Dexter Season 6 Episode 4 "Horse of a Different Color"

Within the first few scenes of Dexter S06E04 “A Horse of A Different Color,” I realized that this season is going to be incredible

Mike Anderson (Deb’s new choice to fill her Detective position) is an undeniably great addition to Miami Metro.  While analyzing the four horses crime scene, he realizes that this murder is a showing of the end of times. The four horsemen represent the four horsemen of the apocalypse that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. Along with this, he correctly analyzes the snakes killing. With these skills, he will easily succeed in Miami Metro.

In the four horsemen murder, the fake body parts were highly detailed and well constructed. It is these small details that subconsciously convince the viewer that what is happening is real. 

In the beginning of the episode, LaGuerta was very moody when talking to Matthews about Deborah. Later, when talking to Deb, LaGuerta was pleasant, understanding, and helpful. Why did she have this sudden change of heart? Was it something not shown on screen? Either way, it didn’t seem like she was being herself because since season one, she has hated Deb.

Travis seems like he’s becoming a liability to Prof. Gellar. When preparing to kill the victim for the four horsemen, it seemed like he was questioning his actions. From previous experiences, we see that he is also very emotional. Instead of leaving his sister to prepare for a kill, Travis stayed with her all night. Also, he fell in love with a girl, took her on a date, than took her back to his place and slept with her. Prof. Gellar is becoming frustrated and I can sense that Gellar is thinking of getting rid of Travis.

Furthermore, Travis has got to be one of the dumbest serial killers alive. First, he brought the girl he liked home with him. When he was sleeping with her, he didn’t close the door to his room, allowing Prof. Gellar to watch the act. This caused her to become the next victim. What on earth was Travis thinking? Did he really think he could get away with it? Did he think that Prof. Gellar wouldn’t care? Second, Travis stood at the crime scene for the “angel of death” victim. This is probably the easiest way to get caught. It happened to Dexter in season three when he killed Fred “Freebo” Bowman, and Christine Hill (Trinity’s daughter) in season four. Luckily, Dexter spotted Travis and sensed a Dark Passenger within him so our problems with Travis should end soon.

The writers seem to be focusing on the story instead of only murders. This instills a deeper connection between the viewer and the characters. This connection provides a more emotional experience and can easily lead to a more satisfying show. 

I am happy that Dexter is slowly relying on his friendships instead of Harry’s ghost. These true friendships are more entertaining to watch and they usually accomplish more than Harry’s harsh critiques of Dexter’s life. Also, it seems like Dexter is starting to replace Harry with God. One of my favorite quotes of the episode was when Harry said, “Hey no judgement, you already talk to an imaginary father figure.” After four weeks of waiting, someone finally mentions Astor and Cody. Dexter’s step children have been series regulars and were given a very small role in seasons five and six. Hopefully they will make an appearance soon.

The writers are also making the other characters “break out of their shells.” Masuka finally shows some morals when he becomes furious over his intern stealing evidence and selling it. Batista also smoked some weed with Quinn, which was interesting and amusing.

Brother Sam is turning into a wonderful character. He is the only person who understands Dexter and can also help him. Strangely, Dexter is submitting to Sam and is tolerating his religious views. Dexter even prays for the first time because of Brother Sam. 

Based on what I have seen so far in season six, there seems to be an imaginary religious/morality scale. Prof. Gellar and Travis are on the far left side. They take the Bible, and twist it to meet their own apocalyptic views in order to justify their murderous decisions. On the far right side is Brother Sam, who accepts people for who they are as he tries to help them. While being influenced by both sides, Dexter is in the middle, trying to decide what path to choose. Luckily, everyone on this scale has murder in common. Prof. Gellar, Travis, and Dexter are all serial killers who answer to an inner calling, while Brother Sam witnessed a murder at a young age and entered into the criminal world (also like Dexter).

