Dexter

Dexter
a kate west favorite
Warning - Spoiler Alert!





Michael C. Hall has migrated from HBO to Showtime for a show wildly different from the family angst driven "Six Feet Under". In it's second season, the hit show "Dexter" still captivates audiences with it's intriguing glimpse into the mind of a serial killer. With such an innocuous name like Dexter, who would have thought that behind that angelic smile lurks the heart of a mad man.

Hall plays the unlikely anti-hero, who only murders murderers. Raised by foster parents after watching his mother torn apart by a chain saw, Dexter realized early on that he was very different from other little boys. His foster father tells him to direct his dark leanings toward bad men and to always say the opposite of what he actually wants to say, in order to pass undetected through society's radar. This works well, until the second season when the police find the remains of Dexter's victims dumped in the bay.

The fun part of the show is that Dexter works with his foster sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) for the Miami Police Department. He's the blood specialist, a medium in which he obviously excels. Erik King plays Sergeant Doakes, the suspicious police officer who swears there is something off about Dexter. All outward appearances are normal, however, even to the extent of Dexter having a girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz). Secretly though, he does things like kill off the elusive Ice Truck Killer, who just happens to be his real brother Rudy (Christian Camargo). Life's a bitch, sometimes.

It's a testament to Hall that although his character is a cold-blooded killer, we still have sympathy for him and don't want him to get caught. During "Six Feet Under" we never thought of him other than the sweet, gay funeral director son who just wants everyone to get along. Now he fully owns the character of the ultimate outsider, alienated from human feeling. The writing is strong, much of the dark story taken from the Jeff Lindsay novel (see below). Great stuff. But it's mostly Hall we keep tuning in to watch. Will Dexter be found out? Stay tuned.

Created by	James Manos, Jr.
	Starring Michael C. Hall Julie Benz Jennifer Carpenter Erik King Jaime Murray Lauren Vélez David Zayas James Remar C.S. Lee Devon Graye Dominic Janes Christian Camargo

The Series:
Dexter - The First Season

Where We Know Michael From:
Six Feet Under - The Complete First Two Seasons (2-Pack)

The Book:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter