Darkly Dreaming Dexter

I don't know if any of you have every watched "Dexter" but you really should. Get it on Netflix, go rent it at Blockbuster, borrow it, buy it, bootleg it, I don't care. Get ahold of it, take it out of the case, put it in your DVD player and watch it. I caught the last three seasons and I fell in love. Kyle and I are going back and watching them all from the beginning. 

I'm a TV buff. When I'm not working or going to school, doing chores, reading, or surfing the interblags, I'm watching a show. Sitcoms like "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" are my favorite for a quick bad-mood suppressant. Dramas such as "Parenthood" are good when I want to feel good about my life. Detective shows like "The Mentalist" are good for when you want to think. "American Gothic" is perfect for when you want to have a hard time sleeping at night for fear of blood on the walls and the Devil tricking you into selling your soul. 

"Dexter" is different. It's better than a novel. Nothing makes an audience feel more dirty than rooting for a heartless serial killer. Dexter is a man who blurs the black and white line of morality. I love the idea of anti-heroes. Have you ever seen "Boondock Saints?"Men out to rid Boston of corrupt and evil men. By killing them. You root for them to kill each evil man. Pretty messed up. Anti-heroes can be as simple as Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. He is the definition of rebellion and teenager angst. In real life, everyone would hate a kid like that, running around drinking and swearing. It's unheard of, but glorified in Salinger's book. Yossarian from Catch-22 could be considered an anti-hero going out of his way to avoid going to war. He pretends to get sick, gets drunk, has sex, anything he can do to get out of fighting. People want heroes to go to war, not a man who just wants to go home. They want to feel safe; yet the whole book the audience is rooting for Yossarian and his fretful attempts to leave the army. Something that would be considered weak in our society. 

Perhaps the best parallel to Dexter would be Hannibal Lecter. A serial killer who eats his victims. His saucy tongue and tender appetite charmed audiences all over the United States. Hannibal blends into society just like Dexter. When he walks the streets, he walks with confidence and poise. Dexter is charming too. A friendly neighbor, a loving boyfriend, a shy brother, and so on. He pretends. Hannibal was caught in "Silence of the Lambs," but he never lost his charms. The whole time, the audience is so excited to see him escape. That's just good writing. 

If you want a show to get your heart pumping and have your morals questioned, watch "Dexter." You'll never be so supportive of a cold-blooded murderer. I should hope.