dexter does some research and finds out that Trinity's pattern begins with the abduction and murder of a ten year old boy first; revealing Trinity's pattern actually cycles in groups of four with the boys always disappearing five days before the first bathtub death. Dexter locates where Arthur is holding the boy and arrives just in time to save him as Arthur escapes.
Debra begins to investigate and eventually arrests Christine after finding that she is Trinity’s daughter. However, Christine is released due to a lack of evidence. Christine secretly contacts Arthur, but he refuses to help her and instead forbids further contact. Arthur also reveals his disdain for her having killed Frank Lundy, which she did to protect her father. Realizing the error of her ways, Christine confesses to Debra. Distraught, Christine seeks forgiveness from Debra, which she refuses. Christine then pulls out a gun and commits suicide in front of her.
One of Harry's old informants takes Deb to the house of Laura Moser, the woman Harry left his wife for. Deb immediately recognizes the house as the home of Brian Moser, the Ice Truck Killer. After piecing together Dexter's connection to Brian and Laura, Deb confronts Dexter about his true identity. Dexter feigns surprise, stating that Brian must have tried to get to him through Deb.
Dexter decides that he must draw police attention away from Arthur, so he finds a man whom he can kill and pin the blame on. He then plants evidence and kills the man. Arthur lures Dexter to an arcade where he previously stalked victims and follows Dexter back to the police station, where he learns Dexter's true identity. Soon after, Dexter tails Arthur and captures him, but hits a car on the way. Dexter, irritated by the driver, smashes his cellphone and is detained by the police. By the time he is released, Arthur is gone.
Dexter eventually tracks down Arthur, capturing and bringing him to the bomb shelter where he held the missing boy. Dexter kills Arthur with a hammer and dumps the body. He returns home and picks up a message from Rita. After listening to the message, he decides to call her back. He hears Rita's phone ring from within the house and soon after, he hears Harrison crying. He rushes to the bathroom, where he finds Harrison sitting on the tile floor in a pool of blood while Rita lies dead in the bathtub, having been murdered by Arthur.
[7]Season 5
Showtime has renewed
Dexter through a fifth season, which is set to premiere in September 2010.
[8] It has been revealed that season five will pick up immediately after the events of the fourth season.
[9]Early Cuts
Dexter: Early Cuts, is a twelve-part animated
web series, that premiered on October 25, 2009
[10] and concluded on January 3, 2010. Michael C. Hall reprises his role as the voice of Dexter.
[11]
The web series precedes the current narrative of the show and revolves around Dexter hunting down the three victims that he mentions in the sixth episode of season 1, "Return to Sender". Each victim has his own story and each one is split into four chapters.
Critical reception
The initial response to
Dexter was positive. The website
Metacritic calculated a score of 77 from a possible 100 for season 1 based on 27 reviews, making it the third-best reviewed show of the 2006 fall season. This score includes four 100% scores from the
New York Daily News,
San Francisco Chronicle,
Chicago Sun-Times and
People Weekly.[12] Brian Lowry, who had written one of the three poor reviews Metacritic tallied for the show, recanted his negative review in a year-end column for the trade magazine
Variety after watching the full season.
[13] On the
CNET Networks website
TV.com,
Dexter has an overall rating of 9.2/10.
[14] On
Metacritic Season 2 has a score of 85 with all 11 reviews positive, season 3 has 78 with 13 reviews and season 4 has 79 with 14 reviews.
The show was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for its second season (Showtime's first ever drama to be nominated for the award), and its star for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. It won neither, losing to
Mad Men and to
Breaking Bad actor
Bryan Cranston.
[15]The third season finale on December 14, 2008 was watched by 1.51 million viewers, giving Showtime its highest ratings for any of its original series since
2004, when
Nielsen started including original shows on
premium channels in its ratings.
[16]The fourth season finale aired on December 13, 2009 and was watched by 2.6 million viewers. It broke records for all of Showtime's original series and was their highest rated telecast in over a decade.