In this season, Dexter has acknowledged the fact that he will get caught at some point. He now only worries about how it will effect Deb, Harrison, and his coworkers.

The “angel of death” kill is by far the best kill I have ever seen in Dexter. It was highly creative, absolutely repulsive, and highly controversial.  For once, Miami Metro witnesses and causes the victim’s death. The Doomsday killers are once again creating an interaction with society just like they did with the four horses.

So excited for the new episode. Waiting is becoming unbearable!

Green Street Hooligans

Green Street Hooligans is by far the best soccer (football) movie I have ever seen, even though there was very little soccer actually played.

           Along with the incredible storyline, the acting is superb. It is by far one of Elijah Wood’s best performances and should not be overlooked by anyone. I found his character to be extremely relatable and enjoyable. Everyone wants to be a rebel at some point and Wood’s character is the epitome of rebellious. He joins a firm, gets in tons of fights, drinks beer, gets a tattoo, and watches soccer. After finishing the movie, I felt empowered to go and be rebellious, the same way Fight Club does to people. Movies that make people actually want to go out and accomplish something are rare and very powerful.

The theme of brotherhood and allegiances is profound and incredibly portrayed. The firms shown say they are not at all like gangs in America, but their brutal actions prove otherwise. If anything, the movie is very similar to Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York because of the violence, aspect of brotherhood, and the strong rivalries between gangs. Because of this, the film easily rejects the idea of soccer players being “field fairies.” 

While the movie may be based real firms, the events displayed are purely fictitious. Luckily this aspect does not take anything away from this wonderful film. 

Batman Arkham City

          So I just beat Batman Arkham City and I must say that it was a wonderful experience. The game designers did a phenomenal job. They took all of the elements from Batman Arkham Asylum and improved upon them. They added tons of new and inventive gadgets, villains, and upgrades. Also, the designers fixed almost all of the things that were annoying in the first game. 

I loved being able to upgrade new abilities and gadgets. This not only comes in handy during combat, but also for roaming the immense map.

The explanations of how all of the villains ended up in Arkham city is detailed and well written. Villains that were not actually inside Arkham Asylum managed to get trapped or lost inside of Arkham City during the construction.

The storyline is incredible and I still don’t know what to think after beating it. They literally left the game at a point where they could either make another game or end the series completely. Due to the success of the last two games, it would be highly illogical to end the series. Although, the storyline seems to suggest otherwise. SPOILER ALERT!!! With Talia al Ghul, Ra’s al Ghul, Clayface, and the Joker DEAD, it seems hard to create another game. Yes, they could all use the Lazarus Pits earlier showed in the game, but that would seem uncreative and sloppy. It seems obvious that another Batman Arkham... game will be made due to the immense success of the first two games.

I was very interested when Batman chose to join the League of Assassins. Becoming a member of the League of Assassins requires killing people. Usually the victim is a criminal of some kind, but it Batman would never do that. Luckily, Batman didn’t deviate from his moral code and wanted to get into the League just to get a blood sample from Ra’s al Ghul. Once again, Batman outsmarted his way out of an impossible situation.

I am very pleased that the game designers chose to stick to what happens in the comics. Unlike Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City chose to blend realism with the comics. This makes the comic book readers happy as well as casual and upcoming fans.

During the main story, Batman was a bit mean to Mr. Freeze and to Robin. Usually he has to be a bit rough with his villains, but Mr. Freeze seemed to be cooperating. Robin, being Batman’s partner, was treated with disrespect as well. Constantly ordering people around and not accepting the help of others is a good way to lose your friends Batman. This is one place where the game seemed different in a bad way.

As much as I love the Batman franchise, I feel that too many villains and gadgets were added into Arkham City. I was enthusiastic with it all at first, but after a while, I felt a bit confused on where the storyline was headed. Throughout the game, Hugo Strange seemed to be the mastermind behind the chaos in Arkham City. As it turns out, Ra’s al Ghul was manipulating Strange for his own reasons. Along with all of that, Batman still had to cure himself, the Joker, and all of Gotham from a toxic poison. It would have been less distracting if there was only one mastermind instead of three.

Along with the villains, I felt that too many gadgets were added to the game. With every introduction of each gadget, I became more excited to play. My problem with this is that it is going to be very difficult to master each gadget. It took forever to be able to use every gadget in a fight in Arkham Asylum, and it is only going to get worse. Looks like I had better start practicing!

Overall, the game was unbelievable. I played it almost non-stop and beat it in only three days! Don’t worry, I played it on easy so that I can play it again on medium and hard in the future. Despite my criticisms, Batman Arkham City is my new favorite game.

In Bruges

          I saw In Bruges a few years ago and never appreciated it until now. It is one of those movies that is funny every time you watch it due to the phenomenal screenplay written by Martin McDonagh. This black comedy film starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes portrays an different look at the life of a hitman. 

For each actor, this is my favorite role that they have played. Everyone seemed to flawlessly embody the persona of the character and deliver it to the audience with intense emotion.  Farrell especially does a brilliant job. His crying scenes have the perfect amount of sobbing and heartbreak to them. I personally felt terrible for Ray which is all because of Colin’s acting. This role of his has made me respect him much more and has convinced me that he has great talent.

Other than the phenomenal acting, the dialogue is absolutely captivating. Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson) have a confusing relationship. At times, they seem like best friends, sometimes enemies, but usually I think that Ken acts like a father figure to Ray. He stops Ray from committing suicide, and comforts him in his depression. In the end, Ken even sacrifices himself in order to inform Ray of Harry’s arrival. The dialogue between Ray and Ken is sensational, hilarious, and very quotable.

The story is extremely well written as well. The tension of having to kill your friend  is almost unnerving in some scenes (especially the suicide one). All of the symbolism between Bruges and The Last Judgement is very well done. The final scene between Harry and Ray symbolizes this painting because of the creepy looking people dressed in masks for the film production.  After re-watching the movie, I realized that Bruges symbolizes Heaven, Hell and Purgatory for the 3 separate characters. For Ken, Bruges is Heaven. He is in love with the architecture, history, and feel of Bruges. When he dies, I like to think that he went to heaven only because of his love for the city. Ray on the other hand hates Bruges. The people, seeing the sights, and his current circumstances only make him hate the city more. On his deathbed, he thinks that maybe Hell is actually Bruges. It is at this point that for the first time, he wants to live. Harry on the other hand loved Bruges as a child but never got to come back and see it. He comes to Bruges for revenge and doesn’t even care about the city or its beauty. Simply there to murder Ray and Ken, he has very few opinions of the city while he is actually in it.

The soundtrack to the movie is unbelievable. It is all relaxing piano music that makes me feel calm and peaceful. It makes me think of Bruges and its beauty which adds to both the movie and music.

As a writer and critic, I should probably find something bad to say about In Bruges in order to keep a more level opinion, but I honest can’t find anything. In Bruges is now one of my favorite movies that I will be enthralled by for years to come.

House M.D. Season 8 Episode 3 "Charity Case"

Once again in this season, the episode had a very interesting patient with an enormous compulsion to give away money, and later his kidneys. The writers are getting very creative which is keeping the viewers tuned in for this final season (rumored). 

Adding Adams onto the team is a logical choice. Of course it happened only because House manipulated her into doing so. Even though she lost her last job because she disobeyed orders and listened to House, House convinces her that its ok because she saved a life. Having her on the team along with Park is a lot like the old team. Park is nerdy and shy just like Taub, and Adams is outgoing, rebellious, and hot just like 13. 

The patient had the most generous heart that I have ever seen. He was willing to sacrifice his own wellbeing for the less fortunate. Surprisingly, this ended up in a separation between him and his wife because she wanted him to love her more than everyone else. In the end, his personality instantly transforms from very kind and generous to extremely creepy.

