Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI Just finished up the second season of Dexter. So, yeah, that Jaime Murray is kind of attractive. Oh and I'll put some spoiler type stuff in result tags: [result]Despite the atrocities he commits, Dexter was always a pretty sympathetic character. I feel like a lot of that sympathy was lost during Season Two. It'll be interesting to see where Season Three goes.[/result]
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI She's all kinds of yummy, but Debra has my heart. [result]I've only seen it through Season 3, but so far, it seems as if each series loosely takes on Harry's code and examines it. Whereas the first season was more an overall learning process about the code, and planning and being careful, the second season seemed to be more along the lines of 'not getting caught.' How far would he go to not be jailed? Pretty damn far. Season 3 runs a similar course, but I won't specify which rule(s) are brought up. Let's just say he becomes likable again. At least, that's my take. [/result]
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI [result]I feel he becomes less sympathetic when he starts to really bend "his code" and because of how he just kind of shrugged off Rita. I guess it's there to make him "more human," but it didn't really work for me...at least as far as the "likeability" of the character is concerned. It still works for me as a show though.[/result]
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI i find it fascinating that a serial killer can be described as a "sympathetic character" ( Dexter ). in what "real" world would that be true? objectively, he's a monster. what more need we know?
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI 1. He has a very mild mannered act. 2. He's surrounded by sympathetic characters who love him. 3. He only kills murderers. That is eye for an eye justice that doesn't exactly go over badly in this country, and is what heroes are made of in folklore all over the world.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI Are you discussing a show you haven't ever seen? You might as well say that Medal of Honor winners are "objectively monsters" - after all, they have killed people, and that seems to be the criteria for "objectively monster" for you. It's his code, and if you've seen the show you'd know this. He kills horrible people. Not innocent little Sally Jane. He's significantly more complicated a character than an "objective monster". And I've never seen a complete season.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI That's right. For example, he's ritually murdered three serial killers by my count. Who just happened to include his brother (who was also his foster sister's recent fiancee), and his wife's murderer. He also killed two other cold blooded killers of the innocent, who, before he found out they did that, were his mistress and his best friend. So this is an extremely over the top dark comedy/soap opera/crime thriller. I mean, the guy works as a blood spatter analyst in the Miami Metro Homicide Dept.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI I always thought that the fact that they only have him kill "bad guys" was an act of cowardice on the screenwriters who were afraid to make the same show centered around a "real" serial killer. It could have been a serialized (pun intended) version of "Man bites dog" if done right.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI You know what would make a good thread? The relative morality of Dexter.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI It would be AWESOME if people would put some of the big plot spoilers in result tags. Just because Season 4 hasn't been released on DVD yet and a lot of people are watching them that way.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI Sorry, forgot about that. Maybe a mod could do that, too late to edit.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI It'd be awfully hard for the audience to relate to him then...
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI I disagree. The audience had no problem relating to Tony Soprano, yet over the course of the six seasons of that show, we saw him doing some pretty terrible things, and not just strictly to those who had it coming. An audience will be able to follow and indeed root for a character however immoral his actions as long as he is charismatic enough. The choice to make Dexter a "sympathetic" serial killer in terms of the kind of victims he made was born out of the writers reluctance to truly embrace their character's and show's concept, likely in fear of criticism that they'd be glorifying a terrible individual.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI Are you aware of the fact that the series is based on novels in which the protagonist is a serial killer who only kills serial killers?
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI I was getting ready to say the same thing. This series is based on a series of books. I dont think this show would be nearly as good if he was just a regular serial killer.
Re: So Last What Movie Watch You Did? Vol. XXI I don't think it has has much to do with audience sympathy as the fact that Dexter's not just picking up some drunk, random 20-year-old chick and snapping her neck in the alley. I mean, the fact that he's hunting murderers makes it that much more dangerous for him, and I think it's a nice addition. I mean, Sorority Suzy may put up 30 seconds of fight, but how would it compare to him stalking and ultimately killing his brother or Trinity?
I think my point is more that it's easier to maintain the audience sympathy for the Dexter character when the people he kills are all "evil" individuals themselves. Making the same show about a more realistic killer would pose more of a challenge, but would also (IMHO) make for a more interesting show if they succeed.
Well the bookie he killed to become a made man wasn't a mobster. And then he ordered Sil to dispose of Adriana. My point was more that Tony Soprano hardly was a saint and he undeniably had (borderline) sociopathic tendencies. They even hint at as much throughout the show. (I vaguely recall Melfi mentioning that Tony's fondness for animals and small children was not uncommon for sociopaths). Yet the audience found the character likable enough to make that show a huge success. So I'm not at all sure if they needed to make Dexter some Robin Hood version of a sociopath for him to appeal to the audience. Hannibal Lecter was also a very popular character yet he wasn't as discriminating when it came to his victims. However, seeing as I did not know the show was based on a series of novels, my argument is perhaps better made with regard to the source material?
Not really. The best part about both the novels AND the series is that Dexter only kills serial killers, at least IMO. He's a psychopath who has a moral foundation, which was instilled in him by his adoptive father who rescued him and his brother from a freight rail boxcar that was full of their mother's blood, and her corpse. If he was just some guy who killed people, he'd be a lot less compelling.