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 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.