Anybody who watches CSI knows that it is extremely difficult to get away with a crime considering that there is so much advanced forensic techniques at the disposal of the police.
But, what happens if the person trying to get away with murder is the best forensic expert of the police force?
Meet Dexter, a forensic blood-spatter expert for the Miami Police Department with a dark secret. Unknown to his colleagues, Dexter is a sociopath who suffers from some form of antisocial personality disorder. He copes with this condition by engaging in vigilante justice and murdering criminals who have gotten away. His stepfather, police officer Harry Morgan, noticed this condition early in Dexter’s childhood and taught him a code of honor. If Dexter must kill, he should kill in the name of justice and kill only those who deserve to die.
Dexter, portrayed masterfully by Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall in the TV series of the same name, is arguably the most fascinating character on television. This Emmy-nominated show is the most intense, morally ambiguous, gruesome and delightfully cathartic TV program out there today. Not only does it blur the lines between justice and criminality, it also makes you sympathize with a man who brings donuts for his co-workers, cooks for his girlfriend, loves playing with children, solves crimes — but also happens to be a serial killer.
It shocks me that something with such dark source material can be put on television. Dexter was adapted from a Jeff Lindsay novel entitled Darkly Dreaming Dexter. This show should not be watched by anybody below 18 years of age, let’s make that clear. But it absolutely has to be watched by everyone else. The mixture of forensics, psychological drama, crime thrills and dark humor is fascinating to watch.
Dexter puts you in the awkward position of rooting for a murderer. He shows you how a smart, meticulous and careful forensics expert could kill a man and get away with it. He makes you see the world through the eyes of a good-hearted man trying to come into grips with his black-hearted urges. He presents the kind of justice you want for the world, but uses the kinds of methods you wouldn’t wish on even your worst enemy.
Dexter’s humanity and kindheartedness is introduced to the audience through two characters, namely, Rita (Julie Benz), a former battered wife, a single mom with two kids and Dexter’s girlfriend and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), Dexter’s stepsister and also member of the Miami Police Force. They act as foils to Dexter’s dark side, enabling him to be a loving boyfriend and a supportive big brother.
His dark side, however, is portrayed through the criminals he turns into victims. Throughout the show, Dexter is seen investigating the lives of criminals who escaped incarceration. Tailing them. Making sure they are as dirty and evil as he thinks they are so as not to break the code his stepfather left him.
Every time Dexter kills, he shows his victims the faces of the people they destroyed in an almost ritualistic alternate version of a deathbed confession.
The tension between the vigilante murderer and the doting, caring public servant is what makes Dexter such a fascinating character study. For every scene where Dexter kills a criminal, there’s a scene of him helping a child with his school project. The show constantly challenges the audience to re-think their conceptions of murderers and heroes.
In terms of television, you’d be hard pressed to find a drama more gripping, or with humor as dark and poignant. Dexter is unlike any television experience that has come out in recent memory. It’s CSI with a dark twist, Prison Break with an even more tortured hero or The Wire without the clear moral boundary.
Dexter shows you that darkness can be very engrossing.
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