[17]In 2010, Michael C. Hall won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Controversy
U.S. broadcast controversy
When CBS announced in December 2007 it was considering
Dexter for broadcast over the public airwaves,
Parents Television Council (PTC) publicly protested the decision.
[18][19]In preparation for the broadcast premiere of
Dexter on CBS, on January 29, 2008 the network posted promotional videos on
YouTube.
[20] The next day, the PTC for a second time called upon CBS to withdraw plans to broadcast the show. PTC President Timothy F. Winter issued a news release stating "We are formally asking CBS to cancel its plan to air the first season of
Dexter on its television network. This show is not suitable for airing on broadcast television; it should remain on a premium subscription cable network. The biggest problem with the series is something that no amount of editing can get around: the series compels viewers to empathize with a serial killer, to root for him to prevail, to hope he doesn't get discovered." Winter went on to quote CBS President
Leslie Moonves' post-Columbine comment: 'Anyone who thinks the media has nothing to do with [increasing violence in society] is an idiot.' Winter called on the public to demand local affiliates preempt
Dexter, and warned advertisers the PTC would take action against any that sponsored the show.
[21]Following Winter's release, CBS added Parental Discretion advisories to its broadcast promotions. CBS rated
Dexter TV-14 for broadcast.
[22] The show premiered on February 17, 2008 with minor edits, primarily for language, and with scenes involving dismemberment of live victims cut away.
[23] Scenes involving sex were also taken out of the broadcasts. The PTC also objected to CBS broadcasting the final two episodes of the season in a two-hour block starting as early as 8 p.m. in some time zones.
[24]Viral marketing controversy
In preparation for the UK launch of the series,
FX experimented with an
SMS-based
viral marketing campaign. Created by digital advertising agency
Ralph & Co, unsuspecting
mobile phone owners received unsolicited SMS messages identified as being from "Dexter", with no other identification or originating phone number. The SMS messages contain the following text, referring to the phone owner by name:
- "Hello (name). I'm heading to the UK sooner than you might think. Dexter."
Some time later, an email is received directing the user to an online video "news report" about a recent spree of killings. Using on-the-fly video manipulation, the user's name and a personalized message are worked into the report – the former written in blood on a wall by the crime scene, the latter added to a note in an evidence bag carried past the camera.
While the marketing campaign had succeeded in raising the profile of the show, it proved unpopular with many mobile owners who saw this as
spam advertising aimed at mobile phones. In response to complaints about the SMS element of the campaign, FX issued the following statement:
- "The text message you received was part of an internet viral campaign for our newest show Dexter. However it was not us who sent you the text but one of your friends. We do not have a database of viewer phone numbers. The text message went along with a piece on the net that you can then send on to other people you know. If you go to www.icetruck.tv you will see the page that one of your friends has filled in to send you that message. Therefore I suggest you have a word with anyone who knows your mobile number and see who sent you this message. For the record we did not make a record of any phone numbers used in this campaign."[25]
Missing person case
Connections have been suggested between the TV show
Dexter and an ongoing murder charge against filmmaker Mark Twitchell in
Edmonton,
Alberta,
Canada. On December 3, 2008 Twitchell pleaded not guilty to the charge of first degree murder of 38-year-old John Altinger, whose body is still missing. Twitchell filmed footage for a production of
House of Cards, a horror-romance similar to Dexter's clandestine murders,
[26] in which he allegedly
snuffed Altinger.
Det. Mark Anstey of the Edmonton Police Service was quoted as saying "We have a lot of information to suggest he definitely idolizes Dexter." The Summer of 2008, Twitchell had posted a series of ominous
Facebook statuses in which he "believed he had a lot in common with Dexter Morgan".
[27][28] On July 24, 2009, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Michell Crighton refused to grant Twitchell bail. He is represented by veteran Edmonton defense lawyer David Cunningham. Crown prosecutors Avril Herron and Lawrence Van Dyke are prosecuting him.
