It's Kind Of Hard Not To Take That Personally.

[rionaleonhart]

I'm getting more into Dexter! I don't really love any of the characters yet, but I'm enjoying the show as a whole. I'm now up to the seventh episode, 'Circle of Friends'.

NB: as this show has been around for a while, I'm not being that strict on spoiler cuts (although I'll still cut major plot developments, e.g. significant character deaths or big twists). If you're planning to watch it, though, let me know if you'd like me to be more cautious.

Episode six, 'Return to Sender', is INCREDIBLE. It's when I started rewinding to rewatch moments I particularly enjoyed, which is always a sign I'm really getting into a show. I love Dexter being confronted with the fact that he's probably going to get caught and flipping out about it. I love Doakes bringing Debra to a meal with his family and discovering, to his horror, that she gets on really well with them.

I really enjoy how heavily Dexter's relationship with the Ice Truck Killer is depicted as a romance. And, when the police find a suspect, Dexter's reaction is very much 'what, no, it can't be this guy, I can't love this guy.'

I think Masuka should also turn out to be a serial killer. His vibes are twice as weird as Dexter's, and, more importantly, I think Dexter's reaction to realising he's not the only serial killer in the department would be very funny.

Maybe everyone in the police department is a serial killer, with the exception of Debra, the one person who actually is as straightforward as she appears.

I like that Dexter literally says 'there, there' when he's trying to comfort Rita. It's so exactly what you'd say if you have no idea how comforting works.

Oh, the doctor is one hundred percent the Ice Truck Killer. I am basing this entirely on 'he makes really realistic-looking prosthetics, suggesting, in the world of television, that he is super into body parts.'

Given this hypothesis, I conclude that the doctor kissing Debra is really an attempt to kiss Dexter by proxy, and I'm delighted by this.

I really like the way Dexter kind of finds himself taking another Murder Child under his wing. He wasn't planning on this, but someone's got to help guide this kid through the wonderful world of murder!

WAIT NO THAT IS NOT HOW I WANTED THIS STORYLINE TO RESOLVE

I enjoy Dexter's obvious 'oh, God, my first date with the Ice Truck Killer' nervousness when he's about to speak to the arrested suspect. Will Murder Senpai think I'm cool??

Comments

[wolfy_writing]

Oh, that bit with Debra and the Doakes family was hilarious!

I thought you'd like the whole vibe between Dexter and the Ice Truck Killer! The funny thing is the whole following season, Dexter will continue to claim he doesn't experience emotions.

I think a big part of what I like about the show is Dexter trying to muddle through social skills and having no idea how to do it, because the main social skillset he learned in childhood was how to get away with being a serial killer, and he's still in denial about the whole "I experience emotions" thing.

[rionaleonhart]

An intense relationship between a serial killer and the person trying to catch him is always a fun dynamic, and 'the person trying to catch him is also a serial killer' is an interesting twist on it!

I think a big part of what I like about the show is Dexter trying to muddle through social skills and having no idea how to do it

He's so bad at it! 'I fake it all, and I fake it very well,' Dexter says in the first episode, hilariously. No, Dexter. No, you don't.

[apiphile]

I think Masuka should also turn out to be a serial killer. His vibes are twice as weird as Dexter's, and, more importantly, I think Dexter's reaction to realising he's not the only serial killer in the department would be very funny.

I'd love that fanfic

Maybe everyone in the police department is a serial killer, with the exception of Debra, the one person who actually is as straightforward as she appears.

Hah! Or Deb *is* a serial killer, as well, and she and Dexter have been hiding it from each other both without realising the other person is, but they both are really judgey and sibling-y abotu each other's kills.

[rionaleonhart]

but they both are really judgey and sibling-y abotu each other's kills.

Ha, this works as well! I was originally thinking Deb couldn't be a serial killer because you need to preserve the 'oh, no, what if Deb finds out?' aspect, but I do enjoy the idea of Dexter's motivation shifting to 'I can't let her find out; we have totally different approaches and she'd really judge my murders.'

[wolfy_writing]

Oh gosh, yes! Deb thinks she's the only one who does this, because her dad and brother never talked to her about this and excluded her from the whole topic, so she has no idea. And Dexter thinks Deb would be very judgy about his specific ritualistic approach, even though he thinks it's way safer to have a properly prepared kill room.

[(Anonymous)]

With the limited amount I remember from the books (which mostly boils down to "significant plot beats" with sides of "I remember a character by the name of x and I think things didn't end well for them though I don't recall specifics"), as well as the limited amount I know about the TV show that definitely does not happen in the books through cultural osmosis, this post is really making me laugh. I will of course not qualify this or specify any particular parts. :P

WAIT NO THAT IS NOT HOW I WANTED THIS STORYLINE TO RESOLVE

But how did it resolve!

-timydamonkey

[rionaleonhart]

Somehow I find myself unsurprised that things never end well for anyone in this series. Speaking of which, the storyline in question ended with the death of Dexter's murder kid; I was really hoping they'd have more time to develop a weird mentor relationship!

[night_owl_9]

"Murder Senpai" XD

[rionaleonhart]

I considered 'mentor' rather than 'senpai', but it didn't quite capture the right sense!

[tellshannon815]

It's something I've been thinking about for a while but not got round to watching, still think I'll check it out but don't worry about the spoilers (over the years, there's been quite a few times when I've picked things up that way so when I eventually get round to watching something, I'll see a character and be aware that said character's going to die.) Have to finish Severance first though.

[rionaleonhart]

I hope you enjoy it, if you do end up watching it! I'm having a lot of fun with it. (And enjoy the rest of Severance!)