Monday, January 28, 2008

Of Men and Monsters

After six weeks of making studying my life, I can finally take a guilt-free break from it and catch up on my TV life.

I'm not a big television fan, but there are some shows that I reach my remote control for. Of the three CSI shows, I follow CSI:NY. I also enjoy Fox TV's Bones and the missing persons drama, Without a Trace. The Closer, a crime drama about a kick-ass woman police chief, is also a huge favorite of mine. Of course, crowd-favorite Heroes is on my list, as well as the paranormal hunk-fest Supernatural.

Unfortunately, the WGA Writer's Strike has made all of my favorite shows come to a dead halt mid-season - which means I don't have much in TV land to catch up on.

My solution? Find a new series to get hooked on. After shopping around and listening to the buzz, I decided on Showtime's sleeper TV hit, Dexter.


Dexter


Dexter Morgan has a day job as a forensic blood-spatter specialist working for the Miami Police Department. Clean-cut, soft-spoken, and on the surface a really nice guy who seems to have everything going for him and dreams of having a "normal life." But he hides a secret that none of the people around him can even begin to imagine.

Dexter Morgan is a serial killer.

This piece of disturbia further draws the viewer in by throwing in another interesting plot twist -Dexter is a serial killer who stalks and kills other serial killers.

The show is intelligently written and stories are dispassionately narrated by Dexter himself as events unfold. Just like the rest of us watching him, the genuinely sociopathic Dexter grapples with understanding what he is and who he is - not quite human, but not quite the monster that others of his ilk seem to be. Dexter's conflict is at the heart of this show, his struggle to keep his mask of normalcy on while the restless energy of his compulsion churns beneath the surface.

Watching Dexter is like passing a terrible car accident on the highway - it's a horrible sight but you can't make yourself look away.

Dexter is hero and anti-hero rolled into one, and his existence challenges you into examining nuances of what is right and wrong. You know it's wrong to like him because of what he is - a murderous sociopath - but you find that you can't help yourself because he gives you glimpses of the humanity that lurks beneath the monster. You know it's wrong to root for him and hope he eludes capture - but when you examine him along side his choice of victim, you almost hope he can keep on doing what he's doing.

If you like watching shows where you know who the real good guys and who the real bad guys are, this show is probably not the show for you. There are no blacks and whites here. But if you're ready for a disturbing ride and a good piece of storytelling - grab your copy and meet Dexter Morgan today.

12 comments:

Thess said...

I'm not really a big tv fan but if something good is on, I'd easily get hooked. Dexter sounds a good show...how I wish we have them here.

btw, do you have a picture of your pug? I agree with you, mine is a rascal at times but I can't do anything but love him...he owns me! *lol*

have a great week!
thess

Manggy said...

O, mukha namang ok yung template mo :) (bigla akong napa-Tagalog)

I've heard a lot of raves regarding Dexter, and I have no doubt it's good (especially with the verrry-underrated-and-now-almost-getting-his-due Michael C. Hall in the lead)! I'll just have to get the DVDs, though, as I can't commit to a new series from the start as of now. Kailangan i-marathon.

Plenty of great shows I'm following now-- Project Runway, American Idol, Amazing Race (which just finished), Brothers and Sisters (season is about to end prematurely, groan).

Manggy said...

By the way: tapos na pala exam? Congratulations on a well-deserved break!

dr_clairebear said...

@thess: I don't know how to upload a pic of our pug anywhere, but i get the feeling i might blog about the rascal some time soon!

@manggy: yes, exam is over - and i have erased it from my memory. :) i had to re-paste the codes into my templates - i thought i'd lost them forever and had to fix the widgets from scratch.

anyway, get the dvd's. i'm more than halfway through season 1, and i am already trying to figure out where i can find the 2nd season. it's really good.

i'm going to go look for the book it's based on after. :)

iris said...

kind of brings to mind machiavelli's "the end justifies the means". but he's working in the police force. that's probably one hell of a conflict. where on cable tv is this showing now? mapanood nga :)

iris
nonstandardized.com/alteregos

dr_clairebear said...

@ ris: hey, ris! can i email you on where you can get the series? :)) baka ma-digital chorva board tayo e. ;)

i've finished it na. apparently finished na rin season 2 sa states. :)

you should also try to watch "The Closer" - it's crime drama, but it's really funny and Kyra Sedgewick really kicks ass.

btflpenguin said...

what's with the crime shows?! no greys anatomy? scrubs? ER? may forensic calling ka yata e. hehe.
the husband watches something called ncis. you might want to check that out as well.

dexter, sadly, is on cable. which we do not have due to economic reaasons.

Unknown said...

I like Heroes, Bones and CSI. I'd like to watch Dexter, but at late nights, my mom watches strictly Lifetime, and wants no one to disturb her.

dr_clairebear said...

@ btflpenguin: i used to like grey's until they started becoming too melodramatic. i liked house the first season, but it's become difficult for me as real-lifeinternist to swallow the management - so i've stopped watching that, too. will try ncis.

if you can't get dexter on cable, get the book. i've yet to find a copy, but i'm putting it on my reading list.

@ leon: is there anyway you can tape it while your mom watches her lifetime? it's a really good show. disturbing but wickedly good.

Swipe said...

Just blog hopping. the show sounds really interesting. I hope we get it here in Australia.

Anonymous said...

the writers strike really suck...

Unknown said...

Thought you'd be interested in this article:

"Dexter" heads to CBS

If that like doesn't work just copy and paste the following into your browser:

http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2008/01/life-serial-dexter-heads-to-cbs.html