Dexter

New season out tonight. Great show.

The season where Dexter is now a daddy? Interesting.

Five bucks or a good smoothie says that this will be the season where they Jump the Shark.

So long as the don't bring in ancient gods of murder and bloodshed I'll be satisfied, though.

edited 13th May '13 9:21:49 PM by Sneeb

I just watched the first episode of the new season, and I thought it was fantastic. John Lithgow is on track to turning in one of the frikkin creepiest portrayals of a serial killer I have ever seen.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode. =)

I think it's too early in the season to judge its quality or direction, so I have no complaints or praises or anything. OK, maybe some likes and dislikes—

LIKE: Believe it or not, I like baby Harrison, or at least what it means for Dexter's life. I don't mind at all that Dexter is becoming a family person—it's called character development. The good thing (if you could call it a good thing) is that the perfect family life hasn't softened Dexter. So now instead of Loners Are Freaks Dexter we have BTK Dexter.

The Trinity Killer looks promising. I never expected the series to have a Sorting Algorithm of Evil but having a serial killer whose success far exceeds Bay Harbor Butcher's (who, in the eyes of the in-universe public opinion was "caught") would theoretically put Dexter on edge. It would certainly make up for the less-than-interesting Skinner, who was basically a side plot.

Also, Deb's investigation of her father. Although way to waste a guest appearance by Adrienne Barbeau.

DISLIKE: The return of Lundy. Maybe I'm too quick to judge because there's no knowing how he will get involved later. But having him appear in an unofficial capacity to hunt Trinity and bringing him back when Deb is happy with Anton just screams to me "Hi my name is Keith and I really need a paycheck right now.

La Guerta. "Hey you know what? Let's ship Angel and his boss. Why? They're Hispanic!" "But Angel is already with someone else." "Pppbbbh, just write her off in one line of dialogue."

For that matter, any of the romantic subplots.

SHUT THE FUCK UP GHOST HARRY. There are better ways to incorporate James Remar to the story given the new Deb subplot.

OTHER: How will they justify Dexter keeping his old apartment?

I hope Dexter disposed of the remains before his car crash. Actually, I'm sure he did because incriminating him would speed the narrative too quickly.

Actually, according to the trailers for the second episode, He didn't dispose of the body; just nobody thought to look in his trunk, and several bags of parts got flung clear of the SUV.

Dexter probably won't be exposed (at least not until the end of the season, if at all), but there'll be some tension and he'll have to hustle. The risk of getting caught will always be there; it's an innate part of the show. I think that it's more likely that the show will jump the shark if ever Dexter starts killing with complete impunity and no risk of getting caught.

Regarding Lithgow; people remember him as Dr. Dick Solomon, the goofy alien; what they don't realize is that he was a damn terrifying villain in Raising Cain and Ricochet before Third Rock From The Sun was even concieved of.

Oh, I saw Ricochet. I just thought it sucked.

But Lithgow sold the villain in Ricochet, right? I mean, that scenery was covered in bite marks by the end of it...

I tend not to like scenery chewing and thought Lithgow's character was too ludicrously evil to take seriously. But of course, Your Mileage May Vary.

You know, as cliffhanger resolutions go, the second episode of Season 4 was at the same time slightly disappointing and entirely reasonable.

Of course, The whole discovery-of-bags-full-of-body-parts thing is so Season 2. They really didn't need to retread it as much as show how Dexter still needs Harry's Code after straying so far from it last season.

edited 5th Oct '09 7:39:50 AM by Dracomicron

I liked this episode. Somehow it makes me feel the stress and fatigue Dexter is going through.

Does anyone think it possible that Trinity will go after Rita?

Led Walrus: That would certainly give Dexter a reason to take out Trinity at the end of the season. From Lundy's notes on the wall of his hotel room, it looks like the first victim is killed in the bathtub with a razor, the second falls from a great height, and the third is bludgeoned to death. We already know who #2 is; but Rita could certainly be #3; a bludgeoning kill would be messy and up close & personal, giving Dexter's rescue/failure to rescue some urgency.

Led Walrus: In short: Yes.

sekrit message: I may disappointed if they (the writers) do, though. They may be falling into a pattern where the Big Victim has to be someone close to Dexter.

edited 8th Oct '09 4:35:16 PM by Janitor

I'm still wondering about the "Howhedunit" approach the show is taking with the Trinity Killer. If TK's third victim is just another random woman, then having him in the show is just an exercise in turning a regular Dexter target into a semi-important character. That's the problem that I had with the Skinner.

They sure are being stingy about giving Lithgow screentime. Maybe he asked for too much money.

Anyone else getting the vibe that Quinn might become Dexter's next archnemesis?

I am, Led Walrus. Though I don't think the audience will have nearly the qualms about him getting killed off for his trouble as they did with Doakes.

About Quinn: Clearly he's being set up to get suspicious of Dexter. Now that Dexter knows that he's dirty, Quinn's going to keep trying to get in good with him. When Dexter doesn't play ball (because he doesn't give a shit), Quinn's going to start digging up dirt on him to try and get leverage.

But, you know, fuck Quinn. in the leverage game, he's no Miguel, and in the cop game, he's no Doakes.

I agree whole-heartedly with that last sentiment, Draco.

In the great Doakes tradition, I believe you mean that you " MOTHERFUCKING agree whole-heartedly with that last MOTHERFUCKING sentiment, MOTHERFUCKER.

I motherfucking miss that guy.

edited 9th Oct '09 9:56:27 AM by Dracomicron

I was completely shocked when they killed off Doakes in season 2. I mean, they had been slowly setting it up the entire season as an inevitable outcome to keep Dexter from going to prison, but still... part of me didn't believe they'd do it.

Me, too. Honestly I thought that was a total cop-out. In my mind, that was what they expected us to think, and then they were going to take a left turn and do something else.

My favorite fan-wank: Doakes and Dexter decide that they are better at taking out the trash toghether than against each other, and go into a scumbag-wasting partnership. Hell, third season would've written itself.

Mmm... kinda a transitiony episode, except for the Trinity killing.

Turns out that Rita won't be the third victim; it's a man who is bludgeoned to death. My bet's on Lundy, since Quinn's reporter whore is going to break the story on it and expose him.

I did enjoy the parallel between Dexter and Trinity: they both threaten people's children to get them to do what they want; for Dexter the vandal and for Trinity his second victim.

Pity on that third killing, because I really hated Rita this episode.

And about Quinn. Is it possible for Replacement Scrappydom to skip an entire season?

I agree, sadly. Usually I actually like Rita, but having a baby made her into an insensitive moron. I don't want her dead or anything, I just want her written as the tough, sexy, yet brittle person we had for like three seasons again.

I added Compensating for Something to the series page.

That giant truck made me laugh, I admit.