relentless Dexter blogging (please pass Go and collect $200 if you do not watch/care about this show;)... b/c this entry will bore you to tears.

So last night I finally finished Season 2 of Dexter. And I honestly can't quite pin down which season I liked more. I liked each season for different reasons. I felt like the writing of the actual dialogue and structure of the show was more inventive and unpredictable in the second season, but the plot twists and character fleshing out was more enjoyable for me in Season 1. But there was more time to enjoy the character arcs for Season 2. I don't know. Apples and oranges, methinks.

Anyway, Jeanne made an observation last night that I've been pondering, on why Dexter ends up killing the only people who really see him and accept him for who he is. Why is that? I have some theories... (which are not really theories because they're kind of obvious) For one, the most obvious being that the only people who have been capable of accepting Dexter as the killer at this juncture, have been people who are just as twisted by evil as he is. And because of that twistedness, they try to shape Dexter into what they want, which is not to feel alone in their evil. Icey wanted Dexter to embrace complete license to kill and thereby banish any remaining shred of humanity, which necessitated killing Debra. Deb, we find over and over and over again, is the one person that forces Dex to not go completely postal. She helps keep him human.

Lila took matters into her own hands, and relentlessly tried to suck Dexter into this sick, codependent relationship with her. This necessitated messing with Rita and the kids (in her mind, anyway). And Rita and the kids--like Deb--keep Dex emotionally connected.

Icey and Pyro each had an agenda with Dexter. He filled some need within themselves, mostly to not feel alone in their own depravity. They were each motivated by some form of selfishness. Not that would have mattered to Dexter, except that the selfishness catalyzed them each into doing something that hurt the only people that Dex cares about--Deb and Rita.

So maybe the reason why Dexter kills people who truly see him is because the only people capable of understanding him ARE these twisted people. Who then do something against "the code of Harry" that inevitably pisses Dexter off and compels him to kill them.

What would be interesting if another character comes along who can truly see and accept Dexter for who he is... and not turn away. And not try and rope him into some sick, codependent relationship like Lila did. Or try and turn him to the "even darker side of the dark side" by making him into a loose codeless serial killer like Icey did. What would he do then?

The only thing I could think of was bringing some external character whom I'm not even capable of conjuring up in my imagination. Or that person would actually turn out to be Deb. Eventually.

I think it's interesting that the writers brought us to this point of Dex nearly telling Deb, then copping out. Because in some way I think they're setting the audience up for automatically assuming that Deb couldn't handle the truth. But I think she could. In fact, I think maybe all the fragmented pieces of childhood memories and present situation might actually come together in her mind to the point where it might actually make sense to her. One day.

I think the reason that Deb couldn't see through Rudy and hasn't been able to see through Dexter at ALL, is because--for all of her profanity and dirty mind and smart-aleck attitude--she is paradoxically pure at heart. She can't recognize true evil in others because she doesn't have any real twistedness within herself. Same reason why Angel can't see it, and why Doakes COULD.

Ah, Doakes:( Tragic end for a guy who truly did try to do the right thing. In the end. He's my unsung hero in this show.

Anyway, I have waaaaaaay more to say about the Code of Harry, but that would quadruple the size of the post and I don't have anymore time. So I'll save that for another day...:)

Cheers.