Dexter

I was arguing after the episode that Dexter killing Travis at the church could have served a certain purpose: he could have made Travis' death look like a suicide, (and where better for Travis to have theoretically done that than in the church) then either claimed to have found the body or arranged for someone else to find it. (Keep in mind, I'm pretty new to Dexter, having only started watching in about the middle of the season, so I don't know how much effort he generally puts into hiding his crimes.)

But yeah, taking his time in a place where he was expected to be, even if he didn't know that Deb would show up, wasn't smart. So I guess the big question is: does he have a chance at talking his way out of this with Deb? Casn he tell her that Travis was going to kill his son, and maybe convince Deb that this was just him taking revenge or something? (Although I doubt he can really do that, given the obvious elaborate preparations on his part.) Will Deb go into denial because she won't want to acknowledge the truth about Dexter?

Also, what'll happen to his son if Dexter is arrested? Will custody of him go over to Deb? Given that Deb can barely manage her own life from what I've seen, I'm not sure that's the greatest thing in the world, unless it serves to ground her a little.

So, any thoughts from people more experienced with the show?

Dexter never leaves bodies to be found, unless external factors interrupt his plans - partially to prevent the police from linking the murders, and to minimize evidence (no body found = no crime scene to investigate). He always cuts them in pieces and dumps them in the ocean from his boat; him staging Travis' death is highly unlikely... Brian was the exception to that rule. Most likely his plan was to let Travis disappear - the police would find neither man nor body, and would eventually conclude that Travis had made a run for it. The case file would remain open, eventually forgotten, and left to gather dust.

Dexter chose the church out of convenience and for the symbolism it held... because let's face it, the dear Morgan likes his drama and his theatrics.

In case of Dexter's arrest, custody would either go to Deb or Harrison's grandparents. Though I'd have to see that before I believe it... Deb being in on his dirty little secret can be handled and the story can continue relatively undisturbed, but Dexter's arrest would make it impossible for the show to continue on current premises. The day Dexter is unmasked as a serial killer, will most likely warrant the end of the show.

Edit: Anyone heralding the annoyances of pregnancy, obviously isn't following Dexter. Welcome to the REAL 9 months of hell.

edited 19th Dec '11 6:17:56 AM by Tachi

He left Miguel's body in season 3 to be found, and there were a few unexpected kills where he was forced into leaving the body. It depends. If the situation calls for more closure if he can find a way for the body to be found without being caught, he'll feel compelled to leave it. When in control though he will basically always dump the body. I really feel like this situation would have benefitted from a staged suicide, maybe for no other reason than to give Deb closure.

He likes drama and theatrics but he likes not being caught better.

Oh, God! I already knew that they will at least play with this theme again, by the time he was planning a kill-room at a location that Deb knew about, but I was still afraid that they will use another Goddamned Plastic Sheet.

Also, I'm going to watch the shit out of the pseudo-confession scene. Also, lol.◊

Also, was it ever explained why Dex failed to get knocked out by the tranquilizer?

edited 19th Dec '11 7:58:15 AM by Ever9

My guess is he somehow knew Travis would ask him about it, or would otherwise convince Travis to let him use it and prepared it ahead of time.

Notice that Dexter conceals the body of the syringe with his finger. Most likely it was a saline solution (or even empty, but that would be incredibly dangerous), given that his last encounter with Travis resulted in him getting jabbed with his own tranquilizer.

I figured that he may have intentionally missed any veins with it. Even (most) potent drugs will take at least minutes to hours to work if it doesn't go straight into the bloodstream, and the only way you're going to hit a vein in the neck without looking is by total luck, since the veins there are relatively small. (Both the main page and analysis page for Instant Sedation have some more info about this.)

Of course, there are other problems too. As long as the needle was loaded with a sedative, it would eventually take effect. Maybe Dexter took enough time in-between scenes to sleep for a bit or try to put something in his system to counter it, but that's a whole other way to play a game of roulette with your body.

He could have had needles loaded up with a faux drug that was harmless, but I have a hard time imagining Dexter walking around with something that wasn't useful to him, or why he would think to have a fakeout injection ready in advance. On the other hand, he was coming from work, so it could have been something harmless from there too.

Saying that he managed to fake the injection and repeating the MST 3 K Mantra works well enough in the end.

edited 20th Dec '11 2:24:17 AM by TheWanderer

Given that he was driving afterward, that is crazy dangerous.

Why was he wearing his kill shirt to his son's Noah's Ark thing? I figured at the time it was just some detail I missed and handwaved it away but I still don't remember why he would have worn it.

Also, how did he get down from a skyscaper with an unconscious serial killer and an infant in a lion fursuit, without anyone noticing?

And why did he have to get down, instead of just killing Travis on the rooftop, and leaving him there, as if he committed suicide?