ABC 20/20 researched the case in
Edmonton during the summer of
2009, for an upcoming coverage of the case.
[29][30] However due to legal issues of the Twitchell's trial, there is a temporary publication ban.
[31]
Conner Conley murder
In November 2009, Andrew Conley, 17, was arrested in
Rising Sun,
Indiana, in connection with the death of his 10-year-old brother, Conner. In an affidavit filed in
Ohio County court, police said that Andrew told investigators that he identified with the character. "Andrew stated that he watches a show called 'Dexter' on Showtime, about a serial killer," prosecutors said in an affidavit. "He stated, 'I feel just like him.'"
[32]Differences from novel
The first season of
Dexter is based on the novel
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by
Jeff Lindsay. However, there are numerous differences, ranging from extra subplots to rearrangements and modifications of elements from the source material. The biggest change is the lead-up to and revelation of the identity of the "Ice Truck Killer", called the "
Tamiami Butcher" in the novel. In the novel, Dexter is led to believe that he might be the one committing the murders, due to a series of strange dreams that connect him to the murder. The final clue is a blurry photo, taken from surveillance footage, of a man who resembles Dexter at a crime scene. After the "Tamiami Butcher" kidnaps Debra, Dexter finds and confronts him. It is subsequently revealed that the killer is actually Dexter's nearly identical long-lost brother, Brian, who, like Dexter, witnessed their mother's brutal murder. In the television series, Brian is introduced under the fake name Rudy, a
prosthetist who becomes Debra's boyfriend. Dexter hesitantly kills Brian instead of letting him escape, Debra does not discover her brother's secret, and LaGuerta is not present at all in the confrontation. In the novel, Brian escapes, Debra discovers her brother's secret (and in future novels does not expose him), and LaGuerta is killed in the climactic confrontation.
[33]In the novel
Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dexter references his urge to kill as being controlled by a "Dark Passenger", and when in his killer trances he tends to refer to himself as "we" or "us". In the first season, only one reference is made to the "Passenger", as Dexter stands at the scene of Angel's stabbing by Brian, an event absent in the book. In the second season, the writers explain Dexter's urge to kill as his "Dark Passenger", and make multiple references to it throughout the season, the first reference being in episode three. The third novel of Dexter almost entirely focuses on the "Dark Passenger" as a separate entity living inside Dexter and all other killers, it is likened to demonic possession.
[34]Much of the second season had little to do with the second novel,
Dearly Devoted Dexter, although they both shared a subplot concerning a suspicious Doakes following Dexter, both concluding in Doakes being "taken care of" by another killer to prevent Dexter from breaking his moral code. In
Dearly Devoted Dexter, Doakes is tortured and dismembered (his hands, feet and tongue are removed) by Dr. Danco, an ex-military interrogator/torturer, and returns in the third novel albeit in a much different state; he is unable to speak coherently and is fitted with prosthetic limbs. The Showtime series has Doakes being blown up by Lila, Dexter's psychopathic ex-girlfriend. She appears in none of the books.
Agent Lundy is not in the books, however "Chutsky" plays the same role. Debra and he form a relationship which goes beyond the first book (partly because Chutsky has a similar fate to Doakes and is not fit for work).
[35]In Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter discovers that Cody and Astor share Dexter's need to kill and he helps them by teaching them the code of Harry. Their need to kill was brought on by their abusive father, Paul Bennett (he is only given a name in the TV series). Paul Bennett himself isn't featured much and in the books gave his children a lot of psychological abuse as well as beating them which causes him to end up in prison. This all happens before Dexter and Rita's relationship begins. In the TV show he is shown to be a doting father but a sexually and physically abusive husband. In the show he is knocked out and then framed for drug use by Dexter after Paul threatens him and tries to get custody of Cody and Astor by suing Rita - who had previously attacked him in self defense. He is then sent back to jail on his third strike where, due to his anger of being framed by Dexter and the fact that no one believes him, he gets into a fight with another inmate and is killed.