The scene where House persuades the man to give him one million dollars is very well written. House for once acts like a normal person would, shying around the topic of money while telling a sob story in order to actually receive it. Although his classic manipulation still shines through the facade. 

Despite Wilson attempting to end his friendship with House in the previous episode, they remain friends and continue to engage in witty banter. The dialogue here is phenomenal and easily quotable.

Sadly, 13 has left the show to pursue her acting career in the film industry.  It was a huge delight to have her in this episode to wrap up her character. At one point she says that she wants House in her life, which is something very rarely said to him. Because she is such a lovable character, I am sad to see her go, but she left in style unlike Kutner (who was written out of the show by suicide). 

I seem to have a few problems with the show in general. One is that whenever the team of doctors does a simple test, something incredibly wrong happens. This always points their case in a new direction and creates confusion for everyone. Usually, the patient will seem to get better, until there is another problem followed by more confusion.  Despite this flaw in almost every episode, I realize and support the fact that many people do not watch the show for the medical aspect, but for the relationships and dialogue that are associated with House M.D.

Favorite quotes of the episode:

“I object to your cynicism.” 

-House

“You can’t take sex from a sexaholic, you can’t give booze to an alcoholic, and you can’t take this guy’s money.”

-Wilson

“You were right, it counts for nothing if you can’t defend it.”

-House

“I’m told... some people are just nice. I’m trying to embrace that wisdom.”

-House

“You know the down vibe in here is totally ruining my Charlie’s Angels fantasy. That haircut isn’t helping either.”

-House

Dexter Season 6 Episode 3 "Smokey and the Bandit"

Episode 3 (Smokey and the Bandit) of Dexter truly redeemed the previous two episodes. Tons of inconsistencies and flaws were redeemed by the once again phenomenal writing. 

I was upset that Deborah and Quinn ended up breaking up. They seemed like such an awesome couple, but things became interesting when Deb took the position of Lieutenant and became Quinn’s boss. The awkward tension is almost tangible and makes very interesting situations. Also, I was furious about LaGuerta and Batista getting a divorce so early, but once again, the writers prevailed and created a glorious rivalry. Even after Deb “took” Batista’s job, they are on good terms. Unofficial sides have been taken and the teams are Deb and Batista vs. Quinn and LaGuerta. Both teams have their partner’s backs and hate their former lovers. 

One of my favorite parts of this rivalry was when LaGuerta was trying to persuade Deb to hire someone. After some convincing from Batista, Deb stood up to LaGuerta and hired who she thought was best. This reemphasized that the characters are changing over the course of the show. In season 1, Deb would have been way to afraid to stand up to her boss.

Adding Walter Kenney was a great idea for the show. For this episode, it felt like we were reliving season 4 with the Trinity Killer. This is because The Tooth Fairy (Walter Kenney) had been killing for years and was now confronting Dexter. For once, the writers changed up Dexter’s ritual and made Kenney want to be with Dexter instead of Dexter stalking him under the radar. Brilliant and inventive!

Kenney keeps trophies of women’s teeth in a box, very similar to Dexter’s blood slides. When Dexter see’s the box of teeth, he questions his own mortality and says, “Is this what happens to serial killers at the end of their lives?”  Dexter later realizes that all life ends in death and even the greatest people can end up as worthless old men. I’m beginning to sense a bit of foreshadowing in this scene.  This could mean two different things: either Dexter gets caught or killed at the end of the season, or he dies a worthless old man. Another scene that hints at this is the final one where Dexter drops his box of slides and loses his sense of order.

Kenney’s death was another change of pace for the show. Dexter decided to take away the Tooth Fairy’s legacy and forcing him to die as an ordinary old man by forcing him into cardiac arrest.

The Doomsday killers are becoming more and more similar to Dexter.  Both killers kill for a higher calling (Dexter and his Dark Passenger along with the Doomsday killers and God.) These similarities are popping up everywhere and I don’t yet understand the connections between the two groups.