Betting time. How will they continue this?

1. Debra freaks out, screams "everything was a lie!" and shoots herself in the head. Dexter makes a face.
2. Dexter manages to tranquilize Debra and make her believe that it was all a bad dream
3. Debra needs some time to digest the information, but gets killed in the first three episodes before she could make up her mind
4. Dexter makes up some bullshit about accidentially stumbling upon Travis at the scene, and he decided to take justice into his hands, but it was the first time. Debra accepts this
5. Dexter admits being a serial killer. Debra hesitantly accepts the idea of vigiliantism, but now she is estranged from him as a sister/love interest.
6. Debra is perfectly OK with Dexter being a serial killer, and now she is Dexter's secret keeper/sidekick, but the incest subplot is put on hold.
7. Dexter and Debra are having incestous sex on top of Travis' body. [figuratively]
8. Dexter and Debra are having incestous sex on top of Travis' body. [literally]

edited 20th Dec '11 12:49:26 PM by Ever9

Honestly, I can't think of a way for the writers for write themselves out of this in a way that isn't stupid.

Yeah, but I can't really see any way for them to write themselves into this, either. I mean, I just can't see Debra honestly accepting Dexter's serial killing. Seriously, from this list, #1 would be the best option.

Hmm. How about that montage at the end of season two? Dexter had some predictions, and I guess we'll finally find out which one was right.

He always defaults to BSing her, so he'll probably do that.

Honestly, the writers seem to have long since given up on following practical, sensible means and just do whatever is needed to further the plot, from out-of-character moments to flat out Idiot Balls. So I guess anything is game, depending on where they plan on going with it.

edited 20th Dec '11 3:07:34 PM by Psychobabble6

Well, we know choking on food is not an option.

Lets look at some facts here.

1. Deb was engaged to the Brain AKA Ice Truck Killer.
2. She was wrapped up in sheets of plastic by the Ice Truck Killer.
3. She later found out that Brain was Dexters brother.
4. Hot Intern Girl stole the hand, which was evidence in the Ice Truck Killer case.
5. Creepy Intern Guy now has the hand in his possession, and sent it to Dexter. It's now sitting on top of Dexters fridge and he doesn't know it.
6. And now, Deb has seen Dexter killing Travis, who was wrapped up in sheets of plastic.

Come season 7, Deb is going to struggle with what to do. She's just realised she's in love with her brother, and then seen him killing someone, and i'm betting that just as she's about to make a decision, something happens involving the Ice Truck Killer, and she'll realise she can't turn Dexter in.

Basically, season 7 will be Dexter and Deb vs Creepy Intern Guy. And Debs season long plot will be her coming to terms with who her brother really is, and accepting it, even if she doesn't like it.

Thoughts?

edited 21st Dec '11 3:32:50 PM by TheLastEveryMan

...

I dunno. I just have this feeling that Deb may accept the whole "Dexter kills people" thing. Primarily because they're all bad guys, and because she let him go last season(even if she didn't know it was him)... Not to mention her decision on how to resolve the Matthews situation this season.

That said, if Dexter goes the "honest" route, and mentions his thoughts on the idea that Harry killed himself because he saw Dexter in action, Deb is going to probably kill Dexter herself...

But even without that, this whole "The only fix point in my life was a lie all along" thing will hurt like a bitch.

This is probably even worse for her than Rudy, both because Dex is even more important for her, and because it's happening to her the second time. Compared to that, the detail that this serial killer has a moral code, might not count for too much.

So I just finished season 6, and, initially, I was a bit put off by it, but, in the end, it's turned into my favorite season... Other than that, my thoughts on it:

• First, what I liked:
  • I really liked how they handled the religious theme, especially how they were able to have antagonists who are very religious, but not paint religion especially negatively, but more on that later.
  • I quite liked how the writers used the hallucinations that Dexter was having. I mean, to me, Dexter's brother appearing was one of the most suspenseful moments this season, and I absolutely loved how Dexter dismisses his father's hallucination near the end.
  • I quite enjoyed the twist that Professor Gellar was excellent, and made a lot of sense looking back. Not only did it set the killer apart from all the previous ones, but it was also made a nice parallel between Travis and Dexter.
  • I loved the growth Deb got with being put into a job she wasn't ready for at all, and slowly growing into it.
  • I really liked the Doomsday Killer killings. They were really distinctive, and gave the season a distinctive feel, as well as a definite feeling of a beginning, middle, and end. Plus, I liked how they were themed, rather than all the same, like with previous serial killers.
  • I felt like Dexter's hunt for Travis was quite good, and I like how he got help from Travis, not knowing he was the only killer.
  • I also liked how this season seemed to much more have a Beginning, Middle, and End, which is something that I feel previous seasons were a bit weak on...
    • Beginning: From the beginning to the appearance of Dexter's brother.
    • Middle: From the revisitation of Trinity to the discovery of Professor Gellar's body.
    • End: From the escape from the church to the end.
  • I liked how the season revisted Dexter's past early in the season, like previous seasons have, however it wasn't exactly like previous seasons, which was a good thing, as it revisited it through him killing. This was done three times, to my knowledge:
    • First with the high school reunion in the first episode where Dexter killed the jock from his past, which gave insight into Dexter's teenage years.
    • Then with the Tooth Fairy, which gave insight into Dexter's childhood.
    • Finally with Trinity's son, which both gave insight into the effect of Dexter's killing, and a possible future for his son.
  • I really liked Dexter's relationship with Brother Sam, and how it forced him to look at his religious beliefs, and his views on reform and redemption.
  • Finally, I absolutely loved Dexter's kill of Travis. It was honestly my favorite part of the season, and one of my favorite kills, and moments, in the show. I loved how, in his speech, he both talked about how God was a terrible justification for killing, and how religion doesn't usually lead to such barbarity. I absolutely loved the "Father, Son, and Serial Killer" line, and the cliff hanger it lead to was just the perfect way to end the season.
• Now, what I disliked:
  • As I mentioned before, I was a bit off put by the beginning. This was in part because I wasn't sure if the show could handle the religious themes, which it proved it could, but also because it took far to long to get off the ground. This led to the middle section of it being far to short, though I think the end was the perfect length.
  • I really disliked Quinn, or, really, how the writers dealt with him. I felt like he was ok in the beginning, nothing special, really, but I felt like his break up with Deb was done badly, and he was just bad.
  • I was bugged by the fact that atheism sort of got the short end of the stick... By which I mean, I don't think there was a single person, other than Dexter, who showed any inclination towards being atheist.
• Finally, I hated how they just dropped the marriage between Angel and La Guerta between seasons. It felt like a cop out. :/
• What I'm hopeful for next season:
  • I'm looking forward to how they deal with Deb and Dexter's relationship, both with Deb finding out about Dexter's double life, and Deb realizing she loves Dexter in a very non-familial way. This is going to be tricky for the writers, and they might not pull it off, but, if they do, it will be amazing.
  • I'm looking forward to what the prosthetic hand from the Ice-Truck Killer victim will lead to.

Anything I didn't mention I didn't have any strong feeling either way on.

edited 18th Mar '12 2:59:28 AM by deathpigeon

I absolutely love the pairing of Dexter/Debra, though it's always been one of those hidden guilty pleasures cause I've never seen anyone else who'd actually admit to shipping them before. I must say this last season had me yelling at the TV(in a good way) due to plot (Murders, relationships, and mystery) and squeeing like a little kid. Also, I felt vindicated in my ship when my mother walked into the room, watched a bit of one episode with me and offhandedly remarked about Dexter, Debra and Harrison making a cute mummy/daddy/baby group.

I had a weird dream they did a Dexter christmas special. In their true subversive style it ends with Quinn sleeping with Angel and Debs confessing her alcoholism to Dexter.

There is a truly sweet scene where Dexter is going to dob Debs in to cover himself.

• Dexter: laguerta... I have a complaint.
• laguerta: Of course Dexter…. (seeing debra) oh officer morgan (says something incredibly insensitive about damaging their image which I forget).
• Dexter: (having a change of heart) It's you... you used to be a cop who looked out for her fellow officers. Now you're just another self servicing bureaucrat worrying about where her next promotion is going to come from.
• laguerta: (pissed) Get back to work while you still have a job.

• laguerta:(tear, to herself'')you used to make me proud.

edited 4th May '12 4:10:15 PM by joeyjojo

Yvonne Strahovski has joined the cast!

http://tinyurl.com/bloykwy

Now we will know who the coldest motherfucker is: Dexter or Miranda from Mass Effect.

Somewhat dead(dying?) post I think and not sure if completely right place but...Anyone else get the feeling from flashbacks, actions and things that are mentioned in passing that there were worse things in their childhood (before Deb graduated highschool) than Dexter's training? I don't know, maybe it's just me but I get the feeling either Harry or Matthews abused Deb. It's just how she acts and the things she says and how she doesn't even really react when Harry smashes a beer bottle on her birthday and just sort of shuts down. Also Matthews is always kind of...leering at her. Even in flashbacks when she's with her father. She also states she use to sneak into Dexter's room to sleep 'for protection'.

Any agrees or disagrees?

edited 25th Jun '12 8:29:29 PM by MickeySam

I would agree from a watsonian point of view, but from a doylist view, it must be pointed out that the show obviously makes up it's plot as it goes along, from season to season, with no greater foreshadowing in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq8PI_rw7u0&

edited 2nd Jul '12 3:23:34 PM by Ever9