Dexter's disposition is somewhat more detached in the books, although he is still very "fond" of Debra, Cody and Astor. He does not seem to have any real affection for Rita other than her being his "disguise", although he does see her as the perfect person for him, both in terms of convenience and otherwise. He also proposes by accident.
Angel does not feature much in the books either and does not have his own subplots. Dexter only seems to be friends with Masuka at work, who has a much more important role in the books than in the show. Although mainly because of their shared job of bringing donuts to work and because Dexter recognizes that Masuka is another "fake human" (although not a killer) in that he seems to fake everything he does. Masuka also becomes Dexter's best man for the wedding.
Another big difference from the books is that Rita is still alive as of now in the books, whereas she is dead as of the close of Season 4 in the TV Series.
Other media
DVD/Blu-ray releases
| DVD Name |
Release Date |
Ep # |
Additional Content |
| The Complete First Season |
Region 1: August 21, 2007
Region 2: May 19, 2008
Region 4: Feb 14, 2008[36] |
12 |
- 2 Audio Commentaries by the Cast
- The Academy of Blood: A Killer Course!
- Witnessed in Blood: A True Murder Investigation
- N Technology
- 2 episodes of Showtime's Brotherhood
|
| The Complete Second Season |
Region 1: August 19, 2008
Region 2: March 30, 2009
Region 4: August 21, 2008 |
12 |
|
| The Complete Third Season |
Region 1: August 18, 2009
Region 2: April 26, 2010
Region 4: August 20, 2009[37] |
12 |
- Cast Interviews with Michael C. Hall, Lauren Velez, C.S Lee, David Zayas, Jennifer Carpenter, Julie Benz
- Victims Match
- Inside the Writers Room
- Bringing Miami to LA
- Miami's Finest
- Photo Gallery
|
| Blu-ray Name |
Release Date |
Ep # |
Additional Content |
| The Complete First Season |
Region A: January 6, 2009[38] |
12 |
- The Academy of Blood: A Killer Course!
- Witnessed in Blood: A True Murder Investigation
- One free HD episode download of Dexter season 2
- The first 2 episodes of the new Showtime series United States of Tara
|
| The Complete Second Season |
Region A: May 5, 2009[6] |
12 |
- Podcasts
- Featurette: "Blood Fountains"
- Featurette: "Dark Defender"
- One episode of the upcoming Showtime series Nurse Jackie
- One episode of the new Showtime series United States of Tara
|
| The Complete Third Season |
Region A: August 18, 2009[39] |
12 |
- Dexter by Design - Book Excerpts
- First two Episodes of United States of Tara, Season 1
- First two Episodes of The Tudors, Season 3
- Interviews with Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez & David Zayas
|
Video game
A video game based on
Dexter developed by Icarus Studios, based on the events of season one, was released on September 13, 2009. It is available exclusively for the
iPhone platform in the
iTunes App Store. The cast and crew of
Dexter have been very supportive, with some of the cast providing full voice work for the game, including
Michael C. Hall. Critical reception has been very good, with the game receiving many positive reviews, including an 8.0/10 from
IGN. No additional content for the game has currently been released or announced as planned. Additionally, there have been no announcements of expanding the game onto other platforms.
Soundtrack
Main article: Dexter: Music from the Showtime Original Series
The music from the Dexter TV series was released August 28, 2007 on the album Dexter: Music from the Showtime Original Series. It is produced by Showtime, and distributed by Milan Records. The album is also available online on the iTunes store. The iTunes release includes five additional bonus tracks from Seasons 1 and 2.