Masuka’s new intern started out as “just another hot girl” on the show but quickly became more than that when she showed her obsessiveness over the Ice Truck Killer. She is now very interesting because she stole the prosthetic hand from the first season!

There were some awkward and poorly constructed shots within the episode but things like that happen. Colin Hank’s acting is terrible and I’m sad that it probably won’t be getting better. Also, I was lost for a second between Dexter’s car crash with Kenney and the kill room. I wish there would have been  a slight transitional scene there. Finally, the nudity was a huge shock to me because we haven’t seen anything that graphic in a long time. However, it was very important because it showed Quinn’s lack of interest in the girl and he was probably missing Deb.

Overall, it was a wonderful episode and I’m very excited for more!

Fargo

          Fargo has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards, 3 Golden Globes, and is mentioned on various “Best Movies” lists. The Coen Brothers almost always deliver a well done movie. This could be proven by their 33 Academy Award nominations. Sadly, I was not very impressed with the 1996 film Fargo. 

Fargo done many things well such as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and being Roger Ebert’s 4th favorite film of the 1990’s. The wood chipper scene has become iconic to many viewers. 

One of the reasons I did not enjoy Fargo is because I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters. The characters and the story were well written but in the end when everyone dies, I felt nothing. I am not entirely sure if this was something that the Coen Brothers meant to do but if it is they definitely succeeded. I understand that Lundegaard wanted to stage a kidnapping for the reward money from his father in law, but what I don’t understand is why he would do that? Greed is a powerful motivator, but kidnapping your wife seems a little extreme. Luckily, the Coen Brothers made a wonderful point about greed and the consequences associated with it. I’m just upset that the movie wasn’t up to my expectations. 

The movie opens by saying that everything in the story is true except for the character’s names in order to protect their true identities, when in reality, the movie was completely fictional. Having a pair of writers that falsely claims a story to be true made me feel like I was lied to despite their intentions. 

Also, I was unsure of who the main character of the story was. In the beginning, Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) seems to be the main character, but by the end of the film, it turns out to be Marge Olmstead Gunderson (McDormand). I felt like the Coen Brothers were not very clear on this aspect of the movie; this aided in my emotional detachment from the characters and my overall unpleasant feeling about the film.

Stranger Than Fiction

The Thin Line Between Fiction and Reality

          While most people watch a movie for the entertainment, I watch them for the creative writing. One of the best movies I have ever seen would have to be the 2006 version of Stranger Than Fiction. Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, an auditor for the IRS. One day he hears a voice narrating everything that he is doing. This voice ends up effecting his entire life and even his death. After learning to live in the moment, he changes his life from his job to romantic relationships. From the phenomenal actors, lovable characters, to the unbelievable writing, this is one of my favorite movies.

          Stranger Than Fiction revolves around Harold Crick, an auditor for the IRS, who lives off his wristwatch. Everything he does is timed exactly and is on a routine schedule. One day he goes to audit a baker by the name of Ana Pascal. Quickly, Harold develops a romantic liking for Ana while she ends up hating him. When Harold begins hearing the narrative voice, he completely turns his life around. He than learns how to play the guitar, takes a long vacation from work, and stops paying attention to his meticulous daily rituals and in doing this, he finds pure joy and satisfaction. Harold breaks free from his comfort zone and asks out Ana Pascal. To his delight, she accepts. After seeking council from a Literature Professor, Harold finds out that he is the character in a tragedy by a famous author named Kay Eiffel and she kills her main characters. He than realizes that she is going to kill him without knowing he is real. After running around searching for her, he finds her only to realize that she has written his death. SPOILER ALERT!!! Harold is told by Kay that his death will be very memorable and extremely poetic which comforts him. He does not want to know how he dies but he realizes that he has to know. Harold gets on a bus and reads the entire novel of his life straight through. He enjoys the book and decides that he needs to die because the ending has so much meaning in it. He than goes on living his life knowing he is going to die the next day.  The following morning, Harold arrives at his bus stop three minutes early because someone gave him the wrong time. He sees a child fall off of his bike in the middle of the street and saves them from getting hit by a bus. Instead, Harold is hit by the bus and is rushed to the hospital.  To his surprise, Harold wakes up in the hospital only to learn that a piece of his wristwatch saved his life by blocking off an artery so he would not bleed out. Ana Pascal is reunited with her boyfriend in the hospital and, a great amount of comic relief occurs and than they all live happily ever after.