Most notable is the recurring theme from the end credits, which features artificial harmonics on bowed string instruments (violins, violas and cellos), reminiscent of
Bernard Herrmann's pivotal "black and white", strings-only score for Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece,
Psycho. Herrmann utilized artificial harmonics for the music to the famous shower scene, where the staccato harmonic glissandos, in Stravinsky-like dissonant tonalities, represent the knife stabbings of that film's title serial killer.
Also notable is the fact that the score[s] seem to use live instruments, not synthesized sounds, as is common in most of today's television programs.[citation needed]
Merchandise
EMCE Toys planned the release from Action figures of the series.
[40]Awards
Wins
- 2006
- AFI Awards: TV Program of the Year—Official Selection
- IGN: Best New Show[41]
- IGN: Best Actor—Michael C. Hall[42]
- IGN: Best Villain—The Ice Truck Killer[43]
- IGN: Best Character—Dexter Morgan[44]
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series—Julie Benz
- 2007
- Emmy: Outstanding Main Title Design
- Emmy: Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
- IGN: Best Storyline[45]
- IGN: Best Television Program[46]
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series—David Zayas
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Series, Drama—Michael C. Hall
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Television Series, Drama
- Saturn Awards: Best Actor in a Television Program—Michael C. Hall
- Television Critics Association: Individual Achievement in Drama—Michael C. Hall
- 2008
- Saturn Awards: Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series[47]
- Scream Awards: Best TV Show
- 2009
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama (Michael C. Hall)[48]
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (John Lithgow)[48]
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
Nominations
- 2006
- Golden Globe: Nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Drama—Michael C. Hall
- IGN: Best Television Program[49]
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Series, Drama—Michael C. Hall
- Satellite Awards: Outstanding Television Series, Drama
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- 2007
- Emmy: Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing, Drama
- Emmy: Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
- Golden Globe: Nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Drama—Michael C. Hall[50]
- Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Television Program—James Remar
- Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Television Program—Jennifer Carpenter
- Saturn Awards: Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
- Television Critics Association: New Program of the Year
- WGA: Episodic Drama—any length—one airing time Dark Defender
- WGA: Best Dramatic Series[51][52][53]
- Peabody Award: Announced April 2, 2008[54]
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- 2008
- Emmy: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series
- Emmy: Outstanding Art Direction—Tony Cowley, Linda Spheeris
- Emmy: Outstanding Cinematography—Romeo Tirone
- Golden Globe: Best Television Series—Drama
- Golden Globe: Nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Drama—Michael C. Hall
- WGA: Best Dramatic Series[55]
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
- 2009
- Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series
- Emmy: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series—Jimmy Smits
- Crime Thriller Awards: The International TV Dagger[56]
- Golden Globe: Best Television Series - Drama[48]
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama (Michael C. Hall)[48]
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (John Lithgow)[48]
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series—Michael C. Hall
- SAG Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
References
- ^ http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/dexter-season-finale-ratings-hit-alltime-high.html
- ^ a b Emerson, Jim (2007-10-20). "Dexter: Putting it together". Chicago Sun-Times. http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2007/10/dexter_putting_it_together.html. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ Adam Bryant. "Dexter Showrunner Departs the Series". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Dexter-Showrunner-Departs-1013123.aspx.
- ^ "Massive Leak of Pre-Air TV Shows: Piracy or Promotion?". TorrentFreak. 2007-07-24. http://torrentfreak.com/massive-leak-of-pre-air-tv-shows-piracy-or-promotion/. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ Show Tracker - TV News - Los Angeles Times
- ^ a b Dexter The Complete Second Season Blu-Ray Disc Release Information
- ^ Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow. (2009). Dexter/Trinity – The Interview. [TV-Series]. United States: Showtime.