          First, the quality of writing in Stranger than Fiction is unbelievably good.  All the conflicts and dialogue bring up interesting questions that makes the viewer think about their reality.  These situations are something that very few wonderful movies do well. The viewer puts themselves in Harold’s shoes and tries to think of what they would do in his situation. Would you let yourself die if you knew you could stop it? Also, Stranger than Fiction brings up another question that boggles the mind; are we all just characters in someone else’s book? There is no way to prove that we are or are not. Unlike the movie, we cannot hear a narrator speaking about us. 

          There are some things in Stranger Than Fiction that I do not like very much. I do not think that Ana would instantly fall in love with Harold after he brought her flowers. To me that seems highly unrealistic because she loathed his very existence and could not stand being anywhere near him. Within a half an hour, they were kissing and cuddling on a couch. 

          Also, I feel like the ending would have been a lot more poetic if Harold did end up dying from getting hit by the bus. I do not usually fully enjoy movies when they have a cheesy happy ending. I feel that a good movie can have a more realistic ending and leave the viewer with a sense of happiness. Kay Eiffel said in the end, “But if a man does know he's about to die and dies anyway. Dies- dies willingly, knowing that he could stop it, then- I mean, isn't that the type of man who you want to keep alive?” If you look at the story with that quote in mind, than I would have to agree with the ending. It is the courageous, brave people that you want to keep alive in a story and let the others fade away.

          This movie may raise philosophical questions about our reality. Are we truly alive or are we just characters in someone else’s story? Both sides can be argued and debated on, but in the end, the choice of what to believe is for everyone. Stranger Than Fiction did a wonderful job at making the viewer think after the movie was over. Few movies try to do this but only a few succeed. Inception, Momento, The Matrix, Donnie Darko, Seven, and the Number 23 are a few of my personal favorites when it comes to philosophically thinking movies.

          I strongly relate to this movie because it always seems like the person you like the most in life ends up not liking you... or the other way around.  It was only after Harold burst out of his comfort zone that he asked Ana to go out with him.  Because he did this, the one person who strongly disliked him became the person who loved him the most. 

          After Harold begins hearing this narrative voice predicting his coming death, he begins to realize that the life he is living is not very fulfilling. This struck a chord within me because I wish that for a small period of time, everyone would realize this and do what they truly wanted. People would travel across the globe, ask out the girl of their dreams, learn new things, and change lives forever. Instead of this, we live our sheltered lives, trying desperately to stay within our comfort bubble.

          I wish at times that I could read the story of my life. The book would leave out all the boring, depressing parts that nobody wants to hear about and it would tell all of the highlights of my life. It would be a fond way to recollect memories and events.

          Will Ferrell has played basically the same character in every one of his movies. He is always a little awkward, always crude, and always hilarious. He has been in hit movies such as Austin Powers, Zoolander, Old School, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers. Although, Stranger Than Fiction is a movie far from the rest for many reasons. First, the movie was written for Will Ferrell to play the character and not to be himself in another funny movie. The casting for this movie was a bit of a risk, but choice definitely paid off because Farrell played the character very well. I now have no doubt that he is a good actor. He may play the same roles in most of his movies, but he has the capability to play dramatic roles as well. 

          Stranger Than Fiction is one of the best movies I have seen, and it is also one of the most overlooked. The movie was considered to be average when in reality it is way above average. The dialogue is phenomenal with tons of witty comments by all the characters. The writing, scripting, acting, and editing are all very well done as well. Sadly, Stranger Than Fiction won no awards but was nominated for a few and is usually under looked by most people. While the ending may not ideal, the movie is still considered a huge success in my eyes.

What "Blood" Means to Dexter

The River of Life

Of all the serial killers ever recorded, Dexter Morgan is by far my favorite. Before you start freaking out and assuming I am some sort of lunatic, let me assure you that he is entirely fictional. The character Dexter Morgan is the star of the Showtime TV show Dexter.  The show is currently on it’s sixth season and it is doing very well.  So far, every season has outperformed it’s predecessor and has incorporated copious amounts of blood. Season One of Dexter revolves around the idea of blood and what it means to a serial killer. The viewer is thrown into a gruesome dilemma where they don’t know if they should cringe or applaud Dexter’s behavior.  After a while, Dexter fans begin to view blood in a new way.  Dexter has changed the ways people view blood, helping viewers see it as a profession as a bloodstain pattern analyst and as an inner calling to a serial killer. 

Many real life serial killers claim to have an “inner calling” that tells them what to do and how to do it. Real life serial killers have an M.O. or Modus Operandi (latin for Method of Operating) and Dexter has one as well. He binds his victims to a table with cling wrap and “teaches them a lesson” by telling them the monster that they are by hurting innocent people. Next, Dexter slices his victims’ right cheek with a scalpel in order to collect a blood sample for his collection.  Finally, he kills his victim (usually with a single stab to the chest). After the victim is dead, Dexter cuts the victim into pieces, wraps him or her in garbage bags, and dumps them into the ocean. The most crucial part of this ritual is the collecting of the blood. Dexter collects the blood so that he can later look upon the slides and remember all of his intimate moments with his victims. These slides are his trophies and without them, he can become hostile.

For example, in the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the book that the first season was based on, Dexter impulsively kills a man who rapes and murders women. In order to escape his own crime scene undetected, he is unable to complete his ritual and take a blood sample as a trophy. Dexter’s becomes hostile, uneasy, and extremely anxious because he doesn’t have that blood sample to add to his blood slide collection. He becomes so uneasy without that blood slide that he ends up stealing a sample from his workplace. Many of Dexter’s actions are directly related to blood, fueled by bloodlust, ending in bloodshed. 

Dexter’s bloodlust sometimes puts me on edge. As his inner calling to kill becomes stronger, the show becomes more intense. After the tension becomes unbearable, Dexter kills another guilty victim, and the climax drops off into peaceful bliss. In these situations, the flourishing of blood becomes crucial. As the tension rises, less blood is shown so that your immunity to it decreases. Than all at once, a grisly bloody scene shock and horrify you. Surprise bloody twists sometimes happen as well. In the end of the fourth season, the climax occurs as Dexter kills his nemesis serial killer, and I felt relieved. Then in a bloody twist, Dexter comes home to find his wife brutally and shockingly murdered. After watching that scene, I was so confused and furious. No television show had ever made me feel that way. If these scenes were made to be family friendly without any blood, the shock factor would significantly diminish.

Dexter’s profession happens to be perfect for a serial killer. As a bloodstain analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, he has access to suspects files and records. With these files, Dexter can find and kill the guilty people who have successfully escaped the justice system. This allows him to feed his inner demon which keeps him satisfied. When he is at work, he analyzes different murders. The camera always focuses on the gruesome murder and the surrounding blood. This can make the show hard to watch at times when the murders deal with amputation or skinning people alive.

Dexter benefits from being a bloodstain pattern analyst because he is able to work with and talk about blood all day without seeming strange.  Although the show does not say this, but Dexter would be a less efficient serial killer without his job. Without dealing with blood every day, I think that Dexter would feel a stronger need to kill, thus increasing his chances of getting caught.  Instead, he temporarily replaces his need to kill by working with blood and catching murderers with the police department.