- ^ http://tv.spreadit.org/dexter-season-5-premiere
- ^ http://laist.com/2010/03/05/last_night_at_paleyfest2010_dexter.php
- ^ Dexter Animated Webisodes, Stills, Trailer
- ^ TVWeek.com July 24, 2009 Showtime Creating 'Dexter' Prequel as Animated Webisodes
- ^ "Dexter (Showtime) – Reviews from Metacritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/dexter. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
- ^ Looking forward, some no-no's for the New Year
- ^ TV.com highest rated shows
- ^ Showtime Official Site - 2007-2008 Season Emmy Nominations
- ^ Multichannel News 12/16/2008: Dexter's Third Season Finale's A Killer - Series Delivers Best Original Series Viewership Since 2004
- ^ ABC News 12/14/2009: "Dexter" Season Finale Slashes Records
- ^ "Parents Television Council Denounces CBS's 'Dexter' Plan"
- ^ "PTC to CBS: Do Not Air Dexter on Broadcast TV"
- ^ "Good Dexter / Bad Dexter" at YouTube
- ^ "Dexter, Decency and DVRs"
- ^ "In an Unprecedented Move, a Premium Cable Drama To Air On Network Television"
- ^ "Showtime's Serial Killer Moves to CBS, to a Not Entirely Warm Welcome"
- ^ Eggerton, John (2008-05-01). "PTC Pushes CBS Affiliates to Drop Dexter". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6556811.html. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
- ^ "Dexter Text Message discussion". Designate Online. http://www.designateonline.com/discussions/comments.php?DiscussionID=2733&page=1. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
- ^ http://fancinematoday.com/2008/12/03/fan-film-murder-suspect-mark-twitchells-house-of-cards-footage-released/
- ^ http://www.lastlinkontheleft.com/e2008altingermark1.html
- ^ Would-be victim sought in case of filmmaker charged with murder
- ^ http://www.lastlinkontheleft.com/e2008altinger.html
- ^ http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/20/10526986-sun.html
- ^ http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2009/10/24/11512361-sun.html
- ^ Prosecutors: Ind. Teen Felt Hunger To Kill
- ^ Lindsay, Jeff (July 2004). Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Doubleday. ISBN 038551123X.
- ^ Lindsay, Jeff (2008). Dexter in the Dark. Orion Publishing Co (United Kingdom). ISBN 9780752881607.
- ^ Lindsay, Jeff (2006). Dearly Devoted Dexter. [Orion Publishing Co (United Kingdom)]. ISBN 9780752877884.
- ^ "Play.com (UK) Dexter: Season 1: DVD". play.com. http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3305130/-/Product.html?searchstring=Dexter+season+1&searchsource=0. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ^ http://dstore.com.au/dvd/Dexter---Season-3/10690068.html
- ^ Dexter The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray Disc Release Information
- ^ Dexter The Complete Third and fourth Seasons on Blu-Ray Disc Release Information
- ^ Dexter MEGOs coming?!
- ^ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/tv/9.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/tv/15.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/tv/18.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/tv/19.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "IGN Best of 2007". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2007/tv/11.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "IGN Best of 2007". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2007/tv/20.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ Cohen, David S. (2008-06-24). "Saturn Awards are 'Enchanted'". Variety (Reed Elsevier). http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117988041.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
- ^ a b c d e 2009 Golden Globe NomineesHFPA Nominations and Winners
- ^ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. 2006. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/tv/21.html. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2008 Golden Globe Awards For The Year Ended December 31, 2007". HFPA. 2007. http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/81. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "2008 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced". WGA. 2007. http://wga.org/subpage_newsevents.aspx?id=2653#TheWireHBO. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "WGA announce TV, radio nominees". Variety. 2007. http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117977607.html#TheWireHBO. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "HBO tops WGA awards list with five noms". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i51057e90b0ae537411989f7513cd3991#TheWireHBO. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ 67th Annual Peabody Awards
- ^ "2009 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced". WGA. 2008. http://wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=3410. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
- ^ Allen, Kate (2009-09-07). "Coben, Cole, Atkinson vie for crime awards". The Bookseller. http://www.thebookseller.com/news/96297-coben-cole-atkinson-vie-for-crime-awards.html. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
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