The first time I watched the show Dexter, I was horrified by the concept. I could not imagine enjoying a show that glorifies a serial killer. After a few episodes, however, I slowly began to change my mind. The violence seeped its way in and numbed me to the horrific murders that took place.  While I still may be horrified sometimes by the thought of blood, Dexter will always be fascinated, consumed, and compelled by it. In the first season, a serial killer know as the Ice Truck Killer kills prostitutes, drains their blood, cuts them up into pieces and leaves them out in public. When the I first saw this, I was horrified while Dexter on the other hand began to get excited. Someone is killing prostitutes the same way he kills the guilty citizens of Miami. Only this person kills without any blood. Dexter’s head starts to spin and he says, “No blood. No sticky, hot, messy, awful blood; no blood at all. Why hadn't I thought of that? No blood. What a beautiful idea!” 

Dexter Season 6 Episode 1 "Those Kinds of Things"

Ok... so it wasn't the most mind blowing 1st episode of Dexter, but it was wonderful nonetheless. 

The high school reunion was very creative on the writers parts. Although I feel uneasy about how quickly Dexter accepted that blow job. He's rarely been sexually focused and this just didn't fit. Season 1 he was timid with Rita, season 2 he went crazy for Lila, but 3, 4, and 5 he was calm. 3 and 4 was regular sex with Rita and in season 5, he only had sex with Lumen after they were "dating." It just seemed odd... although it proved useful because he was able to grab her phone (which was not the smartest because if the cops found the body, they would trace his texts, find Trisha, question her, and she would point the finger at Dexter. So in that sense... not too smart.)

I was totally surprised by Quinn thinking about proposing. I mostly find it dumb that the writers ended season 5 with them starting a healthy relationship and opening the next episode with a near proposal. Things have been left out and I feel that the viewers need more in between time for the relationship to truly come together. As viewers, we did just get over Quinn being an asshole to Dex. He went from a character we were annoyed and frustrated with to a boyfriend, almost fiancé who were supposed to care about in 6? episodes?

I feel the same way with Batista and LaGuerta. They're divorce was unannounced, not explained and simply dumb. I loved them as a couple and in the end of The Big One, (Season 5 episode 12) they agreed that they would give their relationship another shot. What are the writers thinking?  Its the same thing as before. We become used to a new personality in a character than they change it in a heartbeat. 

Matsuka would have hired the babe for sure... or at least made some more jokes about the situation.

The murders and religious plot line are brilliant. Most seasons so far have developed and tested Dexter's sexual relationships. Rita, Lila, and Lumen all show this. Its nice to get away from that and focus something that many people can relate to. Everyone has a stance on religion and its good to know Dexter's. I'm hoping it will change due to the radical nature of the killers this season, and Dexter's nonchalantness about the subject. Its almost as if were seeing a new side of Dexter. 

Every season so far, the killer's identity has remained a secret to the audience which has created the mystery and intrigue. The trinity killer was an exception but that mystery was replaced by the suspense of Arthur and Dexter becoming "friends." I am interested how the writers will keep the show fresh and unique this season. I do not know how they will make the show more intense. It better be good.

One of my favorite parts was the quick shot of the blood red moon. In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, (the first book) it opens and closes with the glowing of the red moon symbolizing the Dark Passenger urging Dexter to kill again. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've seen the red moon in the series. I'm not to sure. Maybe its a sign of the beginning of the first season. Or maybe its showing the end of the glorious series.

Overall: After watching this episode and finding all of the inconsistencies within the story, I am starting the think that the best days of Dexter are behind us. Don't get me wrong... I'm a fan til the end and as fitting as it is for this season, "I have faith" that it will get better. The fact is that after this season, the actors' contracts will be up and they will probably want a raise due to the widespread success of the show. This could cause more plot holes and we could lose some characters.

It always has and always remain my favorite show.

Jason